Why Plan Ahead?

Monday a former guest texted they would be in Charleston this week, would we be able to get together. So we went to Charleston for lunch. As we were going to the restaurant I get a call for that night. It is a group of horse people traveling cross-country. How many horses? 28. WHAT??? And where are the people going to stay? Well many have quarters in their trailers and some camp. where are you now? Huntington.
These people traveling with 28 horses are one hour from where I am right not which means about 4 hours max from where my B & B is located and they are just now at 12:30 in the afternoon looking for a stable much less lodging!! THIS is why we scratch our heads and say what are you thinking? The farmer has bulls in the pen right now - so I told them look elsewhere and enjoyed my lunch (which the guest treated).

gillumhouse said:

so I told them look elsewhere and enjoyed my lunch (which the guest treated).

Click to expand...

Good! Sometimes people just ask a little too much of others. Or a lot too much!

It's like these people that knock at my door in August (peak season) desperate for a room, with small children and or babies in the car.

Highlands John said:

It's like these people that knock at my door in August (peak season) desperate for a room, with small children and or babies in the car..

Click to expand...

Or the ones who called at 8:30pm on Saturday night of the last (holiday) weekend from their car looking for a room. Many places here are closed after Labor Day or at least winding down so there were "no vacancy" signs up and down the main road.

Silverspoon said:

Highlands John said:

It's like these people that knock at my door in August (peak season) desperate for a room, with small children and or babies in the car..

Click to expand...

Or the ones who called at 8:30pm on Saturday night of the last (holiday) weekend from their car looking for a room. Many places here are closed after Labor Day or at least winding down so there were "no vacancy" signs up and down the main road.
.

Click to expand...

Friend only rents rooms when everyone in town is full. It's a sideline business. In 5 minutes, while we were out for a walk last Saturday, she got 6 calls for her rooms. 2 people passed, 2 people booked the 3 rooms between them and one hotel that had overbooked got told 'no rooms at the inn'.
$200/room. No breakfast. No snacks. No TV. No common space. No key to the room or the building.

Arks said:

gillumhouse said:

so I told them look elsewhere and enjoyed my lunch (which the guest treated).

Click to expand...

Good! Sometimes people just ask a little too much of others. Or a lot too much!.

Click to expand...

The long weekend in the month of Aug. This happens to us. There is not a place around even hotels that are open for that weekend. We are all booked and have been since June. We have people arriving at 4 to 9pm knocking on the door do you have a room for the night? Even if you have a sign on the door saying sorry we are full. Still knock on the door can you tell us where we can find a place!!!!! Nope sorry . there is no place at the INN any where here.

we get this when there is something big on - walk in's who just turn up. The ones I feel sorry for are the ones who are here for something unrelated ie 3 brothers turned up as mother has been rushed into hospital found them something in the next town over for 2 nights but really they wanted the whole week - said at least it gives you somewhere to start.

Madeleine said:

Silverspoon said:

Highlands John said:

It's like these people that knock at my door in August (peak season) desperate for a room, with small children and or babies in the car..

Click to expand...

Or the ones who called at 8:30pm on Saturday night of the last (holiday) weekend from their car looking for a room. Many places here are closed after Labor Day or at least winding down so there were "no vacancy" signs up and down the main road.
.

Click to expand...

Friend only rents rooms when everyone in town is full. It's a sideline business. In 5 minutes, while we were out for a walk last Saturday, she got 6 calls for her rooms. 2 people passed, 2 people booked the 3 rooms between them and one hotel that had overbooked got told 'no rooms at the inn'.
$200/room. No breakfast. No snacks. No TV. No common space. No key to the room or the building.
.

Click to expand...

Good for pocket change but it doesn't fly if you are in business to make a living. Still, it is easy money so if others do not see you as serious competition on a regular basis they are more likely to refer if they are full. Around here most places are afraid to refer because they don't want prospective guests to know about alternative nice places to stay.

Silverspoon said:

Madeleine said:

Silverspoon said:

Highlands John said:

It's like these people that knock at my door in August (peak season) desperate for a room, with small children and or babies in the car..

Click to expand...

Or the ones who called at 8:30pm on Saturday night of the last (holiday) weekend from their car looking for a room. Many places here are closed after Labor Day or at least winding down so there were "no vacancy" signs up and down the main road.
.

Click to expand...

Friend only rents rooms when everyone in town is full. It's a sideline business. In 5 minutes, while we were out for a walk last Saturday, she got 6 calls for her rooms. 2 people passed, 2 people booked the 3 rooms between them and one hotel that had overbooked got told 'no rooms at the inn'.
$200/room. No breakfast. No snacks. No TV. No common space. No key to the room or the building.
.

