Chalet Owners is a family business. We live and work in the Alps year-round, and our aim is simple: to make sure that people who want to experience the Alps can do so in a comfortable, transparent, and secure way.
Founded in 2015 and operated from Annecy, France, Chalet Owners is an invite-only luxury chalet marketplace featuring carefully selected owners and managers across France, Switzerland, Austria, and Italy. By putting guests in direct contact with owners, we eliminate agents and unnecessary commissions.
Most chalets listed on Chalet Owners are not advertised on global platforms, making Chalet Owners a source of exclusive, hand-picked properties.
We have been working in the luxury chalet market for 16 years. Over that time we have built partner relationships with more than 400 companies and private owners, resulting in over 55,000 enquiries processed through the platform. This track record naturally refines our collection — only serious, professional businesses remain over the long term.
Chalet Owners is not an agency. When you book through a travel agency, every question you have first goes to the agent, the agent then contacts the owner, the owner prepares an offer, which goes back to the agent, who then presents it to you. Every step adds time, and the information that reaches you has passed through an intermediary.
Through Chalet Owners, you communicate and receive a quote directly from the owner or their exclusive representative — no middleman, no delay, no markup.
Chalet Owners is not a booking platform. Many global booking platforms impose unfavourable payment conditions on owners — often holding the full payment from the time of reservation until after check-in, which can be up to 12 months, without paying any interest on the funds held.
Most of our partners consider these conditions disproportionate and prefer to work with selected marketplaces like Chalet Owners, where guests pay them directly, according to their own terms.
Our core audience is families who value discretion, consistency, and quality in their Alpine travel arrangements. Many return season after season, trusting that every property on the platform has been carefully selected and that the reservation experience will be the same whether they are booking a chalet in Val d'Isère, France or Zermatt, Switzerland.
Yes, completely. Browsing listings and making enquiries through Chalet Owners is entirely free for travelers. There are no service fees or booking commissions charged to guests.
Chalet Owners is designed for direct contact between travelers and owners. Professionals such as travel agents, concierges, chefs, drivers, and ski instructors may not use the platform to request or send commercial offers.
Chalet Owners covers more than 50 Alpine destinations across four countries:
By design, Chalet Owners does not publish reviews or ratings of chalets, owners, or guests. We also do not pay for or solicit reviews in any form, so you will find few public reviews of Chalet Owners online.
The measure we value most is the proportion of guests who return year after year. A high rate of returning travelers, trusting Chalet Owners with their holiday arrangements season after season, is the most genuine reflection of what we do.
No. Chalet Owners is designed exclusively for whole-property rentals. Every listing is available on an exclusive basis — guests book the entire chalet for their group, not individual rooms or shared spaces.
Every reservation on Chalet Owners follows the same steps:
Voilà, the Alps!
No. Chalets on Chalet Owners are rented by the week at fixed weekly rates — shorter or nightly stays are not available. Longer stays of two or more consecutive weeks are welcome.
The arrival and departure day is set by each owner — in the Alps, this is usually a Saturday or a Sunday. If you need to arrive on a different day, ask the owner in your enquiry.
When you find a chalet you are interested in, send an enquiry directly to the owner through the listing page. Include your travel dates and group configuration — the number of adults, children, and any relevant preferences. This gives the owner everything they need to confirm availability and prepare a quote.
You are welcome to ask any additional questions about the property, services, or the surrounding area. Hosts typically reply within a few hours — and are required to respond within 24 working hours.
Sending your first enquiry automatically creates a Chalet Owners account for you. You will receive an email with your login details, giving you access to the platform messaging system where you can read the owner's reply, ask further questions, and receive your quote.
You will also be notified by email whenever the owner sends you a new message, so you do not need to check the platform constantly.
Once you are happy with the offering and ready to proceed, provide the full name and billing address of the group leader. The host uses these details to prepare the rental contract and invoice directly for you. There is no platform checkout — the reservation is formalised through a direct contract between you and the owner.
Yes. Viewing a chalet before committing to a reservation is a normal and entirely reasonable practice, particularly when the group leader is based in the same country as the property. Simply raise it with the owner during your enquiry conversation — most hosts are happy to accommodate this where circumstances allow.
In most cases, yes. Whether a private chef is permitted and how the arrangement works varies by chalet. The best approach is to raise it directly with the owner when you send your enquiry — you can do this through the chalet page on Chalet Owners.
