Shut Down and Go?

Not mentioned here before but DHs sister has been seriously ill for a while, but he's had the call this morning to say she's not going to last more than a couple of days at the most.
Obviously he can go to the funeral and I can keep running the business, I'd rather be there for him, but it's a two day trip.
It's peak season, we're fully book and so are most others, so what do we do. There's no-one we could get to carry on running the place full steam, I have wondered about getting someone to just house sit and tell the guests there'd be limited breakfast and give them discount. We could close up and try and find somewhere else for bookings, offer to pay the difference?
I wonder if any of you have been in similar situation and what you did?

Definitely go to the funeral. I would divert bookings as far as possible to nearby properties, if needed pay the difference. For any remaining guest I would do the house sit with limited breakfast.

I am very sorry to hear this. Our prayers are with you and DH. If you go you may end up being even more stressed trying to sort it all out to go, vs he just going which is in of itself stressful. so sorry.

Sorry about this John, send our condolences to DH....
We were lucky, I had no reservations, but if you can get a friend to housesit, this is what I would do. Explain the situation to the guests (by phone if possible, email if not) and tell them that you need to go but you didn't want to disappoint them. Have your housesitter put out continental for them... bread, cereal, juice (store bought) and milk. And then charge them half the normal charge and leave an envelope for tips in their room that say "for the housesitter". And then don't worry about it. At half the price and you ensuring they have a place to go they will feel more than grateful and will likely live a few quid for the housesitter as well.

I"m so sorry. If people don't understand your situation, then they are mean poopheads. A sitter and limited breakfast/or optional voucher for breakfast at a close restaurant sounds like a plan. Good luck, and go be with your family.

So sorry.
If you can get someone to house sit and do the limited breakfast and give a discount I would go that way. With a head's up most guests understand that life happens.
You want to spend the least time sorting this out as possible.
If someone balks and you know of an opening elsewhere send them there and pick up the difference.

Bommelhoeve said:

Definitely go to the funeral. I would divert bookings as far as possible to nearby properties, if needed pay the difference. For any remaining guest I would do the house sit with limited breakfast..

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I agree - let them know, divert if you can and housesitter - normal people will understand.

I say go with him. Get someone to house sit and give the guest atleast a place to stay. (they can always go somewhere to eat) Prayers for your family.

So sorry for you and your DH. Go and support him and the family. If you can get a housesitter, that will be good. At least you won't have to cancel reservations. But a discount would be good for them. As long as they have a bed to sleep in most folks should be very understanding given the situation.

I would go with DH or I'd regret not doing so forever to support him. I just saw how much my sister supported my brother-in-law at the funeral of his Dad last week. If you can get a house sitter, do so and go. Since everything is booked up, people will probably be quite happy that you don't cancel them.
If I had to do this, I'd go get $30 gift certificates for my local diner and leave one in each room so they can get breakfast there for each day you'll be gone. (NO BIG ROOM DISCOUNT, after all you're not canceling on them, just reducing breakfast which isn't worth a 1/2 price discount.) I'd have the house sitter put out coffee and I'd pre bake some scones and muffins and put out a bowl of fruit and maybe a bowl of ice holding some packaged yogurts. Those that want to use the GC can and get a full breakfast and those who are fine with the limited choice will be happy too.
Good luck and sorry for your loss.

If you can get the house/guest sitter, then go! I really do think that's better than finding other arrangements for them. My deepest sympathy to you and your DH. I know what a stressful time this can be for both of you.

If you can get a friend or housesitter, do it. The guests are people you do not know and all you need to do is give them the bed they need and something to call breakfast. Yes, do the discount but do not stress one moment more about it. You and your DH are the important part of this equation. YOU NEED to be there for DH. Period. People come and go - some are nice and some are pissants. Family FIRST.
Condolences to both of you. Bring there for each other is important - that is why you ARE together.
Twice I had to get friends to cover - not funerals (my family timed things better - Mom before we opened and Daddy when we were brand new and not busy. And his siblings did not even tell us about Ma until 3 months AFTER she died) - but for his 40 year class reunion and then when my son got married. The first was a full-house for a football game and never heard from any of them again. The second one refused to do both nights of the package at the other B & B - even when I told them I watched my son being born and I was going to be there to watch him "die" as he got married. No regrets - Family first. I am sorry it is under these circumstances - go and let everything else sort itself out.