Click to expand...

Good for pocket change but it doesn't fly if you are in business to make a living. Still, it is easy money so if others do not see you as serious competition on a regular basis they are more likely to refer if they are full. Around here most places are afraid to refer because they don't want prospective guests to know about alternative nice places to stay.
.

Click to expand...

By George I think you are right. !!! Yes I just never thought about that in that way. Sad but true.

Silverspoon said:

Madeleine said:

Silverspoon said:

Highlands John said:

It's like these people that knock at my door in August (peak season) desperate for a room, with small children and or babies in the car..

Click to expand...

Or the ones who called at 8:30pm on Saturday night of the last (holiday) weekend from their car looking for a room. Many places here are closed after Labor Day or at least winding down so there were "no vacancy" signs up and down the main road.
.

Click to expand...

Friend only rents rooms when everyone in town is full. It's a sideline business. In 5 minutes, while we were out for a walk last Saturday, she got 6 calls for her rooms. 2 people passed, 2 people booked the 3 rooms between them and one hotel that had overbooked got told 'no rooms at the inn'.
$200/room. No breakfast. No snacks. No TV. No common space. No key to the room or the building.
.

Click to expand...

Good for pocket change but it doesn't fly if you are in business to make a living. Still, it is easy money so if others do not see you as serious competition on a regular basis they are more likely to refer if they are full. Around here most places are afraid to refer because they don't want prospective guests to know about alternative nice places to stay.
.

Click to expand...

It's only a sideline for her. We all refer to each other. We'd rather people a) stayed in town, and b) stayed at a b&b instead of a hotel. It's a good model and it seems to work. If someone has to have a Jacuzzi I'll send them to the place that has them. Even if I'm not full.
I watched a host tell a walk in at his restaurant that he didn't know where else they could go for dinner. (There was a 45 minute wait.) He said he wasn't from around here.
There are 3 restaurants within 50 feet of this one. It was obviously a lie and bad for that business. I like the "Miracle on 34th Street" model where the Santa told the moms that Gimbel's had the item they wanted when they couldn't find it at Macy's.
I won't, however, tell you all the sights to see between here and wherever you are coming from until you book a room. I draw the line at wasting my time. ;-)

Silverspoon said:

Madeleine said:

Silverspoon said:

Highlands John said:

It's like these people that knock at my door in August (peak season) desperate for a room, with small children and or babies in the car..

Click to expand...

Or the ones who called at 8:30pm on Saturday night of the last (holiday) weekend from their car looking for a room. Many places here are closed after Labor Day or at least winding down so there were "no vacancy" signs up and down the main road.
.

Click to expand...

Friend only rents rooms when everyone in town is full. It's a sideline business. In 5 minutes, while we were out for a walk last Saturday, she got 6 calls for her rooms. 2 people passed, 2 people booked the 3 rooms between them and one hotel that had overbooked got told 'no rooms at the inn'.
$200/room. No breakfast. No snacks. No TV. No common space. No key to the room or the building.
.

Click to expand...

Good for pocket change but it doesn't fly if you are in business to make a living. Still, it is easy money so if others do not see you as serious competition on a regular basis they are more likely to refer if they are full. Around here most places are afraid to refer because they don't want prospective guests to know about alternative nice places to stay.
.

Click to expand...

Silverspoon said:

Good for pocket change but it doesn't fly if you are in business to make a living. Still, it is easy money so if others do not see you as serious competition on a regular basis they are more likely to refer if they are full. Around here most places are afraid to refer because they don't want prospective guests to know about alternative nice places to stay.

Click to expand...

We all refer to each other. If you want to be close to shopping, you don't want us. If you want the view, you don't want them. It works.

TheBeachHouse said:

Silverspoon said:

Madeleine said:

Silverspoon said:

Highlands John said:

It's like these people that knock at my door in August (peak season) desperate for a room, with small children and or babies in the car..

Click to expand...

Or the ones who called at 8:30pm on Saturday night of the last (holiday) weekend from their car looking for a room. Many places here are closed after Labor Day or at least winding down so there were "no vacancy" signs up and down the main road.
.

Click to expand...

Friend only rents rooms when everyone in town is full. It's a sideline business. In 5 minutes, while we were out for a walk last Saturday, she got 6 calls for her rooms. 2 people passed, 2 people booked the 3 rooms between them and one hotel that had overbooked got told 'no rooms at the inn'.
$200/room. No breakfast. No snacks. No TV. No common space. No key to the room or the building.
.

Click to expand...

