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Innkeep

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Spoiler Alert: There is nothing profound or enlightening in the following very wordy post. I'm just feeling wordy tonight.
shades_smile.gif

I have had such a long run of non-problem guests. I always thought I'd be fairly well protected from PITA's due to my non-tourist location. This week I've had a mini-epidemic.
A lady reserved my smallest room at the business rate for 3 nights. She was a presenter at a conference, so even though it involved a weekend, no probs. 3 days later she calls to say that she'd really like to have two of her old college friends join her on Saturday night. By this time the big room with space for a rollaway was already reserved by another group. I explained how small the room was, and that maybe I could squeeze an aerobed in there but didn't recommend it. In spite of my reluctance, she thought that would be great fun and so I agreed to let her squeeze two extra people in.
So, yesterday I moved furniture around in the little room and set up the rollaway in the larger room, which also involves quite a bit of furniture moving. An hour after my furniture moving the business person calls to say that she decided not to bother with inviting her friends here. I was very proud of myself because I was able to move the furniture back before she arrived and not get too upset, although I did tell her I'd already set her room up so there would be room for her extra guests.
The group in the bigger room included 5 women in town for 30th HS reunion occupying 2 rooms. The one who made the reservation made sure I knew she is no gluten. Said no one else in her group has any diet issues. Fine.
Today the group of five on arrival announced that the fifth one decided not to come (which they'd known about for weeks), and oh, yes, two of the others in the group are lactose intolerant. Unfortunately, I had just made a wheat free corn pudding and test baked a portion for me, cause I'd never tried that before (I invented the recipe just today - actually doesn't taste too bad). Has sour cream in it, so neither one of them will eat that (I asked, both declined). Group leader apologizes for not remembering to tell me about the lactose free which she knew about, or the lack of a fifth person to put in the rollaway. I think I did get a little grumpy by the time we got all that sorted out.
In the mean time I'm getting emails about every 3 days from a guy who is trying to surprise his wife for her birthday. I emailed him the restaurant list, he picks out a restaurant, but thinks it would be great to have a DQ ice cream cake waiting in the room for them when they come back from dinner... logistics? So I email back with suggestions, phone # of DQ, maybe the guys at the restaurant would serve it for him... Next email - I've changed my mind. I want chocolate covered strawberries in the room - "just add it to my bill" Guess what? In non-tourist towns they don't sell chocolate covered strawberries except maybe around Valentine's Day. I figured that out after phoning the 3 places I thought might sell them. Guess what? I decided not to try doing that myself. One new recipe challenge per week is enough for me. Now he's happy just to bring his own bottle of wine. I'm holding the peroxide and Dawn at the ready for when they spill the wine all over everything. I won't meet them til tomorrow. He has 24 hours to change his mind again.
I'm really so fortunate. If I had this level of confusion going on every day I'm sure I would be far beyond grumpy. I got a little dose of what some of you Innmates get all the time. I'm getting just enough to empathize with those of you in the tourist trenches. I really admire y'all so much for putting up with all you put up with .. I'm always running into folks I knew from my "previous life" who still ask me how I enjoy my "retirement". I tell them all that I'm enjoying it immensely, and that I've never worked harder.
 
Even a mini-epidemic is an epidemic. That's why I keep posting THIS here, every now and then.
 
I was talking to some bloggers about voice. How you can (and should be able to) read something and know who wrote it. You can hear them in what they wrote and how they wrote it. I swear I was reading this whole post in your voice.
Thanks for the longer post, I enjoyed it. I think what you had is called "the run-around"
embaressed_smile.gif
and the reason innkeepers tend to get pushier and pushier helping people make decisions and staying on top of those decisions lest we go over the edge into the freak out zone.
 
I got used to easy guests last week. A little crazy this weekend with multiple rooms bringing multiple cars.
But, I'm not the parking lot police any longer. Sort yourselves out.
 
