Getting out of the house

We are joining the innkeepers' association at a bowling tournament fundraiser tonight. Haven't been bowling in 10 years. Should be embarrassing! But fun. I hear there is beer.
We've realized that we get cranky if we don't deliberately get out of the house once in awhile. Not that we don't love our house and our business, but that a person needs to change it up to stay healthy.
A few of my fellow innkeepers have a mah jong (sp?) group. I work in the city so I can't join, but it does them all good to get away.
What do you do? Do you do a 'date night' or long vacation?

We used to go out to dinner weekly with our innkeeper friends. Time to bitch and complain and get it off your chest..then back to the inn We still do it. but now we have no complaints and just listen to theirs and thank the lord we don't have to deal with it anymore.

We have closed the inn for Monday through Thursday for a week in June and another in September. I will take the week off my city job and we will vacation at home. We plan to stay in one of our guest rooms and golf, and eat out and go to the beach.
Summer is busy, we are looking forward to the short time to ourselves.
Dinner out with the other innkeepers sounds like a great idea.

I am curious about this as well. When you go bowling will you have guests or be empty that evening? We close off season so there is time to step away then obviously but during the season we never both leave the property. We will need to on April 30 for my kiddo's spring concert - not announced in time for me to block that day. I will let guests know we have to be away for a short time & make sure a cell phone # is available to guests. What is your procedure if you have to step away?
We have cottages and most of our guests are fairly independent but I will still worry about being gone. Would like a date night during the season so I'll have to read the advice and see if I can get my mind around it!

This year I vowed to close one weekend each month. Didn't happen in Jan. and Feb. but March is our slowest month so I had most of that month off. I get resentful when I feel like everyone else in the world is having fun except me, especially is the summer where N.E. summers are so short. So, I have marked off one weekend in June, July, and Aug. It will definitely affect my bottom line, but I need that time to connect with family and friends.
I also try to get outside and walk for 1 hour every day. Does wonders for the mind and body.

innovermyhead said:

I am curious about this as well. When you go bowling will you have guests or be empty that evening? We close off season so there is time to step away then obviously but during the season we never both leave the property. We will need to on April 30 for my kiddo's spring concert - not announced in time for me to block that day. I will let guests know we have to be away for a short time & make sure a cell phone # is available to guests. What is your procedure if you have to step away?
We have cottages and most of our guests are fairly independent but I will still worry about being gone. Would like a date night during the season so I'll have to read the advice and see if I can get my mind around it!.

Click to expand...

We will need to on April 30 for my kiddo's spring concert - not announced in time for me to block that day. I​ will let guests know we have to be away
A couple years ago I offered my stay-over guests their choice of I hop or the Ohio sausage guy for breakfast because I was going to my high school reunion (too late to block also). I picked the most expensive item on the menu, added juice & coffee and gave them a $30 GC to the sausage guy. THEN I got a please put me on your waiting list as I had blocked all the other rooms. Called to find out what he was coming in for so I could suggest an alternate. He was coming for his Mother's funeral and with oil & gas workers on a Holiday weekend, there WERE no other rooms anywhere near.
I got his info, told him where his room & bathroom was, that the door would be unlocked (told the in-house guests to be sure to LOCK their room door as there were other guests arriving), and to leave a note on the stairs as to breakfast time. I would see him in the morning. Restated it along with directions to the cemetery and to here from the cemetery. He ended up booking 2-nights.
I enjoyed my reunion - it was our all-school AND the 51-year for my class.

innovermyhead said:

I am curious about this as well. When you go bowling will you have guests or be empty that evening? We close off season so there is time to step away then obviously but during the season we never both leave the property. We will need to on April 30 for my kiddo's spring concert - not announced in time for me to block that day. I will let guests know we have to be away for a short time & make sure a cell phone # is available to guests. What is your procedure if you have to step away?
We have cottages and most of our guests are fairly independent but I will still worry about being gone. Would like a date night during the season so I'll have to read the advice and see if I can get my mind around it!.

Click to expand...

We closed the inn this week for a number of reasons. Bowling was only one. We also had all the carpets steam cleaned and had the plumber in for a few small repairs. And the cats are going to the vet today.
In general, we try to go out when there are no check ins scheduled. If there are, we either get someone to inn-sit for an hour or we leave a note.
If everyone is checked in, they are pretty much on their own. They have our cell number but rarely use it.

innovermyhead said:

I am curious about this as well. When you go bowling will you have guests or be empty that evening? We close off season so there is time to step away then obviously but during the season we never both leave the property. We will need to on April 30 for my kiddo's spring concert - not announced in time for me to block that day. I will let guests know we have to be away for a short time & make sure a cell phone # is available to guests. What is your procedure if you have to step away?
We have cottages and most of our guests are fairly independent but I will still worry about being gone. Would like a date night during the season so I'll have to read the advice and see if I can get my mind around it!.

Click to expand...

another alternative is do you have a friendly neighbour or chum who might like to sit in? find lots of people like to "play B&B owner"

If we step out, it's usually after the check in cut off time. I let the guests know when I check them in that we will be gone but leave my cell number in case of emergency. I tell them that they're 'innsitting for me'. We're usually back before they turn in and we let them know we're home. No problems so far.

In peak season we do nothing together outside the inn. But we both try to give each other space to get out on our own. I go to a writer's group once/week and once/month I go to a performance group. (Where we each 'perform' one of our written pieces.)
It's necessary for me to leave the house in the summer. In the winter I could curl up for months and not budge. But once we have guests I have to get away from them.