Chalet Owners does not provide or coordinate travel services. Your host knows the local area and suppliers best, and many hosts are happy to recommend or arrange transfers, ski passes, ski instructors, and restaurant bookings.
If any of these services matter in your choice of chalet, mention them in your enquiry. Detailed pre-arrival arrangements are usually made once your deposit has been received, when you can contact your host directly.
This depends on each chalet. Pets, baby equipment such as cots and high chairs, dietary requirements, accessibility needs, and early check-in are all at the owner's discretion — mention them in your enquiry so the owner can confirm before preparing your quote.
Make sure anything agreed is confirmed in writing through the platform or included in your rental contract.
Peak weeks fill quickly because many owners have returning guests who rebook after their stay. Availability for the new season is typically published by May, but the window to secure the most sought-after weeks — Christmas, New Year, and school holidays — is August, and September at the latest. Waiting beyond that significantly reduces your options for peak dates.
Peak weeks such as New Year, Christmas, and school holiday periods are in very high demand and typically fully booked well in advance. This concentration of demand against limited supply means pricing for these weeks is often significantly higher than shoulder periods such as early December or mid-January, which see lower occupancy and more competitive rates.
Chalet Owners does not operate those platforms and has no access to reservations made through them. Please contact the company you paid through directly — they are the only party who can confirm or manage your reservation.
All rates are set directly by the chalet owner or management company — Chalet Owners has no ability to apply or negotiate discounts on their behalf.
That said, discounts may be available at the owner's discretion for consecutive multi-week rentals or last-minute availability. It is always worth asking the owner directly.
Payment goes directly to the chalet owner or their representative — not to Chalet Owners. Usually, you have 72 working hours to arrange payment by bank transfer, or by credit card if the owner offers this option. The deposit amount and balance due date are set by the owner in the contract.
No. All transactions go directly between the guest and the chalet owner according to the rental contract. Chalet Owners never handles, processes, or intermediates any payment. The rental contract and invoice are issued directly by the owner.
Yes. Bank transfer is the standard and preferred payment method for luxury chalet rentals. Card payments carry processing fees of up to 4%, and most rentals exceed €10,000, above the payment limits of many credit cards. It is therefore entirely normal and legitimate for owners to request bank transfer.
If you prefer to pay by card, you are welcome to ask the owner before committing whether they are able to accept it — some owners do offer this as an option.
No. Regardless of the specific payment schedule set by the host, payment on arrival is not accepted by any chalet on the platform. The full amount must be paid and received in the owner's account prior to arrival. This is standard practice across the luxury chalet market.
A security deposit may be requested by the host as part of the rental contract — this is entirely at their discretion and the terms will be set out in the contract they provide. Chalet Owners itself never requests or holds security deposits. Any deposit arrangement is strictly between you and the owner.
Cancellation terms are set by the individual chalet owner in their rental contract — there is no single platform-wide policy. Review the cancellation conditions carefully before booking.
Cancellations are handled according to the terms in your rental contract with the owner. Contact the host directly to initiate a cancellation. Any refund entitlement will depend on the cancellation conditions agreed in your contract.
Chalet Owners does not sell or arrange insurance, but we strongly recommend taking out travel insurance with cancellation cover as soon as you pay your deposit. Cancellation terms are set by each owner, and part or all of your payment may be non-refundable if you cancel close to arrival.
For a ski holiday, check that your policy also covers winter sports, mountain rescue, and medical costs abroad. Check your rental contract as well, in case the owner requires any specific cover.
Your rental contract is with the chalet owner, so any issue with the property, services, or payment terms should first be raised directly with the host through the platform messaging system. Keeping the conversation on the platform means there is a clear written record.
If you cannot resolve the matter with the owner, or if your question concerns the Chalet Owners website itself, write to us at team@chaletowners.com. If a dispute still cannot be resolved amicably, consumers may refer it to a consumer mediation service, as described on our How we work page.
Every owner and manager goes through a thorough due diligence process before their listing is published — including identity verification, proof of ownership or management rights, and a quality assessment. Only around 40% of chalet applications make it through to publication.
Since 2021, Chalet Owners has operated a dedicated fraud prevention system built on user behaviour analytics. All pre-booking communications must pass through the platform for this system to work effectively and make bookings safer for guests and owners alike.
