Chamounix Mansion

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CHAMOUNIX MANSION

INTERNATIONAL HOSTEL AND MEETING CENTER
FACILITY POLICIES AND GUIDELINES

(Revised 2016)

Historic Chamounix Mansion is a National Historic Landmark serving as an International Hostel and Meeting Center. The hostel is open from 15 January to 15 December primarily providing overnight accommodations, while also offering space for meetings, workshops, and events year-round. We are chartered by Hostelling International, but remain an independent entity, a not for profit organization. Chamounix buildings and grounds are available for rental subject to the following Reservation / Cancellation Policy and Guidelines:

RESERVATION / CANCELLATION POLICY

(for Groups)

All rental reservation requests are tentative until deposits have been received. For a secured reservation, 50% of the total fee is required at least 30 days before the arrival date.

The balance of the fee is due upon arrival. Reservations made less than 30 days in advance of the arrival date require payment in full. A security deposit of $250.00 must be received with the reservation deposit and will be returned if all conditions are met.

All deposits must be made with VISA, MasterCard, wire transfer, or a corporate check.
Reservations must be canceled in writing at least 30 days before the scheduled arrival for a full refund of the deposit. Reservations canceled less than 30 days before the scheduled arrival will receive no refund. Any major changes to group size or to male/female count must be made at least 14 days prior to scheduled arrival to avoid penalty. Small changes (less than 10% of group size) may be made up to 48 hours prior to arrival. Group will be held responsible for the total number of beds reserved unless 48 hours notice is given of change in number of beds needed.

GUIDELINES

ACCESS
Guests have access to areas in accordance with hostel operation hours. For groups, unless arrangements have been made for day use or evening use, no common areas may be blocked off for private use. Chamounix is open daily between 8:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. Between 11:00 a. m. and 4:30 p.m., the hostel is closed. At 4:30 p.m., Chamounix reopens. The hostel has a 2 am curfew.

To secure the buildings when the office is closed, a security alarm is set, thus restricting guests from leaving and entering the buildings between 2 a.m. and 8 a.m. In rare circumstances, special arrangements may be made in advance for entry or exit between 2 a.m. and 8 a.m.

BREAKFAST

The kitchen is located in the Mansion. Groups may sleep in either the Mansion or the Carriage House. Those groups staying in the Carriage House will have access to the Mansion (and the kitchen) no earlier than 8 a.m. If your group will need to use the kitchen earlier than 8 a.m., you must reserve beds in the Mansion, not the Carriage House. For our individual guests, we offer pancake mix to make “DIY” pancakes for breakfast. Groups should plan to provide for their group’s meals. Coffee and tea is available during open hours.
ACCOMMODATIONS
Sleeping accommodations are in comfortable, air-conditioned, dormitory-style rooms. The hostel provides sheets, a blanket, and a pillow for each bed.
Sleeping bags are prohibited. We offer towels on an as need basis. Groups must bring their own towels. A limited number of toiletries are available in a vending machine and at the office. Consider purchasing a large bottle of shampoo and body wash for your group to share. We are always grateful for those guests who share their soaps and shampoos, and have a shelf in the bathrooms for these items.

ALCOHOL****
Alcoholic beverages are prohibited****, except for catered events.Caterers must provide a Certificate of Insurance, beverage servers, and all necessary bar supplies and equipment.

Please see INSURANCE

ANIMALS

No animals except service animals are permitted on Chamounix property. The Stables is not part of Chamounix Mansion. Please do not park on the south side of the road running in front of the Carriage House, as you may block access to The Stables or its equipment. The Stables does not rent horses or offer trail rides. They do encourage guests to visit the horses as long as the horses and other animals are not interfered with. Chamounix Mansion has outdoor cats that have been abandoned here over the years. We get them shots, and provide food and health care. Engaging with the cats is done at your own risk. Please supervise children around the cats.
ATHLETIC EQUIPMENT
Athletic equipment available for use at no additional cost includes: volleyball net and ball, tennis net with rackets and balls, softball bases with bats and balls, and a limited number of bikes.

