What makes a good gift for an innkeeper?

Bed & Breakfast / Short Term Rental Host Forum

Help Support Bed & Breakfast / Short Term Rental Host Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

jtreibick

New member
Joined
Apr 8, 2017
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
Non-innkeeper here.
My girlfriend is looking to get her parents (both innkeepers at a small seasonal B&B in Maine) something nice for their birthdays/mothers/fathers day -- a combined gift of sorts. They both work very hard during 'the season' and don't seem to find much time away from the inn. Something like a restaurant gift certificate, although well meaning, is difficult for them to use since one of them almost always has to remain at the inn. By the day's end, they are often worn out from the day's work and don't eat as well as they should. We had considered something like blue apron as a way to make meal planning and eating easier for them, but we aren't sure this is a good fit.
Which brings me to our question. What makes a useful and thoughtful gift for the hard-working innkeeper?
Cheers,
 
I have 2 coffee roasters - so when I visit innkeepers, I usually bring a roast or 2 of coffees. IF they are coffee drinkers, perhaps a coffee roaster (If interested I can give you a link to the best price) and an assortment of green coffee beans from different countries. It also works for me when hit up for donations - instead of a room, I give roasts of coffees.
 
We've subscribed to Blue Apron and other similar services for about 3 years now. It's wonderful for us because it's fresh items and we don't have to worry about what to make for ourselves a few times a week.
What a great gift would be for you and/or your girlfriend to be able to relieve them for a night or even a 1/2 day/night from check-in through dinner to allow them to have a 1/2 day where they didn't have to worry about their guests and could go out. It's amazing how just having some hours off in the busy season can make a big difference.
 
For me we have to shop for the B&B every day anyway - however we have a local place does home made frozen stuff pre packaged so you can have it in the freezer - for me loading them up with something similar - you could even make things yourself if inclined that way so they have pre prepped easy meals for when they are super tired.
 
Do you have any massage therapists who do out calls...or better yet send them to a local spa for some special treat.
 
If they are seasonal, what do they do when they're closed?
 
The restaurant gift certificate plus the promise that you will watch the inn that night. An afternoon and evening off is precious.
Muffin and breakfast cookbooks with pans or ingredients that go in them.
Serving ware - I love the platters I've been given for serving breakfast.
Search "I-need neck and shoulder massager". Brookstone sells them. It's an electronic massage. We have one and love it!!
Art? Music?
Is there a place in their home that is in need of an upgrade? Like the patio furniture or grill? We often put ourselves last so that the inn is in perfect condition, but our little area is old and tired.
 
We are all innkeepers, yet I bet we are all different, the odds of there being one universal gift we would all enjoy seems slim to me, but then it could be just me that is different. Speaking for me only, your girl friend is family, go visit, time spent with my daughter would be more valuable to me than any material gift or income from my paying guests.
Material things, well that can be a tall order as we are at the age where we probably have too much "stuff" already. Maxine is simple, a flower or some seeds for the garden, a wind chime, or garden trinket. Me, I don't know myself so it would sure be difficult to tell one of the kids unless they just won the lotto and we are speaking of foolish toys.
Bottom line, if our kids are happy and life is good for them, then we are happy.
 
