Swiss Alpine Club introduces reservation fee for SAC huts

No time? blue News summarizes for you

• At its delegates’ assembly, the SAC decided to introduce a reservation fee per hut. This fee is 10 francs and will be added to the total price.
• If the reservation is canceled or the overnight stay is not used, the fee will not be refunded.
• The representatives of the 110 sections also decided in Bern to introduce a solidarity contribution per night, as well as an increase in membership fees.

Summary created with

The Swiss Alpine Club (SAC) is introducing a reservation fee per hut and a solidarity contribution per overnight stay. This was decided on Saturday by representatives of the 110 sections at their assembly in Bern.

With the 2026–2030 Strategy, an adjustment to membership fees, and a package of measures to stabilize the hut fund, the SAC is laying the groundwork to further develop mountaineering, the hut system, the protection of the mountain environment, and the association as a whole in a targeted manner, according to a press release.

Accordingly, individual members of sections that own huts will now pay 80 francs (previously 75 francs), and families 120 francs (previously 110 francs). For youth members, the fee remains unchanged at 30 francs.

In addition, a solidarity contribution per overnight stay is being introduced. This amounts to three francs for adult SAC members and five francs for adult non-members. Mountain guides, who previously stayed in SAC huts free of charge, will in future pay a solidarity contribution of 20 francs per overnight stay.

"They just don't get it"

SAC hut wardens pull the ripcord because of Instagram tourists and quit

Deduction for No-Shows

The Delegates’ Assembly also decided to introduce a standard reservation fee of ten francs for staffed huts. This fee is charged per guest per night and will be added to the total price during the stay at the hut. If the reservation is canceled or the guest does not show up, the fee will not be refunded.

The introduction of a reservation fee in unstaffed huts is optional—the decision therefore lies with the section that owns the hut. The fee is intended to increase the binding nature of reservations and reduce duplicate bookings.

In recent weeks, media reports about last-minute cancellations by guests have made headlines. The SAC therefore considered a reservation fee intended to curb no-shows.

SAC huts growing in popularity

The 151 SAC huts are becoming increasingly popular. With 409,000 overnight stays last year, their occupancy rate rose by 12.7 percent compared to 2024. This made 2025 the most successful hut year in the history of the SAC.

However, the huts face major challenges. Thawing permafrost, extreme weather conditions, and an increasingly difficult water supply are making adjustments to hut construction necessary. The SAC Central Association therefore expects annual expenditures of 20 to 25 million Swiss francs for hut construction projects by 2040. According to its own figures, the Swiss Alpine Club has 180,000 members.

More videos from this section