Something else I have stopped doing...asking guests when they expect to arrive. No one knows. They make something up just to give an answer. My 7 PM check-in? Showed up at noon.
We now state what time we do check-in. Tell the guests that if they will be later they must call as we only guarantee we will be here between 3-7 so we need them to call so we can tell them how to get in.
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Spare me the perky.
Today's guests called at 6:45 to say they wouldn't be arriving by 7 but if I could tell them about how far away they were? I told them 20 minutes. So they said they would go out for dinner first and then check-in.
I find that I have to treat cancellations with the same level of attention and care as reservations. We require the confirmation number before we will accept a cancellation. I then issue TO THE PERSON WHO MADE THE RESERVATION a cancellation confirmation that lists any charges, if any, and states categorically that their reservation has been cancelled.
I mostly do this because I'm seem to be living in one long continuous senior moment. 
It's like the comedian, Steven Wright said," You know that feeling you get when your leaning back in a chair and when you almost fall and catch yourself?.....I'm like that all the time."
I mostly do this because I'm seem to be living in one long continuous senior moment.
It's like the comedian, Steven Wright said," You know that feeling you get when your leaning back in a chair and when you almost fall and catch yourself?.....I'm like that all the time."
That long, continuous senior moment can be also summed up by:
"To stay healthy, everyday I walk five miles. Where the hell I am right now, I have no idea!"
I mostly do this because I'm seem to be living in one long continuous senior moment.
It's like the comedian, Steven Wright said," You know that feeling you get when your leaning back in a chair and when you almost fall and catch yourself?.....I'm like that all the time."
That long, continuous senior moment can be also summed up by:
"To stay healthy, everyday I walk five miles. Where the hell I am right now, I have no idea!"
The wedding adviser rang? to cancel? that is weird! I would have liked to know what is going on there. Also I would be wary of working with that planner again get some serious policies in place especially for a whole inn booking like that.
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Don't mess with me today or I will kill you!!!!
This actually happened Sat night. The house was fully reserved for a wedding party not a week ago, last week the wedding advisor called DH and cancelled all reservations (the owner has a 48 hour cancel policy..yea thats changing) anyway, we thankfully got rooms booked anyway throughout the week but did not book all the rooms and by Saturday we only had three check ins. Well they had gotten checked in before 6PM-which we where so glad were planing to go into town to hear a band and eat dinner at a new place that opened and we knew the owners...it was perfect!
Went to dinner-had a few drinks but where home by 10:30 by 11:00 there was a call-and someone on the front porch, we looked at eachother puzzled!?!? DH answered the door ( I was already in PJ's and not looking great) and apparently they where the photographers, luckily we had three rooms available-but he told them that the rooms where cancelled-they said THE GROOM AND BRIDE are behind us. The short of the story is that DH waited for them and thank goodness that we had rooms and the bride did pay for four rooms-and sat with the party talking and drinking champagne...plus our other guest was here for a class reunion and they all got along smashingly and sat on front porch having a blast.
Learned one lesson-call the person that made the reservation to make sure its canceled....it kind of made me mad to think that they did not call to tell us that they will be running late...
This almost sounds like someone got mad at the bride or groom and canceled their rooms out of spite. And who the heck brings the photogs along on their wedding night? You get some weird ones!
we had two chaps turned up to leave their bags about 1pm said they would be back about 6 to check in properly actually it as 2.30am I had rung them at 9pm to see where they were and tell them the late check in procedure so I wouldn't have to get up. However I was ill in the night so actually was up (if I hadn't been up I would have been furious) So they got to the back door and couldn't figure out the lock box (not helped by the fact they were pissed as a fart) Got there and they were stood on the step little little boys and said "we couldn't get in but we know the combination ###" I couldn't help but laugh so one prods the other "she's laughing we arn't in trouble" (they were about 50) packed them off to bed and went to sleep. They apologised profusely this morning.
Or, forbid it, they find a B&B on Bnb,com with the "as a crow flies" nearby B&B's listed...Not sure if this is still the case, but they had a town as nearby to a city which takes 50-60 minutes to drive it. People think it is right there and are shocked to realize is in an hour (that is my direct drive time, not lost and confused guests drive time btw)
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Kindness not only makes the coffee. Kindness says good morning.
Or, forbid it, they find a B&B on Bnb,com with the "as a crow flies" nearby B&B's listed...Not sure if this is still the case, but they had a town as nearby to a city which takes 50-60 minutes to drive it. People think it is right there and are shocked to realize is in an hour (that is my direct drive time, not lost and confused guests drive time btw)
Yes, the 'as the crow flies' distances gets them every time. That is a big problem that plagues several properties to the west of us with their location to the big city to the south east of them. By air they are about 20-25 miles, by road they are a good hour or more. I am 30 miles out and I do not show up unless they request a greater radius seach.
