The title may sound like the beginning of a sales pitch. But in all honesty, it’s really not. We believe informed guests are happy guests, and for that reason we wanted to explain why booking early is a good idea and when it’s a good idea.
First, you don’t need to book your vacation rentals early all year round in Summit County. Sure, there’s always a chance your ideal vacation rental might get taken if you don’t lock it down in advance, but for most people there’s more than one property that will meet their needs.
So, when do you not need to worry about booking early? The off season. For Summit County, and that includes Keystone, Dillon, Breckenridge and Blue River, there are two off seasons, one in the Spring and one in the Fall. In the Spring, it begins the day after a ski resort’s closing day and ends right before Memorial Day weekend. In the Fall, it begins after Labor Day and ends with the ski resort’s opening day.
The off season is when the resorts quiet down and start doing some maintenance. You’ll find great deals during the off season, but you’ll probably need a car so you can drive into town because most of the shops and restaurants owned by the resort will be closed. You also run the risk of missing out on some amenities as pool and hot tub maintenance is commonly completed during this time (although we always strive to provide alternatives when this happens). That said, if you’re looking for a quiet vacation with no crowds, the off season is a great time to visit Summit County. Plus, the Fall is absolutely gorgeous with changing colors.
So, when is the high season? There are several times throughout the year when we reach almost 100% occupancy. These are Christmas, January (especially MLK weekend), February (especially President’s Day weekend) and Spring Break (basically all of March). Coming in right behind that is the month of July, especially the 4th of July. If you want to visit Summit County during any of these timeframes, it’s imperative you book early. Case in point, for Christmas Day we’re already nearing 50% occupancy. And that’s at three months out. MLK and President’s Day weekends are ranging from 30-40% occupancy right now. If you wait too long to book, you may end up with a couple of larger condos to reserve when all you need is a studio, or vice versa. If you want choices when it comes to the size, location or amenities of a vacation rental, the sooner you book, the more choices you’ll have.
So there you have it. That’s our plea. Book early if you want to be assured you have a vacation rental during the high seasons.
Less concerned with choice and more interested in getting the lowest nightly rates? For those that don’t mind planning trips at the last minute, we’ll give you more details in an upcoming blog.
