One right after the other this weekend

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Morticia

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Guests are here for a wedding. Actually, a lot of our rooms are here for weddings this weekend.
This one wedding starts at 4:30. It's at a private home about 15 minutes from here. Guests are looking for something to do in the morning. I give them a bunch of things, but they want to be back in time to shower and get dressed to be there by 3.
Yes, one and a half hours early for a wedding in a private home. My guests are not family so I can only imagine how the wedding couple are going to feel being invaded by wedding guests arriving while they are still trying to get dressed, take photos, arrange seating and food.
I could not dissuade her and they have gone now. She had no real reason why she wanted to be there so early. No plans to help out or anything.
 
Those are the kind of guests who also show up for check-in at noon...just because they felt like it!
 
Wedding guests are just a PITA. Here the wedding is usually 1 or 2pm, so they hang around the house until then. They're invariably back in the wee hours, drunk and noisy and the next morning they don't want to shift because they're hung over.
I've had one guest stagger, drunk, grab the shelf with all the teas/coffees/cups/saucers on for support and rip it off the wall. I've had two come back at 1.50am and have lost their key so woke everyone trying to get into their room, when I got up to see what all the noise was found him in my kitchen raiding the fridge.
And then there's the ones who don't want to pay for 2 nights, but still want to check in at 12 so they can shower and change before the wedding.
There's a castle down the road that sometimes does weddings and it costs a lot of money to get married there. Some of their guests have highly inflated opinions of their self importance.
 
I'm beginning to get a sense of this couple. At least half of it, anyway. I asked the male half what they were planning and suggested they might like a museum with boat cruises on the river. Yes, he liked the sound of that given they hadn't had a chance yet see anything with the wedding and all. (It sounds like they got themselves invited to it last minute as they had to buy clothes and shoes and a gift.)
Female half says they got invited to go to the houses of people they met at the wedding, so that's what they're doing today.
Then they are going off to another state to stay with another couple they met at the wedding.
See a pattern?
 
I'm beginning to get a sense of this couple. At least half of it, anyway. I asked the male half what they were planning and suggested they might like a museum with boat cruises on the river. Yes, he liked the sound of that given they hadn't had a chance yet see anything with the wedding and all. (It sounds like they got themselves invited to it last minute as they had to buy clothes and shoes and a gift.)
Female half says they got invited to go to the houses of people they met at the wedding, so that's what they're doing today.
Then they are going off to another state to stay with another couple they met at the wedding.
See a pattern?.
Morticia said:
Female half says they got invited to go to the houses of people they met at the wedding, so that's what they're doing today.
Then they are going off to another state to stay with another couple they met at the wedding.
See a pattern?
Maybe they had just met the B/G and they invited them to the wedding.

Are they the type you want to become family? (me thinks not)
 
Wedding guests are just a PITA. Here the wedding is usually 1 or 2pm, so they hang around the house until then. They're invariably back in the wee hours, drunk and noisy and the next morning they don't want to shift because they're hung over.
I've had one guest stagger, drunk, grab the shelf with all the teas/coffees/cups/saucers on for support and rip it off the wall. I've had two come back at 1.50am and have lost their key so woke everyone trying to get into their room, when I got up to see what all the noise was found him in my kitchen raiding the fridge.
And then there's the ones who don't want to pay for 2 nights, but still want to check in at 12 so they can shower and change before the wedding.
There's a castle down the road that sometimes does weddings and it costs a lot of money to get married there. Some of their guests have highly inflated opinions of their self importance..
Highlands John said:
And then there's the ones who don't want to pay for 2 nights, but still want to check in at 12 so they can shower and change before the wedding.
I had a guy call me who wanted to do this. I kept saying "No" & he kept arguing with me. His last words were, "Look, I'm trying to give you business here." My reply, "No, you're trying to take away business by getting a free half-day instead of booking 2 nights." He hung up. Even if the room stayed empty that weekend (I can't remember if it booked), I'd rather have no guests than one who argues with me on the phone.
 