Good for pocket change but it doesn't fly if you are in business to make a living. Still, it is easy money so if others do not see you as serious competition on a regular basis they are more likely to refer if they are full. Around here most places are afraid to refer because they don't want prospective guests to know about alternative nice places to stay.
.

Click to expand...

Silverspoon said:

Good for pocket change but it doesn't fly if you are in business to make a living. Still, it is easy money so if others do not see you as serious competition on a regular basis they are more likely to refer if they are full. Around here most places are afraid to refer because they don't want prospective guests to know about alternative nice places to stay.

Click to expand...

We all refer to each other. If you want to be close to shopping, you don't want us. If you want the view, you don't want them. It works.
.

Click to expand...

TheBeachHouse said:

Silverspoon said:

Good for pocket change but it doesn't fly if you are in business to make a living. Still, it is easy money so if others do not see you as serious competition on a regular basis they are more likely to refer if they are full. Around here most places are afraid to refer because they don't want prospective guests to know about alternative nice places to stay.

Click to expand...

We all refer to each other. If you want to be close to shopping, you don't want us. If you want the view, you don't want them. It works.

Click to expand...

and for me "If you want banjos moonshine and mountains you want us"
(and the funny thing is you think I am kidding don't you Silverspoon/Beachhouse)

Have you noticed people seek out and see what they want to see. Last night our guests in two diff vehicles got lost in the mountains in the dark, no gps or cell coverage. They are laughing about it today, but it was not fun last night. They followed their GPS as the crow flies, no map, no common sense. They learned a scary lesson. I told them it is all part of the adventure in traveling. A story to laugh about (today they were laughing).
Meanwhile other people come here to go on the same roads they took, literally here from England yesterday to travel them.
It's all relative.

Joey Bloggs said:

TheBeachHouse said:

Silverspoon said:

Madeleine said:

Silverspoon said:

Highlands John said:

It's like these people that knock at my door in August (peak season) desperate for a room, with small children and or babies in the car..

Click to expand...

Or the ones who called at 8:30pm on Saturday night of the last (holiday) weekend from their car looking for a room. Many places here are closed after Labor Day or at least winding down so there were "no vacancy" signs up and down the main road.
.

Click to expand...

Friend only rents rooms when everyone in town is full. It's a sideline business. In 5 minutes, while we were out for a walk last Saturday, she got 6 calls for her rooms. 2 people passed, 2 people booked the 3 rooms between them and one hotel that had overbooked got told 'no rooms at the inn'.
$200/room. No breakfast. No snacks. No TV. No common space. No key to the room or the building.
.

Click to expand...

Good for pocket change but it doesn't fly if you are in business to make a living. Still, it is easy money so if others do not see you as serious competition on a regular basis they are more likely to refer if they are full. Around here most places are afraid to refer because they don't want prospective guests to know about alternative nice places to stay.
.

Click to expand...

Silverspoon said:

Good for pocket change but it doesn't fly if you are in business to make a living. Still, it is easy money so if others do not see you as serious competition on a regular basis they are more likely to refer if they are full. Around here most places are afraid to refer because they don't want prospective guests to know about alternative nice places to stay.

Click to expand...

We all refer to each other. If you want to be close to shopping, you don't want us. If you want the view, you don't want them. It works.
.

Click to expand...

TheBeachHouse said:

Silverspoon said:

Good for pocket change but it doesn't fly if you are in business to make a living. Still, it is easy money so if others do not see you as serious competition on a regular basis they are more likely to refer if they are full. Around here most places are afraid to refer because they don't want prospective guests to know about alternative nice places to stay.

Click to expand...

We all refer to each other. If you want to be close to shopping, you don't want us. If you want the view, you don't want them. It works.

Click to expand...

and for me "If you want banjos moonshine and mountains you want us"

(and the funny thing is you think I am kidding don't you Silverspoon/Beachhouse)
.

Click to expand...

Joey Bloggs said:

TheBeachHouse said:

Silverspoon said:

Good for pocket change but it doesn't fly if you are in business to make a living. Still, it is easy money so if others do not see you as serious competition on a regular basis they are more likely to refer if they are full. Around here most places are afraid to refer because they don't want prospective guests to know about alternative nice places to stay.

Click to expand...

We all refer to each other. If you want to be close to shopping, you don't want us. If you want the view, you don't want them. It works.

Click to expand...

and for me "If you want banjos moonshine and mountains you want us"

(and the funny thing is you think I am kidding don't you Silverspoon/Beachhouse)

Click to expand...

I'll have my moonshine with a twist.