It does us all good though to take a trip ourselves to remind us of how it feels on the other side of this issue.
Our check in last night had no idea and they said looking at a map it showed 130 miles and it took them hours and hours. I don't quiz people to find out WHY it took so long, they were already flustered from driving. If you are in a different place, it always takes longer than you figure to go point a to point b.
Our check in last night had no idea and they said looking at a map it showed 130 miles and it took them hours and hours. I don't quiz people to find out WHY it took so long, they were already flustered from driving. If you are in a different place, it always takes longer than you figure to go point a to point b.
Because of it's size, distances in Texas are measured in hours and minutes and not by miles i.e., it's 5 hours to San Antonio and 2 hours to Dallas etc. So we have become accustomed to driving great distances to get from point A to point B.
We were in Vermont years ago and told the owner of the B&B where we were staying that we probably needed to leave a day early because we had to catch our flight out of Hartford the next afternoon. We reasoned that since we had to drive across several states that it would take most of the day. He laughed and told us we could make it in just under 3 hours.
We still laugh about this, but it was a good lesson in perspective.
In WV we also say hours or minutes instead of miles. Most of our roads are 2-lane twisty and hills. I am about 30 miles from the university but am 45 min door to door IF using the Interstate (the first 6 miles is between 15 to 20 minutes depending on whether you get behind a coal truck, logging truck, or a "blue-hair" (guarantee 30 minutes).
It now takes less than a minute to cross the New River Gorge. Before they built the new bridge we are told it took an hour - down a narrow 2-lane road to the bridge at the bottom and then back up the hill on the other side. Here if looking at a map and it looks like a shortcut you can just about guarantee it will take twice as long as the main route.
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Have guest coming next week from TX. He wanted directions from RI to here. I told him to be sure he only got off the interstate IN Maine, not in any other state with the same exit number. He says, 'How many states am I going to go thru?!' I told him he'd rack up 4 states in about 3 hours. We had a good laugh.
It's good info to know how other people measure driving/walking distances.
Our check in last night had no idea and they said looking at a map it showed 130 miles and it took them hours and hours.
BTDT - In my inn-guest days did not realize just how many miles I was going to be trying to cover in that day (before goo gle maps).
We have had guests arrive from the DC area wite-knuckled and glassy-eyed. Instead of taking the suggested routing, they look at a map and see US Rt 50 West and it looks like a straight shot good road. It is - in the daylight if you like curves and hills (more than a few KYA turns). At night! no way Jose!!!! Then on top of the road itself one gets the added attraction of dodging wildlife - you hope. What looks like a few hours of driving turns into a lot of hours driving!
US Rt 50 West
Been there done that one.... ONCE ONLY 
And it was in daylight. yeah...some shortcut...NOT!
Our check in last night had no idea and they said looking at a map it showed 130 miles and it took them hours and hours. I don't quiz people to find out WHY it took so long, they were already flustered from driving. If you are in a different place, it always takes longer than you figure to go point a to point b.
I have experienced this phenomenon myself. Frustrating, but without a time machine, there's no way to correct it. Recently, it took my DH 8 hours to drive us a >5 hour drive. At the end we were tired, mystified, and annoyed (because we trusted that STUPID GPS and we know better). I really would not have wanted to re-hash our poor choices.
H and I had a discussion abt 11:00 pm, while waiting for late arrivals. Wondering if we should charge them extra for check-in after 9:00 pm? Just throwing around ideas for controlling the insanity! We discussed charging $10.00 for after 9pm arrivals. Any thoughts? Would it encourage people to be on time?
(The late people are lovely, from the UK, and really did not realize the route they chose was quite mountainous, curvy, with numerous narrow bridges, and RVs. They also did not realize it is a holiday weekend here!)
my earliest was 8.30 and they came and had breakfast (for a fee) then went shopping. Really just wanted to park didn't come back till 4pm which was fine. They were really nice people so i didn't mind. Its the ones that act like early check in is a right not a privalidge. At the travel lodge you have to que outside till 2.30 if you arrive earlier tough!
Our confirmation says that cehck-in is normally after 4.30 because we are often out during the afternoons but if they want to check in earlier they should let us know and we will make sure we are here to greet them.
THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT ARRIVE 1pm, 2pm, 3pm, without notification. Had 1 or 2 really stroppy guests becuase they arrived at 1pm and there was no-one here.
Had that thing were people stay in the local town the night before too. They must have breakfast, check-out and drive straight here without stopping. When do they think we clean rooms!!!!!! 10.10am arrival is the record so far!!!