Wedding guests are just a PITA. Here the wedding is usually 1 or 2pm, so they hang around the house until then. They're invariably back in the wee hours, drunk and noisy and the next morning they don't want to shift because they're hung over.
I've had one guest stagger, drunk, grab the shelf with all the teas/coffees/cups/saucers on for support and rip it off the wall. I've had two come back at 1.50am and have lost their key so woke everyone trying to get into their room, when I got up to see what all the noise was found him in my kitchen raiding the fridge.
And then there's the ones who don't want to pay for 2 nights, but still want to check in at 12 so they can shower and change before the wedding.
There's a castle down the road that sometimes does weddings and it costs a lot of money to get married there. Some of their guests have highly inflated opinions of their self importance..
Highlands John said:
And then there's the ones who don't want to pay for 2 nights, but still want to check in at 12 so they can shower and change before the wedding.
I had a guy call me who wanted to do this. I kept saying "No" & he kept arguing with me. His last words were, "Look, I'm trying to give you business here." My reply, "No, you're trying to take away business by getting a free half-day instead of booking 2 nights." He hung up. Even if the room stayed empty that weekend (I can't remember if it booked), I'd rather have no guests than one who argues with me on the phone.
.
notAgrandma said:
Even if the room stayed empty that weekend (I can't remember if it booked), I'd rather have no guests than one who argues with me on the phone.
Absolutely! There's more to all this than just the money.
 
Wedding guests are just a PITA. Here the wedding is usually 1 or 2pm, so they hang around the house until then. They're invariably back in the wee hours, drunk and noisy and the next morning they don't want to shift because they're hung over.
I've had one guest stagger, drunk, grab the shelf with all the teas/coffees/cups/saucers on for support and rip it off the wall. I've had two come back at 1.50am and have lost their key so woke everyone trying to get into their room, when I got up to see what all the noise was found him in my kitchen raiding the fridge.
And then there's the ones who don't want to pay for 2 nights, but still want to check in at 12 so they can shower and change before the wedding.
There's a castle down the road that sometimes does weddings and it costs a lot of money to get married there. Some of their guests have highly inflated opinions of their self importance..
Highlands John said:
And then there's the ones who don't want to pay for 2 nights, but still want to check in at 12 so they can shower and change before the wedding.
I had a guy call me who wanted to do this. I kept saying "No" & he kept arguing with me. His last words were, "Look, I'm trying to give you business here." My reply, "No, you're trying to take away business by getting a free half-day instead of booking 2 nights." He hung up. Even if the room stayed empty that weekend (I can't remember if it booked), I'd rather have no guests than one who argues with me on the phone.
.
Some people really don't get that they are more trouble than they're worth.
 
Wedding guests are just a PITA. Here the wedding is usually 1 or 2pm, so they hang around the house until then. They're invariably back in the wee hours, drunk and noisy and the next morning they don't want to shift because they're hung over.
I've had one guest stagger, drunk, grab the shelf with all the teas/coffees/cups/saucers on for support and rip it off the wall. I've had two come back at 1.50am and have lost their key so woke everyone trying to get into their room, when I got up to see what all the noise was found him in my kitchen raiding the fridge.
And then there's the ones who don't want to pay for 2 nights, but still want to check in at 12 so they can shower and change before the wedding.
There's a castle down the road that sometimes does weddings and it costs a lot of money to get married there. Some of their guests have highly inflated opinions of their self importance..
Highlands John said:
And then there's the ones who don't want to pay for 2 nights, but still want to check in at 12 so they can shower and change before the wedding.
I had a guy call me who wanted to do this. I kept saying "No" & he kept arguing with me. His last words were, "Look, I'm trying to give you business here." My reply, "No, you're trying to take away business by getting a free half-day instead of booking 2 nights." He hung up. Even if the room stayed empty that weekend (I can't remember if it booked), I'd rather have no guests than one who argues with me on the phone.
.
Some people really don't get that they are more trouble than they're worth.
.
Hence Mrs 9:30AM arrival who started off on the wrong foot by yelling at me and then wanted to hang around all damn day.... :)
 
