Kids!!

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TheBeachHouse

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Spent two days transitioning from fall foliage decorations to Christmas winter wonderland. Then, as we are exhausted and just sipping our congratulatory wine, THEY arrive. An 8 year old and an 18 month old and - surprise! - he has just started walking!!! Yay!
I immediately went to the village set up and gathered all the people, animals and other small details and put them in my apartment. Who cares that it took me over an hour to place them just so!
They managed to mess with the hanging snowflakes and the gifts in the hanging stockings, but they are gone now.
I had to offer to watch the toddler so they could pack up. Well worth it. Plus, he was really cute when I was watching him. (I miss babies, and really like kids, but we had JUST finished decorating!!!! )
 
Do the kids bother other couples who are staying? We currently don't allow kids. We have just 2 rooms and we are catering to couples wanting a romantic get away or business travelers. But I suspect we lose business by not allowing kids. I'm wondering what others are doing as far as having kids at the B&B?
 
Do the kids bother other couples who are staying? We currently don't allow kids. We have just 2 rooms and we are catering to couples wanting a romantic get away or business travelers. But I suspect we lose business by not allowing kids. I'm wondering what others are doing as far as having kids at the B&B?.
MNVineyardBB said:
Do the kids bother other couples who are staying? We currently don't allow kids. We have just 2 rooms and we are catering to couples wanting a romantic get away or business travelers. But I suspect we lose business by not allowing kids. I'm wondering what others are doing as far as having kids at the B&B?
Sometimes. Our website says we are unsuitable for children under 12. But I've never been able to kick out a family who had a reservation.
The always bother me. We have a pond. Kids love ponds. They love to throw rocks in ponds.
We had one mother feed her kid raisins. Found several smashed into my brand new mahogany porch. Yikes! They cry. They are messy. They have stinky diapers.
We've not found a way to make sure we are entirely kid-free.
 
I welcome kids - rarely get them. Fine with me. The few times we have had a crying baby, they were the only ones in-house. BUT I only have 3 rooms and am off "the path".
 
Do the kids bother other couples who are staying? We currently don't allow kids. We have just 2 rooms and we are catering to couples wanting a romantic get away or business travelers. But I suspect we lose business by not allowing kids. I'm wondering what others are doing as far as having kids at the B&B?.
MNVineyardBB said:
Do the kids bother other couples who are staying? We currently don't allow kids. We have just 2 rooms and we are catering to couples wanting a romantic get away or business travelers. But I suspect we lose business by not allowing kids. I'm wondering what others are doing as far as having kids at the B&B?
With such a small venue, I would not allow kids, unless you went whole hog and made your place family friendly.
We cannot deny kids in this state. Therefore, we make certain it's on our website that kids may be present.
Because our guests are generally not here for a 'childless' weekend, other kids don't seem to bother them. We don't 'do' romantic getaways, so we're good with kids being around.
 
Do the kids bother other couples who are staying? We currently don't allow kids. We have just 2 rooms and we are catering to couples wanting a romantic get away or business travelers. But I suspect we lose business by not allowing kids. I'm wondering what others are doing as far as having kids at the B&B?.
MNVineyardBB said:
Do the kids bother other couples who are staying? We currently don't allow kids. We have just 2 rooms and we are catering to couples wanting a romantic get away or business travelers. But I suspect we lose business by not allowing kids. I'm wondering what others are doing as far as having kids at the B&B?
Sometimes. Our website says we are unsuitable for children under 12. But I've never been able to kick out a family who had a reservation.
The always bother me. We have a pond. Kids love ponds. They love to throw rocks in ponds.
We had one mother feed her kid raisins. Found several smashed into my brand new mahogany porch. Yikes! They cry. They are messy. They have stinky diapers.
We've not found a way to make sure we are entirely kid-free.
.
Either embrace it or reject it. All kids welcome or no kids welcome.
Look at your stats - would you lose serious money forbidding children? Would you easily make it up with a couple-friendly policy?
If it's no kids allowed, it's much easier to turn them away when their parents try to game you. Which is exactly what they're doing when they show up with unannounced kids. They know no one would DARE turn away a family. So they get away with it. It's a game.
We've had enough game players here to know exactly what they're thinking and how they operate. We turned away a couple who showed up with a 3 month old. Totally packed weekend. Cheap hotels were going for $325/night. I was so fed up with the attitude I showed them the door after trying to find a hotel room. They kept telling me no one else cared and our website said kids were welcome. Yeah, they are, in the family room. Not dead center in the middle of the house!
 