No. Chalet Owners does not use cookies to track visitors or target advertising. The platform never shares customer information with third parties without written permission. Your personal data is kept strictly confidential in accordance with GDPR and the French Data Protection Act.
Founded in 2015 and operated from Annecy, France, Chalet Owners is an invite-only marketplace connecting travelers directly with carefully selected luxury chalet owners and managers across France, Switzerland, Austria, and Italy. By enabling direct contact between owners and guests, we eliminate agents and unnecessary commissions for both sides.
Chalet Owners is a family business. We live and work in the Alps year-round, and our priority is building long-standing, respectful business relationships with our partners — not making a single booking and moving on.
Chalet Owners is the only luxury chalet marketplace based and registered in the Alps. We work here year-round — for us, chalets are a daily focus, not a product category. That proximity and commitment mean both travelers and market participants such as agents trust Chalet Owners as a source of verified, quality chalets.
This brings value beyond the enquiries we generate. Over 16 years we have built partner relationships with more than 400 companies and private owners and processed over 55,000 enquiries. Most of our partners have worked with us for over a decade. That experience continuously refines our collection to keep only serious, professional businesses — which benefits every owner listed with us.
Chalet Owners is invite-only — you cannot self-register as an advertiser. You are either invited by Chalet Owners directly, or you can request consideration by emailing team@chaletowners.com.
No. Once your chalet is accepted, Chalet Owners places your advertisement on the site free of charge.
No owner can pay for better visibility: Chalet Owners receives no remuneration for placement or promotion, and listings are ranked only according to how well they match what travelers search for — resort, group size, and dates.
Chalet Owners is not a booking platform. Many global booking platforms impose unfavourable payment conditions on owners — often holding the full payment from the time of reservation until after check-in, which can be up to 12 months, without paying any interest on the funds held.
With Chalet Owners, you receive payment directly from the guest according to your own payment terms and schedule. There is no platform intermediary holding your funds.
No. Chalet Owners is focused exclusively on Alpine chalets across France, Switzerland, Austria, and Italy. Our aim is to provide the most suitable product for the luxury chalet market specifically — not to be a general rental platform. We do not list villas, beach properties, or chalets outside the Alps, and we have no current plans to expand to other destinations.
Our core audience is families who value discretion, consistency, and quality in their Alpine travel arrangements. Many return season after season, trusting that every property on the platform has been carefully selected and that the reservation experience will be the same whether they are booking a chalet in Val d'Isère, France or Zermatt, Switzerland.
For owners, this means enquiries tend to come from guests who are genuinely motivated, have done their research, and are making considered decisions about where to spend their time.
Selection is based on: the nature and characteristics of the property, its location within a recognised Alpine resort, the quality of services offered, the hospitality of the owner, the quality of accommodation, and the quality of communication materials (photos, descriptions).
Once listed, Chalet Owners may modify any advertisement that does not meet site standards without prior notice.
As an advertiser, you are required to:
Possibly. If your property is located in a municipality that requires a tourist rental registration number from the local town hall, that number must appear on your advertisement. Failure to include it can result in a significant fine. You must communicate this number to Chalet Owners when creating your account and when submitting your listing.
Chalet Owners covers more than 50 Alpine destinations across four countries:
Chalet Owners works exclusively with fixed weekly rates based on weekly occupancy. Nightly or flexible short-stay pricing is not supported. Your availability and pricing should be structured by week, covering the full winter season.
No. Your advertisement must not contain any information allowing a guest to contact you directly outside the platform — including telephone number, email address, company name, social media links, or website. The same applies to messages sent before booking confirmation.
Professional photography is required. We strongly recommend photos taken during the winter season with snow visible outside — not during summer. Winter imagery reflects the experience guests are planning and consistently performs better. Interior shots should be well-lit and cover all bedrooms, bathrooms, living areas, and special features such as a fireplace, ski room, or hot tub.
You can update your availability by providing an iCal link — which keeps your calendar in sync automatically — or by sending an updated availability and pricing list to the Chalet Owners team by email. We recommend keeping your calendar current, especially during the peak enquiry period of August through November.
Yes. Chalet Owners does not require exclusivity.
If you advertise elsewhere, keep your availability up to date by email or through an iCal link so that guests are never quoted for weeks that are already booked.
Yes. If you prefer not to have your rates published, your listing can display "prices on application" instead. Guests will request a quote through the platform, at which point you can share your pricing privately as part of the enquiry conversation.
