Changing room layouts

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Posted on Fri, 07/05/2013 - 9:04pm

Madeleine

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We are trying to decide if we should convert a room with a queen and a twin bed to a room with a king bed and a reading nook. (ie - a couple of chairs with a nice table and lamp.)

This is a tough decision because we get a lot of guests who want 2 beds. BUT, we lose a lot of business from guests who want a king bed, not 2 beds.

How would you make this decision?

We have the option of doing this either on the first floor or the second floor. Again, how would you decide this?

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This comment (141473) was in reply to the Original Topic on Mon, 07/08/2013 - 10:21am

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Madeleine

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Thanks for all the ideas! By now you must realize I am as slothful as the day is long so anything that requires me to build a bed for different accommodations every day will not work here. I have no place to store bedding for the different layouts.

Putting in a foldout couch will end up with the same disaster I had before with the day bed. Plus, there is no room for a foldout.

I think I have a good idea of what we're going to do next year. So, photos in Jan!

This comment (141463) was in reply to the Original Topic on Sun, 07/07/2013 - 5:50pm

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JBloggs

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nevermind

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This comment (141458) was in reply to the Original Topic on Sun, 07/07/2013 - 4:37pm

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Joey Camb

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http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/60162886/

or something like this?

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This comment (141471) was in reply to comment 141458 on Mon, 07/08/2013 - 9:30am

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Generic

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That's what we use. But it should be noted that it can't be separated in two, though.

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This comment (141437) was in reply to the Original Topic on Sun, 07/07/2013 - 1:57am

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Breakfast Diva

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Here's our replacement for the old iron day bed that was in this room. It's from IKEA

The sofa section pulls forward to reveal storage, then the back folds down. It becomes a double bed and there is no uncomfortable bar to lay on. I store all the linens in the hidden storage area.

It was about $600

This comment (141426) was in reply to the Original Topic on Sat, 07/06/2013 - 9:15pm

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Copperhead

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What about a king with one of these in the reading nook. (this one was $$$ but the first one I found with a pic, have seen them at 1/3 of this price)

This comment (141442) was in reply to comment 141426 on Sun, 07/07/2013 - 9:14am

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Generic

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Ikea Hemnes, perfect as a single, turns into a short king in emergencies and has two drawers to store the linens.

This comment (141439) was in reply to comment 141426 on Sun, 07/07/2013 - 6:33am

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EmptyNest

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Similar to what we have and they are not good to sleep on. I had to pad and put a board under the mattress.

This comment (141430) was in reply to comment 141426 on Sat, 07/06/2013 - 10:22pm

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Arks

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copperhead wrote:

What about a king with one of these in the reading nook. (this one was $$$ but the first one I found with a pic, have seen them at 1/3 of this price)

Better come in a faux leather version cause Maddie knows what they'll be doing on it. I was VERY happy to find great faux aged leather queen-sized sofa beds for my rooms. No cloth seating for this old boy. I take Maddie's word for it.

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This comment (141392) was in reply to the Original Topic on Sat, 07/06/2013 - 12:33pm

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JBloggs

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I read the title of this "Changing Room" layouts.

Business guests want a king bed? That is unusual.

If it were me, I would wait until the season is over, and compare the king room you now have vs this room. I would look at the inns nearby, do many of them offer more than one bed per room? Do you feel looking at it that they achieve more business due to less kids? Or less business due to accepting kids? (this, meaning by the room configuration only, not the policies). Do you feel the multiple beds in a room is booked more for one night stays vs multiples? (I ask as I would think so, that is just a guess of course)

Will the cost of a new bed and mattress set pay for itself, or will you actually be losing more money by investing in the king set? Will you also need to be purchasing all new linens/quilts etc.

I would wait and evaluate it all in Nov or Dec.

This comment (141394) was in reply to comment 141392 on Sat, 07/06/2013 - 12:53pm

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Madeleine

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Good points about other inns. I think we get about the same number of room nights as other places in town (with varying bed configurations) with the exception of one that has gone high end. They are booked solid.

Kids vs no kids is a tricky one. You know we have to take them if we have the room. No one can say 'no kids' and everyone does say that kids are welcome altho some have put an age limit on that of around 10 yo.