Early arrivals are always a bane for us - both for weddings in the area, and weddings we host at our place.
We're very upfront that guests can't check in early. If they're instistant, and their room isnt occupied the night before, we offer them an early checkin for an additional $50 fee. It's fifty extra bucks in my pocket and I don't have them loitering around the house all day.
The big lift is that we require wedding parties to take every room -- for both days. We tell the brides and grooms up front in their contract: You're on the hook for 18 room/nights. If your guests all take the 9 rooms for both nights, great. But if you let one of your guests insist on a single night, or god forbid, come to the wedding and stay at an airbnb across the street, you're paying for the room.
Only once in five years have we had a bride that had to pay for unused rooms - ironically, this coming weekend.
And for those guests that argue with you over the phone. Count yourself lucky that most HM guests tend to self-regulate themselves. They let you know who they are way ahead of time so you can tell them "no room at the inn."
 
Wedding guests are just a PITA. Here the wedding is usually 1 or 2pm, so they hang around the house until then. They're invariably back in the wee hours, drunk and noisy and the next morning they don't want to shift because they're hung over.
I've had one guest stagger, drunk, grab the shelf with all the teas/coffees/cups/saucers on for support and rip it off the wall. I've had two come back at 1.50am and have lost their key so woke everyone trying to get into their room, when I got up to see what all the noise was found him in my kitchen raiding the fridge.
And then there's the ones who don't want to pay for 2 nights, but still want to check in at 12 so they can shower and change before the wedding.
There's a castle down the road that sometimes does weddings and it costs a lot of money to get married there. Some of their guests have highly inflated opinions of their self importance..
Highlands John said:
And then there's the ones who don't want to pay for 2 nights, but still want to check in at 12 so they can shower and change before the wedding.
I had a guy call me who wanted to do this. I kept saying "No" & he kept arguing with me. His last words were, "Look, I'm trying to give you business here." My reply, "No, you're trying to take away business by getting a free half-day instead of booking 2 nights." He hung up. Even if the room stayed empty that weekend (I can't remember if it booked), I'd rather have no guests than one who argues with me on the phone.
.
Some people really don't get that they are more trouble than they're worth.
.
Hence Mrs 9:30AM arrival who started off on the wrong foot by yelling at me and then wanted to hang around all damn day.... :)
.
And the people who booked in Feb. for 2 nights in August and then a couple of weeks before they were due to check in started arguing about the price. I think they were a bit taken aback when I emailed to say we wouldn't want a guest to feel they're being overcharged so we've cancelled the booking and refunded the deposit.
I don't know what kind of a barrel these people think they have you over.
 
Early arrivals are always a bane for us - both for weddings in the area, and weddings we host at our place.
We're very upfront that guests can't check in early. If they're instistant, and their room isnt occupied the night before, we offer them an early checkin for an additional $50 fee. It's fifty extra bucks in my pocket and I don't have them loitering around the house all day.
The big lift is that we require wedding parties to take every room -- for both days. We tell the brides and grooms up front in their contract: You're on the hook for 18 room/nights. If your guests all take the 9 rooms for both nights, great. But if you let one of your guests insist on a single night, or god forbid, come to the wedding and stay at an airbnb across the street, you're paying for the room.
Only once in five years have we had a bride that had to pay for unused rooms - ironically, this coming weekend.
And for those guests that argue with you over the phone. Count yourself lucky that most HM guests tend to self-regulate themselves. They let you know who they are way ahead of time so you can tell them "no room at the inn.".
I think I need a rule like that. I've had 4 wedding bookings this summer booked 9-12 months ahead, they have all booked all the rooms for the weekend and then as the date approached cancelled various rooms and/or nights. Every single one.
 
