What a Difference a Day Makes

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happykeeper

happykeeper

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We changed our policy last year to a two night minimum and we are feeling the full impact of that this year. I know it is a luxury to be able to do it, but it really did get rid of a lot of stress we did not always realize we were experiencing.
  • That feeling that our guests are somehow missing out is gone
  • No more worrying about the ONE breakfast they get
  • The reduction of cost for turning rooms like pancakes
  • Increased occupancy with fewer "if only that single night wasn't there, we could have taken a three nighter" moments
  • The feeling that a lot of our guests decide to go for two nights when they were originally thinking of just one.
  • Less concern about the days we block off knowing the days we are open are at or near capacity.
No science here, just the feeling that it was a choice we are likely to stick with, even when the heady days of our area's popularity ebb.
 
Glad this is working for you. I keep switching back and forth. I get busy then see the values you mention above of a 2-night minimum. Then business slows and I talk myself out of it and am happy to have the 1-nighters. As you say, it's a luxury to be able to have it, and I dream that maybe someday I'll be busy enough to keep it on year round!
 
Well done and thank you for sharing the "after" we appreciate it Haps.
 
Good info. We still allow one nighters and have had quite a bit of winter business because of it.
We did close off holiday weekends to 2 night minimums. But are still open to one nighters in the Summer.
 
A valuable lesson of listening to your business. Glad it's worked so well for you! We keep our 2 night minimum on weekends and 3 night minimum on major holidays, but we're still not ready for the mid-week 2 night min.
 
We have minimum 2 days stay between May 1 and October 15 sand than again for Christmas/New Year. From Oct. 16-April 30 2 days min is for Friday and Saturday only. I will only take one day if I have and orphan night, can attach 1 day to existing booking or as last minute within 3 days of arrival. We had that for last few years and it works. Sometime I will make an exception if it is slow and I feel that we will have a number of bedrooms available.
 
All of these comments are great food for thought as we try to decide what our policies will be. I am leaning toward a two-day minimum for weekends, holidays, and when there is a big event going on here.
Where I get hung up is whether or not to do a weekday minimums. I wonder if there is a typical length of stay for weekday business travel. I've read in a couple of google searches (re bed and breakfasts) that business travelers may stay longer than the typical recreational traveler. In my situation, there is considerable business travel between our two major metro areas -- OKC and Tulsa. There is a 2.5 hr drive between the cities by the time you navigate through town. So, if time doing business takes much longer than a couple of hours plus an additional 5 hours on the road, I could see overnights being popular - especially if breakfast is served early enough for them to get back down the highway and to the home office by 8 a.m. or so.
I suppose there is no way to predict whether there is more of a demand for multiple weekday bookings or single nights until we actually roll up our sleeves and keep record of inquiries for a season or two. My best guess is to not place any length of stay restrictions on weekdays. (But what do I know?
whatchutalkingabout_smile.gif
)
 
April said:
We have minimum 2 days stay between May 1 and October 15 sand than again for Christmas/New Year. From Oct. 16-April 30 2 days min is for Friday and Saturday only. I will only take one day if I have and orphan night, can attach 1 day to existing booking or as last minute within 3 days of arrival. We had that for last few years and it works. Sometime I will make an exception if it is slow and I feel that we will have a number of bedrooms available..
Click to expand...
We took a few orphan nights at first, but now we just block them off. Seemed like things flowed better without them, but we might reconsider if slower times appear.
 
Aspiring Martha said:
All of these comments are great food for thought as we try to decide what our policies will be. I am leaning toward a two-day minimum for weekends, holidays, and when there is a big event going on here.
Where I get hung up is whether or not to do a weekday minimums. I wonder if there is a typical length of stay for weekday business travel. I've read in a couple of google searches (re bed and breakfasts) that business travelers may stay longer than the typical recreational traveler. In my situation, there is considerable business travel between our two major metro areas -- OKC and Tulsa. There is a 2.5 hr drive between the cities by the time you navigate through town. So, if time doing business takes much longer than a couple of hours plus an additional 5 hours on the road, I could see overnights being popular - especially if breakfast is served early enough for them to get back down the highway and to the home office by 8 a.m. or so.
I suppose there is no way to predict whether there is more of a demand for multiple weekday bookings or single nights until we actually roll up our sleeves and keep record of inquiries for a season or two. My best guess is to not place any length of stay restrictions on weekdays. (But what do I know?
whatchutalkingabout_smile.gif
).
Click to expand...
This is where you need to have some time under your belt to better plan.
Of course, plans change. Since we've gotten here, about 1000 new hotel rooms have opened within a 45 minute drive meaning a lot of guests we used to 'rely' on getting - college parents, college visits, camp parents, visiting family - have disappeared. Why drive 45 minutes when there's a brand new Marriott next to the school?
With that, we also need to look at the influence of air on the sleep cheap crowd who used to think we were cheap compared with $300/night at a hotel.
And, your market may change. We started out with a very old crowd. Average guest age was around 60. A lot were over 70. 90 was not unheard of. Average age is still around 60 but we're not getting the 80 & 90 year olds any longer. It's more clustered around 60: 50 to 70.
And those 40-50 year olds are in rough shape. Knees and hips are shot. They don't want stairs. They need grab bars. Things the 80 year olds used to scoff at 10 years ago.
You have to know what they want. Whatever market you want.
 