I got used to easy guests last week. A little crazy this weekend with multiple rooms bringing multiple cars.
But, I'm not the parking lot police any longer. Sort yourselves out..
Madeleine said:
I got used to easy guests last week. A little crazy this weekend with multiple rooms bringing multiple cars.
But, I'm not the parking lot police any longer. Sort yourselves out.
I had a good friend stay for 4 nights as we had a full house, and she could eat no wheat, but gluten was fine, no dairy, but lactose was fine, no this no that. Every day we had full tables of guests and none of them had a special diet, ne'r a one. I was pushed to the edge of innkeeping, as she was in the kitchen early talking every morning and I finally handed her an apron and put her to work.
The guests would say to her "Take that apron off and join us, you don't have to do that" I was in the kitchen alone full house with distractions. So what she actually did was deliver the plates and then sit down and talk with the guests for the rest of the breakfast, it worked out okay. She told me how fun innkeeping is (as I was doing all the dishes) Yes, it is! I said to her, glad you are enjoying it.
shades_smile.gif

Edited to add: She checked in on Sunday and we had a full house turnover for that night, so she arrived and I was already exhausted.
 
I was talking to some bloggers about voice. How you can (and should be able to) read something and know who wrote it. You can hear them in what they wrote and how they wrote it. I swear I was reading this whole post in your voice.
Thanks for the longer post, I enjoyed it. I think what you had is called "the run-around"
embaressed_smile.gif
and the reason innkeepers tend to get pushier and pushier helping people make decisions and staying on top of those decisions lest we go over the edge into the freak out zone.
.
The run around. Yes. Guest couldn't make up mind which attraction to go to. Got here and still couldn't decide.
This morning tells me I should have given him all the admission passes at once so he could have decided what to do 3 days ago.
Hey! That's what we usually do but you couldn't decide.
 
I got used to easy guests last week. A little crazy this weekend with multiple rooms bringing multiple cars.
But, I'm not the parking lot police any longer. Sort yourselves out..
Madeleine said:
I got used to easy guests last week. A little crazy this weekend with multiple rooms bringing multiple cars.
But, I'm not the parking lot police any longer. Sort yourselves out.
I had a good friend stay for 4 nights as we had a full house, and she could eat no wheat, but gluten was fine, no dairy, but lactose was fine, no this no that. Every day we had full tables of guests and none of them had a special diet, ne'r a one. I was pushed to the edge of innkeeping, as she was in the kitchen early talking every morning and I finally handed her an apron and put her to work.
The guests would say to her "Take that apron off and join us, you don't have to do that" I was in the kitchen alone full house with distractions. So what she actually did was deliver the plates and then sit down and talk with the guests for the rest of the breakfast, it worked out okay. She told me how fun innkeeping is (as I was doing all the dishes) Yes, it is! I said to her, glad you are enjoying it.
shades_smile.gif

Edited to add: She checked in on Sunday and we had a full house turnover for that night, so she arrived and I was already exhausted.
.
My brother and his GF are visiting right now. On the phone before they got here, my brother says, oh, I forgot to tell you "Jean" is lactose intolerant. I knew she was right next to him so I said loudly..."TELL HER TO TAKE A PILL!"
Guess what, she's here and taking the lactose pill! Whew! It's tough enough having friends and relative visit during busy times, and even tougher when they have food issues. During their stay with us, we've dealt with full house turnover, cooked and delivered dinner to 1 room, a picnic basket and an all inclusive wedding. And they've only been here a day and a half. That makes creating time and energy for friends & family a tough one!
Still, worth the extra stress & strain.
 
I'm tired of feeling this pain - 4 th time in a year where a guest who paid a lot less for their room complains online about their 'shared' bathroom. WTF?
If you want en suite then book it! But don't tell the world you had a "shared" bathroom.
It's obvious now that, of course, I'm the one who's lying about this with 4 separate reviewers saying it's a shared bathroom.
If the room didn't pay my property taxes for me I'd just shut it down.
But it's quite the deal for someone who doesn't mind the location of the bathroom. Savings up to $50/night.
 
I'm tired of feeling this pain - 4 th time in a year where a guest who paid a lot less for their room complains online about their 'shared' bathroom. WTF?
If you want en suite then book it! But don't tell the world you had a "shared" bathroom.
It's obvious now that, of course, I'm the one who's lying about this with 4 separate reviewers saying it's a shared bathroom.
If the room didn't pay my property taxes for me I'd just shut it down.
But it's quite the deal for someone who doesn't mind the location of the bathroom. Savings up to $50/night..
I assume that the bathroom has a lock on the door and only they have a key? Does the door have a sign that says "Private Bathroom, for the use of ____ exclusively"?
If it's a handle door, maybe something like the Yale electronic lock (or better yet, Zwave, so you can program it from afar.) But the latching lock, so they don't have to remember to lock it, it locks after them automatically. Set it up with a personal code, just for them and maybe with all that they will realize that it is private, but not ensuite. A bunch of visual and psychological clues. Oh and I would put a door closer on the door, so it closes automatically so no one else can go in, if they forget to close the door.
And if you need info on how to set up the ZWave... I'm already doing it.
 