And that just made the decision on where the king bed goes...where I DON'T want the kids! That actually may be the most important aspect of where to eliminate the twin bed.

No, business guests do not ask for king beds. (But I always try for a king bed when I travel alone! I love being able to spread out the books, mags & laptop!)

I will have to look at how I can generate reports that answer all the questions we have.

This comment (141397) was in reply to comment 141394 on Sat, 07/06/2013 - 3:59pm

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Arks

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Madeleine wrote:

But I always try for a king bed when I travel alone! I love being able to spread out the books, mags & laptop!

Me too. I used to like to have 2 beds so I could spread my stuff out on the extra bed, but now I much prefer a king so I can spread myself out as I sleep. I use the whole king bed in the course of the night. For me, that's the feeling of luxury, having so much more bed space than I really need!

This comment (141390) was in reply to the Original Topic on Sat, 07/06/2013 - 12:22pm

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Breakfast Diva

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I'd go with a king bed. You can charge more for a king room which hopefully will help off set possible less bookings and it's much faster and easier to turn over the room than 2 beds.

This comment (141386) was in reply to the Original Topic on Sat, 07/06/2013 - 11:34am

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Silverspoon

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If summer is your high season for rates, and king beds are in demand at that time, then go for the king. I wish we had the room for a king bed....I know we lose a certain amount of business because we only offer queen beds.

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This comment (141387) was in reply to comment 141386 on Sat, 07/06/2013 - 12:15pm

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Madeleine

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It's all over the place. Parents & kids in the summer, winter, all seasons. Girlfriends all year. Lots of moms and daughters will share a king bed. Or have 2 beds, whichever.

I guess I need to set up a tally sheet right now. 'King bed only, doesn't want 2 beds,' '2 beds only, don't want to share a bed,' 'No, we don't want a room with 2 beds.'

This comment (141389) was in reply to comment 141387 on Sat, 07/06/2013 - 12:21pm

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EmptyNest

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Can you do the thing of joining 2 twins or whatever together to make a king? Then you have the option.

This comment (141395) was in reply to comment 141389 on Sat, 07/06/2013 - 12:56pm

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Madeleine

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EmptyNest wrote:

Can you do the thing of joining 2 twins or whatever together to make a king? Then you have the option.

I could and that might work. I would need two x-long twins and then a place to store the assorted bedding that wasn't in use. It would also be tricky then with the chairs. I'd have to remove them when the room was set up as twin. But I have thought about this.

It's odd, people will call and ask for 2 twin beds but won't take a queen and a twin. Fairness? I don't know.

This comment (141381) was in reply to the Original Topic on Sat, 07/06/2013 - 9:53am

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Madeleine

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And, obviously, this is for the winter. Can't lose a bed in mid-season with room night already booked for 2 beds!

This comment (141378) was in reply to the Original Topic on Sat, 07/06/2013 - 9:19am

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Madeleine

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We did this once before and it met with a bit of resistance from folks who liked the room (least expensive). But, it was very hard to make the second bed and the room was really too small for the extra bed. Now it has a nice reading nook and is the most popular room in the summer. (So good things happened.)

My fear is we lose a lot of college visit business because we've removed a bed. It's 'heads in beds' after all. But, we're losing because we don't have another king. So we go back and forth.

This comment (141380) was in reply to comment 141378 on Sat, 07/06/2013 - 9:53am

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gillumhouse

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Go king!!! We all know it is give them what they want. King is in demand - the others will cope.

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This comment (141373) was in reply to the Original Topic on Sat, 07/06/2013 - 6:24am

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Generic

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Are you charging for the two beds, or is it just a convenience? Could you do a daybed?

For the most part, when it's two women, they often have no problem sleeping together in a king, while they hesitate more often when it's a queen bed. I'd say go with the King bed. People really want them, more and more.

K. I wish I could get zipper beds, here. But they don't make them. I can get to XL Twins. Or an Ikea daybed that extends into a short king.

This comment (141375) was in reply to comment 141373 on Sat, 07/06/2013 - 8:28am

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Madeleine

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Not charging extra for the other bed unless there is a third person. Still, a LOT of people will not take a room with 2 beds. Even at the same price as a room with 1 bed.

