Many people wonder if they should book their ski accommodation in advance or if they should wait until the last minute for this. Nothing is more annoying than discovering that you have paid more than expected for your accommodation; On the other hand, you can ruin your hard-earned vacation if you can’t find the right place to stay because you left too late. So what should I do? The answer depends on several factors.
1) Where are you going? If you’re looking for a world-class resort like Aspen or Whistler, start thinking about planning ahead. On the other hand, if you go to a lesser-known resort with lower occupancy levels anyway, you can start looking much later.
2) How big is the group you are traveling with? If you have a small group (say 2-6 people), accommodation availability is likely to be better than if you want to accommodate 10 people or more. In these circumstances, it’s probably best to wait until the last minute and look for owners or management companies who will accept a lower price when it starts to look unlikely that they will sell at list price.
3) When do you travel? In North America, peak demand occurs during New Year’s week and President’s Week. If you’re looking for accommodation during these times, you should probably book early. However, if you’re coming in early January or late April, your chosen resort almost certainly won’t sell out and you can wait until the last minute to find what you want.
4) How picky are you about where you stay? If you must have a wood burning fireplace, a private hot tub, you don’t want to be more than 50 yards walk to the elevators and insist on having a log cabin with leather furniture where the living room faces south and there is no other homes within 100 yards, you’d better start looking well in advance, because very few properties will meet your specifications. On the other hand, if you just need a place with a bed for 4 people who don’t care where they sleep, you’ll almost certainly find something even the day before you arrive.
If you’ve reviewed these factors and decided to try to land a last-minute deal, you’ve yet to find one. This is not as simple as it may seem. If you have unlimited time at your disposal, you can call 5-10 agencies, tell them what you want and ask for the best price, or tell them you’re looking for a place with certain features for a certain price. However, this will take a while and you may not be comfortable with such an aggressive approach.
The alternative is to find a website that has a pricing algorithm that automatically discounts inventory at the last minute. This requires more sophisticated pricing capabilities than many resort operators have access to, but some have recently developed such systems. Holiday Whistler is a company that has a sophisticated pricing system where the cost of your stay depends not only on the season, but also on the length of your visit and the time remaining before your arrival. This offers the best prices for longer stays booked at the last minute.
This is a great way to both find an exceptional deal and do it with minimal investment of time and effort.