A guest looking for a ski apartment compares dozens of listings in a few minutes, often on a phone. What triggers the booking comes down to very little: photos that answer their questions, a precise title, a description that gives the information in the order they look for it. Here is how to build all three, seen from the side of the person booking.
What a winter guest actually looks for
Before the decoration, a winter guest checks a short list: the real distance to the slopes and lifts, the existence of a ski locker, a parking space or a clear solution for the car, the number and nature of the sleeping arrangements, and what awaits them in the evening: dishwasher, a proper kitchen, a comfortable sofa, an internet connection that works.
The classic trap is writing the listing for someone who already knows the resort. The guest discovering it does not know your neighbourhood, nor whether « close to the slopes » means 50 metres or a 15 minute walk in ski boots. Give metres and minutes, not impressions.
Photos: answer questions, do not decorate
Each photo should answer a question the guest is asking. In the order they ask them:
- the living room, bright, taken from the angle that shows the real volume;
- the view from the balcony or window, in winter;
- each bedroom, with the actual bed configuration visible;
- the bathroom, clean and tidy;
- the kitchen and its equipment;
- the ski locker, the storage, the parking space;
- the building and its entrance, to picture the arrival;
- the immediate surroundings: the way to the slopes, the shops.
Three rules cut across everything. Light first: a dark photo makes a decent sized apartment look small; shoot in full daylight, curtains open, lights on. Season next: summer photos on a listing selling winter weeks create a dissonance; the ideal is to have both sets and alternate them with the season being sold. Honesty last: the photo must show what the guest will find. A photo flattering to the point of misleading is paid for in disappointed reviews, and reviews stay.
The title: precise before seductive
« Lovely cosy apartment in the mountains » says nothing. « Apartment sleeps 6, south facing balcony, 100 m from the slopes » says everything, and every word answers a question. Generic adjectives (charming, cosy, ideal) occupy the space that decisive information should take: sleeping capacity, main asset, distance to the slopes.
The description: information in the right order
An effective description follows the order of the guest's questions, not the order of your memories.
Open with the sentence that locates and sizes: type of property, real capacity, main asset, distance to the slopes. Then detail the sleeping arrangements room by room: bedroom 1 with a 160 double bed, bedroom 2 with two single beds, living room with a two person sofa bed. It is the most read and worst filled section of listings. Then describe the equipment that matters in a ski resort: ski locker, parking, dishwasher, washing machine, boot dryer. Finish with the arrival: how to reach the property, how to collect the keys, where to park on a Saturday.
What the guest needs to know before booking belongs in the listing, even when it is less flattering: a floor without a lift, a cabin bedroom, an occasional extra bed. A constraint announced is information; discovered on arrival, it is a disappointment, and often a review.
Sleeping capacity: real comfort, not the theoretical maximum
Advertising eight sleeping places because a sofa bed and two folding beds technically allow it attracts groups who will have an uncomfortable stay, and will say so. The right measure is the number of people who sleep comfortably, with the typical group in mind: two couples and children do not sleep like eight adults. Honestly advertised comfort then shows in the reviews, and reviews feed the next bookings.
A listing lives with the season
A listing is not a document you write once. Photos follow the seasons, the description follows the equipment actually present, and every winter deserves a reread: what has changed in the property, what has changed in the resort, what last year's guests asked that the listing did not say. The questions you receive are a ready made list of what your listing is missing.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a professional photographer? Not necessarily, but you need a professional's reflexes: full daylight, apartment tidied and prepared as for an arrival, angles that show the volumes, horizontal photos. If a professional shoot is possible, it pays for itself over time: the photos serve for years.
Do I need summer photos? Yes if you sell summer stays, and ideally as a separate set. Showing snowy pines in July blurs the message: the listing must match the season the guest is booking.
Should I state the floor area? Yes. It is information guests compare, and its absence gets noticed. State the real area and, if the property is compact, compensate with precise sleeping details and photos: a small apartment well described reassures more than a maintained vagueness.
What should I do with reviews in the listing? You do not choose the reviews, but you choose to respond to them. The questions and remarks that recur in reviews signal what the listing should clarify: if three guests mention the same surprise, the listing has a gap at that spot.