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TheBeachHouse

TheBeachHouse

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We did some math yesterday and realized we make 90% of our revenue in 6 months of the year. Based on that figure, and our winter fatigue, we are looking at the possibility of closing the inn from November 1 - April 30. We would have to be open for Thanksgiving, because we have several regulars, but what do you think?
What do you do on the down time? We are looking at joining a gym, pool, or class. Maybe being in a play!! We even thought of moving into the inn for the winter!
Anyone else do a full on seasonal close? In the past, we've only closed for short vacations.
 
We close from Jan 1 until Valentine's day weekend. Then another 3 weeks around the end of March.
What we do:
  • Repairs
  • Upgrades
  • Relax
  • Go on short trips to get ideas for guests
  • 2 week vacation away from here
  • Work on marketing plans
  • Goof off
  • Go snowshoeing
  • Have friends visit
  • Go out for lunch
  • Gomez volunteers every morning at the food pantry
We have friends who rent a condo on the other coast. They spend 4 months relaxing and beachcombing. Much better than my list!
Seriously, other than this past weekend, this year we could have closed a month ago! We're hoping this year was a fluke.
 
You could just open on weekends, too. That's basically all the work we have from now until May.
 
Morticia said:
We close from Jan 1 until Valentine's day weekend. Then another 3 weeks around the end of March.
What we do:
  • Repairs
  • Upgrades
  • Relax
  • Go on short trips to get ideas for guests
  • 2 week vacation away from here
  • Work on marketing plans
  • Goof off
  • Go snowshoeing
  • Have friends visit
  • Go out for lunch
  • Gomez volunteers every morning at the food pantry
We have friends who rent a condo on the other coast. They spend 4 months relaxing and beachcombing. Much better than my list!
Seriously, other than this past weekend, this year we could have closed a month ago! We're hoping this year was a fluke..
Click to expand...
We've had too many days with one room. It is cost prohibitive to do all that work for one room. I think we're on to something.
Yes, I wouldn't mind a couple months in a warm climate, but we do have to watch our budget, so maybe a 4 day at a golf resort in Florida.
I like the short trips to other B&B's idea.
January, we are having two bathrooms gutted and rebuilt. So we are already closed for January and until Valentine's day.
 
We close mid-October until mid-May.
Of course the water supply to the cottages is all above ground, and the cottages themselves are generally not winterized, so we have to drain all the pipes before freezing temperatures hit.
 
We were open year round for 26 years. Like you, we made most of our $ in a few summer months. This year we closed the house after Labor Day and the cottage at the end of November. What a relief! No more shoveling snow for guest access. And we can plan a winter getaway! We have even turned away regulars who want the cottage in February...it costs us almost as much to heat the place as we get for a couple of nights.
If you are not staying open for cash flow, by all means close!
 
TheBeachHouse said:
but what do you think?
Click to expand...
I'd say it all depends on your math and what you would do during the time that you are closed.
Revenue doesn't always equal profit, how much will it reduce your profit? Are there expenses that will continue, costs that 10% is presently paying that will reduce your final profit by more than 10%?
If you moved into the inn for the winter would it save you housing expenses and allow you to accept a few inn reservations if it suited you to do so and would those few reservations off set some expenses.
I expect many here are busier/work harder than we do so I don't really walk in your shoes. If weather is cold we have a winter season as well as a warm season, but for a number of years we took off most of November and April between seasons, kids are here to help now and we thought we would be taking more time off, but so far it has been less as we have lost some of the folks we too off to visit.
 
Start taking deposits. Even if it's $100 at a time. (It can be remarkably stressful to see the old bank balance take a precipitous dip as we head toward May. Taking the deposits keeps me happy.) It keeps money coming in all winter. Open for holiday weekends if your stats show you'll be mostly full.
We could open for Valentine's day and close again after that for another month. We don't, but we could.
We don't heat the house above 50 in the winter. Lights are off. We unplug everything that's a ghost draw - TV's, clocks, guest fridge, coffee maker, guest computer.
Another thing I spend a few days doing - making jam.
 
Silverspoon said:
We were open year round for 26 years. Like you, we made most of our $ in a few summer months. This year we closed the house after Labor Day and the cottage at the end of November. What a relief! No more shoveling snow for guest access. And we can plan a winter getaway! We have even turned away regulars who want the cottage in February...it costs us almost as much to heat the place as we get for a couple of nights.
If you are not staying open for cash flow, by all means close!.
Click to expand...
Silverspoon said:
We were open year round for 26 years. Like you, we made most of our $ in a few summer months. This year we closed the house after Labor Day and the cottage at the end of November. What a relief! No more shoveling snow for guest access. And we can plan a winter getaway! We have even turned away regulars who want the cottage in February...it costs us almost as much to heat the place as we get for a couple of nights.
If you are not staying open for cash flow, by all means close!
Click to expand...
The snow is a consideration. I stress over the front steps which are generally covered with ice. Hubby brushes off cars when it snows, but you still have to worry about guests walking on ice.
 
