Reading a Youth Hostel Booking Page
A class is planning three nights in a youth hostel near Heidelberg in July. The webpage states: 'Preis pro Person und Nacht: 28 € im Mehrbettzimmer, 41 € im Zweibettzimmer. Frühstück 7 € extra. Mitglieder der Jugendherbergsverbände zahlen 3 € weniger pro Nacht. Gruppen ab 10 Personen erhalten 10 % Rabatt auf die Übernachtung, nicht auf das Frühstück. Check-in ab 15 Uhr, Check-out bis 10 Uhr. Abendessen nur mit Anmeldung bis 18 Uhr am Anreisetag.' The group has 12 students and 2 teachers. All 14 want breakfast. Only some are members of a youth hostel association - the teacher says 8 of the 14 are members.
1. Calculate the total accommodation cost for 14 people, three nights, in dormitory rooms, applying the group discount and the membership reduction correctly.
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Step 1 - base price. 14 people × 3 nights × 28 € = 1,176 €.
Step 2 - membership reduction. 8 members × 3 nights × 3 € = 72 € off.
Step 3 - group discount. 14 people qualify (over 10). 10 % applies to accommodation only: 10 % of (1,176 − 72) = 10 % of 1,104 = 110.40 € off.
Total accommodation: 1,104 − 110.40 = 993.60 €.
Common errors: applying 10 % to the full 1,176 (ignoring the membership reduction), giving the membership reduction to all 14, or applying the group discount to breakfast. The page says the group discount is 'nicht auf das Frühstück'.
2. Calculate the breakfast cost and explain why it is calculated separately.
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Breakfast: 14 people × 3 mornings × 7 € = 294 €.
It is separate because the text explicitly excludes breakfast from the group discount: '10 % Rabatt auf die Übernachtung, nicht auf das Frühstück'. Membership also reduces only the per-night price, not meals.
Combined total: 993.60 + 294 = 1,287.60 €.
The judgement being tested is reading the scope of a discount. Students who apply 10 % to everything get 1,287.60 × 0.9 ≈ 1,158.84 €, which is wrong by about 129 €.
3. The group arrives at 16:30 on the first day and wants dinner that evening. What must they do, and what does the check-in time tell you?
Read the worked answer
Check-in from 15:00 means a 16:30 arrival is fine - no problem there.
Dinner requires registration by 18:00 on the arrival day. Arriving at 16:30 leaves a window of about 90 minutes, so they can register on arrival, but it is tight if the journey is delayed. The safe move is to register for dinner in advance (by phone or email) rather than rely on the arrival window.
Also note check-out by 10:00 on the last day - a detail easily overlooked when only the price is read. The judgement is to notice that the arrival time is safe but the dinner deadline is the real constraint.