Where to Ski And Snowboard -

The perfect pad

22nd October 2011, by Chris Gill

(c) J Robertson

Independent ski travellers need to find suitable places to stay; owners need to advertise their chalets or apartments for rent or sale. Often that means hours of searching effort, or a hefty fee. A newish web outfit, Skipad.co.uk, aims to put you in touch easily.

Skipad.co.uk is a specialist ski property website offering affordable private accommodation for rent, to all sizes of group and budgets. So, if you’re struggling to find the right kind of chalet, or perhaps an apartment big enough for your group, the site is a useful starting point.

When you use Skipad.co.uk, you are dealing directly with the property owners; there are no hidden fees or agents. A key feature of the site is to provide a simple pricing structure and as much upfront information as possible to help you choose your lodging.

What you get are reviews, images and details of a particular chalet or apartment, the layout of its rooms and the location, as well as an average price – often that may be in local currency, but you can get an equivalent in pounds.

What’s more, the directors have recently launched a free iPhone app so you can search quickly and simply through their lists of accommodation while on the move – or share the results with friends. It provides instant access in digital format, with the accommodation being categorised by type. Many of the site features are applied too at the tap of your screen, such as location maps and property details.

Another attractive addition, which also features on the new iPhone app, is the Wishlist – which gives itself away in the name, but basically allows you to shortlist and compare any potential properties as you track them down. And then you can email or phone the owner directly.

The accommodation features mostly in Alpine Europe, but with some in eastern Europe and the US too. Listings have grown considerably in the past six months, with Skipad.co.uk now holding over 1000 properties.

We had a quick look through and found short stays, such as a small and beautifully modern apartment in Bulgaria that you can book for three nights. Perhaps you fancy a week in a chalet in Morzine with English owner the Edge Chalet company?

The brainchild behind Skipad.co.uk, Gary Hector, found it difficult to market his own ski apartment at a modest price and so wanted to create a portal that made sense for owners as well as potential renters. Teaming up with keen skier Matthew Pyke, the pair launched the website at the end of 2010.

Independent trends

Where to Ski and Snowboard asked the Skipad team about their first year and how the independent ski market was bearing up. Based on their recent search figures, France still retains its popularity for independent travellers – eight out of ten of the most searched-for properties were in French ski resorts.

But it is not the traditional favourites leading the pack: the greatest interest has been in Morzine and Châtel. Neither resort is regarded as snow-sure, but they are more affordable options over the resorts of the Trois Vallées – which suggests we’re still on the hunt for bargains. And the Portes du Soleil is well-suited to combining accessibility and extent.

Hector says, ‘Prices for a week-long stay in a two-bedroom apartment start from just £245 and £300 in Morzine and Châtel respectively, our top two most searched-for resorts.’

What’s next?

Skipad.co.uk will now also be a portal for ski property sales too. So far the site covers France, Switzerland and Austria. So, if you’re in the market to buy that dream chalet … Private sellers can update their listings as often as they wish via the site and there’s no commission charge; there’s a small flat fee for either a three or six month listing.

Read our reviews on Morzine and Châtel.

Links: Skipad.co.uk

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• property
• apartments
• chalets
• skipad
• independent travel

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