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riverbelle

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Opening a 12 bedroom Inn in the Northern California region and wanted to get some input on preferences when setting up everything!
What kind of locks do you use on your guest rooms?
What kind of flooring do you use in your guest rooms, the hallways, and bathrooms? And why?
Any benefits from using curtains vs blinds? Practicality vs looks?
What kind of shower doors do you use?
As for managing, what software seems to work best for you?
Any answers or preferences would be appreciated! Lots to consider and have been reading a variety of blogs and seminars about these but would love more input.
Thanks!
 
Hello.
Moving to all keypads, Zwave so remotely programmed.
Wood. Hate carpet, only carpet was here from before. Mats for feet when they get off the bed, easy to wash in washer. Tile in bathrooms for durability.
I use curtains. Lost too many blinds, people aren't accustomed to them everywhere.
Glass shower doors
ReservationKey with MyAllocator, like most here.
 
We are a mom & pop motel
Key locks on guest doors, think they were from Tell City Mfg. reasonable cost and have done well for a number of years.
Carpet in guest rooms, vinyl in baths. To me carpet is easier to maintain, quicker to vacuum than to mop wood floors, vinyl can be replaced more frequently than ceramic tile and not as cold on your feet.
Personal preference, we like curtains better than mini blinds, made curtains to fit.
We use shower curtains, always thought I wanted shower doors till I put up a few, to me makes it more difficult to clean the tub.
For booking/reservations used a printed book until starting to use Reservation Key this summer. Smaller than you, just 8 rooms as mom and pop have not used management software, in another job used Peachtree for accounting software also Access database
 
Curtains:
Fairly easy to make, for the kind you can wash, iron and re-hang. I find curtains way more practical. Its the cleaning of the blinds that I absolutely hate.
We also use National Hospitality for draw drapes. Used to use Penneys for years, but prices way up, quality way down.
Floors:
Wood in the inn, carpet and vinyl in the rentals. Wood can be repaired and maintain beauty. Commercial carpet lasts well and can be cleaned. Vinyl must periodically be replaced. Vinyl in all baths.
Keys:
Standard deadbolts and keys. Lockbox for the vacation rental if self check in required.
Online Reservations:
Reservation Key!
 
7 rooms inside and one 2 bedroom cottage.
Key locks. In guest rooms we have the original wood floors. Tile in the bathrooms. On the stairs and upstairs hallway there is carpet. We kept the carpet on the stairs and hallways to muffle noise and protect them from heavy luggages.
We have curtains with shades and sheers. The cottage has blinds and they collect dust like crazy and its a nightmare to wipe down. Unless it solid wood, the plastic ones can snap easy, and a broken piece and the blind has to be replaced.
 
I have tile in one bathroom and linoleum in the other (was not going to spend money to install a steel crossbeam in my bedroom to support the tile floor - linoleum works very nicely) and I just use a vinyl outside with a nylon inside shower curtain liner in both the 48 inch and the 60 inch showers. No problems with that set-up in the 10 years I have used it. The liners get thrown into the washer with each turnover and the vinyl curtain stays - does not get touched by guests, just the liner.
In the guest rooms I have drapes with rod pockets - I used cheap curtain rods (double rods for the sheers) and have hold backs (not tie backs) for when the curtains are open - just lift them from behind the hold backs to close. Those cheap rods have served for over 20 years now (I figured draw rods would get stuck/broken and did not want to deal with ham-handed guests - says this ham-handed person).
I use ReservationKey and Square (for credit cards). My front door id over 100 years old so I just use the lock in it - guestrooms and the shared bath in the hall have deadbolt locks with keys (I have the only keys to that bathroom so no one can "accidentally walk in if the lock is locked).
 
Vynal in the bathrooms - to be blunt a lot of people can't aim and carpet gets disgusting very quickly plus the damp atmosphere in there adds to that - also from a UK perspective its considered unclean generally
Showers only in all bathrooms so have glass doors - curtains in the UK again are considered unclean unless you make it clear the liner is changed between guests.
Thick carpet and underlay in hallways to muffle sound - heavy wool and bit of synthetic mix as was advised by our carpet cleaning man that this is the best to get any kind of stains out and will last best in the long term - will advise though you have to vac a lot when you first put it in as fluff is terrible.
We like MyukTravel for our diary and has a built in channel manager
Locks - anything that does not automatically lock behind them unless its a combination lock - you do not want to be up at 2am letting a guest back in that nipped out for a cig and the door shut behind them
 
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