Morticia said:
Aspiring Martha said:
All of these comments are great food for thought as we try to decide what our policies will be. I am leaning toward a two-day minimum for weekends, holidays, and when there is a big event going on here.
Where I get hung up is whether or not to do a weekday minimums. I wonder if there is a typical length of stay for weekday business travel. I've read in a couple of google searches (re bed and breakfasts) that business travelers may stay longer than the typical recreational traveler. In my situation, there is considerable business travel between our two major metro areas -- OKC and Tulsa. There is a 2.5 hr drive between the cities by the time you navigate through town. So, if time doing business takes much longer than a couple of hours plus an additional 5 hours on the road, I could see overnights being popular - especially if breakfast is served early enough for them to get back down the highway and to the home office by 8 a.m. or so.
I suppose there is no way to predict whether there is more of a demand for multiple weekday bookings or single nights until we actually roll up our sleeves and keep record of inquiries for a season or two. My best guess is to not place any length of stay restrictions on weekdays. (But what do I know?
whatchutalkingabout_smile.gif
).
Click to expand...
This is where you need to have some time under your belt to better plan.
Of course, plans change. Since we've gotten here, about 1000 new hotel rooms have opened within a 45 minute drive meaning a lot of guests we used to 'rely' on getting - college parents, college visits, camp parents, visiting family - have disappeared. Why drive 45 minutes when there's a brand new Marriott next to the school?
With that, we also need to look at the influence of air on the sleep cheap crowd who used to think we were cheap compared with $300/night at a hotel.
And, your market may change. We started out with a very old crowd. Average guest age was around 60. A lot were over 70. 90 was not unheard of. Average age is still around 60 but we're not getting the 80 & 90 year olds any longer. It's more clustered around 60: 50 to 70.
And those 40-50 year olds are in rough shape. Knees and hips are shot. They don't want stairs. They need grab bars. Things the 80 year olds used to scoff at 10 years ago.
You have to know what they want. Whatever market you want.
.
Click to expand...
so 60 is the new 80? Scary!!
 
TheBeachHouse said:
Morticia said:
Aspiring Martha said:
All of these comments are great food for thought as we try to decide what our policies will be. I am leaning toward a two-day minimum for weekends, holidays, and when there is a big event going on here.
Where I get hung up is whether or not to do a weekday minimums. I wonder if there is a typical length of stay for weekday business travel. I've read in a couple of google searches (re bed and breakfasts) that business travelers may stay longer than the typical recreational traveler. In my situation, there is considerable business travel between our two major metro areas -- OKC and Tulsa. There is a 2.5 hr drive between the cities by the time you navigate through town. So, if time doing business takes much longer than a couple of hours plus an additional 5 hours on the road, I could see overnights being popular - especially if breakfast is served early enough for them to get back down the highway and to the home office by 8 a.m. or so.
I suppose there is no way to predict whether there is more of a demand for multiple weekday bookings or single nights until we actually roll up our sleeves and keep record of inquiries for a season or two. My best guess is to not place any length of stay restrictions on weekdays. (But what do I know?
whatchutalkingabout_smile.gif
).
Click to expand...
This is where you need to have some time under your belt to better plan.
Of course, plans change. Since we've gotten here, about 1000 new hotel rooms have opened within a 45 minute drive meaning a lot of guests we used to 'rely' on getting - college parents, college visits, camp parents, visiting family - have disappeared. Why drive 45 minutes when there's a brand new Marriott next to the school?
With that, we also need to look at the influence of air on the sleep cheap crowd who used to think we were cheap compared with $300/night at a hotel.
And, your market may change. We started out with a very old crowd. Average guest age was around 60. A lot were over 70. 90 was not unheard of. Average age is still around 60 but we're not getting the 80 & 90 year olds any longer. It's more clustered around 60: 50 to 70.
And those 40-50 year olds are in rough shape. Knees and hips are shot. They don't want stairs. They need grab bars. Things the 80 year olds used to scoff at 10 years ago.
You have to know what they want. Whatever market you want.
.
Click to expand...
so 60 is the new 80? Scary!!
.
Click to expand...
teeth_smile.gif
We must get the other half. Folks in their 70's we would have a hard time keeping up with
 
