For the people who pack paddles, running shoes and ski boots — first tracks in the snow, not first towels on the lounger.

To us, it all matters: the bed, the building, the coffee, the staff. But really and truly there are only two things that are make or break, non-negotiables. Proximity to the activity, and the people who join you.

Most booking platforms treat sport and activity as a filter option you apply to your existing search. You scroll through hundreds of results, reading between the lines of property descriptions, trying to work out if “close to local walking trails” means five minutes or forty-five.

We built Santé because we kept having the same experience. Hours on blogs, Google Maps and Airbnb assessing options, reading reviews we knew wouldn't relate to our outlook. Usually the property would be decent, but the location might be over-hyped or, almost always, the people there were... not our people.

The disappointment wasn't the place. It was the mismatch between what we hoped for and what was actually there.

Santé is built differently. You tell us how you move — the sport you're serious about, the terrain you prefer, the pace you travel at — and we find places that fit. Every property we list is there because of what you can do from the door. Fast or slow, fancy or basic, it doesn't matter to us.

We're small, careful, and genuinely interested in the places we list. We visit ourselves when we can. When we can't, we vet rigorously and talk to those who have been. We turn down more places than we list.

We're building this for the people who've looked at every booking site and found none of them quite speaking their language. Athletes, guides, coaches, serious amateurs, people for whom a holiday only works if the sport works.

Santé is French for health. It's what you say when you raise a glass.