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headleyinn

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Joined
May 18, 2016
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Hello, I am new on the site and we are brand new Inn Keepers. We purchased a historic building last September and have converted it to a B&B while retaining the original period decor. We have done a ton of research and practiced with friends and family. However, we have not hosted our first guest yet so no opportunity to make mistakes, fix mistakes, etc...The scary thing is, our very first weekend that we are open to guests, we are fully booked! We only have four rooms, but it is rather daunting to think about. Hopefully, our research pays off, but nothing replaces EXPERIENCE. Any advice on how to handle the full house on our first weekend??? Ready or not, here we go!
 
Smile and welcome the guests. Take a deep breath and relax. Just be yourselves and treat them like members of the family you are happy to see and just as happy to see them leave at the end of the stay. They are not going to be your news best friends - just with luck, returning guests. Good luck and welcome.
 
Welcome! Just smile and let them know this is your first weekend. They will be more understanding and make them feel special as your firsts!
 
Also in the letting them know that they are first guests ask for suggestions of anything that they would have differently etc - people love to feel their opinion is valued and sometimes you actually get something useful out of it - do be prepared for people coming out with the oddest things mind!
 
Welcome. You are in my home area. Just relax and treat folks the way you would like to be treated. Follow the guests' lead. Your place looks lovely but....
I will have to comment however on your website. It is not mobile responsive and appears like a do it yourself site. You should rethink your web presence as that is how folks will perceive you. People are using mobile more and more and yours won't cut it on that front. And... You must have on line reservations. Gone are the days of calling you for a room...yes you will get some..but people want to book when they want to book. Bite the bullet now..get yourself Reservation Key and don't look back.
Good luck.
 
Welcome and congratulations!
Don't be shy about telling people you are new at this. They will forgive a lot when they know.
Enjoy the experience! And come back and tell us how it went.
 
Our first guests came two days after closing on the property. Full house, 7 rooms. We didn't even know where the grocery store was!
The previous owners left us two recipes for casseroles.
We had to decorate the whole house for Christmas before guests arrived! We had no practice, no experience.
Everyone was very kind. When asked how long we had been doing this i looked at my watch and said, "twelve hours now!"
Be your gracious, caring self and all will go well.
99% of your guests will be lovely. The other 1% we want to hear about! ;-)
 
Our first guests came two days after closing on the property. Full house, 7 rooms. We didn't even know where the grocery store was!
The previous owners left us two recipes for casseroles.
We had to decorate the whole house for Christmas before guests arrived! We had no practice, no experience.
Everyone was very kind. When asked how long we had been doing this i looked at my watch and said, "twelve hours now!"
Be your gracious, caring self and all will go well.
99% of your guests will be lovely. The other 1% we want to hear about! ;-).
Morticia said:
99% of your guests will be lovely. The other 1% we want to hear about! ;-)
The real reason is Morticia wants to give you the PITA baton. which she has been stuck with or hogging for the last while.
wink_smile.gif

 
What everyone said above, but I'm going to add not to hover. Give them some space. New innkeepers are so anxious to please that you feel like you want to be seen all the time in case they need anything. Give them some privacy and let them know how they can contact you if they need anything.
Good luck!
 
My only advice: I didn't see kitchen photos so can't guess your setup. If you can stagger your breakfasts a bit, even by 15 min, you'll have time to have them seated on on their starters so you can cook their main, and get the mains out at slightly staggered times. You'll also have time for clearing and coffee top-ups - more 'in between' service for different tables if you have just a bit of breathing space built in. 4 tables is a lot to wait on and cook for at the same time!
Others just have a single seating so all served at once, if that is you - ignore the previous!
Your photos absolutely make me drool and want to stay there. You have the period flavor my spirit craves. I have a feeling you totally 'get it' and will have a great debut.
 
Our first guests came two days after closing on the property. Full house, 7 rooms. We didn't even know where the grocery store was!
The previous owners left us two recipes for casseroles.
We had to decorate the whole house for Christmas before guests arrived! We had no practice, no experience.
Everyone was very kind. When asked how long we had been doing this i looked at my watch and said, "twelve hours now!"
Be your gracious, caring self and all will go well.
99% of your guests will be lovely. The other 1% we want to hear about! ;-).
Morticia said:
99% of your guests will be lovely. The other 1% we want to hear about! ;-)
The real reason is Morticia wants to give you the PITA baton. which she has been stuck with or hogging for the last while.
wink_smile.gif

.
Duff2014 said:
Morticia said:
99% of your guests will be lovely. The other 1% we want to hear about! ;-)
The real reason is Morticia wants to give you the PITA baton. which she has been stuck with or hogging for the last while.
wink_smile.gif
No. I don't have it. Don't recall who does but we've had lovely guests lately.
 
