gillemonge
New member
- Joined
- Feb 19, 2013
- Messages
- 3
- Reaction score
- 0
Does anyone have a good solution for ice for guests?
We have an ice-maker as part of our refrigerator, but otherwise no ice machine for guests at our 5-room B&B. We usually close off our personal area once guests are checked in until maybe breakfast time. And, most never need ice, even when it is hot outside, they just don’t really care. However, some guests will ask for ice later, and we may or may not be around at which point some will enter our personal space and help themselves to an ice bucket and ice. Or, they will ring the doorbell and we will have to come up and go get them the ice, usually at an inconvenient time.
Offer it…We tried asking them at check-in, if multiple day stays this does not work well because they seem to want ice every day at that point. We also found they didn’t want it when we asked, but then later about 30% of the time they suddenly did, so at 5pm they said no we don’t need ice, then about 9:30 they ring the doorbell and say “hey, can I get some ice”. And then, there are the ones that just wander in looking for it – especially if we are not there at whatever time it is they decide they do want ice. -- We also found if we offered it to one guest, there was a good chance that at least one other guest would ask, whereas they probably would have not thought about it – so by offering it we get more requests.
Provide it… We tried getting a good cooler and adding ice to it, then providing each room an ice bucket and pointing out the cooler at check-in. The ice tended to be a pain to keep stocked where it would stick, and get watery, all that kind of thing unless you want to fill it every single day, usually dumping a lot out – which is a huge pain.
This has led us to think about installing an ice machine in the area by where we keep water, tea, etc. The portable ones by all accounts are at best messy, ineffective, unreliable and a general pain to keep an eye on. The much more expensive commercial ones are very expensive, and will require a drain and plumbing which is going to be relatively expensive anywhere we might put the thing. AND, they can be problematic.
Any ideas appreciated!
We have an ice-maker as part of our refrigerator, but otherwise no ice machine for guests at our 5-room B&B. We usually close off our personal area once guests are checked in until maybe breakfast time. And, most never need ice, even when it is hot outside, they just don’t really care. However, some guests will ask for ice later, and we may or may not be around at which point some will enter our personal space and help themselves to an ice bucket and ice. Or, they will ring the doorbell and we will have to come up and go get them the ice, usually at an inconvenient time.
Offer it…We tried asking them at check-in, if multiple day stays this does not work well because they seem to want ice every day at that point. We also found they didn’t want it when we asked, but then later about 30% of the time they suddenly did, so at 5pm they said no we don’t need ice, then about 9:30 they ring the doorbell and say “hey, can I get some ice”. And then, there are the ones that just wander in looking for it – especially if we are not there at whatever time it is they decide they do want ice. -- We also found if we offered it to one guest, there was a good chance that at least one other guest would ask, whereas they probably would have not thought about it – so by offering it we get more requests.
Provide it… We tried getting a good cooler and adding ice to it, then providing each room an ice bucket and pointing out the cooler at check-in. The ice tended to be a pain to keep stocked where it would stick, and get watery, all that kind of thing unless you want to fill it every single day, usually dumping a lot out – which is a huge pain.
This has led us to think about installing an ice machine in the area by where we keep water, tea, etc. The portable ones by all accounts are at best messy, ineffective, unreliable and a general pain to keep an eye on. The much more expensive commercial ones are very expensive, and will require a drain and plumbing which is going to be relatively expensive anywhere we might put the thing. AND, they can be problematic.
Any ideas appreciated!
. 
