"When I retire the one thing I will not miss is..."

[TheBeachHouse]

We talk about , "if we ever own the house."
If we ever own the house, I will be happy to have a bedroom that is not also a hallway between the kitchen and TV room.
(Yes, we considered switching the TV room and bedroom and it would help make the apartment more livable, but would involve too much construction for us to bother.).

I think a large part of our continuing to be happy in this business is having a large living quarters, I could only camp out in tiny quarters for a short period before becoming (more) grumpy from the lack of space.
Guess that would be my advice for anyone considering the business is to think long term about the living area of the property and choose a property where you will be happy with more than just the income.
.

Couldn't agree more. We looked at other properties and just could not imagine living in one or two rooms. One place had a bedroom in the winter, but the basement in the summer. Not for us. We need our life as well as our business.
We have one of the largest apartments I've seen in a B&B, but that is because we actually took two apartments. So we have two kitchens, two living rooms and two bedrooms. Quirky, but it works.
(The second kitchen is really just a refrigerator and sink. If we wanted to rent it as an apartment, it would need work.)

 

[JBloggs]

We talk about , "if we ever own the house."
If we ever own the house, I will be happy to have a bedroom that is not also a hallway between the kitchen and TV room.
(Yes, we considered switching the TV room and bedroom and it would help make the apartment more livable, but would involve too much construction for us to bother.).

I think a large part of our continuing to be happy in this business is having a large living quarters, I could only camp out in tiny quarters for a short period before becoming (more) grumpy from the lack of space.
Guess that would be my advice for anyone considering the business is to think long term about the living area of the property and choose a property where you will be happy with more than just the income.
.

I think a large part of our continuing to be happy in this business is having a large living quarters, I could only camp out in tiny quarters for a short period before becoming (more) grumpy from the lack of space.
Guess that would be my advice for anyone considering the business is to think long term about the living area of the property and choose a property where you will be happy with more than just the income.

Absolutamente
You have to live there, and as others stated, a lot. You are at the inn everyday all day, so make sure your innkeeper quarters are up to snuff. I know a B&B for sale that has two bedroom two bath plus more. Aspiring innkeepers think they can "make do" with just a room and an office.
That will fill up with business stuff and you will be buried before you know it, remember the guest side has to always stay clean and uncluttered.

 

[Morticia]

We talk about , "if we ever own the house."
If we ever own the house, I will be happy to have a bedroom that is not also a hallway between the kitchen and TV room.
(Yes, we considered switching the TV room and bedroom and it would help make the apartment more livable, but would involve too much construction for us to bother.).

My bedroom is the hallway between the inn and the rest of my apt. It's also the office. There will be no computers, printers, routers in my new bedroom.

 

[Morticia]

We talk about , "if we ever own the house."
If we ever own the house, I will be happy to have a bedroom that is not also a hallway between the kitchen and TV room.
(Yes, we considered switching the TV room and bedroom and it would help make the apartment more livable, but would involve too much construction for us to bother.).

I think a large part of our continuing to be happy in this business is having a large living quarters, I could only camp out in tiny quarters for a short period before becoming (more) grumpy from the lack of space.
Guess that would be my advice for anyone considering the business is to think long term about the living area of the property and choose a property where you will be happy with more than just the income.
.

Couldn't agree more. We looked at other properties and just could not imagine living in one or two rooms. One place had a bedroom in the winter, but the basement in the summer. Not for us. We need our life as well as our business.
We have one of the largest apartments I've seen in a B&B, but that is because we actually took two apartments. So we have two kitchens, two living rooms and two bedrooms. Quirky, but it works.
(The second kitchen is really just a refrigerator and sink. If we wanted to rent it as an apartment, it would need work.)
.

We have the smallest owners quarters in town - 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, kitchen, living room, dining room and the office/bedroom/hallway.
Yes, that's the smallest OQ's in town.

 

[TheBeachHouse]

We talk about , "if we ever own the house."
If we ever own the house, I will be happy to have a bedroom that is not also a hallway between the kitchen and TV room.
(Yes, we considered switching the TV room and bedroom and it would help make the apartment more livable, but would involve too much construction for us to bother.).

I think a large part of our continuing to be happy in this business is having a large living quarters, I could only camp out in tiny quarters for a short period before becoming (more) grumpy from the lack of space.
Guess that would be my advice for anyone considering the business is to think long term about the living area of the property and choose a property where you will be happy with more than just the income.
.