Our first guests came two days after closing on the property. Full house, 7 rooms. We didn't even know where the grocery store was!
The previous owners left us two recipes for casseroles.
We had to decorate the whole house for Christmas before guests arrived! We had no practice, no experience.
Everyone was very kind. When asked how long we had been doing this i looked at my watch and said, "twelve hours now!"
Be your gracious, caring self and all will go well.
99% of your guests will be lovely. The other 1% we want to hear about! ;-).
Morticia said:
99% of your guests will be lovely. The other 1% we want to hear about! ;-)
The real reason is Morticia wants to give you the PITA baton. which she has been stuck with or hogging for the last while.
wink_smile.gif

.
Duff2014 said:
Morticia said:
99% of your guests will be lovely. The other 1% we want to hear about! ;-)
The real reason is Morticia wants to give you the PITA baton. which she has been stuck with or hogging for the last while.
wink_smile.gif
No. I don't have it. Don't recall who does but we've had lovely guests lately.
.
I gave Innkeep biz cards and told her not to give you any... you usually have the PITA baton and I don't want to take my chances :)
 
Our first guests came two days after closing on the property. Full house, 7 rooms. We didn't even know where the grocery store was!
The previous owners left us two recipes for casseroles.
We had to decorate the whole house for Christmas before guests arrived! We had no practice, no experience.
Everyone was very kind. When asked how long we had been doing this i looked at my watch and said, "twelve hours now!"
Be your gracious, caring self and all will go well.
99% of your guests will be lovely. The other 1% we want to hear about! ;-).
Morticia said:
99% of your guests will be lovely. The other 1% we want to hear about! ;-)
The real reason is Morticia wants to give you the PITA baton. which she has been stuck with or hogging for the last while.
wink_smile.gif

.
Duff2014 said:
Morticia said:
99% of your guests will be lovely. The other 1% we want to hear about! ;-)
The real reason is Morticia wants to give you the PITA baton. which she has been stuck with or hogging for the last while.
wink_smile.gif
No. I don't have it. Don't recall who does but we've had lovely guests lately.
.
Morticia said:
Duff2014 said:
Morticia said:
99% of your guests will be lovely. The other 1% we want to hear about! ;-)
The real reason is Morticia wants to give you the PITA baton. which she has been stuck with or hogging for the last while.
wink_smile.gif
No. I don't have it. Don't recall who does but we've had lovely guests lately.
Alright everyone, who has the PITA Baton?!? No, you don't have to send it to me!!!!!!!!
wink_smile.gif
If you aren't the proud owner of it, you can just private message me. I do remember now that Mort said she was packaging it up as she speaks a long time ago when someone was moaning over their guests…..
 
Our first guests came two days after closing on the property. Full house, 7 rooms. We didn't even know where the grocery store was!
The previous owners left us two recipes for casseroles.
We had to decorate the whole house for Christmas before guests arrived! We had no practice, no experience.
Everyone was very kind. When asked how long we had been doing this i looked at my watch and said, "twelve hours now!"
Be your gracious, caring self and all will go well.
99% of your guests will be lovely. The other 1% we want to hear about! ;-).
Morticia said:
99% of your guests will be lovely. The other 1% we want to hear about! ;-)
The real reason is Morticia wants to give you the PITA baton. which she has been stuck with or hogging for the last while.
wink_smile.gif

.
Duff2014 said:
Morticia said:
99% of your guests will be lovely. The other 1% we want to hear about! ;-)
The real reason is Morticia wants to give you the PITA baton. which she has been stuck with or hogging for the last while.
wink_smile.gif
No. I don't have it. Don't recall who does but we've had lovely guests lately.
.
I gave Innkeep biz cards and told her not to give you any... you usually have the PITA baton and I don't want to take my chances :)
.
Yes, we got some of them from Innkeep. She took some of ours along too. International Biz Cards Swap!
regular_smile.gif

 
Welcome Headley Inn ... oh you will have fun. My first guests walked in the door the day I was issued my license. Two overflow couples from the place across the road. And one of the women went to the hospital with food poisoning!! Happily, (well, not happily) she arrived ill from something she ate on the road so it wasn't my fault. But it was a real trial by fire. They knew I had just opened.
I have said here too many times I was stressing about making breakfast for four people when I had those first guests. And, yup, next day this woman ATE a hearty breakfast.
By the end of that first season, about three months, I was making and serving breakfast for up to 21 people without stressing. Not to say I wasn't tired!
At first everything is new, everything is figuring out the best way to do each thing ... and I felt like it was fake it 'til you make it. But then it became routine and soon i think you will feel much more comfortable and confident. I would just imagine that these were friends come to visit that I wanted to make really comfortable. And it worked.
Good Luck!
 