This comment (141379) was in reply to comment 141375 on Sat, 07/06/2013 - 9:36am

#23 TOP

Generic

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King bed. To heck with making the second bed all the time. People will adjust. Female couples will still take it.

This comment (141372) was in reply to the Original Topic on Sat, 07/06/2013 - 3:48am

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Joey Camb

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none of the above - this is what we have solves both problems

This comment (141371) was in reply to the Original Topic on Fri, 07/05/2013 - 10:57pm

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Arks

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Not old? Every gray hair on my head shouts with joy at the thought. My children have children. I'm old.

This comment (141377) was in reply to comment 141371 on Sat, 07/06/2013 - 8:45am

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gillumhouse

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I have a grandson who will be 30 in December! All my 9 grandchildren are great but no great- yet. No rush. Better none than for the great- to have a wrong combo of parents. I sincerely hope #3 grandchild waits to get into production - she just turned 17 - a dangerous age!! (#2 @ 27 tomorrow is still looking for the right lady.)

This comment (141376) was in reply to comment 141371 on Sat, 07/06/2013 - 8:29am

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Madeleine

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Arkansawyer wrote:

My children have children. I'm old.

Good one! I have to remember to phrase it that way. My poor parents! Their children's children have children!

This comment (141369) was in reply to the Original Topic on Fri, 07/05/2013 - 10:01pm

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Arks

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Who mostly wants the queen/twin setup? Old couples who don't like to share a bed any longer? Or "just friends" traveling together who don't sleep together but DO want to avoid paying for two rooms?

I was picturing most who don't sleep together being younger and just traveling together, hence climbing the stairs is no problem.

This comment (141374) was in reply to comment 141369 on Sat, 07/06/2013 - 8:27am

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Madeleine

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Lots of friends traveling together plus parents with kid. We'll get a fair number of guests who don't mind sharing a bed with a friend or a kid IF it's a king bed.

My feeling on the floor it should be on wavers. I can put a king in one room that has a queen and a twin right now and leave the twin. (My feeling this might work the best for the space.) BUT, it's the stairs that are a killer. (Which means the downstairs is the best idea. See the problem!) People whose knees are blown out, who live on one floor at home and refuse to go upstairs, things like that.

We had the twin set up as a daybed (as I see Eric suggesting). What happened was what you might think would happen when given the option of fooling around on THIS bed and sleeping in the other. And cleaning the daybed cover everyday got to be a lot of work!

This comment (141370) was in reply to comment 141369 on Fri, 07/05/2013 - 10:19pm

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gillumhouse

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Arkansawyer wrote:

Who mostly wants the queen/twin setup? Old couples who don't like to share a bed any longer? Or "just friends" traveling together who don't sleep together but DO want to avoid paying for two rooms?

I was picturing most who don't sleep together being younger and just traveling together, hence climbing the stairs is no problem.

That is because you are not old yet. OLD people think about these things.

This comment (141368) was in reply to the Original Topic on Fri, 07/05/2013 - 9:37pm

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gillumhouse

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I have the opposite opinion of Arkie. I would put the king on the second floor and leave the queen & twin on the first - IF you get many of the old codger set. IF you get a lot of people who "do not do stairs" I would keep them in the first floor with the queen/twin and the romance younger set doing the stairs. I would also be charging the same price for both rooms as the q/t can hold more people and/or gives the 2-bed option. First floor should be worth extra also. I would look at the figures - I know you keep good records of room usage. King with reading nook sounds awesome - and the second floor probably has a nice view also.

This comment (141367) was in reply to the Original Topic on Fri, 07/05/2013 - 9:23pm

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Arks

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Only you know which you get more requests for, two beds or king bed. I do know that a decent number of people who want two beds will settle for two people in a king, so the king may be the best compromise. Plus, a room with a king and a reading nook just sounds better in description and looks better in photos.

Seems preferable to strip and wash and make one king vs a queen and a twin, so less labor, fewer sets of sheets.

If you can do this on either floor, does that mean you currently have 2 rooms with queen + twin. If so, doing one one way and the other another way would be a good experiment. But which to do? I'd put the king downstairs. Why? Just a feeling.

Changing room layouts

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