A letter? Reserving by snail mail?

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Arks

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This is a first. Received a handwritten letter today from the heart of Ice's state, requesting lodging Sept. 19, 20, & 21. It included this line: If you have anything smaller and creepist [SIC] that would be good for us.
I am NOT the "creepist" option in town! Au contraire.
Since my place is self-checkin with a keypad code, and nobody is there to answer questions or help with working the TV remote, I prefer online reservations only. If they aren't technically competent enough to book online, I really don't want them!
Luckily, I'm already fully booked those nights (and have 2 on the waiting list), so I'm sending them a return snail mail giving the bad news. I begrudge the cost of the stamp. I could have suggested the local place that made area TV due to BBs, but didn't. And yes, of course BBs could land anywhere, but this motel is especially seedy.
Anybody else (besides Madeleine) get snail mail reservation requests? With her typical luck, I know Maddie's bound to get this sort of guest all the time! ;-)
 
ummm ... new word? creepiest and cheapest and maybe seedy, too! creepist
you are a riot! you 'begrudge the cost of the stamp.'
there was one very aged couple that booked that way. one. they enclosed their check and when i called to confirm they were confused about who was calling. as though the telephone was high tech. if i'd had no room the nights they wanted, what to do? return their check voided? during their stay, they wrote constantly. wrote around and around the margins of brochures of places they picked up throughout the state and in the white space of newspapers.
 
Arks said:
Anybody else (besides Madeleine) get snail mail reservation requests? With her typical luck, I know Maddie's bound to get this sort of guest all the time! ;-)
First week we were here we got a check for $500 in the mail with this: please send 3 gift certificates for the kids.
First off, $500 doesn't divide nicely by 3 so which kid gets short shrift?
Then, what kids? Do they have names?
Then, do I send these gc's to the address on the check?
However that's the only time that's happened in 10 years. Even my 90 yo guests can use the phone. ;-)
I think it's kind of sweet they sent a letter. Odd, but sweet.
 
Arks said:
Anybody else (besides Madeleine) get snail mail reservation requests? With her typical luck, I know Maddie's bound to get this sort of guest all the time! ;-)
First week we were here we got a check for $500 in the mail with this: please send 3 gift certificates for the kids.
First off, $500 doesn't divide nicely by 3 so which kid gets short shrift?
Then, what kids? Do they have names?
Then, do I send these gc's to the address on the check?
However that's the only time that's happened in 10 years. Even my 90 yo guests can use the phone. ;-)
I think it's kind of sweet they sent a letter. Odd, but sweet..
Madeleine said:
I think it's kind of sweet they sent a letter. Odd, but sweet.
I thought the same. Sorry I won't get to meet them...sort of.
 
Yes, we have gotten inquiries by (snail) mail -- on one, the inquirer included their e-mail address! On that one, we replied both by mail and by e-mail, but they never booked....
We have also had inquiries / reservations by phone from people who do not have e-mail, so have had to snail mail their confirmation information. And we do still get the rare request for us to mail out copies of our brochure.
We actually get a lot of snail mail correspondence from our guests, because we usually request that they mail us a check for their reservation confirmation deposit. Many of them send very nice cards along with the check. Of course, if we have an e-mail address we send the confirmation back that way.
We have piles of Harborfields letterhead stationary left-over from a previous era.
 
Arks said:
Anybody else (besides Madeleine) get snail mail reservation requests? With her typical luck, I know Maddie's bound to get this sort of guest all the time! ;-)
First week we were here we got a check for $500 in the mail with this: please send 3 gift certificates for the kids.
First off, $500 doesn't divide nicely by 3 so which kid gets short shrift?
Then, what kids? Do they have names?
Then, do I send these gc's to the address on the check?
However that's the only time that's happened in 10 years. Even my 90 yo guests can use the phone. ;-)
I think it's kind of sweet they sent a letter. Odd, but sweet..
regular_smile.gif
this is right up there with
'Have I called the right number?' ummm ..." If you are calling xyz b&b yes, otherwise ... probably not. " dang phones!
[/quote]
First week we were here we got a check for $500 in the mail with this: please send 3 gift certificates for the kids.
[/quote]
 
We have never received a letter requesting reservations. It does remind me of what it used to be like. Just a short 23 years ago, we had our niece compose a letter in French to send to the Hotel of the Allies in Paris to secure our reservations. It seems like something so foreign now.
 