Woman came to the door last night around 8 even though we hung the no vacancy sign. She has her dog in the car. Doesn't want to drive in the rain and she can leave the dog in the car. Please.
But we don't have room.
DH called two other inns and found her a room. Poor doggy.

Joey Bloggs said:

TheBeachHouse said:

Silverspoon said:

Madeleine said:

Silverspoon said:

Highlands John said:

It's like these people that knock at my door in August (peak season) desperate for a room, with small children and or babies in the car..

Click to expand...

Or the ones who called at 8:30pm on Saturday night of the last (holiday) weekend from their car looking for a room. Many places here are closed after Labor Day or at least winding down so there were "no vacancy" signs up and down the main road.
.

Click to expand...

Friend only rents rooms when everyone in town is full. It's a sideline business. In 5 minutes, while we were out for a walk last Saturday, she got 6 calls for her rooms. 2 people passed, 2 people booked the 3 rooms between them and one hotel that had overbooked got told 'no rooms at the inn'.
$200/room. No breakfast. No snacks. No TV. No common space. No key to the room or the building.
.

Click to expand...

Good for pocket change but it doesn't fly if you are in business to make a living. Still, it is easy money so if others do not see you as serious competition on a regular basis they are more likely to refer if they are full. Around here most places are afraid to refer because they don't want prospective guests to know about alternative nice places to stay.
.

Click to expand...

Silverspoon said:

Good for pocket change but it doesn't fly if you are in business to make a living. Still, it is easy money so if others do not see you as serious competition on a regular basis they are more likely to refer if they are full. Around here most places are afraid to refer because they don't want prospective guests to know about alternative nice places to stay.

Click to expand...

We all refer to each other. If you want to be close to shopping, you don't want us. If you want the view, you don't want them. It works.
.

Click to expand...

TheBeachHouse said:

Silverspoon said:

Good for pocket change but it doesn't fly if you are in business to make a living. Still, it is easy money so if others do not see you as serious competition on a regular basis they are more likely to refer if they are full. Around here most places are afraid to refer because they don't want prospective guests to know about alternative nice places to stay.

Click to expand...

We all refer to each other. If you want to be close to shopping, you don't want us. If you want the view, you don't want them. It works.

Click to expand...

and for me "If you want banjos moonshine and mountains you want us"

(and the funny thing is you think I am kidding don't you Silverspoon/Beachhouse)
.

Click to expand...

I promise you she is NOT kidding.
We also refer to other B & Bs in the State. If I can keep them in my area I do. If we can keep them in the State we are happy. The guy with the horses asked about a facility near me (he had the name muddled) so I gave him the correct name and told him I honestly did not know the number and knew nothing of what they are doing now. That was the truth - although I have heard it is not doing horses any longer.

it's prime season here now - leaves are changing & every town has an apple festival going on. We get the same people with kids that didn't make prior plans for lodging. It's so irresponsible! We are telling callers that they are out of luck. Our town is sold out and so are the three other ones that border us. Sorry, you'll have to just go back home!

Joey Camb said:

we get this when there is something big on - walk in's who just turn up. The ones I feel sorry for are the ones who are here for something unrelated ie 3 brothers turned up as mother has been rushed into hospital found them something in the next town over for 2 nights but really they wanted the whole week - said at least it gives you somewhere to start..

Click to expand...

The ones I feel sorry for are the ones who are here for something unrelated ie 3 brothers turned up as mother has been rushed into hospital found them something in the next town over for 2 nights but really they wanted the whole week - said at least it gives you somewhere to start.
Like my funeral guy over Labor Day weekend. I did not have the heart to turn him away when the rooms were just blocked so I could go away. I went anyway and he got the room.

TheBeachHouse said:

Woman came to the door last night around 8 even though we hung the no vacancy sign. She has her dog in the car. Doesn't want to drive in the rain and she can leave the dog in the car. Please.
But we don't have room.
DH called two other inns and found her a room. Poor doggy..

Click to expand...

I had a call in the early evening looking for a room. He decided to call around. Fine with me (good luck). A couple hours ago, he called back and took Rosi's Room as a private bath for 3 nights - yeehaa. WVU plays Baylor tomorrow and gas/pipeline has the rest of the available rooms. Works for me.

Kay Nein said:

it's prime season here now - leaves are changing & every town has an apple festival going on. We get the same people with kids that didn't make prior plans for lodging. It's so irresponsible! We are telling callers that they are out of luck. Our town is sold out and so are the three other ones that border us. Sorry, you'll have to just go back home!.

Click to expand...

we get this every year for some of our big events - family rooms here are rare ie maybe 40 in the entire town so you have to be fast - week before or turn up on the day? not likely!