Our first guests came two days after closing on the property. Full house, 7 rooms. We didn't even know where the grocery store was!
The previous owners left us two recipes for casseroles.
We had to decorate the whole house for Christmas before guests arrived! We had no practice, no experience.
Everyone was very kind. When asked how long we had been doing this i looked at my watch and said, "twelve hours now!"
Be your gracious, caring self and all will go well.
99% of your guests will be lovely. The other 1% we want to hear about! ;-).
Morticia said:
99% of your guests will be lovely. The other 1% we want to hear about! ;-)
The real reason is Morticia wants to give you the PITA baton. which she has been stuck with or hogging for the last while.
wink_smile.gif

.
Duff2014 said:
Morticia said:
99% of your guests will be lovely. The other 1% we want to hear about! ;-)
The real reason is Morticia wants to give you the PITA baton. which she has been stuck with or hogging for the last while.
wink_smile.gif
No. I don't have it. Don't recall who does but we've had lovely guests lately.
.
I gave Innkeep biz cards and told her not to give you any... you usually have the PITA baton and I don't want to take my chances :)
.
Generic said:
I gave Innkeep biz cards and told her not to give you any... you usually have the PITA baton and I don't want to take my chances :)
Moi? I hope there are some biz cards left when she gets here! I'll give her some for the rest of the journey.
Too bad you didn't have that stuffed animal to send along on the journey!
 
Our first guests came two days after closing on the property. Full house, 7 rooms. We didn't even know where the grocery store was!
The previous owners left us two recipes for casseroles.
We had to decorate the whole house for Christmas before guests arrived! We had no practice, no experience.
Everyone was very kind. When asked how long we had been doing this i looked at my watch and said, "twelve hours now!"
Be your gracious, caring self and all will go well.
99% of your guests will be lovely. The other 1% we want to hear about! ;-).
Morticia said:
99% of your guests will be lovely. The other 1% we want to hear about! ;-)
The real reason is Morticia wants to give you the PITA baton. which she has been stuck with or hogging for the last while.
wink_smile.gif

.
Duff2014 said:
Morticia said:
99% of your guests will be lovely. The other 1% we want to hear about! ;-)
The real reason is Morticia wants to give you the PITA baton. which she has been stuck with or hogging for the last while.
wink_smile.gif
No. I don't have it. Don't recall who does but we've had lovely guests lately.
.
I gave Innkeep biz cards and told her not to give you any... you usually have the PITA baton and I don't want to take my chances :)
.
Generic said:
I gave Innkeep biz cards and told her not to give you any... you usually have the PITA baton and I don't want to take my chances :)
Moi? I hope there are some biz cards left when she gets here! I'll give her some for the rest of the journey.
Too bad you didn't have that stuffed animal to send along on the journey!
.
Morticia said:
Generic said:
I gave Innkeep biz cards and told her not to give you any... you usually have the PITA baton and I don't want to take my chances :)
Moi? I hope there are some biz cards left when she gets here! I'll give her some for the rest of the journey.
Too bad you didn't have that stuffed animal to send along on the journey!
The stuffed animal is along for the ride. I met it. Look at diary to see photos.
 
Thanks for the encouragement and advice. As for the kitchen, we feel pretty comfortable with it. It is fairly large with a lot of counter space including a 5 foot serving counter. It also has 2 concert cation ovens with one large cook top. The web site is a work in progress and I just started researching online booking this week. Any suggestions to add to reservation key? I have started reading the thread on this forum regarding online booking in hope of finding the right fit for a B&B. I will post any interesting events from our opening weekend.
 
Thanks for the encouragement and advice. As for the kitchen, we feel pretty comfortable with it. It is fairly large with a lot of counter space including a 5 foot serving counter. It also has 2 concert cation ovens with one large cook top. The web site is a work in progress and I just started researching online booking this week. Any suggestions to add to reservation key? I have started reading the thread on this forum regarding online booking in hope of finding the right fit for a B&B. I will post any interesting events from our opening weekend..
Your serving counter is bigger than my kitchen! You'll be fine.
 
Our first guests came two days after closing on the property. Full house, 7 rooms. We didn't even know where the grocery store was!
The previous owners left us two recipes for casseroles.
We had to decorate the whole house for Christmas before guests arrived! We had no practice, no experience.
Everyone was very kind. When asked how long we had been doing this i looked at my watch and said, "twelve hours now!"
Be your gracious, caring self and all will go well.
99% of your guests will be lovely. The other 1% we want to hear about! ;-).
Morticia said:
99% of your guests will be lovely. The other 1% we want to hear about! ;-)
The real reason is Morticia wants to give you the PITA baton. which she has been stuck with or hogging for the last while.
wink_smile.gif

.
Duff2014 said:
Morticia said:
99% of your guests will be lovely. The other 1% we want to hear about! ;-)
The real reason is Morticia wants to give you the PITA baton. which she has been stuck with or hogging for the last while.
wink_smile.gif
No. I don't have it. Don't recall who does but we've had lovely guests lately.
.
I gave Innkeep biz cards and told her not to give you any... you usually have the PITA baton and I don't want to take my chances :)
.
Generic said:
I gave Innkeep biz cards and told her not to give you any... you usually have the PITA baton and I don't want to take my chances :)
Moi? I hope there are some biz cards left when she gets here! I'll give her some for the rest of the journey.
Too bad you didn't have that stuffed animal to send along on the journey!
.
I'm growing rather fond of Marcello. Brings to mind the last verse of Puff the Magic Dragon
 
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