Wedding guests are just a PITA. Here the wedding is usually 1 or 2pm, so they hang around the house until then. They're invariably back in the wee hours, drunk and noisy and the next morning they don't want to shift because they're hung over.
I've had one guest stagger, drunk, grab the shelf with all the teas/coffees/cups/saucers on for support and rip it off the wall. I've had two come back at 1.50am and have lost their key so woke everyone trying to get into their room, when I got up to see what all the noise was found him in my kitchen raiding the fridge.
And then there's the ones who don't want to pay for 2 nights, but still want to check in at 12 so they can shower and change before the wedding.
There's a castle down the road that sometimes does weddings and it costs a lot of money to get married there. Some of their guests have highly inflated opinions of their self importance..
Highlands John said:
And then there's the ones who don't want to pay for 2 nights, but still want to check in at 12 so they can shower and change before the wedding.
I had a guy call me who wanted to do this. I kept saying "No" & he kept arguing with me. His last words were, "Look, I'm trying to give you business here." My reply, "No, you're trying to take away business by getting a free half-day instead of booking 2 nights." He hung up. Even if the room stayed empty that weekend (I can't remember if it booked), I'd rather have no guests than one who argues with me on the phone.
.
Some people really don't get that they are more trouble than they're worth.
.
Hence Mrs 9:30AM arrival who started off on the wrong foot by yelling at me and then wanted to hang around all damn day.... :)
.
And the people who booked in Feb. for 2 nights in August and then a couple of weeks before they were due to check in started arguing about the price. I think they were a bit taken aback when I emailed to say we wouldn't want a guest to feel they're being overcharged so we've cancelled the booking and refunded the deposit.
I don't know what kind of a barrel these people think they have you over.
.
Highlands John said:
I think they were a bit taken aback when I emailed to say we wouldn't want a guest to feel they're being overcharged so we've cancelled the booking and refunded the deposit.
I love it. Reminds me of a story someone told here a couple of years ago, where a potential guest kept trying to talk them down, asking for discount after discount. The innkeeper finally said, oh, I'm so sorry, I just realized the date you wanted is not available. And the caller said, I pushed it too far, didn't I.
As you say, some think they have us over a barrel, that any money is better than no money, so if they just press us, we'd take $10 for a room, rather than have the room sit empty.
 
Wedding guests are just a PITA. Here the wedding is usually 1 or 2pm, so they hang around the house until then. They're invariably back in the wee hours, drunk and noisy and the next morning they don't want to shift because they're hung over.
I've had one guest stagger, drunk, grab the shelf with all the teas/coffees/cups/saucers on for support and rip it off the wall. I've had two come back at 1.50am and have lost their key so woke everyone trying to get into their room, when I got up to see what all the noise was found him in my kitchen raiding the fridge.
And then there's the ones who don't want to pay for 2 nights, but still want to check in at 12 so they can shower and change before the wedding.
There's a castle down the road that sometimes does weddings and it costs a lot of money to get married there. Some of their guests have highly inflated opinions of their self importance..
Highlands John said:
And then there's the ones who don't want to pay for 2 nights, but still want to check in at 12 so they can shower and change before the wedding.
I had a guy call me who wanted to do this. I kept saying "No" & he kept arguing with me. His last words were, "Look, I'm trying to give you business here." My reply, "No, you're trying to take away business by getting a free half-day instead of booking 2 nights." He hung up. Even if the room stayed empty that weekend (I can't remember if it booked), I'd rather have no guests than one who argues with me on the phone.
.
Some people really don't get that they are more trouble than they're worth.
.
Hence Mrs 9:30AM arrival who started off on the wrong foot by yelling at me and then wanted to hang around all damn day.... :)
.
And the people who booked in Feb. for 2 nights in August and then a couple of weeks before they were due to check in started arguing about the price. I think they were a bit taken aback when I emailed to say we wouldn't want a guest to feel they're being overcharged so we've cancelled the booking and refunded the deposit.
I don't know what kind of a barrel these people think they have you over.
.
Highlands John said:
I think they were a bit taken aback when I emailed to say we wouldn't want a guest to feel they're being overcharged so we've cancelled the booking and refunded the deposit.
I love it. Reminds me of a story someone told here a couple of years ago, where a potential guest kept trying to talk them down, asking for discount after discount. The innkeeper finally said, oh, I'm so sorry, I just realized the date you wanted is not available. And the caller said, I pushed it too far, didn't I.
As you say, some think they have us over a barrel, that any money is better than no money, so if they just press us, we'd take $10 for a room, rather than have the room sit empty.
.
I remember that one too!
 
