What is good price for a stay at an abbey?

[Cradle]

A friend and I will be staying at our local abbey in a couple of weeks. What do you think is a reasonable price for one night? We are torn over not paying too much, and paying too little and so taking advantage of the abbey’s hospitality.

Here is what you need to know:
-We are students (university) and so not particularly well-endowed.
-The price would include one night stay with Saturday dinner, Sunday breakfast, and Sunday lunch.
-We’ll probably be Greyhounding up there (no transit to the abbey, and neither of us drives), so that’s about $20 each roundtrip.
-The rooms are reasonably comfy.
-The setting is quite beautiful.
-I have been there before a few times but on a free discernment retreat; as such, I am acquainted with the abbot.

So there ya go. What do you think is a reasonable amount for our stay? What have you paid in the past for something like this?

Any (name removed by moderator)ut is highly appreciated and will be valued in our decision.

 

[puzzleannie]

about what you would pay at a budget no-frills motel will probably cover the abbey’s overhead expenses for your stay. however they are probably very forgiving of students, seniors and others on a tight budget. at our local Benedictine monastery it is about $25 a night (depends on single or double, number of people in the group, length of stay etc.) more if you don’t bring your own linens. food is extra, but most visitors bring food gifts to share as well. I will be going next weekend and bringing a turkey

 

[JimR-OCDS]

A friend and I will be staying at our local abbey in a couple of weeks. What do you think is a reasonable price for one night? We are torn over not paying too much, and paying too little and so taking advantage of the abbey’s hospitality.

Here is what you need to know:
-We are students (university) and so not particularly well-endowed.
-The price would include one night stay with Saturday dinner, Sunday breakfast, and Sunday lunch.
-We’ll probably be Greyhounding up there (no transit to the abbey, and neither of us drives), so that’s about $20 each roundtrip.
-The rooms are reasonably comfy.
-The setting is quite beautiful.
-I have been there before a few times but on a free discernment retreat; as such, I am acquainted with the abbot.

So there ya go. What do you think is a reasonable amount for our stay? What have you paid in the past for something like this?

Any (name removed by moderator)ut is highly appreciated and will be valued in our decision.

The Abbey where I go on retreat, cost them to host the retreat, about $150 per person, for the week-end, Friday evening until Sunday. They feed us, supper Friday evening. Three meals on Saturday and breakfast and dinner on Sunday. All the meals are excellent, but nothing extravegant. Breakfast is usually just cereal, english muffins, and fruit. There is coffee, tea and hot chocolate available, 24 hrs. The retreatants do the dishes and clean up the dining room.

So, a one night stay, I’d leave about @$50 US.

However, you’ll have to consider your own situation. Do you cook any of your own meals? Do you do dishes, or do they do them for you?

Jim

 

[JimR-OCDS]

One more thing.

Offerings at Benedictine Monasteries are “free will” offerings. They’re not even allowed to ask or tell you what it cost them. I found out the cost through other sources.

You can leave less, or nothing at all, if you can’t afford it.

Just send them money during the year, when you can afford it.

I donate to the monasteries that I go on retreat at, and also one’s I don’t go to, because I know the value these have for the Church.

Jim

 

[Cradle]

Thanks for the replies. And it beats me how you knew it was a Benedictine monastery! Anyway, yes, they told us it is a “donation”, but obviously…

OK, so a few more details. Linens are provided by the abbey, and as I said meals (provided by the abbey) are included in the price, whatever it will be. The food is quite good. However, there are no snacks or beverages outside of mealtimes. Also, while on the retreats I helped out with cleaning up after meals and stuff, but since this is more of a “civilian” stay, I highly doubt we will be required to do any dishwashing, cooking, etc. The rooms are single beds with a desk, window, and private full washroom.

So far it’s a range of $25-50, I gather…

 

[puzzleannie]

I will add that an abbey that runs a retreat center as its primary means of support is in exactly that position, relying on the generosity of those who use the center to provide the costs associated with it. Our monastery has no outside means of support, that was the basis on which it was founded. The sisters quit their “day jobs” in parishes to devote themselves full-time to their charism, evangelization and pro-life work. took 5 years to build the monastery (which can take 16-30 retreatants at a time depending on gender and with some doubling up). and just recently opened the retreat center itself.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

Thanks for the replies. And it beats me how you knew it was a Benedictine monastery! Anyway, yes, they told us it is a “donation”, but obviously…

OK, so a few more details. Linens are provided by the abbey, and as I said meals (provided by the abbey) are included in the price, whatever it will be. The food is quite good. However, there are no snacks or beverages outside of mealtimes. Also, while on the retreats I helped out with cleaning up after meals and stuff, but since this is more of a “civilian” stay, I highly doubt we will be required to do any dishwashing, cooking, etc. The rooms are single beds with a desk, window, and private full washroom.

So far it’s a range of $25-50, I gather…

You’ll know more when you get there, but I think for a one night stay, $25-$50 sounds reasonable.

Like I said, if you really enjoy the retreat and want this monastery to be around, years to come, then you’ll probably be led to make a donation here and there, as you’re able.

Jim

 

[pjn6444]

Decide after you see how it is. Hotel prices varry from 19.99 up to hundreds of dollars. I would say $35 is a reasonable donation. I stayed at a monastery once and on the envelopes it suggested a $35 donation though it stated that it wasn’t mandatory. (It wasn’t Benedictine so I don’t think they were breaking any rules by giving a ball park estimate) But leave what you feel is right when you leave.

