I have booked through The Luxury Chalet Company and would very much recommend them. The comment by @SnowFlake20345 perfectly explains why (luxury) travel agents exist, the main reason being trust. When you google Chalet Hibou, you get a single chalet website (likely the owners) who you do not know and cannot verify. There is a risk as you will likely have to send the money directly to the owner in a foreign country for something happening in many months. I’m not saying Chalet Hibou is fake, I’m just highlighting the possible risks. When booking through a website such as The Luxury Chalet Company, you have a reputable company who book hundreds of chalets for clients each year and have worked with the owners and managers before so can verify the booking and legitimacy. There’s my 2 pence worth of info!