Do the kids bother other couples who are staying? We currently don't allow kids. We have just 2 rooms and we are catering to couples wanting a romantic get away or business travelers. But I suspect we lose business by not allowing kids. I'm wondering what others are doing as far as having kids at the B&B?.
MNVineyardBB said:
Do the kids bother other couples who are staying? We currently don't allow kids. We have just 2 rooms and we are catering to couples wanting a romantic get away or business travelers. But I suspect we lose business by not allowing kids. I'm wondering what others are doing as far as having kids at the B&B?
Sometimes. Our website says we are unsuitable for children under 12. But I've never been able to kick out a family who had a reservation.
The always bother me. We have a pond. Kids love ponds. They love to throw rocks in ponds.
We had one mother feed her kid raisins. Found several smashed into my brand new mahogany porch. Yikes! They cry. They are messy. They have stinky diapers.
We've not found a way to make sure we are entirely kid-free.
.
Either embrace it or reject it. All kids welcome or no kids welcome.
Look at your stats - would you lose serious money forbidding children? Would you easily make it up with a couple-friendly policy?
If it's no kids allowed, it's much easier to turn them away when their parents try to game you. Which is exactly what they're doing when they show up with unannounced kids. They know no one would DARE turn away a family. So they get away with it. It's a game.
We've had enough game players here to know exactly what they're thinking and how they operate. We turned away a couple who showed up with a 3 month old. Totally packed weekend. Cheap hotels were going for $325/night. I was so fed up with the attitude I showed them the door after trying to find a hotel room. They kept telling me no one else cared and our website said kids were welcome. Yeah, they are, in the family room. Not dead center in the middle of the house!
.
I hear you, but I can't imagine sending a family out into the night without a place to go.
I think what we really need to do is add info to the room descriptions. These people generally come through the search sites. Like, "Occupancy - 3. Children under 12 prohibited."
I so get stressed when they are here. And I hear you thinking, instead of complaining, do something! But, like I said, I'm a softy.
 
Do the kids bother other couples who are staying? We currently don't allow kids. We have just 2 rooms and we are catering to couples wanting a romantic get away or business travelers. But I suspect we lose business by not allowing kids. I'm wondering what others are doing as far as having kids at the B&B?.
MNVineyardBB said:
Do the kids bother other couples who are staying? We currently don't allow kids. We have just 2 rooms and we are catering to couples wanting a romantic get away or business travelers. But I suspect we lose business by not allowing kids. I'm wondering what others are doing as far as having kids at the B&B?
Sometimes. Our website says we are unsuitable for children under 12. But I've never been able to kick out a family who had a reservation.
The always bother me. We have a pond. Kids love ponds. They love to throw rocks in ponds.
We had one mother feed her kid raisins. Found several smashed into my brand new mahogany porch. Yikes! They cry. They are messy. They have stinky diapers.
We've not found a way to make sure we are entirely kid-free.
.
Either embrace it or reject it. All kids welcome or no kids welcome.
Look at your stats - would you lose serious money forbidding children? Would you easily make it up with a couple-friendly policy?
If it's no kids allowed, it's much easier to turn them away when their parents try to game you. Which is exactly what they're doing when they show up with unannounced kids. They know no one would DARE turn away a family. So they get away with it. It's a game.
We've had enough game players here to know exactly what they're thinking and how they operate. We turned away a couple who showed up with a 3 month old. Totally packed weekend. Cheap hotels were going for $325/night. I was so fed up with the attitude I showed them the door after trying to find a hotel room. They kept telling me no one else cared and our website said kids were welcome. Yeah, they are, in the family room. Not dead center in the middle of the house!
.
I hear you, but I can't imagine sending a family out into the night without a place to go.
I think what we really need to do is add info to the room descriptions. These people generally come through the search sites. Like, "Occupancy - 3. Children under 12 prohibited."
I so get stressed when they are here. And I hear you thinking, instead of complaining, do something! But, like I said, I'm a softy.
.
Why not put on the OTA sites that children are not allowed? If most of your traffic comes from there we know they are notorious for only reading the price and nothing about the rooms or the occupancy limits.
The one I sent packing quoted the site at me, 'you take kids!' And I quoted right back, '2 persons per room.' They completely did not understand that the 3 month old was a person. (BTW, booking also did not recognize the baby as a person. 'It's just a baby,' was all they kept saying as I told them I was not paying for another room for these people.)
So now, my booking listing says 'no children'. They can sort on that field.
 