Wedding guests are just a PITA. Here the wedding is usually 1 or 2pm, so they hang around the house until then. They're invariably back in the wee hours, drunk and noisy and the next morning they don't want to shift because they're hung over.
I've had one guest stagger, drunk, grab the shelf with all the teas/coffees/cups/saucers on for support and rip it off the wall. I've had two come back at 1.50am and have lost their key so woke everyone trying to get into their room, when I got up to see what all the noise was found him in my kitchen raiding the fridge.
And then there's the ones who don't want to pay for 2 nights, but still want to check in at 12 so they can shower and change before the wedding.
There's a castle down the road that sometimes does weddings and it costs a lot of money to get married there. Some of their guests have highly inflated opinions of their self importance..
Highlands John said:
And then there's the ones who don't want to pay for 2 nights, but still want to check in at 12 so they can shower and change before the wedding.
I had a guy call me who wanted to do this. I kept saying "No" & he kept arguing with me. His last words were, "Look, I'm trying to give you business here." My reply, "No, you're trying to take away business by getting a free half-day instead of booking 2 nights." He hung up. Even if the room stayed empty that weekend (I can't remember if it booked), I'd rather have no guests than one who argues with me on the phone.
.
Some people really don't get that they are more trouble than they're worth.
.
Hence Mrs 9:30AM arrival who started off on the wrong foot by yelling at me and then wanted to hang around all damn day.... :)
.
And the people who booked in Feb. for 2 nights in August and then a couple of weeks before they were due to check in started arguing about the price. I think they were a bit taken aback when I emailed to say we wouldn't want a guest to feel they're being overcharged so we've cancelled the booking and refunded the deposit.
I don't know what kind of a barrel these people think they have you over.
.
Highlands John said:
I think they were a bit taken aback when I emailed to say we wouldn't want a guest to feel they're being overcharged so we've cancelled the booking and refunded the deposit.
I love it. Reminds me of a story someone told here a couple of years ago, where a potential guest kept trying to talk them down, asking for discount after discount. The innkeeper finally said, oh, I'm so sorry, I just realized the date you wanted is not available. And the caller said, I pushed it too far, didn't I.
As you say, some think they have us over a barrel, that any money is better than no money, so if they just press us, we'd take $10 for a room, rather than have the room sit empty.
.
Did it about 2 years ago. Guest kept on asking for a discount, told him we didn't do discounts. When he tried the "It's cheaper at the Hyatt" I ran down the price of the Hyatt with breakfast and parking and told him to have a nice stay at the Hyatt. He was livid, but he knew he wasn't staying here.
We also had one lady insist on what she wanted for breakfast. We simply told her that there was no way for us to do that, and she would be better off in a self catering apartment... cancelled her reservation and gave her the names of the self catering places. The SAME damn thing... everyday!
 
Wedding guests are just a PITA. Here the wedding is usually 1 or 2pm, so they hang around the house until then. They're invariably back in the wee hours, drunk and noisy and the next morning they don't want to shift because they're hung over.
I've had one guest stagger, drunk, grab the shelf with all the teas/coffees/cups/saucers on for support and rip it off the wall. I've had two come back at 1.50am and have lost their key so woke everyone trying to get into their room, when I got up to see what all the noise was found him in my kitchen raiding the fridge.
And then there's the ones who don't want to pay for 2 nights, but still want to check in at 12 so they can shower and change before the wedding.
There's a castle down the road that sometimes does weddings and it costs a lot of money to get married there. Some of their guests have highly inflated opinions of their self importance..
Highlands John said:
And then there's the ones who don't want to pay for 2 nights, but still want to check in at 12 so they can shower and change before the wedding.
I had a guy call me who wanted to do this. I kept saying "No" & he kept arguing with me. His last words were, "Look, I'm trying to give you business here." My reply, "No, you're trying to take away business by getting a free half-day instead of booking 2 nights." He hung up. Even if the room stayed empty that weekend (I can't remember if it booked), I'd rather have no guests than one who argues with me on the phone.
.
Some people really don't get that they are more trouble than they're worth.
.
Hence Mrs 9:30AM arrival who started off on the wrong foot by yelling at me and then wanted to hang around all damn day.... :)
.
And the people who booked in Feb. for 2 nights in August and then a couple of weeks before they were due to check in started arguing about the price. I think they were a bit taken aback when I emailed to say we wouldn't want a guest to feel they're being overcharged so we've cancelled the booking and refunded the deposit.
I don't know what kind of a barrel these people think they have you over.
.
Highlands John said:
I think they were a bit taken aback when I emailed to say we wouldn't want a guest to feel they're being overcharged so we've cancelled the booking and refunded the deposit.
I love it. Reminds me of a story someone told here a couple of years ago, where a potential guest kept trying to talk them down, asking for discount after discount. The innkeeper finally said, oh, I'm so sorry, I just realized the date you wanted is not available. And the caller said, I pushed it too far, didn't I.
As you say, some think they have us over a barrel, that any money is better than no money, so if they just press us, we'd take $10 for a room, rather than have the room sit empty.
.
Did it about 2 years ago. Guest kept on asking for a discount, told him we didn't do discounts. When he tried the "It's cheaper at the Hyatt" I ran down the price of the Hyatt with breakfast and parking and told him to have a nice stay at the Hyatt. He was livid, but he knew he wasn't staying here.
We also had one lady insist on what she wanted for breakfast. We simply told her that there was no way for us to do that, and she would be better off in a self catering apartment... cancelled her reservation and gave her the names of the self catering places. The SAME damn thing... everyday!
.
Once had a couple knock on the door wanting a room. Showed them the room that was available and when I told them the price he went "Huh.... we can get a room for £50 in Inverness" so I said "Why don't you go back to Inverness then and stop wasting my time". He didn't like that.
 