We have never received a letter requesting reservations. It does remind me of what it used to be like. Just a short 23 years ago, we had our niece compose a letter in French to send to the Hotel of the Allies in Paris to secure our reservations. It seems like something so foreign now..
happykeeper said:
...we had our niece compose a letter in French to send to the Hotel of the Allies in Paris to secure our reservations. It seems like something so foreign now.
For my first visit to Rome, 15 years ago, I studied the Rick Steves book, picked the hotel I wanted, and we communicated back and forth by fax to make and confirm the reservation.
Arrived in Rome, made it to the hotel, they looked me up in their papers (no computer) and said, oh, you never faxed back the signed confirmation so we canceled the reservation. Sorry, we're full now!
Ah, the good old days! Luckily, we walked across the street to another hotel and got right in.
 
We have never received a letter requesting reservations. It does remind me of what it used to be like. Just a short 23 years ago, we had our niece compose a letter in French to send to the Hotel of the Allies in Paris to secure our reservations. It seems like something so foreign now..
happykeeper said:
...we had our niece compose a letter in French to send to the Hotel of the Allies in Paris to secure our reservations. It seems like something so foreign now.
For my first visit to Rome, 15 years ago, I studied the Rick Steves book, picked the hotel I wanted, and we communicated back and forth by fax to make and confirm the reservation.
Arrived in Rome, made it to the hotel, they looked me up in their papers (no computer) and said, oh, you never faxed back the signed confirmation so we canceled the reservation. Sorry, we're full now!
Ah, the good old days! Luckily, we walked across the street to another hotel and got right in.
.
That makes me laugh! Old travel stories are like war stories.
Traveled in Ireland twenty years ago and you just drove into town and knocked on doors. They showed you the room, take or not, and pointed to the next place down the street.
Traveled in Scotland two years ago. Attempted to book a stay on the Isle of Skye 4 months ahead. We were lucky to find one place that had just opened. Everything else was booked solid.
 
We have never received a letter requesting reservations. It does remind me of what it used to be like. Just a short 23 years ago, we had our niece compose a letter in French to send to the Hotel of the Allies in Paris to secure our reservations. It seems like something so foreign now..
I did this in 1998 during the world cup. Hotel required a signed letter stating I was really coming. They had so many people booking and canceling. Got a co worker to write it for me and I faxed it to the hotel in Paris.
Not quite as retro as a hand written letter.
 
We have never received a letter requesting reservations. It does remind me of what it used to be like. Just a short 23 years ago, we had our niece compose a letter in French to send to the Hotel of the Allies in Paris to secure our reservations. It seems like something so foreign now..
happykeeper said:
...we had our niece compose a letter in French to send to the Hotel of the Allies in Paris to secure our reservations. It seems like something so foreign now.
For my first visit to Rome, 15 years ago, I studied the Rick Steves book, picked the hotel I wanted, and we communicated back and forth by fax to make and confirm the reservation.
Arrived in Rome, made it to the hotel, they looked me up in their papers (no computer) and said, oh, you never faxed back the signed confirmation so we canceled the reservation. Sorry, we're full now!
Ah, the good old days! Luckily, we walked across the street to another hotel and got right in.
.
That makes me laugh! Old travel stories are like war stories.
Traveled in Ireland twenty years ago and you just drove into town and knocked on doors. They showed you the room, take or not, and pointed to the next place down the street.
Traveled in Scotland two years ago. Attempted to book a stay on the Isle of Skye 4 months ahead. We were lucky to find one place that had just opened. Everything else was booked solid.
.
happykeeper said:
Traveled in Ireland twenty years ago and you just drove into town and knocked on doors. They showed you the room, take or not, and pointed to the next place down the street.
I've told this one before. First visit to Ireland, about 15 years ago. No advance reservations made. Near dark one evening we spotted a B&B sign outside what looked like an old castle. It was pouring rain. Pulled in and knocked on the door. An old woman opened the door, looked us over, frowned, and said, "Oh my. You're not German are you?"
I said, no, American. She brightened up and said, "Well OK then, come on in!"
 
