Ski House Rentals: Everything You Need to Know to Start a Business

Investing in a vacation home at a ski resort can be perfect for people looking to escape the hustle and bustle of the city to spend some time away in the mountains and enjoy quality time with family doing what they love. But at the same time, a ski property located in a popular tourist destination can be a good source of real estate passive income.

While you may only use your ski chalet a few weekends during the winter, you’ll have the opportunity to rent it out on the weeks or weekends when it’s sitting empty. And since many ski resorts operate year-round, offering such outdoorsy activities as mountain biking and hiking in the warmer months, you can expect that ski properties are constantly in high demand.

This means that owning a vacation rental close to the ski slopes can be a lucrative opportunity, and you, as a STR host, may consider investing in ski house rentals as a part of your business strategy.

Ski House Rentals: How to Choose the Perfect Location

Investing in a vacation rental property is a major decision, and there are many things you should consider since many variables can affect the potential income. The most important aspect is choosing a good area to invest in.

There are many amazing places to buy a ski property in the US and Europe, which have become year-round destinations with charming downtown areas and all-season fun. To ensure a high occupancy rate, you should focus on locations close to great skiing, affordable prices, easy access to restaurants, bars, shops, and other attractions, and outdoor activities that attract warm-weather travelers.

When choosing an ideal location, you’ll also need to check local short-term rental laws and regulations, varying from state to state and city to city. Some local STR laws may impact the kind of properties you can rent out or limit the number of days you can host short-term rental guests in a year. Besides, you should contact the local government to find out whether you need to obtain special short-term rental licenses or permits to comply with all the necessary local regulations.

As you start researching available ski properties within your price range, you’ll need to evaluate each of them to determine whether or not it is worth the investment. You should look for property that has the potential to generate consistent income. You may want to check out our blog article to learn about basic real estate metrics you should use when comparing similar rental properties to choose one that will yield the highest ROI.

How much money you can make with your ski house rental depends on many factors, but to increase your revenue, you must strive to reach more travelers and keep property booked consistently during the high season and shoulder season. That means you should list your property on major listing sites and create your direct booking website to build relationships with your guests and encourage repeat direct bookings.

You can easily build a fully functional direct booking website optimized for desktop and mobile if you opt for vacation rental management software like Hospitable. No technical skills are required. Also, With Hospitable Direct, you’ll be able to list your ski chalet on Google Vacation Rentals and increase its visibility.

Ski House Rental’s Must-Haves

Vacation rental guests have high expectations about the comfort level during their stay, and it’s your responsibility as a host to do your best to ensure you stay up to date with the needs and wants of potential guests. You need to provide them with essential amenities and extras to ensure a 5-star guest experience:

• Efficient heaters and a fireplace to keep your guests warm and cozy
• A comfy bed and high-quality bedding to ensure a good night’s sleep after a long day on the slopes
• A hot tub is a popular addition that provides the perfect way to relax sore muscles
• A well-equipped kitchen with all the essentials to cook and serve most meals
• High-speed internet and access to streaming services so your guests can watch their favorite shows and movies

You may find it helpful to check out the rental inventory checklist. Use it to ensure you’ve covered all the basics to meet your guests’ preferences.

How to Manage Your Ski House Rental Remotely

Running a ski house rental requires a host to wear many hats to care for the guests and ensure a pleasant guest experience. But it’s quite possible to manage your vacation rental remotely. In fact, it’s much easier than you might think if you set up the right business processes and management procedures. You’ll need to

• Install a smart lock to offer your guests a self-check-in
• Create a comprehensive guest book to ensure your guests have all the necessary information to enjoy their stay
• Gather a team of professionals to help you with stocking supplies, cleaning, and maintenance
• Use a dynamic pricing tool that can help you adjust your rates for seasonal changes in supply and demand and other factors
• Automate as much as you can using vacation rental software like Hospitable.