Do the kids bother other couples who are staying? We currently don't allow kids. We have just 2 rooms and we are catering to couples wanting a romantic get away or business travelers. But I suspect we lose business by not allowing kids. I'm wondering what others are doing as far as having kids at the B&B?.
MNVineyardBB said:
Do the kids bother other couples who are staying? We currently don't allow kids. We have just 2 rooms and we are catering to couples wanting a romantic get away or business travelers. But I suspect we lose business by not allowing kids. I'm wondering what others are doing as far as having kids at the B&B?
Sometimes. Our website says we are unsuitable for children under 12. But I've never been able to kick out a family who had a reservation.
The always bother me. We have a pond. Kids love ponds. They love to throw rocks in ponds.
We had one mother feed her kid raisins. Found several smashed into my brand new mahogany porch. Yikes! They cry. They are messy. They have stinky diapers.
We've not found a way to make sure we are entirely kid-free.
.
Either embrace it or reject it. All kids welcome or no kids welcome.
Look at your stats - would you lose serious money forbidding children? Would you easily make it up with a couple-friendly policy?
If it's no kids allowed, it's much easier to turn them away when their parents try to game you. Which is exactly what they're doing when they show up with unannounced kids. They know no one would DARE turn away a family. So they get away with it. It's a game.
We've had enough game players here to know exactly what they're thinking and how they operate. We turned away a couple who showed up with a 3 month old. Totally packed weekend. Cheap hotels were going for $325/night. I was so fed up with the attitude I showed them the door after trying to find a hotel room. They kept telling me no one else cared and our website said kids were welcome. Yeah, they are, in the family room. Not dead center in the middle of the house!
.
I hear you, but I can't imagine sending a family out into the night without a place to go.
I think what we really need to do is add info to the room descriptions. These people generally come through the search sites. Like, "Occupancy - 3. Children under 12 prohibited."
I so get stressed when they are here. And I hear you thinking, instead of complaining, do something! But, like I said, I'm a softy.
.
TheBeachHouse said:
I hear you, but I can't imagine sending a family out into the night without a place to go.
Ok, so I used to feel that way until we had enough guests who laughed and said, 'we never mention the kid(s), no one cares'.
They work this deliberately. They've done it before, they'll continue to do so. Because it hasn't bitten them yet.
And, I just found out there is a max occupancy for my building. Obviously something new because the PO's had 2 more beds than we do.
 
Do the kids bother other couples who are staying? We currently don't allow kids. We have just 2 rooms and we are catering to couples wanting a romantic get away or business travelers. But I suspect we lose business by not allowing kids. I'm wondering what others are doing as far as having kids at the B&B?.
MNVineyardBB said:
Do the kids bother other couples who are staying? We currently don't allow kids. We have just 2 rooms and we are catering to couples wanting a romantic get away or business travelers. But I suspect we lose business by not allowing kids. I'm wondering what others are doing as far as having kids at the B&B?
Sometimes. Our website says we are unsuitable for children under 12. But I've never been able to kick out a family who had a reservation.
The always bother me. We have a pond. Kids love ponds. They love to throw rocks in ponds.
We had one mother feed her kid raisins. Found several smashed into my brand new mahogany porch. Yikes! They cry. They are messy. They have stinky diapers.
We've not found a way to make sure we are entirely kid-free.
.
Either embrace it or reject it. All kids welcome or no kids welcome.
Look at your stats - would you lose serious money forbidding children? Would you easily make it up with a couple-friendly policy?
If it's no kids allowed, it's much easier to turn them away when their parents try to game you. Which is exactly what they're doing when they show up with unannounced kids. They know no one would DARE turn away a family. So they get away with it. It's a game.
We've had enough game players here to know exactly what they're thinking and how they operate. We turned away a couple who showed up with a 3 month old. Totally packed weekend. Cheap hotels were going for $325/night. I was so fed up with the attitude I showed them the door after trying to find a hotel room. They kept telling me no one else cared and our website said kids were welcome. Yeah, they are, in the family room. Not dead center in the middle of the house!
.
I hear you, but I can't imagine sending a family out into the night without a place to go.
I think what we really need to do is add info to the room descriptions. These people generally come through the search sites. Like, "Occupancy - 3. Children under 12 prohibited."
I so get stressed when they are here. And I hear you thinking, instead of complaining, do something! But, like I said, I'm a softy.
.
Why don't you just add to the room name - Adults Only and end the game.
 