MtnKeeper said:

I would go with DH or I'd regret not doing so forever to support him. I just saw how much my sister supported my brother-in-law at the funeral of his Dad last week. If you can get a house sitter, do so and go. Since everything is booked up, people will probably be quite happy that you don't cancel them.
If I had to do this, I'd go get $30 gift certificates for my local diner and leave one in each room so they can get breakfast there for each day you'll be gone. (NO BIG ROOM DISCOUNT, after all you're not canceling on them, just reducing breakfast which isn't worth a 1/2 price discount.) I'd have the house sitter put out coffee and I'd pre bake some scones and muffins and put out a bowl of fruit and maybe a bowl of ice holding some packaged yogurts. Those that want to use the GC can and get a full breakfast and those who are fine with the limited choice will be happy too.
Good luck and sorry for your loss..

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I like the idea of the GC for breakfast nearby. We've done that when the power is out here.

So sorry, HJ. I'm inclined to agree with the others who say go to the funeral. If circumstances don't work out, remember not to beat yourself up. We love you, and I'm sure your partner will understand.

GO. You won't regret it.
A few years ago my mother (89 yrs old) fell and broke her leg in FL. She lives alone in her own home and I am the one in charge of her. So there was no choice for me but to go. Fortunately my brother volunteered to go with me so DH could man the fort here with a full house. But if DH had come with me we would have hunted up a housekeeper/sitter, given the guests a voucher to a nearby restaurant for breakfast and hoped that they understood.
As it turned out, DH sent them out for breakfast and they were all just fine. He's not much of a housekeeper so in hindsight it might have been better to hire someone!

Late seeing the post, but we hope you sorted it out so you could do what you thought was best.
My DH just lost a brother and we had to sort it out quickly. We were prepared to go across the ocean if needed, but it turned out that several others were going and we could fill a role later that would be more helpful.
Pretty much like you were thinking and others have affirmed, we would have just had someone house sit a couple of nights and discounted the rooms.

I have been thinking about this and you HJ, and hope you were able to sort it out and do whatever was best in your heart of hearts. This is when innkeeping is very difficult. We love you!

Go if you can, but your partner will understand if it just can't happen.
Good guests will understand, send them each a nice note giving the set up you have arranged and if you know of a neighboring B&B that has availability share that as well, giving that as an option.

We have had this issue three times since being in the business, both times were trying but we managed with the help of our adult children. 1st time DH stayed behind while DS and I went for the last days of Mother's life, DH and DD joined us for the funeral. 2nd time DH and I had traveled to see Dad, within an hour after we got home (9hr drive) Dad had passed. Guests were coming in so DH stayed behind and DS and I attended funeral. The other time DD stayed and handled guests while DH and I went to his father's funeral.
While not all of us could attend we all did the best we could do under the circumstances. No regrets on how it was handled. You can have best laid plans but every day is different. You have been there for your partner and will remain that way and I am sure it is appreciated no matter what the final plan.

This morning was the closest I've ever been to wanting to throw all the guests out and just shut the front door.
Yesterday we went out on one of our regular shopping trips after finishing the rooms, got half way into town and some idiot pulled out in front of us, hit him at 45mph. The car went off onto the bank on the other side of the road, thank heavens it didn't turn over and there was nothing coming the other way. We both got out, but dh hit his head and we both had aches in our ribs. Got taken by ambulance to the hospital and were checked over / had chest x-rays. both ok, just bruised. The car is a write-off.
And if that wasn't enough this morning whilst we're getting ready for breakfast dh had the call to say his sister passed during the night.
But we laughed with guests and carried on, now there all gone we both feel wretched.

Highlands John said:

This morning was the closest I've ever been to wanting to throw all the guests out and just shut the front door.
Yesterday we went out on one of our regular shopping trips after finishing the rooms, got half way into town and some idiot pulled out in front of us, hit him at 45mph. The car went off onto the bank on the other side of the road, thank heavens it didn't turn over and there was nothing coming the other way. We both got out, but dh hit his head and we both had aches in our ribs. Got taken by ambulance to the hospital and were checked over / had chest x-rays. both ok, just bruised. The car is a write-off.
And if that wasn't enough this morning whilst we're getting ready for breakfast dh had the call to say his sister passed during the night.
But we laughed with guests and carried on, now there all gone we both feel wretched..

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OHHHHH NO!!!
So glad you are both ok. My deepest sympathy to both of you.