Getting top quality accommodation in a major ski resort is a challenge at the best of times. During the Olympics the problem is magnified many times. The Olympics is a period when demand exceeds supply by a considerable margin, and so accommodation providers, normally in a cut-throat business, have the luxury of competing offers for their wares.

What happens to prices during the Olympics? Accommodation providers in other Olympic venues have reported that prices averaged around a 120% premium on the prevailing normal price for that time of year, but this average spanned a very wide range. Some managed to charge up to 200% more than the usual price, but others actually got less when they held out for prices that were higher than the market was willing to bear. So how do you find a good deal during such a peak time?

The first option is to try to book online on a system that hasn’t yet adjusted its prices for the Olympics. This is very often possible to do, but the problem is that the entity offering the accommodation may not honor your booking, and you can’t force them to do so until they have taken your money. By all means try this out and see if you can obtain a booking from and pay a small deposit – this should oblige the provider to honour your reservation.

The second option is more time-consuming, but may be more rewarding. It exploits the fact that the market price is not well-established so far in advance. Make contact with a large number of owners or agencies and make a lowball offer, including a commitment to pay a large deposit well in advance. One or two may either be less greedy than the others, eager to get their hands on the deposit or simply unaware of the magnitude of the price premium commanded by the Olympics.

The third option is to wait until the last minute. There are many channels through which accommodation is distributed and this makes for inefficiency. Some people trying to rent accommodation will be unable to get the price they want, and as the opening ceremony approaches will be keen to sell for whatever they can get. Of course this is a risky approach and you are unlikely to end up with the best quality accommodation. But you could get a great deal without having to pay in advance.