I'm tired of feeling this pain - 4 th time in a year where a guest who paid a lot less for their room complains online about their 'shared' bathroom. WTF?
If you want en suite then book it! But don't tell the world you had a "shared" bathroom.
It's obvious now that, of course, I'm the one who's lying about this with 4 separate reviewers saying it's a shared bathroom.
If the room didn't pay my property taxes for me I'd just shut it down.
But it's quite the deal for someone who doesn't mind the location of the bathroom. Savings up to $50/night..
I assume that the bathroom has a lock on the door and only they have a key? Does the door have a sign that says "Private Bathroom, for the use of ____ exclusively"?
If it's a handle door, maybe something like the Yale electronic lock (or better yet, Zwave, so you can program it from afar.) But the latching lock, so they don't have to remember to lock it, it locks after them automatically. Set it up with a personal code, just for them and maybe with all that they will realize that it is private, but not ensuite. A bunch of visual and psychological clues. Oh and I would put a door closer on the door, so it closes automatically so no one else can go in, if they forget to close the door.
And if you need info on how to set up the ZWave... I'm already doing it.
.
We went old tech with a skeleton key. Kind of fits the house.
Yes, it's locked; yes there's a sign.
I am probably going to add a sign on the inside as well. For those that get in anyway.
We're pretty adamant with guests to keep the door locked. Some people are just so nice they think that everyone is like them.
Not that these reviewers experienced other guests in their bathroom! I don't care if they mention where the bathroom is, just stop saying shared!
My next option is to simply list that room as 'shared bath' and be done with it.
 
I'm tired of feeling this pain - 4 th time in a year where a guest who paid a lot less for their room complains online about their 'shared' bathroom. WTF?
If you want en suite then book it! But don't tell the world you had a "shared" bathroom.
It's obvious now that, of course, I'm the one who's lying about this with 4 separate reviewers saying it's a shared bathroom.
If the room didn't pay my property taxes for me I'd just shut it down.
But it's quite the deal for someone who doesn't mind the location of the bathroom. Savings up to $50/night..
Madeleine said:
I'm tired of feeling this pain - 4 th time in a year where a guest who paid a lot less for their room complains online about their 'shared' bathroom. WTF?
If you want en suite then book it! But don't tell the world you had a "shared" bathroom.
It's obvious now that, of course, I'm the one who's lying about this with 4 separate reviewers saying it's a shared bathroom.
If the room didn't pay my property taxes for me I'd just shut it down.
But it's quite the deal for someone who doesn't mind the location of the bathroom. Savings up to $50/night.
You should be able to get that one pulled, you don't have any shared baths. it is a falsehood
 
I'm tired of feeling this pain - 4 th time in a year where a guest who paid a lot less for their room complains online about their 'shared' bathroom. WTF?
If you want en suite then book it! But don't tell the world you had a "shared" bathroom.
It's obvious now that, of course, I'm the one who's lying about this with 4 separate reviewers saying it's a shared bathroom.
If the room didn't pay my property taxes for me I'd just shut it down.
But it's quite the deal for someone who doesn't mind the location of the bathroom. Savings up to $50/night..
Madeleine said:
I'm tired of feeling this pain - 4 th time in a year where a guest who paid a lot less for their room complains online about their 'shared' bathroom. WTF?
If you want en suite then book it! But don't tell the world you had a "shared" bathroom.
It's obvious now that, of course, I'm the one who's lying about this with 4 separate reviewers saying it's a shared bathroom.
If the room didn't pay my property taxes for me I'd just shut it down.
But it's quite the deal for someone who doesn't mind the location of the bathroom. Savings up to $50/night.
You should be able to get that one pulled, you don't have any shared baths. it is a falsehood
.
Geez. I never considered having them pulled! Duh! All of them.
 
OTOH, had a perfectly perky couple check in today. Loved everything. Everything was so cute or so sweet.
 
