| Getting top quality accommodation in a major ski | | | | try this out and see if you can obtain a booking from |
| resort is a challenge at the best of times. During the | | | | and pay a small deposit - this should oblige the |
| Olympics the problem is magnified many times. The | | | | provider to honour your reservation. |
| Olympics is a period when demand exceeds supply | | | | The second option is more time-consuming, but may |
| by a considerable margin, and so accommodation | | | | be more rewarding. It exploits the fact that the |
| providers, normally in a cut-throat business, have the | | | | market price is not well-established so far in advance. |
| luxury of competing offers for their wares. | | | | Make contact with a large number of owners or |
| What happens to prices during the Olympics? | | | | agencies and make a lowball offer, including a |
| Accommodation providers in other Olympic venues | | | | commitment to pay a large deposit well in advance. |
| have reported that prices averaged around a 120% | | | | One or two may either be less greedy than the |
| premium on the prevailing normal price for that time | | | | others, eager to get their hands on the deposit or |
| of year, but this average spanned a very wide range. | | | | simply unaware of the magnitude of the price |
| Some managed to charge up to 200% more than | | | | premium commanded by the Olympics. |
| the usual price, but others actually got less when | | | | The third option is to wait until the last minute. There |
| they held out for prices that were higher than the | | | | are many channels through which accommodation is |
| market was willing to bear. So how do you find a | | | | distributed and this makes for inefficiency. Some |
| good deal during such a peak time? | | | | people trying to rent accommodation will be unable to |
| The first option is to try to book online on a system | | | | get the price they want, and as the opening |
| that hasn't yet adjusted its prices for the Olympics. | | | | ceremony approaches will be keen to sell for |
| This is very often possible to do, but the problem is | | | | whatever they can get. Of course this is a risky |
| that the entity offering the accommodation may not | | | | approach and you are unlikely to end up with the |
| honor your booking, and you can't force them to do | | | | best quality accommodation. But you could get a |
| so until they have taken your money. By all means | | | | great deal without having to pay in advance. |