Hospitable will allow you to set an automated message flow for each guest to ensure perfect communication, assign tasks to your team automatically, manage bookings, sync calendars across different channels, and more.

You may want to check out the success story of Taylor Adams, who relies on Hospitable to remotely manage multiple short-term rental properties in different states and enjoy a work-optional lifestyle.

Ski House Rentals in the US and Europe

Here are some of the best vacation rentals near the slopes. All of them have standout amenities and features that truly set them apart.

Source: Original A-Frame Ski Lodge

This two-bedroom ski rental was built by the original owners of Hunter Mountain and is located only steps from the ski lifts. It has two bedrooms, a bathroom, and a fully-stocked kitchen and features a private sauna, air conditioning, 5G internet, and an outside BBQ grill.

Source: Classic Stowe Ski Chalet

This classic ski chalet is located in a picture-perfect destination close to Stowe Mountain Resort. It has plenty of natural daylight, even during winter, due to huge windows. The rental can accommodate six guests and includes all the comforts of the home, such as a gas fireplace, air conditioning, cable TV, WiFi, and a fully-stocked kitchen.

Source: Green Mountain Modern House

This unique home in the heart of the Green Mountain National Forest offers all the perks of modern luxury in a secluded setting and is just minutes away from Stratton Mountain Resort. The amenities include open-concept living and dining rooms, a sauna, a wood-burning fireplace, radiant floor heating, high-speed Starlink WiFi, and an EV charger.

Source: Six-bedroom home in Teton Village

This beautifully furnished, ski-in, ski-out Granite Lodge home is located at the base of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. With warm wood interiors, massive windows, a fireplace, a large kitchen, several bathrooms with heated floors, and a hot tub, this ski house rental offers everything guests need to relax after hours on the slopes.

Source: Rustic Powder Ridge cabin

This four-bedroom, three-bathroom spacious cabin with views of Spanish Peaks offers easy lift access for world-class skiing. With two living areas, it has plenty of space for guests to spread out in. Guests can also enjoy a relaxing dip in the hot tub after the slopes or relax by the wood-burning fireplace.

Source: Cozy log cabin in Brighton, Utah

This gorgeous cabin, nestled among the huge pine trees and surrounded by the beautiful Wasatch mountains, is only 10 minutes from Brighton Ski Resort. The rental has been totally remodeled, but the stone fireplace and the exposed log walls give it the classic cabin feel.

Source: Modern cabin, Vegglifjell, Norway

This modern, cozy cabin with interiors in classic Nordic minimalism is located in the Norwegian mountains and offers a 270° panoramic view of untouched nature from the living room. It has five bedrooms and a fully equipped kitchen and features fast fiber internet with WiFi, heated floors, and a rotating open fireplace.

Source: Elegant chalet in Italy

This elegant and luxurious chalet for two is nestled in the middle of the spectacular Dolomite Mountain range in the valley of Alta Badia. The place is a famous top skiing location in winter. The rental has a private sauna, a hot tub, and a huge glass-fronted open fireplace in the lounge.

Source: Bright and modern chalet in Finland

This four-bedroom chalet is located in beautiful Lapland and Finland’s largest ski resort, Levi, only 200m from the slopes. The rental has a spacious open-plan kitchen/lounge with large windows to enjoy the beautiful views, a living area with a fireplace, a sauna, and an outdoor wood-heated hot tub.

Source: Luxurious modern chalet in France

The six-bedroom chalet located 900m from the slopes of La Clusaz features interiors that are a minimalist’s dream and offers exceptional Alpine views. The rental also has a large living room with a fireplace, panoramic windows, a sauna, a cinema room, and a spectacular external terrace.

Final Thought

Investing in a ski property in a popular travel destination can provide you and your family with a fun place to escape to on the weekends and be a source of an extra income stream all year round. Running a ski house rental can be very lucrative if your property is in a good location, and the best thing is that you can manage it remotely if you automate your hosting routine.