Do the kids bother other couples who are staying? We currently don't allow kids. We have just 2 rooms and we are catering to couples wanting a romantic get away or business travelers. But I suspect we lose business by not allowing kids. I'm wondering what others are doing as far as having kids at the B&B?.
MNVineyardBB said:
Do the kids bother other couples who are staying? We currently don't allow kids. We have just 2 rooms and we are catering to couples wanting a romantic get away or business travelers. But I suspect we lose business by not allowing kids. I'm wondering what others are doing as far as having kids at the B&B?
Sometimes. Our website says we are unsuitable for children under 12. But I've never been able to kick out a family who had a reservation.
The always bother me. We have a pond. Kids love ponds. They love to throw rocks in ponds.
We had one mother feed her kid raisins. Found several smashed into my brand new mahogany porch. Yikes! They cry. They are messy. They have stinky diapers.
We've not found a way to make sure we are entirely kid-free.
.
Either embrace it or reject it. All kids welcome or no kids welcome.
Look at your stats - would you lose serious money forbidding children? Would you easily make it up with a couple-friendly policy?
If it's no kids allowed, it's much easier to turn them away when their parents try to game you. Which is exactly what they're doing when they show up with unannounced kids. They know no one would DARE turn away a family. So they get away with it. It's a game.
We've had enough game players here to know exactly what they're thinking and how they operate. We turned away a couple who showed up with a 3 month old. Totally packed weekend. Cheap hotels were going for $325/night. I was so fed up with the attitude I showed them the door after trying to find a hotel room. They kept telling me no one else cared and our website said kids were welcome. Yeah, they are, in the family room. Not dead center in the middle of the house!
.
I hear you, but I can't imagine sending a family out into the night without a place to go.
I think what we really need to do is add info to the room descriptions. These people generally come through the search sites. Like, "Occupancy - 3. Children under 12 prohibited."
I so get stressed when they are here. And I hear you thinking, instead of complaining, do something! But, like I said, I'm a softy.
.
Why don't you just add to the room name - Adults Only and end the game.
.
Generic said:
Why don't you just add to the room name - Adults Only and end the game.
Better. More clear.
 
My reservation system has a pulldown menu to select the # of adults in the room. There's also an optional pulldown menu for # of children. I've disabled the # of children pulldown menu, but I did experience a glitch one time that somehow made this option visible. Fortunately, I had prepared for this sort of error.
In the back office part of my reservation system, there's the ability to add a fee for an additional guest. (Ex: we have one room that can fit 3, and it's $50 more for the 3rd guest). So for the # of children pulldown menu, I made the fee $1000. A person trying to place a reservation online said there's something wrong with our website because the total for their reservation was exorbitant. I knew right away what had happened, explained the glitch, and mentioned that it says in our policies and next to the box they have to check before submitting that we cannot accommodate children. (However, if someone books and agrees to pay $1000, they are more than welcome to bring their children!)
 
My reservation system has a pulldown menu to select the # of adults in the room. There's also an optional pulldown menu for # of children. I've disabled the # of children pulldown menu, but I did experience a glitch one time that somehow made this option visible. Fortunately, I had prepared for this sort of error.
In the back office part of my reservation system, there's the ability to add a fee for an additional guest. (Ex: we have one room that can fit 3, and it's $50 more for the 3rd guest). So for the # of children pulldown menu, I made the fee $1000. A person trying to place a reservation online said there's something wrong with our website because the total for their reservation was exorbitant. I knew right away what had happened, explained the glitch, and mentioned that it says in our policies and next to the box they have to check before submitting that we cannot accommodate children. (However, if someone books and agrees to pay $1000, they are more than welcome to bring their children!).
notAgrandma said:
So for the # of children pulldown menu, I made the fee $1000.
Funny how folks that don't read policies always notice the money.
 
Every time I read this topic title, I keep hearing Paul Lynde singing.
kids-song-lyrics-bye-bye-birdie.png
 
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