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 finding you have paid over the odds for your accommodation; on the other hand you may ruin your hard-earned vacation if you can’t find the right place to stay because you left it too late. So what should you do? The answer depends on several factors.

1) Where are you going? If you are looking at a top-ranked resort like Aspen or Whistler, start thinking about planning ahead. On the other hand, if you’re going to a less-well-known resort with lower occupancy levels anyway you can start looking a lot later.

2) How large is the group you are traveling with? If you have a small group (say 2-6 people), the availability of accommodation is likely to be better than if you want to accommodate 10 people or more. Under these circumstances you are likely to be better off waiting until the last minute and look for owners or management companies who will take a lower price when it starts to look unlikely that they will sell at list price.

3) When are you traveling? In North America the peak demand occurs during the week of New Year and President’s Week. If you are looking for accommodation during these times, you should probably book well ahead. If, however, you are coming in early January or late April, it is nearly certain that your chosen resort will not be sold out, and you can wait for the last minute to find what you want

4) How fussy are you about where you stay? If you must have a wood-burning fireplace, a private hot tub, want to be no more than 50 yards walk to the lifts and insist on having a log cabin with leather furniture where the living room faces south and no other homes are within 100 yards, you’d better start looking a long time in advance, because very few properties will meet your specifications. On the other hand, if you only need somewhere with bed space for 4 people who don’t mind where they sleep, you will be almost sure to find something even the day before you plan to arrive.

If you have reviewed these factors and decided to try to get a last-minute deal, you still have to find one. This is not as simple as it may seem. If you have unlimited time at your disposal, you can call up 5-10 agencies, tell them what you want and ask them for their best price, or tell them that you are looking for a place with given 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 which has a pricing algorithm which automatically discounts inventory at the last minute. This takes more sophisticated pricing capabilities than many resort operators have access to, but some have developed these systems recently. Holiday Whistler is one company which has a sophisticated pricing system whereby 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 both to find an exceptional deal and also to do so with a minimum investment of time and effort.