Early arrivals are always a bane for us - both for weddings in the area, and weddings we host at our place.
We're very upfront that guests can't check in early. If they're instistant, and their room isnt occupied the night before, we offer them an early checkin for an additional $50 fee. It's fifty extra bucks in my pocket and I don't have them loitering around the house all day.
The big lift is that we require wedding parties to take every room -- for both days. We tell the brides and grooms up front in their contract: You're on the hook for 18 room/nights. If your guests all take the 9 rooms for both nights, great. But if you let one of your guests insist on a single night, or god forbid, come to the wedding and stay at an airbnb across the street, you're paying for the room.
Only once in five years have we had a bride that had to pay for unused rooms - ironically, this coming weekend.
And for those guests that argue with you over the phone. Count yourself lucky that most HM guests tend to self-regulate themselves. They let you know who they are way ahead of time so you can tell them "no room at the inn.".
I think I need a rule like that. I've had 4 wedding bookings this summer booked 9-12 months ahead, they have all booked all the rooms for the weekend and then as the date approached cancelled various rooms and/or nights. Every single one.
.
I usually only take a $75 nonrefundable deposit (deducted from the total, of course). With large bookings - multiple rooms, a weeklong stay, &/or several months in advance - I require 50% nonrefundable deposit. Guests have to agree to this in writing, whether it's via an email reply or by signing a contract if they're local. Sounds like you may want to enact a similar policy for weddings.
 
Early arrivals are always a bane for us - both for weddings in the area, and weddings we host at our place.
We're very upfront that guests can't check in early. If they're instistant, and their room isnt occupied the night before, we offer them an early checkin for an additional $50 fee. It's fifty extra bucks in my pocket and I don't have them loitering around the house all day.
The big lift is that we require wedding parties to take every room -- for both days. We tell the brides and grooms up front in their contract: You're on the hook for 18 room/nights. If your guests all take the 9 rooms for both nights, great. But if you let one of your guests insist on a single night, or god forbid, come to the wedding and stay at an airbnb across the street, you're paying for the room.
Only once in five years have we had a bride that had to pay for unused rooms - ironically, this coming weekend.
And for those guests that argue with you over the phone. Count yourself lucky that most HM guests tend to self-regulate themselves. They let you know who they are way ahead of time so you can tell them "no room at the inn.".
I think I need a rule like that. I've had 4 wedding bookings this summer booked 9-12 months ahead, they have all booked all the rooms for the weekend and then as the date approached cancelled various rooms and/or nights. Every single one.
.
I usually only take a $75 nonrefundable deposit (deducted from the total, of course). With large bookings - multiple rooms, a weeklong stay, &/or several months in advance - I require 50% nonrefundable deposit. Guests have to agree to this in writing, whether it's via an email reply or by signing a contract if they're local. Sounds like you may want to enact a similar policy for weddings.
.
Agreed! Anyone calling us and wanting all (or multiple rooms) for the same event - whether a wedding, a funeral, girls weekend, golf weekend, whatever...We now send them a group booking agreement that requires 50% down, an additional cleaning fee, a small processing fee if they cancel prior to 30 days out, then the balance due 30 days from their arrival - with no refund within the last 30 days! People that are serious take them and keep their end of the deal. Plus they are usually nice/fun people to host! ...the cheapskates bawk at the rules and the pay set-up and vaporize before my eyes!
 
