Wow- what a total mess. We are from the US and were looking forward to the Swiss ski school…read moreexperience in Davos. I had been to Switzerland many times before and am amazed at the efficiency and precision that is quintessential to Swiss culture. It was easy to expect that this ski school would be a reflection of what the Swiss are most known for- quality, flawless execution and precision.
We had the total opposite experience.
Reservations - it was easy to email a request with our information and when we figured that we needed to change locations they were very accommodating.
Check in - When we arrived the day before we went straight to the school to pay and get aquainted. The ticketing agent seemed new- everytime we had a basic question, it took her longer than usual to answer and several times she had to call the manager. It took about 45 minutes to complete the transaction of paying for lessons. Very little details were given as to where we are supposed to go - all she said was "Look for the signs." No map, no anything. Ok- sounds easy right?
Day 1 - Luckily we arrived an hour early (make sure your little ones go to the bathroom first as there toilets are far and somewhat unmarked- again- a map would of have been helpful). We walked up to our group (BTW- they have many signs but the ski school and snowboard school is on opposite sides and aren't really distiguished). We walked up to our designated "flag" and there were 5 instructors there- non of which greeted my nervous 5 year old. Felt a little cold and unhelpful. Luckily, My daughter was assigned to a wonderful teacher which made me feel confident that everything was going to be ok. Overall she had a blast but several times I skied by and there were no ski instructors anywhere and my daughter was left out alone in the beginners park. I have no idea where her teacher was- maybe the bathroom???? I asked my daughter if they took a hot coco break (in Switzerland they drink a fruit tea) and she said no- she was exhausted and thirsty but overall a happy kid so I thought maybe this is how the Swiss toughen up their young ones.
Upon picking her up I asked what the schedule would be for the next day. She informed me that they were having a race day and to arrive later at 10am- How fun we thought!
Just to make sure that we understood correctly, we called the ski school in the evening that confirmed the 10am time.
Day 2 - My daughter was excited to go back especially bc she adored her teacher- Love that! We pulled up on time- 10am sharp. Her teacher and class were not there. Apparently, Fridays we should be there at 9:30. Not at 10am as was confirmed the previous evening. We were misinformed. In the afternoon they switched teachers on her and they assigned this guy who obviously was not good with little kids. He was cordial but not into kids and it showed. I came early to wait and watch and see them coming down the mountain. I came over to give my kid a high five and the instructor decided to end the class early. I was not impressed with his level of enthusiasm especially since every kid in the class was begging him to go back up.
My experience fared way better than my friend who checked in her 12 year old son for SKI lessons. First and foremost, her son was accidentally enrolled in snowboarding lessons at Parsenn. When they checked in, the ski instructor had no idea who he was and they were told to go back to the office. She went back and was told that he was assigned to ski at the Rinerhorn mountain and that the bus was about to leave. In total confusion her son was thrown onto a bus of strangers on a moments notice in order to stay with a group for his level.
One major only problem was that she had purchased a ski lift ticket for Parsenn (she was told by the ski school to do so beforehand) and wasn't able to get a refund. When she went back to complain about being misinformed and for the chaotic fashion of checking in her son she wasn't offered any compensation for her trouble. On the contrary, she was informed that his ski lessons would be continuing only at Jakubshorn as opposed to Parsenn. Upon registration it was raised to her attention that the Parsenn slopes were more challenging for his ski level and appropriate for his level Unfortunately, we were told that there weren't enough skiers to form a group that would be going to Parsenn. Again, this was disappointing.
There are other ski schools that we are considering for our next visit (bc lets be honest and admit that Davos is amazing and we'd like to return). I just can't recommend Schweizer Schneesportschule Davos. Bad customer service and the lack of consistency in teaching make us feel uncertain.
