December bookings in a ski resort

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Astorchamonix
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December bookings in a ski resort

Post by Astorchamonix »

Hi everyone,
We have a place in Chamonix in the French Alps. Thankfully this year there appears to be some snow (!) and the ski lifts are starting to open around our resort.
We are pretty booked up Jan - March but have no bookings before Christmas week. I'm just wondering whether we should expect to get any bookings for the weeks leading up to Xmas, or is it generally pretty quiet?
Any ideas how to generate bookings for then, for example has anyone paid to 'boost' their property etc on the likes of HA or OD?
Sometimes our place seems to go into the 'featured properties' without us asking or paying, but I'm not sure whether it drums up and extra trade?
We are listed on HL, HA, ABB, OD and Flipkey.
Thanks in advance. :D :lol: :P
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kevsboredagain
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Post by kevsboredagain »

I don't even have xmas week booked yet, for the first time ever.

I think it's very unusual for weeks to be booked before xmas week, as even if there's snow, not everything will be open and some places will only open for weekend travelers.
Astorchamonix
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Location: chamonix, French alpes
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Post by Astorchamonix »

Thanks kevsboredagain I thought that might be the case, I've certainly never been on holiday that pre-Xmas week and suppose therefore that most others won't either.
I've just had a look at our pricing and its perhaps a little over optimistic in view of this, and might drop it and see if we get anyone.
This year pre-Xmas is also pretty early, starting on 12th December so this may make it even less desirable, even though the lifts are partially open already in Chamonix.
Have you ever (or any other LMHatters) used the special offer function on owners direct? I'm just trying to get a feel for whether it works, I suspect not as I think most people search all the apartments rather than just picking the one at the top.
Ecosse
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Post by Ecosse »

if you've got Christmas booked, well done, you're ahead of the game this year... judging by the conversations I've had recently with Cham and St Gervais friends who own rental companies or chalets, only about half of us have sold Christmas, thanks to last year's no snow show. As far as anything before Christmas, I would always see it as a bonus rather than a given... though as Kevin says, if you can do weekends, you may get a booking. Here's hoping this snow stays and we get a great season!
Astorchamonix
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Joined: Thu Dec 25, 2014 8:40 am
Location: chamonix, French alpes
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Post by Astorchamonix »

Well I can't say that we have been successful as we are going ourselves at Christmas, so can't take credit for an Xmas booking!! Yes, the snow last year at Xmas was terrible.....we have always been at Xmas and never had any problems with snow in the past, so here's hoping it was just a blip. Those beautiful rolling green meadows usually reserved for the chamonix summers were a bit of a PR disaster for the Alps last Xmas (we were sunbathing in Vallorcine on the 23rd December!!).
I think the changeover day has made Xmas week unattractive this year, and suspect it will be even worse next year.......I don't know whether you are based in the Alps permanently (lucky you if so!) but I have been following the Chamonix Twitter feeds from dreary rainy Leeds and the snow looks great, let's hope there are no more warm spells, I'm looking forwards to a great weeks skiing (and by the sounds of it the pistes will be quiet...)
Hells Bells
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Post by Hells Bells »

I've had occasional last minute bookings for the week before Christmas if there has been a heavy fall of snow. Christmas was sold ages ago, but unusually New Year was only booked a few weeks ago.
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Cymraes
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Post by Cymraes »

I book a ski trip every year ( Serre Chevalier this coming season). We will book for January but never any earlier as the snow is too unreliable and getting the whole group to arrange time off work is quite stressful enough without worrying whether there will be snow or not!
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