How we work

Alto States is an introduction service. We are not a travel agent, a booking platform or a letting agent, and we are not a party to your stay.

What we do

We write about chalets and hotels we know in the French and Swiss Alps, and we tell you which ones we would recommend. If you would like to go further with one of them, we pass your name, email and message to the owner or the company that runs it, and introduce you.

That is where our part ends.

What we do not do

• We do not check or confirm whether a property is available.
• We do not quote prices, negotiate them, or agree terms on your behalf.
• We do not take bookings, issue contracts or handle any payment.
• We do not hold client money of any kind.
• We do not act as your agent, and we do not act for you in any transaction.

Who you deal with

The owner or operator of the property handles everything to do with your stay: availability, prices, the rental agreement or booking contract, payment, your arrival, and the stay itself. Your contract is with them, not with us. Their terms and their cancellation policy apply, and any question or complaint about the stay goes to them.

How we are paid

We are paid by the property owner or operator, not by you. In some cases that is a commission if a stay goes ahead following an introduction from us. You never pay us anything, and the price you are quoted is set by the property, not by us.

We say so plainly because you should be able to judge our recommendations knowing that. We only write about places we would send a friend to, and we would rather recommend a handful of properties we believe in than list everything that would pay us.

Travel services

We do not sell travel. We do not combine accommodation with transfers, ski lessons, lift passes or anything else into a package or a trip, and we do not sell any of those services. Where a guide on this site mentions a transfer company, a ski school or an activity, that is information, not an offer, and we are not arranging it for you.

About the information on this site

Descriptions, photographs and facilities are supplied by the property or drawn from our own visits, and are given in good faith. Details change. Anything that matters to your decision should be confirmed with the property before you commit.