House Guidelines

Welcome
We heartily welcome you to the Hindemith Foundation's Hindemith Music Centre Blonay and hope that you will enjoy a pleasant and instructive stay with us.
The Hindemith Foundation fulfils a considerable personal and financial expenditure in order to maintain the Music Centre and to make an enriching stay possible at reasonable rates for musicians, music students and amateurs of all ages.
We speak German, French and English.

Accommodation and care of the facilities at the Music Centre
You are staying at the Chalet de Lacroix, a historical house, built around 1900 as a private house. In 1976 the French family de Lacroix also sold some of its quite valuable furniture to the Hindemith Foundation, which contributes considerably to the charm and atmosphere of this unique house. Please treat this furniture, as well as the instruments, of course, with great care.
One particular characteristic of a sojourn in a group is that one must continually adapt to and show consideration for others. This applies not only to the observation of times of rest and to agreements concerning the use of practice rooms, but also to the request of the Housekeeping Director that guests help each other at table and return glasses, utensils and dishes to the kitchen at the end of the meal. We save on personnel this way and keep costs low. The community spirit and social behaviour in the group is thus encouraged as well; this also has a beneficial effect on chamber music playing, where listening, interacting and becoming involved with one another is so important. Your stay here can only be an enriching and beneficial experience for all if everyone in the group helps together. This is our heartfelt desire and we know that it does indeed come about in nearly every case.

Opening Hours of the Houses
The main entrances of the houses are generally open at
8 o'clock in the morning. For security reasons, they can however be locked at intervals during the day. In the evening the doors are usually locked from
9 o'clock onwards.
All guests will receive a key to their room that can also electronically open the entrances to the Chalet and the Pavilion. Our guests may come and go as they please, but must take their keys with them in order to be able to get back into the house.

Night's Rest
During the summer, absolute quiet must be observed outside of the house from 11 p.m. until 8 a.m. We have neighbours who would like to sleep and with whom we would like to maintain good relations after your course. Thank you for your understanding.
Inside the house, quiet must be observed in all rooms starting at midnight. Those responsible for courses can arrange other bedtimes for their course with the Director of the Music Centre.

Meal times
Breakfast from 8:00-9:00 (9:30) a.m.
Lunch at 12:30 p.m.
Supper at 6:30 p.m.

Drinks
Water is served with the meals. Anyone wishing for other drinks can choose from the "house selection" (including mineral water, apple juice, beer, wine) and then sign for it on the card index. Each guest will be given a bill following the final meal.
In the cafeteria you will find an espresso machine, available between meal times. For these too, each guest will be charged before departure.

Practising Arrangements
The course organisers are in charge of the distribution of practice rooms for the course participants. One can practice during the following hours:

Telephone
A card telephone is at our guests' disposal in the Chalet. Telephone cards may be purchased at the cashier's desk.
Telephone calls in Switzerland:
Dial the ten-digit telephone number, (e.g. 021 111 11 11 or the nine-digit telephone number for the Zurich area 01 111 11 11).
Telephone calls abroad:
First dial 00, then the number of the desired country, then the area code there (usually without "0", except in Italy for fixed telephone lines), then the telephone number.

To be reached by telephone at the Music Centre, please give the following telephone number to your family and friends:
Calls from within Switzerland: (021) 943 05 27
Calls from abroad: +41 21 943 05 27
The calls can be transferred to the telephone cabin.

Photocopying
Photocopies cost 20 centimes per page. Please keep track on the list provided alongside the photocopier. The settlement will follow at the cashier's desk after the last meal of the course.

Scores and Records/CDs
Ask at the reception which scores and records/CDs are kept at the Centre. We will make them available to you during your stay as far as it is possible.

Room Service
The beds are newly made after seven days in general, if the group is staying longer than a week. Washcloths and towels are replaced every three or four days, however. At the same time the room will be tidied up. In the meantime we request that you keep your room clean and tidy. Thank you for your understanding.

Smoking
We request that smokers do not smoke in the houses. They may smoke in the library, in the Salon Hindemith and in the dining room only if this does not disturb the other guests. Out of consideration for future guests, smoking is not allowed in the rooms. Thank you for your understanding.

Personal Laundry
For those who wish, we are able to do laundry. Please direct enquiries to to the house-staff. You will be given a laundry bag for items of clothing. Guests are able to do their own ironing in a room for that purpose in the pavillion.

Valuables and Money
You may leave your personal valuables, money, tickets, etc. at the reception. We will keep it for you in our safe.

Euros
As from now we are able to accept Euros. In line with the rest of Switzerland we only accept bank notes and no coins, as we cannot exchange these at banks. Any change will be paid in Swiss Francs.

Lost keys
We would like to inform our guests that if a key is lost we are obliged to charge the sum of 50 Sw. Fr. Thank you for your understanding.

Internet
In the basement of the main building there is a computer with English and French/German keyboard, available 24 hours a day for surfing the internet. The charge is 10 Swiss Francs per hour and is made via a "SurfCard" which can be purchased at the reception.

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