I'm tired of feeling this pain - 4 th time in a year where a guest who paid a lot less for their room complains online about their 'shared' bathroom. WTF?
If you want en suite then book it! But don't tell the world you had a "shared" bathroom.
It's obvious now that, of course, I'm the one who's lying about this with 4 separate reviewers saying it's a shared bathroom.
If the room didn't pay my property taxes for me I'd just shut it down.
But it's quite the deal for someone who doesn't mind the location of the bathroom. Savings up to $50/night..
I assume that the bathroom has a lock on the door and only they have a key? Does the door have a sign that says "Private Bathroom, for the use of ____ exclusively"?
If it's a handle door, maybe something like the Yale electronic lock (or better yet, Zwave, so you can program it from afar.) But the latching lock, so they don't have to remember to lock it, it locks after them automatically. Set it up with a personal code, just for them and maybe with all that they will realize that it is private, but not ensuite. A bunch of visual and psychological clues. Oh and I would put a door closer on the door, so it closes automatically so no one else can go in, if they forget to close the door.
And if you need info on how to set up the ZWave... I'm already doing it.
.
We went old tech with a skeleton key. Kind of fits the house.
Yes, it's locked; yes there's a sign.
I am probably going to add a sign on the inside as well. For those that get in anyway.
We're pretty adamant with guests to keep the door locked. Some people are just so nice they think that everyone is like them.
Not that these reviewers experienced other guests in their bathroom! I don't care if they mention where the bathroom is, just stop saying shared!
My next option is to simply list that room as 'shared bath' and be done with it.
.
Definitely get a door closer. It's simple and elegant.
A big ass sign saying "Private Bathroom Belonging to the ______ Suite" should cement the idea in their head.
 
Just had two perfectly delightful couples leave. Two new couples checked in, one set of Brits and a Dr. and Mrs from about 1 hour away. Brits are sweet (thank goodness since they will be here a full week) but the other couple is cold and remote. They stated that they use AC 10 out of 12 months a year and, sure enough, it's 66 degrees out side and they have the AC on. I just don't get it.
angry_smile.gif
 
Just had two perfectly delightful couples leave. Two new couples checked in, one set of Brits and a Dr. and Mrs from about 1 hour away. Brits are sweet (thank goodness since they will be here a full week) but the other couple is cold and remote. They stated that they use AC 10 out of 12 months a year and, sure enough, it's 66 degrees out side and they have the AC on. I just don't get it.
angry_smile.gif
.
Guests told me out is too hot here for them. It's 70. They turned the air on as soon as they walked in.
They could open a window, but they haven't.
It got down to 58 while they were out. Air still on.
We turn it off to clean, they turn it on when they get back.
They're very nice but not used to the heat.
 
I got used to easy guests last week. A little crazy this weekend with multiple rooms bringing multiple cars.
But, I'm not the parking lot police any longer. Sort yourselves out..
Madeleine said:
I got used to easy guests last week. A little crazy this weekend with multiple rooms bringing multiple cars.
But, I'm not the parking lot police any longer. Sort yourselves out.
I had a good friend stay for 4 nights as we had a full house, and she could eat no wheat, but gluten was fine, no dairy, but lactose was fine, no this no that. Every day we had full tables of guests and none of them had a special diet, ne'r a one. I was pushed to the edge of innkeeping, as she was in the kitchen early talking every morning and I finally handed her an apron and put her to work.
The guests would say to her "Take that apron off and join us, you don't have to do that" I was in the kitchen alone full house with distractions. So what she actually did was deliver the plates and then sit down and talk with the guests for the rest of the breakfast, it worked out okay. She told me how fun innkeeping is (as I was doing all the dishes) Yes, it is! I said to her, glad you are enjoying it.
shades_smile.gif

Edited to add: She checked in on Sunday and we had a full house turnover for that night, so she arrived and I was already exhausted.
.
Hey! I don't remember you ever letting me help you when I've stayed with you guys.
embaressed_smile.gif

Glad you figured it out with this friend & next time I see you, please hand me an apron!
regular_smile.gif

 
I'm tired of feeling this pain - 4 th time in a year where a guest who paid a lot less for their room complains online about their 'shared' bathroom. WTF?
If you want en suite then book it! But don't tell the world you had a "shared" bathroom.
It's obvious now that, of course, I'm the one who's lying about this with 4 separate reviewers saying it's a shared bathroom.
If the room didn't pay my property taxes for me I'd just shut it down.
But it's quite the deal for someone who doesn't mind the location of the bathroom. Savings up to $50/night..
I just read your most recent review that mentioned that the bath was "shared". It's a 5 star review and you responded to it brilliantly! Sometimes guests don't know the right wording for "detached".
FWIW I would leave it alone since the rest of the review is really nice and you handled it.
 
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