More than a place to stay

[JBloggs]

Grab a coffee...I am wordy on this one!
For innkeepers the day-in and day-out becomes drudgery at times. When we have someone who doesn't fit inside our guest box, we get a little perturbed. We have a system, and when someone rocks the system, we lose patience.
Having said that, we often forget why we opened our inn in the first place, it really wasn't about cooking and cleaning and taking reservations, and sharing our town/location with people. We wanted to be more than a place to stay.
I was invited to go to a show put on by our guest last night. The wind chill was freezing, it was not a pleasant night to go out, and it has been a difficult week. And then I thought about what I wrote above. Stay in because it is inconvenient, or go to this performance and have something to add to the kitty to remember from our stint as innkeepers?
So even though we had other things to do, one kid had homework stacked to the ceiling, we went. Even though it wasn't all of our cup of tea, it was very very nice. When the other two performers arrived after the show here, the three of them were playing music til all hours, and I fell asleep listening to it. (We made the right decision I thought).
The guests were booked in at the stinky chain hotel, and I ended up getting them here after matching the $80 rate. Yeah, Eighty bucks! But that was what those who hired them were paying for their accommodation over there. Meanwhile due to the cold, it took an army to bring all their instruments into the house.
They had to leave early so I was unable to impress a beautiful breakfast upon them this morning. But one will be back later today. So all in all, I need to remember this, even though most of the time people use us as a hotel room, there are those times when we are more than a place to stay.

 

[Madeleine]

Absolutely!
For all of the folks who are 'just passing thru' and look at it as 'just a place to stay' there are the many who cherish the time and the attention and what they got 'extra' with their accommodations.

 

[gillumhouse]

I cherish the memories of certain guests - many who were here free! The family of gospel singers with 9 kids who were brought over when they were asked to stay over for a Gospel Sing fundraiser - they sang for us before they left AND gave me one of their CDs. Phil Sta cy and his family who came after performing for our town festival and sat around the table with family, band, manager, and the manager's family one of whom is a Coun cilman. The lady who told us about post po lio synd rome so we could tell a guest she had it (yes, she found out she did have it). The couple who stayed here one night each way of their vacation who said as he got out of the car on the return, "It feels so good to be home again." So many over the years. I have found that many of my guests have something to impart to me and with many they are "sent" to US for something we have to impart to them. It definitely IS more than just a place to stay (those for whom that is the case are the ones we forget).

 

[Samster]

Yes, more than a place to stay...that is key!
Just got off a frustrating phone call to book a room for an upcoming wedding in May. After getting transferred TWICE, I got to someone who knew about the wedding rate. Online they are showing a rate for this particular type of room but I had to call the rez system (which for these large chains is often not local) as the bride had a block rate. This type of room is not included, but they have plenty of availability for them. We also wanted to go a day early to explore this city and then after the wedding we head to the rest of our planned vacation. I'm a member of the rewards club for this chain.
End of story...I didn't book it by phone. I will do it online since there was no benefit to book by phone and I need to be sure of a couple of details because the online best rate is non-refundable if cancelled.
Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh!
So all that to say, that more than a place to stay can begin with the booking process...

 

[Madeleine]

Yes, more than a place to stay...that is key!
Just got off a frustrating phone call to book a room for an upcoming wedding in May. After getting transferred TWICE, I got to someone who knew about the wedding rate. Online they are showing a rate for this particular type of room but I had to call the rez system (which for these large chains is often not local) as the bride had a block rate. This type of room is not included, but they have plenty of availability for them. We also wanted to go a day early to explore this city and then after the wedding we head to the rest of our planned vacation. I'm a member of the rewards club for this chain.
End of story...I didn't book it by phone. I will do it online since there was no benefit to book by phone and I need to be sure of a couple of details because the online best rate is non-refundable if cancelled.
Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh!
So all that to say, that more than a place to stay can begin with the booking process....

So all that to say, that more than a place to stay can begin with the booking process...

Which for my last chain hotel stay took 20 minutes because no one believed I had found a rate for their place online for $89. So they had to transfer me several times before 'someone' 'somewhere' was able to give me that rate. Altho, she actually gave me a rate that added up to $89 with tax included rather than the $89 PLUS tax rate I had found. 20 minutes, in this case, saved me $11.