AUDIO / VISUAL EQUIPMENT
The hostel offers basic audio/visual equipment for meetings and events at no additional cost. Equipment includes: Video Projection Television with VCR, a sound system with adaptor for iPod, etc., podium with microphone, an easel, and a projection screen. The General Manager must approve all additional equipment.
AVAILABILITY
Chamounix facilities and grounds are available for rental year-round.
BARBECUES
Chamounix provides two large gas grills. Outdoor picnic tables are conveniently placed and additional tables and chairs may be set up as needed. Depending on the number of guests, the hostel may ask for an additional fee for BBQ supplies.Additional equipment must be approved by the manager.
CATERING
All clients are encouraged to obtain catering services from the suggested vendor list which had caterers our guests have used and been satisfied with. All alcohol must be provided by the caterer and served by the wait staff of that company. The guest must provide Chamounix with proof of insurance showing that the caterer has either full or incidental liquor liability coverage.

Please see INSURANCE

CAPACITY
Chamounix has the capacity to accommodate a total of 80 overnight guests(the Mansion sleeps 44 people and the Carriage House sleeps 36 people). The maximum capacity for meetings and events is 150 attendees, when outdoor space is included or the event is an “open house” type event.

CHILDREN (under the age of 8)

Children under the age of eight must be supervised at all times. We urge you to not only remember that Chamounix is a National Historic Landmark, but a true treasure to Philadelphia and Colonial American history. Small children do not understand this, nor do they perceive the dangers that may be present, such as the basement stairs. Unsupervised children will have to remain with their parents or the parents will have to remove them.

CLEAN-UP
Clients are expected to clean up after use and return the facilities and grounds to the same conditions as the client found them. This includes completing all the chores listed on the Facility Clean-Up List. The group leader is responsible in seeing these tasks completed. Failure to do so will result in forfeit of the security deposit.
Facility Clean-Up List will be provided during the reservation process and includes:

Removal of decorations (please ask manager on duty about type of tape used in Mansion for hanging decorations, and if used, all tape must be removed at end of event)

Picking up of litter on grounds and in buildings used
Breaking down tables and chairs, return of same to location borrowed from
Sweeping and trash removal
Breaking down and returning of all equipment used, in same condition as when borrowed

Due to the nature of our cooking supplies (some may look identical to those you bring in) , PLEASE LABEL ALL YOUR PERSONAL POTS, PANS, BOWLS, ETC.
COMPLEX MAP / FLOOR PLANS
Complex Map and Floor Plans are available upon request.
DAMAGE
Clients must use the premises in a safe, orderly, and respectful manner as befits a historic landmark. Clients are responsible for supervising all participants to prevent damage of any kind. Any and all damage occurring during the rental of Chamounix structures, property, and grounds will result in the loss of the security deposit. The Friends of Chamounix Mansion will bill the client for any damages exceeding the amount of the security deposit.
DECORATIONS
Chamounix is a National Historic Landmark; the manager must approve use of any decorations.

ELECTRICITY

Please ask staff on duty before plugging any equipment into interior outlets, for exterior use. You must provide your own extension cords, rated for heavy duty use and marked with your group name. The electricity in the kitchen: the outlet by the toasters and the outlet on the stove island are on a separate circuit from the coffee pot outlet, the exhaust fan, the GFCI outlets, and the microwave. Do not try to run too many appliances on the outlets with the exhaust fan or you will trip a breaker.

EXCLUSIVE DORMITORIES
Rooms may be reserved for exclusive use by paying for all the beds in the room.

HANDICAP ACCESSIBILITY
The Carriage House is handicap accessible and the Mansion has limited wheelchair accessibility. Please call ahead if you have questions or concerns regarding accessibility needs.

HOURS
Rentals must not exceed predetermined hours. Set up and clean up must take place within a one-hour period before and after the rental hours. Set up details must be arranged with the manager in advance of the rental date.
INSURANCE

All clients must provide a certificate of insurance (call your insurance agent or broker to obtain a certificate) that must be provided to Chamounix at the time the client’s deposit is made. Failure to provide an insurance certificate will result in denial of access to Chamounix.