Morticia said:
Start taking deposits. Even if it's $100 at a time. (It can be remarkably stressful to see the old bank balance take a precipitous dip as we head toward May. Taking the deposits keeps me happy.) It keeps money coming in all winter. Open for holiday weekends if your stats show you'll be mostly full.
We could open for Valentine's day and close again after that for another month. We don't, but we could.
We don't heat the house above 50 in the winter. Lights are off. We unplug everything that's a ghost draw - TV's, clocks, guest fridge, coffee maker, guest computer.
Another thing I spend a few days doing - making jam..
Click to expand...
Great idea unplugging refrigerators and TVs. We talked again and are thinking we need to be open for Thanksgiving and New Years. We have regulars and generally full house for both.
I'll talk to him about deposits. Makes sense to keep the cash coming in.
 
JimBoone said:
TheBeachHouse said:
but what do you think?
Click to expand...
I'd say it all depends on your math and what you would do during the time that you are closed.
Revenue doesn't always equal profit, how much will it reduce your profit? Are there expenses that will continue, costs that 10% is presently paying that will reduce your final profit by more than 10%?
If you moved into the inn for the winter would it save you housing expenses and allow you to accept a few inn reservations if it suited you to do so and would those few reservations off set some expenses.
I expect many here are busier/work harder than we do so I don't really walk in your shoes. If weather is cold we have a winter season as well as a warm season, but for a number of years we took off most of November and April between seasons, kids are here to help now and we thought we would be taking more time off, but so far it has been less as we have lost some of the folks we too off to visit..
Click to expand...
Mathwise, it seems to make sense. We generally sell the cheapest room. Subtract 15% cuz it's ALWAYS through you know who. Then you have to heat the rooms, shop for food, run the gas fireplace, and the shower and keep the front lights on. No idea what that actually costs, but not enough for one room of people we will never see again.
 
TheBeachHouse said:
JimBoone said:
TheBeachHouse said:
but what do you think?
Click to expand...
I'd say it all depends on your math and what you would do during the time that you are closed.
Revenue doesn't always equal profit, how much will it reduce your profit? Are there expenses that will continue, costs that 10% is presently paying that will reduce your final profit by more than 10%?
If you moved into the inn for the winter would it save you housing expenses and allow you to accept a few inn reservations if it suited you to do so and would those few reservations off set some expenses.
I expect many here are busier/work harder than we do so I don't really walk in your shoes. If weather is cold we have a winter season as well as a warm season, but for a number of years we took off most of November and April between seasons, kids are here to help now and we thought we would be taking more time off, but so far it has been less as we have lost some of the folks we too off to visit..
Click to expand...
Mathwise, it seems to make sense. We generally sell the cheapest room. Subtract 15% cuz it's ALWAYS through you know who. Then you have to heat the rooms, shop for food, run the gas fireplace, and the shower and keep the front lights on. No idea what that actually costs, but not enough for one room of people we will never see again.
.
Click to expand...
TheBeachHouse said:
Mathwise, it seems to make sense. We generally sell the cheapest room. Subtract 15% cuz it's ALWAYS through you know who. Then you have to heat the rooms, shop for food, run the gas fireplace, and the shower and keep the front lights on. No idea what that actually costs, but not enough for one room of people we will never see again.
Click to expand...
If you decide to stay open, block the cheapest room from being booked until other rooms are taken. Seriously. We do that. And there was a gal on here awhile back who does a boat b&b and she did the same thing. Why put on the whole show for the least amount of money possible?
 
Ugh....sounds like everyone is saying business is dead during the winter months? I hope not. I was hoping that when I get my web site done and all the marketing in place that things would pick up.
 
MNVineyardBB said:
Ugh....sounds like everyone is saying business is dead during the winter months? I hope not. I was hoping that when I get my web site done and all the marketing in place that things would pick up..
Click to expand...
Depends where you are and what your clientele is. I'm not dead in the winter, just quieter.
 
MNVineyardBB said:
Ugh....sounds like everyone is saying business is dead during the winter months? I hope not. I was hoping that when I get my web site done and all the marketing in place that things would pick up..
Click to expand...
Depends on where you are. The coast north of Boston? Yeah. In fact, most restaurants and stores in this town close in the winter.
 