Wedding guests are just a PITA. Here the wedding is usually 1 or 2pm, so they hang around the house until then. They're invariably back in the wee hours, drunk and noisy and the next morning they don't want to shift because they're hung over.
I've had one guest stagger, drunk, grab the shelf with all the teas/coffees/cups/saucers on for support and rip it off the wall. I've had two come back at 1.50am and have lost their key so woke everyone trying to get into their room, when I got up to see what all the noise was found him in my kitchen raiding the fridge.
And then there's the ones who don't want to pay for 2 nights, but still want to check in at 12 so they can shower and change before the wedding.
There's a castle down the road that sometimes does weddings and it costs a lot of money to get married there. Some of their guests have highly inflated opinions of their self importance..
Highlands John said:
And then there's the ones who don't want to pay for 2 nights, but still want to check in at 12 so they can shower and change before the wedding.
I had a guy call me who wanted to do this. I kept saying "No" & he kept arguing with me. His last words were, "Look, I'm trying to give you business here." My reply, "No, you're trying to take away business by getting a free half-day instead of booking 2 nights." He hung up. Even if the room stayed empty that weekend (I can't remember if it booked), I'd rather have no guests than one who argues with me on the phone.
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Some people really don't get that they are more trouble than they're worth.
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Hence Mrs 9:30AM arrival who started off on the wrong foot by yelling at me and then wanted to hang around all damn day.... :)
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And the people who booked in Feb. for 2 nights in August and then a couple of weeks before they were due to check in started arguing about the price. I think they were a bit taken aback when I emailed to say we wouldn't want a guest to feel they're being overcharged so we've cancelled the booking and refunded the deposit.
I don't know what kind of a barrel these people think they have you over.
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Highlands John said:
I think they were a bit taken aback when I emailed to say we wouldn't want a guest to feel they're being overcharged so we've cancelled the booking and refunded the deposit.
I love it. Reminds me of a story someone told here a couple of years ago, where a potential guest kept trying to talk them down, asking for discount after discount. The innkeeper finally said, oh, I'm so sorry, I just realized the date you wanted is not available. And the caller said, I pushed it too far, didn't I.
As you say, some think they have us over a barrel, that any money is better than no money, so if they just press us, we'd take $10 for a room, rather than have the room sit empty.
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Did it about 2 years ago. Guest kept on asking for a discount, told him we didn't do discounts. When he tried the "It's cheaper at the Hyatt" I ran down the price of the Hyatt with breakfast and parking and told him to have a nice stay at the Hyatt. He was livid, but he knew he wasn't staying here.
We also had one lady insist on what she wanted for breakfast. We simply told her that there was no way for us to do that, and she would be better off in a self catering apartment... cancelled her reservation and gave her the names of the self catering places. The SAME damn thing... everyday!
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Once had a couple knock on the door wanting a room. Showed them the room that was available and when I told them the price he went "Huh.... we can get a room for £50 in Inverness" so I said "Why don't you go back to Inverness then and stop wasting my time". He didn't like that.
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One of the reasons that I don't like walk-ins. It takes a lot for me to agree to even tell you that I have a room.
If at any point they try to argue price, I simply say... "I'm sorry, but I don't discount. There are a few places up the street that are less expensive. Good luck." And I show them the door.... so that they realize in no uncertain terms that I won't discuss price and that's the end of it.... don't even bother coming back later.
You really get what you pay for, in this city. A 2 star isn't a 3 star. The place up the street that's cheaper is quite like a spartan upscale prison. Cheaper... but for a reason.
 
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