The peak of enquiries for the coming winter season is typically spread across August through November. This is the most important period to have your listing fully up to date, your pricing set, and your availability calendar accurate.
During August through December, actively monitor your availability and pricing relative to comparable chalets in your resort. If competitors still have key weeks available (such as half-term or Christmas) in September, that is a signal to review your pricing. Benchmarking regularly and adjusting where necessary gives you the best chance of converting high-intent enquiries.
Owners and operators across the Alps typically sign off their rates and availability for the coming season between February and April. We therefore expect pricing for the new season to be published on Chalet Owners by May, ready for the peak enquiry window of August through November.
English is the standard communication language on Chalet Owners across all countries — France, Switzerland, Austria, and Italy. All quotes, contracts, and correspondence should be in English unless the guest specifically communicates in another language and you choose to accommodate that.
We expect all enquiries to be replied to within 24 working hours. Provide a full quote in English with a complete list of services and an all-inclusive price covering all applicable taxes and fees — so the guest has everything they need to make a decision without further questions about costs.
If the guest has not replied within 48 hours, send a polite follow-up to check whether they have any further questions or whether there is anything you can help with.
No. An enquiry is a request for a quote and confirmation of availability, not a legally binding offer. If the guest wants to book, they enter their details and billing address on the reservation page, and you then issue the contract based on that information.
When a guest confirms they wish to proceed, they will provide the group leader's full name and billing address. Issue a contract that clearly covers all policies, including the full payment schedule and cancellation clause.
We strongly recommend sending contracts as PDF attachments through the platform rather than links to external websites. External links can interrupt the guest's experience and reduce the professionalism of your communication.
To upload the document, use the 'Upload document' button to the right of the text area on the reservation page.
Most reservations on Chalet Owners are completed within a few days — significantly faster than the several weeks typical with specialist travel agencies. Providing a comprehensive quote in your first reply is the single biggest factor in keeping the process efficient.
Pre-arrival requests — trains, flights, restaurant recommendations — are best handled after the deposit has cleared. At that stage, Chalet Owners shares your contact details directly with the guest. Providing this level of service before a deposit is received carries a real risk: the guest may book elsewhere, leaving your time and effort unrewarded.
Chalet Owners does not provide or coordinate travel services. We believe each host knows their local area and suppliers best. If a guest asks about transfers, ski instruction, catering, or other services, handle these personally using the suppliers you know and recommend.
We handle all onboarding and partner questions in writing, by email. This allows us to keep a clear record of every exchange and makes it easier to refer back to previous discussions as our collaboration develops. Please send any questions to team@chaletowners.com. We usually reply on the same working day.
You are solely responsible for determining, declaring, collecting, and remitting all applicable taxes — including VAT, tourist tax, and income taxes. Chalet Owners does not collect rental payments and therefore cannot collect or remit taxes on your behalf.
You are responsible for issuing the rental contract and invoice directly to the guest through the Chalet Owners platform. You may also request additional identity or financial documents in accordance with legal obligations around anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing.
The company or individual name on any invoice must be identical to the entity that opened the advertiser account during onboarding. If your invoicing entity changes, notify Chalet Owners immediately.
Check your bank account a few days after sending the invoice. Once the funds have arrived and cleared in your account, inform the guest immediately. If the payment has not arrived after 72 working hours, contact the guest and ask them to send you a payment confirmation.
The balance payment is regulated by your own rental contract with the guest, and you collect it directly from them. Chalet Owners does not provide payment services or accept payments on behalf of guests.
Cancellation terms are set by you in your rental contract — there is no single platform-wide policy.
All communications must be processed through the platform until the deposit has been received, for security and quality control. The luxury chalet market is significantly exposed to fraud and cyber-criminal activity. Since 2021, our team has been building a fraud prevention system based on user behaviour analytics — it only functions when all communications pass through the platform.
Guest personal data — including email address and telephone number — may only be used for carrying out the rental and its invoicing. You are strictly prohibited from using guest data for any commercial purpose, sharing it with third parties, or offering future rentals or services unrelated to the guest's stay outside the Chalet Owners platform.
Unfortunately, Chalet Owners has no ability to intervene on third-party platforms such as Booking.com, Airbnb, or Abritel. We recommend reporting it to your local police as a matter of priority and directly to the platform where the fraudulent listing appears using their official reporting tools.