Country Girl said:

This year I vowed to close one weekend each month. Didn't happen in Jan. and Feb. but March is our slowest month so I had most of that month off. I get resentful when I feel like everyone else in the world is having fun except me, especially is the summer where N.E. summers are so short. So, I have marked off one weekend in June, July, and Aug. It will definitely affect my bottom line, but I need that time to connect with family and friends.
I also try to get outside and walk for 1 hour every day. Does wonders for the mind and body..

Click to expand...

Country Girl said:

This year I vowed to close one weekend each month. Didn't happen in Jan. and Feb. but March is our slowest month so I had most of that month off. I get resentful when I feel like everyone else in the world is having fun except me, especially is the summer where N.E. summers are so short. So, I have marked off one weekend in June, July, and Aug. It will definitely affect my bottom line, but I need that time to connect with family and friends.
I also try to get outside and walk for 1 hour every day. Does wonders for the mind and body.

Click to expand...

This is why we go away in April. So I don't feel like everyone else gets a break and I don't. We were always off season travelers so it works for us. I also block off 4-5 days at the end of August to catch my breath. We did not used to do this and I was ugly by Sept.
Yes, it's probably $5k-10k in income we lose by closing but right now we need the time. In a year or so, when we are closer to selling, we'll bite the bullet and stay open for 11 months.

Morticia said:

Country Girl said:

This year I vowed to close one weekend each month. Didn't happen in Jan. and Feb. but March is our slowest month so I had most of that month off. I get resentful when I feel like everyone else in the world is having fun except me, especially is the summer where N.E. summers are so short. So, I have marked off one weekend in June, July, and Aug. It will definitely affect my bottom line, but I need that time to connect with family and friends.
I also try to get outside and walk for 1 hour every day. Does wonders for the mind and body..

Click to expand...

Country Girl said:

This year I vowed to close one weekend each month. Didn't happen in Jan. and Feb. but March is our slowest month so I had most of that month off. I get resentful when I feel like everyone else in the world is having fun except me, especially is the summer where N.E. summers are so short. So, I have marked off one weekend in June, July, and Aug. It will definitely affect my bottom line, but I need that time to connect with family and friends.
I also try to get outside and walk for 1 hour every day. Does wonders for the mind and body.

Click to expand...

This is why we go away in April. So I don't feel like everyone else gets a break and I don't. We were always off season travelers so it works for us. I also block off 4-5 days at the end of August to catch my breath. We did not used to do this and I was ugly by Sept.
Yes, it's probably $5k-10k in income we lose by closing but right now we need the time. In a year or so, when we are closer to selling, we'll bite the bullet and stay open for 11 months.
.

Click to expand...

We have found that April is our busiest time for advance summer bookings.
Closing for a few days is the way to go.
Yesterday, I had to 'work from home' because I had an appointment. At lunchtime, DH and I went for a walk and found a public footpath we hadn't known about. Ended up taking an hour 'hike' over coastal boulders and seeing some very nice views. Gotta take time when you can.

OUT feels like such a treat, such an escape! With all guests checked in, I used to wander down the hill and sit in the general store, or on the dock, or in the ice cream/coffee shop. Or just walk around the harbor, sit in my own chairs. As often as possible! Cleared my head.
Being solo, I had to schedule time away for a whole day and night at least ... either using an innsitter or closing up shop. At first I was afraid to do this ... but experts on this forum told me it was absolutely necessary and it was. It helps so much! Helps your psyche, helps your head, helps your body.
You have to schedule it ... the person doing the full time innkeeping really needs to get out and away. If I didn't schedule it in, block off the rooms, real away time never happened.

TheBeachHouse said:

Morticia said:

Country Girl said:

This year I vowed to close one weekend each month. Didn't happen in Jan. and Feb. but March is our slowest month so I had most of that month off. I get resentful when I feel like everyone else in the world is having fun except me, especially is the summer where N.E. summers are so short. So, I have marked off one weekend in June, July, and Aug. It will definitely affect my bottom line, but I need that time to connect with family and friends.
I also try to get outside and walk for 1 hour every day. Does wonders for the mind and body..

Click to expand...

Country Girl said:

This year I vowed to close one weekend each month. Didn't happen in Jan. and Feb. but March is our slowest month so I had most of that month off. I get resentful when I feel like everyone else in the world is having fun except me, especially is the summer where N.E. summers are so short. So, I have marked off one weekend in June, July, and Aug. It will definitely affect my bottom line, but I need that time to connect with family and friends.
I also try to get outside and walk for 1 hour every day. Does wonders for the mind and body.

Click to expand...

This is why we go away in April. So I don't feel like everyone else gets a break and I don't. We were always off season travelers so it works for us. I also block off 4-5 days at the end of August to catch my breath. We did not used to do this and I was ugly by Sept.
Yes, it's probably $5k-10k in income we lose by closing but right now we need the time. In a year or so, when we are closer to selling, we'll bite the bullet and stay open for 11 months.
.

Click to expand...

We have found that April is our busiest time for advance summer bookings.
Closing for a few days is the way to go.
Yesterday, I had to 'work from home' because I had an appointment. At lunchtime, DH and I went for a walk and found a public footpath we hadn't known about. Ended up taking an hour 'hike' over coastal boulders and seeing some very nice views. Gotta take time when you can.
.

Click to expand...

TheBeachHouse said:

We have found that April is our busiest time for advance summer bookings.

Click to expand...

We went away for 2 weeks. When I checked email at the airport on the last leg home we had 9 reservations come in for this summer. We also got a whole house booking for next March for a weekend. 2 bookings for next year's graduation. Up until that point? Not a peep.