TheBeachHouse said:
Morticia said:
Aspiring Martha said:
All of these comments are great food for thought as we try to decide what our policies will be. I am leaning toward a two-day minimum for weekends, holidays, and when there is a big event going on here.
Where I get hung up is whether or not to do a weekday minimums. I wonder if there is a typical length of stay for weekday business travel. I've read in a couple of google searches (re bed and breakfasts) that business travelers may stay longer than the typical recreational traveler. In my situation, there is considerable business travel between our two major metro areas -- OKC and Tulsa. There is a 2.5 hr drive between the cities by the time you navigate through town. So, if time doing business takes much longer than a couple of hours plus an additional 5 hours on the road, I could see overnights being popular - especially if breakfast is served early enough for them to get back down the highway and to the home office by 8 a.m. or so.
I suppose there is no way to predict whether there is more of a demand for multiple weekday bookings or single nights until we actually roll up our sleeves and keep record of inquiries for a season or two. My best guess is to not place any length of stay restrictions on weekdays. (But what do I know?
whatchutalkingabout_smile.gif
).
Click to expand...
This is where you need to have some time under your belt to better plan.
Of course, plans change. Since we've gotten here, about 1000 new hotel rooms have opened within a 45 minute drive meaning a lot of guests we used to 'rely' on getting - college parents, college visits, camp parents, visiting family - have disappeared. Why drive 45 minutes when there's a brand new Marriott next to the school?
With that, we also need to look at the influence of air on the sleep cheap crowd who used to think we were cheap compared with $300/night at a hotel.
And, your market may change. We started out with a very old crowd. Average guest age was around 60. A lot were over 70. 90 was not unheard of. Average age is still around 60 but we're not getting the 80 & 90 year olds any longer. It's more clustered around 60: 50 to 70.
And those 40-50 year olds are in rough shape. Knees and hips are shot. They don't want stairs. They need grab bars. Things the 80 year olds used to scoff at 10 years ago.
You have to know what they want. Whatever market you want.
.
Click to expand...
so 60 is the new 80? Scary!!
.
Click to expand...
TheBeachHouse said:
so 60 is the new 80? Scary!!
Click to expand...
It would seem that way from the complaints we get about stairs. Maybe I need to add that to my FAQ - yes, this is New England, we have stairs.
 
turning rooms like pancakes - I like that.
You have to know your market. Where I was, there were at least half one nighters because they were staying with me overnight and then taking a ferry in the morning. If they were coming back on the return ferry, that was a different story. They'd relax with me that second night and then head out the following day. But if their plan was to stay a few nights or a week on the island, no way could get more than a one night stay from them.
Not having to 'flip' those rooms day after day is awesome.
 
seashanty said:
turning rooms like pancakes - I like that.
You have to know your market. Where I was, there were at least half one nighters because they were staying with me overnight and then taking a ferry in the morning. If they were coming back on the return ferry, that was a different story. They'd relax with me that second night and then head out the following day. But if their plan was to stay a few nights or a week on the island, no way could get more than a one night stay from them.
Not having to 'flip' those rooms day after day is awesome..
Click to expand...
We find that here, too. No matter how many blogs I do about things you can do within an hour of here, 'everyone' is going to the national park.
 
Morticia, I have a 'knee issue' in addition to an eye issue - but I never feign amazement at (horrors) STAIRS! haha I just go at my own pace.
 
We heard all of the advice about keeping the 2 night minimum rule on the weekends, but we were suckered again and again. We are definitely sticking with the 2 night minimum rule on weekends this coming season.
We used to have a weekday reduced rate, but realized that the previous owners only did that when someone stayed 2 or more nights midweek. For 2016, the rates are the same all through the week, but we offer a 10% discount on a 2 night stay and a 15% discount on a 3 night stay, Sun to Wednesday. Hopefully that will help fill up those empty mid-week slots.
 
seashanty said:
Morticia, I have a 'knee issue' in addition to an eye issue - but I never feign amazement at (horrors) STAIRS! haha I just go at my own pace..
Click to expand...
seashanty said:
Morticia, I have a 'knee issue' in addition to an eye issue - but I never feign amazement at (horrors) STAIRS! haha I just go at my own pace.
Click to expand...
There are guests who have never seen a flight of stairs inside a house before. They are stunned. It never occurred to them that 'upstairs' actually meant 'up stairs'. It's not the elderly, either. I keep saying they're all happy to be alive. It's the 'younger' oldsters.
 
We do it by rooms. A smaller with less work room will take a one nighter while a bigger room you need two nights. It works for us. Everyone's happy.
 

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