Semi retro: phone call today asking to make a Rez. Guest used their receipt from 2001 to find the phone number. Wanted to know if I was 'Jane,' the previous owner.
I hate these calls because the gasp when I tell them the 2014 price can be heard without the phone.
They are staying in the same room! Different name, different decor, same room.
No problem with the price.
 
Did the letter come chiselled into a piece of stone? How quaint!
 
We have never received a letter requesting reservations. It does remind me of what it used to be like. Just a short 23 years ago, we had our niece compose a letter in French to send to the Hotel of the Allies in Paris to secure our reservations. It seems like something so foreign now..
happykeeper said:
...we had our niece compose a letter in French to send to the Hotel of the Allies in Paris to secure our reservations. It seems like something so foreign now.
For my first visit to Rome, 15 years ago, I studied the Rick Steves book, picked the hotel I wanted, and we communicated back and forth by fax to make and confirm the reservation.
Arrived in Rome, made it to the hotel, they looked me up in their papers (no computer) and said, oh, you never faxed back the signed confirmation so we canceled the reservation. Sorry, we're full now!
Ah, the good old days! Luckily, we walked across the street to another hotel and got right in.
.
That makes me laugh! Old travel stories are like war stories.
Traveled in Ireland twenty years ago and you just drove into town and knocked on doors. They showed you the room, take or not, and pointed to the next place down the street.
Traveled in Scotland two years ago. Attempted to book a stay on the Isle of Skye 4 months ahead. We were lucky to find one place that had just opened. Everything else was booked solid.
.
happykeeper said:
Traveled in Ireland twenty years ago and you just drove into town and knocked on doors. They showed you the room, take or not, and pointed to the next place down the street.
I've told this one before. First visit to Ireland, about 15 years ago. No advance reservations made. Near dark one evening we spotted a B&B sign outside what looked like an old castle. It was pouring rain. Pulled in and knocked on the door. An old woman opened the door, looked us over, frowned, and said, "Oh my. You're not German are you?"
I said, no, American. She brightened up and said, "Well OK then, come on in!"
.
Arks said:
happykeeper said:
Traveled in Ireland twenty years ago and you just drove into town and knocked on doors. They showed you the room, take or not, and pointed to the next place down the street.
I've told this one before. First visit to Ireland, about 15 years ago. No advance reservations made. Near dark one evening we spotted a B&B sign outside what looked like an old castle. It was pouring rain. Pulled in and knocked on the door. An old woman opened the door, looked us over, frowned, and said, "Oh my. You're not German are you?"
I said, no, American. She brightened up and said, "Well OK then, come on in!"
Funny, around here it is almost always the German tourists who come knocking on the door to inquire about a stay for the night....even when the no vacancy sign is out.
 
One thing I learned meeting Arks in real life is he is a story teller. Now whether or not he tries to be, I do not really know, but his stories are interesting, as is his perspective. On the forum he does not tell as many stories or they just don't translate the same as in person, but once in a while when the spirit moves him...we hear about the quirky landlady in Ireland. etc.
So his first inclination of a snail mail reservation request would mean guests who cannot even use the front door code. That made me laugh! It is so true. Sometimes the simplest things are right in our faces and we try to over-think things, we are always trying to be super accommodating.
 
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