 

[rfnims]

My husband and I stayed 2 nights at a Cistercian (sp?) Abbey, about an hour away. There was a note in our rooms that told us what was expected ($30/night), but left it as a free-will offering. Although we only ate one meal total with them, instead of 3/day, we still covered their request, along with many purchases from their private store. It was a VERY restful, peaceful Memorial Day weekend! I HIGHLY recommend a retreat weekend!

 

[puzzleannie]

I would make a further suggestions, if you are going to the monastery for a retreat you would naturally expect rather austere surroundings and food that resemble the way of life of the monks or nuns, so the budget motel rule would work (adding an appropriate amount for meals).

when travelling it is common especially in Europe for some monasteries to run more as guest houses, and it is possible to stay overnight or a few days as a base for tourism in the surrounding area. If you are staying as a tourist, as opposed to a pilgrim, consider upping the donation somewhat.

 

[Beautiful]

One more thing.

Offerings at Benedictine Monasteries are “free will” offerings.

True
I can tell you with almost complete certainty that $45-50 a night is more in line with the cost of housing someone per night in a monastic guest house. $45-50 a night is minimum. Forget the low range of $25. That cost faded about 10 or more years ago along with lower heating, utility and insurance bills.
Always try to donate above and beyond the $45-50 level whenever possible. Catholic Monasteries are vital to the Church.

 

[rfnims]

Allow the abbey to recommend an adequate donation amount for them, and judge what to pay from there. Our nearby Abbey is in a VERY rural area in Missouri, therefore, maintaining costs, utilities, food, etc. may not be as great as in other areas of the country. The food provided was ample, but austere. The monks did the cooking, and delivered it to the guest house, and returned for the empty serving dishes. The retreat participants took care of the cleaning up after the meal. We also had instructions on how to dispose of linens, etc. after our stay. My husband and I each had our own room, twin bed, desk, easy chair, lamp, with a connecting bathroom. NOTHING was fancy (garage sale type items), but adequate. Thank goodness they did provide window/wall air conditioning units, as we ended up needing it, due to seasonal allergies, and a very warm and muggy Memorial Day weekend. I recommend EVERYONE to try it once. Our Abbey only allows 2 visits per year, and you must make reservations, about 1-2 weeks in advance (at least). We both took many books and contemplative material (although the library provided in the commons room was more than ample). Of course, we attended mass and prayers, vespers, etc. whenever possible. We were both surprised how fast our time flew by. Enjoy your stay!

 

[JimR-OCDS]

True
I can tell you with almost complete certainty that $45-50 a night is more in line with the cost of housing someone per night in a monastic guest house. $45-50 a night is minimum. Forget the low range of $25. That cost faded about 10 or more years ago along with lower heating, utility and insurance bills.
Always try to donate above and beyond the $45-50 level whenever possible. Catholic Monasteries are vital to the Church.

It may be, but its not in stone that this is what we should leave.

No one should ever turn down a retreat, because they feel they can’t afford it.

Even if you leave nothing, leave an note with a commitment to make an offering, when you can, over the course of the year.

Also remember, there are some people who leave more, in order to cover for those who can’t leave anything.

Bottom line,… go on the retreat. Leave what you can, and let God do the rest.

Jim

 

[Beautiful]

It may be, but its not in stone that this is what we should leave.

No one should ever turn down a retreat, because they feel they can’t afford it.

Even if you leave nothing, leave an note with a commitment to make an offering, when you can, over the course of the year.

Also remember, there are some people who leave more, in order to cover for those who can’t leave anything.

Bottom line,… go on the retreat. Leave what you can, and let God do the rest.

Jim

:yup:

 

[puzzleannie]

when I or fellow oblates stay at the monastery, there are also jobs waiting we can do to contribute, and other guests are also invited to help with the work–mailings, filing, updating address lists, printing labels, preparing materials for pro-life presentations, packaging evangelization materials. after construction we did a lot of the clean-up work involved. there are always general maintenance jobs on the buildings and grounds as well, and gardening. one weekend we lined walkways with stones and bricks, another time we planted flowers, one couple build a rose garden around Mary’s statue with the help of their kids. we did a lot of the finish work on the interior of the adoration chapel.

so ask, there may be some ways you can contribute to the work of the abbey while you are there.

 

[Cradle]

Thanks everyone for elaborating. However, I want to clear up that this is not a retreat, although I have attended the abbey’s retreats in the past. We wanted to go up to the monastery and stay overnight Sat-Sun to spend some time together in a contemplative setting and to join in their feast day celebration for Mass, etc. on Christ the King (Nov 25) as the adjoining seminary is named Christ the King. This is why I said it was more of a “civilian” stay, and it would be odd (and not to mention not wise in terms of time constraints) to offer to do work (though I think the only work that is needed, from my time as a retreatant, is farm/harvest work), I think.

The place is definitely not stripped and bare; it’s austere but comfortable and welcoming. Looks like you guys are preferring a $35 lower limit…

And they did give us a price, but as I said, being students I talked to them… I think we’ve come to a decision for now, though. Your help has been tremendous and you’ve brought up various things to consider, which we will the next time we’re up for something like this. Unfortunately, I realized a couple of days ago that our decision has been made for us-- we have a scheduling conflict and so can’t stay overnight at the abbey in the first place. We’ll only be going up for the day on that Sunday; hopefully it won’t feel too rushed. But I guess now we’ll be more prepared in terms of what to give next time. Thank you.