Fantasy Innkeeper Lifestyle

I read this article and was really surprised by the quote from the innkeepers
Here's the section ....
That’s exactly what S S , who owns the historic inn with his wife, E , wants to happen. “People walking down the street come up to see what’s here,” says S . “We’ll invite them to have a cup of coffee or a glass of wine, and they’ll love it.”
I rarely had time to invite interested / curious folks in for a glass of wine or a cup of coffee. We had a cupola with a view of the harbor, the highest point around. Passersby wanted to come in and wander up there. It is what the general public assumed the innkeeper (me) had time to do - escort folks up, chat, serve wine and coffee ... what my 'partner' assumed I spent my day doing and she could never believe/understand that I did not. From time to time I held open house so people could come in ... and come they did.
Maybe it's a matter of having staff. Maybe it's when you have empty rooms and you do whatever it takes to draw folks in. Maybe it's the 'occasional' passerby and not the 20 or so folks who longed to just come in and look around each day ... I wished I could have allowed that but was too busy caring for actual guests and doing the day in day out stuff. And I couldn't just have unregistered people wandering throughout the place. They did wander around on the grounds all the time, but not inside.
Anyway, I found the article and the innkeepers interesting. Looks like a beautiful place. It reminded me of the fantasy innkeeper lifestyle I sometimes hear about. Maybe the innkeepers will read this and come in and comment.

THAT inn has staff!!! No wonder they can invite for a cuppa or a glass of wine. I only have 3 rooms and I do not have time for the person walking up the street to have a lookie loo.

I just looked at their website and they have 18 rooms. Yeah, they're not doing the grunt work, so inviting folks off the street and having a cuppa with them is much easier than it sounds. Looks like a lovely place.

I am sure it does - however it is also a press advertising article - its not going to say I spend my days scrubbing toilets and I hate my guests! I personally feel as an industry we are so welcoming it seems like we have nothing better to do which is a bit like shooting ourselves in the foot!

You know you can't really believe what people say when they're being quoted. There is a guidebook here (from back in the day) that quotes a previous owner as saying 'I can garden and I can bake to my heart's content - this is my dream.' In truth, she hated innkeeping almost from the minute she started, used the move here to find a new hubbie with money, moved out of the inn and put it on the market to sell within her first year. She was a charmer...

This is what motivated the owners of the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island (think Somewhere in Time) to CHARGE for walking on the porch and going into the lobby. Thousands of tourists a year, and all of them want to take pictures from there.
We have our own share of looky-lou's...getting much better at saying, sorry NO.

white pine said:

This is what motivated the owners of the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island (think Somewhere in Time) to CHARGE for walking on the porch and going into the lobby. Thousands of tourists a year, and all of them want to take pictures from there.
We have our own share of looky-lou's...getting much better at saying, sorry NO..

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white pine said:

This is what motivated the owners of the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island (think Somewhere in Time) to CHARGE for walking on the porch and going into the lobby. Thousands of tourists a year, and all of them want to take pictures from there.
We have our own share of looky-lou's...getting much better at saying, sorry NO.

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You know I would say yes if they made sure they put your B&B name on the photos and shared on Facebook.

muirford said:

You know you can't really believe what people say when they're being quoted. There is a guidebook here (from back in the day) that quotes a previous owner as saying 'I can garden and I can bake to my heart's content - this is my dream.' In truth, she hated innkeeping almost from the minute she started, used the move here to find a new hubbie with money, moved out of the inn and put it on the market to sell within her first year. She was a charmer....

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yes but you know as well as I do - it ain't what we tell the guests, they want to believe the dream so we give it to them - while simultaneously making a rod for our own back!

muirford said:

You know you can't really believe what people say when they're being quoted. There is a guidebook here (from back in the day) that quotes a previous owner as saying 'I can garden and I can bake to my heart's content - this is my dream.' In truth, she hated innkeeping almost from the minute she started, used the move here to find a new hubbie with money, moved out of the inn and put it on the market to sell within her first year. She was a charmer....

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muirford said:

You know you can't really believe what people say when they're being quoted. There is a guidebook here (from back in the day) that quotes a previous owner as saying 'I can garden and I can bake to my heart's content - this is my dream.' In truth, she hated innkeeping almost from the minute she started, used the move here to find a new hubbie with money, moved out of the inn and put it on the market to sell within her first year. She was a charmer...

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Dang! I'm sure the reviews reflected that, too. Or, was that 'back in the day' before TA???

This is what is sold.
Not on this forum, of course, we are the only ones who say "Innkeeping ain't for wimps!"

If we got a reservation from even a fraction of the lookie loos that have wanted a peek inside, we would be full! Before the internet was available I spent a good deal of time showing folks through. Now I just tell them that we can't disturb our guests...but they can see all of the accommodations on our web site. Done.
I don't answer the door during the busy season unless we are expecting guests. If someone wants to see the place bad enough they will call to make an appointment.

Aussie Innkeeper said:

muirford said:

You know you can't really believe what people say when they're being quoted. There is a guidebook here (from back in the day) that quotes a previous owner as saying 'I can garden and I can bake to my heart's content - this is my dream.' In truth, she hated innkeeping almost from the minute she started, used the move here to find a new hubbie with money, moved out of the inn and put it on the market to sell within her first year. She was a charmer....

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muirford said:

You know you can't really believe what people say when they're being quoted. There is a guidebook here (from back in the day) that quotes a previous owner as saying 'I can garden and I can bake to my heart's content - this is my dream.' In truth, she hated innkeeping almost from the minute she started, used the move here to find a new hubbie with money, moved out of the inn and put it on the market to sell within her first year. She was a charmer...

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Dang! I'm sure the reviews reflected that, too. Or, was that 'back in the day' before TA???
.

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Aussie Innkeeper said:

muirford said:

Dang! I'm sure the reviews reflected that, too. Or, was that 'back in the day' before TA???

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Before TA. But there was an entry in the public guest book that said 'small breakfast, no chocolate chip cookies - we won't be back'. And she left that page in the guest book for a few months before we bought the inn.
Also, she averaged one chargeback a month. We haven't had one in 11 1/2 years.

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