If the gift is from a distance - I would always appreciate flowers. ❤️
 
We are all innkeepers, yet I bet we are all different, the odds of there being one universal gift we would all enjoy seems slim to me, but then it could be just me that is different. Speaking for me only, your girl friend is family, go visit, time spent with my daughter would be more valuable to me than any material gift or income from my paying guests.
Material things, well that can be a tall order as we are at the age where we probably have too much "stuff" already. Maxine is simple, a flower or some seeds for the garden, a wind chime, or garden trinket. Me, I don't know myself so it would sure be difficult to tell one of the kids unless they just won the lotto and we are speaking of foolish toys.
Bottom line, if our kids are happy and life is good for them, then we are happy..
JimBoone said:
We are all innkeepers, yet I bet we are all different, the odds of there being one universal gift we would all enjoy seems slim to me, but then it could be just me that is different. Speaking for me only, your girl friend is family, go visit, time spent with my daughter would be more valuable to me than any material gift or income from my paying guests.
Material things, well that can be a tall order as we are at the age where we probably have too much "stuff" already. Maxine is simple, a flower or some seeds for the garden, a wind chime, or garden trinket. Me, I don't know myself so it would sure be difficult to tell one of the kids unless they just won the lotto and we are speaking of foolish toys.
Bottom line, if our kids are happy and life is good for them, then we are happy.
I agree that TIME is the greatest gift - and while spending TIME with them, looking for little things (asking about big things) that can be done to help them. (One daughter planted flowers for me - and some are even still there (I did not know from weeds with some).)
2 of my girls were here the week before Himself died - it was the best gift they could have given him (and me) - to see the raw joy on his face as we sat around the table eating and talking. Nothing could ever replace that. And when they left, they did as I told them I had done for the 10 years prior to my Daddy dying, they said goodbye as if it would be the last time. And this time it was.
 
We are all innkeepers, yet I bet we are all different, the odds of there being one universal gift we would all enjoy seems slim to me, but then it could be just me that is different. Speaking for me only, your girl friend is family, go visit, time spent with my daughter would be more valuable to me than any material gift or income from my paying guests.
Material things, well that can be a tall order as we are at the age where we probably have too much "stuff" already. Maxine is simple, a flower or some seeds for the garden, a wind chime, or garden trinket. Me, I don't know myself so it would sure be difficult to tell one of the kids unless they just won the lotto and we are speaking of foolish toys.
Bottom line, if our kids are happy and life is good for them, then we are happy..
JimBoone said:
We are all innkeepers, yet I bet we are all different, the odds of there being one universal gift we would all enjoy seems slim to me, but then it could be just me that is different. Speaking for me only, your girl friend is family, go visit, time spent with my daughter would be more valuable to me than any material gift or income from my paying guests.
Material things, well that can be a tall order as we are at the age where we probably have too much "stuff" already. Maxine is simple, a flower or some seeds for the garden, a wind chime, or garden trinket. Me, I don't know myself so it would sure be difficult to tell one of the kids unless they just won the lotto and we are speaking of foolish toys.
Bottom line, if our kids are happy and life is good for them, then we are happy.
I agree that TIME is the greatest gift - and while spending TIME with them, looking for little things (asking about big things) that can be done to help them. (One daughter planted flowers for me - and some are even still there (I did not know from weeds with some).)
2 of my girls were here the week before Himself died - it was the best gift they could have given him (and me) - to see the raw joy on his face as we sat around the table eating and talking. Nothing could ever replace that. And when they left, they did as I told them I had done for the 10 years prior to my Daddy dying, they said goodbye as if it would be the last time. And this time it was.
.
gillumhouse said:
JimBoone said:
We are all innkeepers, yet I bet we are all different, the odds of there being one universal gift we would all enjoy seems slim to me, but then it could be just me that is different. Speaking for me only, your girl friend is family, go visit, time spent with my daughter would be more valuable to me than any material gift or income from my paying guests.
Material things, well that can be a tall order as we are at the age where we probably have too much "stuff" already. Maxine is simple, a flower or some seeds for the garden, a wind chime, or garden trinket. Me, I don't know myself so it would sure be difficult to tell one of the kids unless they just won the lotto and we are speaking of foolish toys.
Bottom line, if our kids are happy and life is good for them, then we are happy.
I agree that TIME is the greatest gift - and while spending TIME with them, looking for little things (asking about big things) that can be done to help them. (One daughter planted flowers for me - and some are even still there (I did not know from weeds with some).)
2 of my girls were here the week before Himself died - it was the best gift they could have given him (and me) - to see the raw joy on his face as we sat around the table eating and talking. Nothing could ever replace that. And when they left, they did as I told them I had done for the 10 years prior to my Daddy dying, they said goodbye as if it would be the last time. And this time it was.
And right before you hang up the phone or walk out the door, say "Goodbye! and "I love you!" as if this might be the last time they hear you talk.
 
Back
Top