Insurance must be with a reputable company (Chamounix prefers an A. M. Best rating of A or better) and must show liability insurance with a minimum limit of $1 million. Chamounix reserves the right to be added as a named insured to the client’s policy.

For events where alcohol is served, the client must have either full or incidental liquor liability coverage.

While Chamounix has its own insurance coverage, it will not cover any damages or liability caused by any person (their guests, agents, employees, etc.) who rent Chamounix’s facilities.
KITCHEN
The kitchen is a fully equipped, self-serve cooking and food preparation area: a stove with four burners, a range counter with six burners, two baking ovens, microwave, and two automatic drip coffee makers. Pots and pans, cooking and eating utensils, and dishes are provided. Limited baking equipment is supplied. The client or caterer must supply all additional items.
LOST & FOUND
The hostel is not responsible for lost or stolen property. Lost or found items will be retained for 30 days. Upon request, Chamounix will return lost items to their owners at the owners’ expense.

MAPS & DIRECTIONS
Maps and directions are available on the web site: For additional assistance, please contact the office during the hostel’s open hours.
MUSIC & DANCING
Music may be played in the Complex provided noise levels are inoffensive. No loud music can be played when the facilities are shared with overnight guests. Dancing is permitted in the Mansion provided the historic floors are properly protected.

PARKING
There is plenty of complimentary parking and ample space for buses. Parking vehicles on the grass is prohibited. If you are parking at the Carriage House, please keep in mind that the spaces across the street from the Carriage House belong to the stables, not to us. Please do not park there. Please park parallel to the Carriage House, as that is a road going back to the stables.

PERMITS
Please contact the General Manager regarding all permits. The following permits must be obtained from the Fairmount Park Commission: bus permits for access into the park, permits for use of ball fields for picnics and games, outdoor music, and special events.

PICKING FLOWERS/CLIMBING TREES
Picking flowers and climbing or hanging on tree limbs on Chamounix grounds is prohibited. Chamounix Mansion has some significant specimen trees, including one of the oldest Gingko biloba (Gingko) in the U.S. and a Fraxinus americanus (White Ash) over 200 years old. There is also no parking under these two trees. Please do not move the logs around the edge of the tree circles. Anyone interested in the trees of Chamounix for herbarium purposes please contact the General Manager before taking samples. Groups interested in learning more about the historical significance of the Chamounix trees should also contact the General Manager to arrange for any lectures or demonstrations.
RESTROOMS
A restroom is located on the main floor of the Mansion. Restrooms (both male and female) with showers are located on the 2nd and 3rd floors of the Mansion. In the Carriage House, male and female handicapped accessible restrooms are on the ground floor.
SECURITY
Clients must provide their own security. The Chamounix staff person on site at the time of an event is not responsible for security or loss of property.
SMOKING
Chamounix Mansion Hostel has a no smoking policy for all buildings, including restrooms and grounds. While Fairmount Park now has a NO SMOKING policy, Chamounix Mansion asks that if you choose to smoke in Fairmount Park, that you do so beyond the Blue Fairmount Park “Chamounix 1802” sign.

STAFFING
A Chamounix staff person will be on site and on call when the facilities are rented and during the hostel season.
TABLES and CHAIRS
The hostel can provide eight banquet tables and eighty folding chairs. All set up and preparation is done by the client or caterer. Additional tables and chairs must be provided by the client and obtained from the suppliers listed on the Approved Vendor List.
TELEPHONES
There is a courtesy guest phone for local calls available on the main floor of the Mansion. There is also a phone on the main floor of the Carriage House for local calls.

TENTS
All tent rentals must be obtained from the Approved Vendor List.
ANY ISSUE NOT DESCRIBED ABOVE MUST BE DISCUSSED AND APPROVED BY THE GENERAL MANAGER.