Morticia said:
TheBeachHouse said:
JimBoone said:
TheBeachHouse said:
but what do you think?
Click to expand...
I'd say it all depends on your math and what you would do during the time that you are closed.
Revenue doesn't always equal profit, how much will it reduce your profit? Are there expenses that will continue, costs that 10% is presently paying that will reduce your final profit by more than 10%?
If you moved into the inn for the winter would it save you housing expenses and allow you to accept a few inn reservations if it suited you to do so and would those few reservations off set some expenses.
I expect many here are busier/work harder than we do so I don't really walk in your shoes. If weather is cold we have a winter season as well as a warm season, but for a number of years we took off most of November and April between seasons, kids are here to help now and we thought we would be taking more time off, but so far it has been less as we have lost some of the folks we too off to visit..
Click to expand...
Mathwise, it seems to make sense. We generally sell the cheapest room. Subtract 15% cuz it's ALWAYS through you know who. Then you have to heat the rooms, shop for food, run the gas fireplace, and the shower and keep the front lights on. No idea what that actually costs, but not enough for one room of people we will never see again.
.
Click to expand...
TheBeachHouse said:
Mathwise, it seems to make sense. We generally sell the cheapest room. Subtract 15% cuz it's ALWAYS through you know who. Then you have to heat the rooms, shop for food, run the gas fireplace, and the shower and keep the front lights on. No idea what that actually costs, but not enough for one room of people we will never see again.
Click to expand...
If you decide to stay open, block the cheapest room from being booked until other rooms are taken. Seriously. We do that. And there was a gal on here awhile back who does a boat b&b and she did the same thing. Why put on the whole show for the least amount of money possible?
.
Click to expand...
We have talked about taking the cheap room off the booking books. Good advice.
We are doing two bathrooms this winter and raising the price for the cheap room to match the second cheapest room. The bathroom will still be down the hall, but it will be a really NICE bathroom!
 
MNVineyardBB said:
Ugh....sounds like everyone is saying business is dead during the winter months? I hope not. I was hoping that when I get my web site done and all the marketing in place that things would pick up..
Click to expand...
MNVineyardBB said:
Ugh....sounds like everyone is saying business is dead during the winter months? I hope not. I was hoping that when I get my web site done and all the marketing in place that things would pick up.
Click to expand...
Going strictly by your user name, I'm going to assume you have a b&b with a vineyard in Minnesota. So, what is there to do in the winter? Are you the destination? Will you have wine tastings in the winter?
Some of us are busy year round, either because the weather cooperates, we're in, or near big cities, we've promoted our properties as destinations, we're near colleges and hospitals, etc.
Some of us are in very seasonal locations and we take our downtime seriously. For some, their season is just ramping up, others are winding down.
 
TheBeachHouse said:
MNVineyardBB said:
Ugh....sounds like everyone is saying business is dead during the winter months? I hope not. I was hoping that when I get my web site done and all the marketing in place that things would pick up..
Click to expand...
Depends on where you are. The coast north of Boston? Yeah. In fact, most restaurants and stores in this town close in the winter.
.
Click to expand...
TheBeachHouse said:
Depends on where you are. The coast north of Boston? Yeah. In fact, most restaurants and stores in this town close in the winter.
Click to expand...
My town is open year round. Some places close mid week or for a couple of weeks. But, a lot of guests wait to check the weather, and we've had enough occasions where driving was not the smartest thing to do, that closing has saved us aggro.
There are towns, big tourist areas here, that are virtually ghost towns in the winter. Perfect time to visit as there are no crowds. But, you've got to be happy with eating at the same restaurant everyday. Or, having sandwiches from the gas station.
 
Morticia said:
MNVineyardBB said:
Ugh....sounds like everyone is saying business is dead during the winter months? I hope not. I was hoping that when I get my web site done and all the marketing in place that things would pick up..
Click to expand...
MNVineyardBB said:
Ugh....sounds like everyone is saying business is dead during the winter months? I hope not. I was hoping that when I get my web site done and all the marketing in place that things would pick up.
Click to expand...
Going strictly by your user name, I'm going to assume you have a b&b with a vineyard in Minnesota. So, what is there to do in the winter? Are you the destination? Will you have wine tastings in the winter?
Some of us are busy year round, either because the weather cooperates, we're in, or near big cities, we've promoted our properties as destinations, we're near colleges and hospitals, etc.
Some of us are in very seasonal locations and we take our downtime seriously. For some, their season is just ramping up, others are winding down.
.
Click to expand...
Yes we're in Minnesota. We have the super bowl this year, skiing, ice fishing, we're on a snowmobile trail system, we're 40 minutes from the Mall of America, then there are people traveling for business or to visit family, etc. I have to think that if we get listed on a travel service where we show up when people search for hotels that we would do well in the winter. There are no hotels in the immediate area so I think if people know about us that we should do okay.
 

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