Overwhelmed… This is the best word I have for what I feel when booking vacation lodging. There are so many platforms, pop-ups, promotions, and tools that I quickly get lost.
Fortunately, if you’re planning to visit Utah, you’re in luck. Ski Utah recognized the need for an activity-specific booking site and created a tool for finding lodging near mountain activities.
The Ski Utah Booking Engine works by allowing you to search for lodging near Utah ski areas. While this may be an obvious advantage for skiers in the winter, this is also huge for summer visitors planning to hike, bike, or who just want to escape the heat in scenic mountains.
Benefits of the Ski Utah Booking Engine
- No additional costs for using the platform
- Bookings are made directly with the property, and communication is done with the property, so no middleman or weird booking platform issues like one can experience with some other platforms out there.
- A broad selection of property types, including property management properties, hotels, homes, condos, B&B, resort-owned, all in one search
How it works
- Start your search on the Ski Utah Booking Engine. This will initially show all options, but there are filters near the top. If you know which resort you plan to visit, sort the results to show those choices first.
- Alternatively, sort by one of seven regions, which works especially well in the summer when you are aiming to explore more than one activity. Personally, this is my favorite because it gives a nice overview.
- Once you’re on the booking page and have selected a location, you can narrow the results by property type. A cool feature here is that the engine includes large properties such as hotels and resorts, as well as homes and cabins. So convenient!
- While most properties have real-time connections to book, there are a few where you will shift over to the property website and book there. It only takes about two seconds longer, so not a big deal.
Additional functionalities are still being added. Watch for additional filters such as “onsite ski rentals” and more.
While many large tools have reviews, I was surprised to find comprehensive reviews on a niche tool such as this. The Ski Utah Booking Engine is specific in the need it fills; however, it is also powered by tech typically seen in much larger tools. A perfect balance of tech and niche. I also feel good supporting smaller organizations.
Hopefully these tips help simplify the planning for your next trip to Utah.
Happy travels!