I've tried to word the confirmation so I don't come across as the cranky B&B owner, but I'm going to change it next year to be a bit more blunt.
"Asking check in time a month before their arrival is worthless"
This is so hilarious. I wonder the same thing when I travel, how will I know what will happen in 3 months time on that exact day? Just tell me the check in times and I will be there within those times.
Some people would say that their flight got in at such and such or that they would be 'in town' the night beofre so they would come 'right over' after they checked out of the other place. Huh? It must be OBVIOUS that if they had to stay somehwere else the night before that their room would NOT be ready at 11.
Which is why I state the check-in time, firmly. I don't ask anymore because I was always getting '1 PM' for an answer. Even after I said what time check-in was.
And me, I have made a 180. While my website states from 3-7, I do ask guests when they call or book online when they will be checking in. Then their confirmation will state the agreed check in time if provided. Asking check in time a month before their arrival is worthless. The confirmation also states the following:
Check in is between 3:00 - 7:00PM BY APPOINTMENT – Need late check in? Arrangements for this must be in advance. To be certain we are here to greet you on arrival, it is requested that you provide us with the approx. time of arrival no later than day before arrival. If your arrival time is altered due to bad weather or flight delays, etc., please let us know as soon as possible so arrangements can be made.
Arrivals have been more prompt since adding 'by appointment' a long with the 'to be certain we are here' really gets them. I get more calls now telling me they will be 30 minutes later or what ever. This is better than them telling me 3 and not showing until 9. Again, nothing is fool proof - I still get the ones that never give it another thought and arrive when ever they so desire, but my stats on this has really improved since this wording was added.
Oh wait, this is funny...
The guests today who stay at a lot of B&B's told me of this other B&B. They were all dramatic with their NY and PITTS accents when they said and I emphasize (read it with one of those accents to get the full impact):
"GET THIS! They did NOT EVEN know us, and left us a note with the key to get in!"
I nearly fell over.
These guests thought it was the neatest thing ever!
I totally LOVE that!
YES! Leave me a key with a note on how to get to my room and anything else I need to know. Don't 
at me because I arrived 10 minutes before the end of your check-in window after calling you twice and letting you know that I was delayed AND also don't give me a lengthy, non-necessary tour including the importance of taking my recyclables and putting them in your giant recycle bins. That innkeeper could have been back eating dinner within 5 minutes of my arrival. No, I was not assisted with my bags. And, no my room was not difficult to find. And, there was a set breakfast time. So, not a lot of bases to cover.
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"You can't blame gravity for falling in love." ~ Albert Einstein
I have to say that this is one of those things on the website that I take note of. It's not the check-in policy so much as the wording of the innkeepers' policies. Seems like if the policies are worded in a negative way, the innkeepers can be cranky. This isn't scientific, just my experience.
As with the innkeeper who I called from the road several hours before when my reservation had said I'd be there when I anticipated that I would be later than my planned arrival time due to a nail in my tire, but within the check-in time frame. And I called back when I was about 10 minutes out. I had also driven through a deluge of torrential rain to get there. This guy made a point to tell me that I interrupted their dinner and was extremely curt. After a hideous driving experience, it put a damper on the whole stay. There was only one other room there that night.
We wont cool down til tomorrow, 93 here right now. Might be in the 70's tomorrow!
I added the line to my policies...I hate adding stuff for ONE GUEST WHO CANNOT GET A GRIP...anyway, added the line that check in is on the day they reserved, or something like that. In other words, if you booked today, Friday Sept 3 you need to check in today, friday sept 3, not tomorrow...4am.
Ditto - except you're kinder.
OPEN check-in time is between 3 and 6 p.m. i will HAPPILY take other check in times whenever possible if given advance notice. Generally this works out really well - guests that need to arrive outside the "open" check-in time feel as if they are being given special treatment and having a specific, stated, "specially agreed on" check-in time USUALLY keeps the guest on track and gives us much more flexibility with the rest of our day .... and I can always say "NO" ... although that hasn't happened yet.
Like the 'open'. Altho 'personalized' got batted around a bit, too. And nailing down a time OUTSIDE that range is definitely required altho we find most guests have not a single clue how far they are unless their GPS is telling them.
I'm going to regret saying this - BUT - so far this summer has been superb when it comes to people checking in when they said they would. Yes - today's guests just checked in too early, but the room was ready and now I have no body to hang around for, so I get to put on the grotty stuff and iron in relative comfort. Much better than trying to stay presentable while ironing in an un-air-conditioned OQ.
Also - if guests give me a time that is on the later side, I will always tell them it may just be a welcome note on the door .... keeps expectations in check.