Couldn't agree more. We looked at other properties and just could not imagine living in one or two rooms. One place had a bedroom in the winter, but the basement in the summer. Not for us. We need our life as well as our business.
We have one of the largest apartments I've seen in a B&B, but that is because we actually took two apartments. So we have two kitchens, two living rooms and two bedrooms. Quirky, but it works.
(The second kitchen is really just a refrigerator and sink. If we wanted to rent it as an apartment, it would need work.)
.

We have the smallest owners quarters in town - 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, kitchen, living room, dining room and the office/bedroom/hallway.
Yes, that's the smallest OQ's in town.
.

Wow. That is pretty good. I miss my dining room from my old house!
Actually, I visit my dining room often. It is in the inn, set up almost exactly as it was in my previous house. "When we own the house," I'll be able to have dinner parties again!

 

[JimBoone]

We talk about , "if we ever own the house."
If we ever own the house, I will be happy to have a bedroom that is not also a hallway between the kitchen and TV room.
(Yes, we considered switching the TV room and bedroom and it would help make the apartment more livable, but would involve too much construction for us to bother.).

I think a large part of our continuing to be happy in this business is having a large living quarters, I could only camp out in tiny quarters for a short period before becoming (more) grumpy from the lack of space.
Guess that would be my advice for anyone considering the business is to think long term about the living area of the property and choose a property where you will be happy with more than just the income.
.

I think a large part of our continuing to be happy in this business is having a large living quarters, I could only camp out in tiny quarters for a short period before becoming (more) grumpy from the lack of space.
Guess that would be my advice for anyone considering the business is to think long term about the living area of the property and choose a property where you will be happy with more than just the income.

Absolutamente
You have to live there, and as others stated, a lot. You are at the inn everyday all day, so make sure your innkeeper quarters are up to snuff. I know a B&B for sale that has two bedroom two bath plus more. Aspiring innkeepers think they can "make do" with just a room and an office.
That will fill up with business stuff and you will be buried before you know it, remember the guest side has to always stay clean and uncluttered.
.

"Make Do" is ok for a few weeks or months, but would get very old quickly over a longer time. When we started the business our family included the last child still at home and my mother, we took 3 motel rooms as our bedrooms and added them to the living area, back then we considered that a temporary arrangement, but even through mother is gone and son off and married we still use the rooms, both our stuff and all the business stuff that we don't tend to think about in the planning stages. Yes so true, guest areas need to look nice and too often our own space becomes a "dropping place" for the extra stuff.

 

[gillumhouse]

We talk about , "if we ever own the house."
If we ever own the house, I will be happy to have a bedroom that is not also a hallway between the kitchen and TV room.
(Yes, we considered switching the TV room and bedroom and it would help make the apartment more livable, but would involve too much construction for us to bother.).

I think a large part of our continuing to be happy in this business is having a large living quarters, I could only camp out in tiny quarters for a short period before becoming (more) grumpy from the lack of space.
Guess that would be my advice for anyone considering the business is to think long term about the living area of the property and choose a property where you will be happy with more than just the income.
.

Couldn't agree more. We looked at other properties and just could not imagine living in one or two rooms. One place had a bedroom in the winter, but the basement in the summer. Not for us. We need our life as well as our business.
We have one of the largest apartments I've seen in a B&B, but that is because we actually took two apartments. So we have two kitchens, two living rooms and two bedrooms. Quirky, but it works.
(The second kitchen is really just a refrigerator and sink. If we wanted to rent it as an apartment, it would need work.)
.

We have the smallest owners quarters in town - 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, kitchen, living room, dining room and the office/bedroom/hallway.
Yes, that's the smallest OQ's in town.
.

IF the "living room" had stayed as such, it would not have been too bad. The sun room became his workshop. The "living room" became his studio. My office became the whatever room. We also have a bedroom (which is better now that the wheelchair is kept in the car) that still has the potty that is needed during medical episodes but is a bulky valet chair otherwise. Old age also has its accessories.
The former whatever room was turned half into an ensuite bathroom and the rest into linens, cleaning supplies, B & B stuff storage. Now that I cannot climb the ladder into the attic, the Christmas tub and other stuff that WAS up there is now in the storage room upstairs. It will soon get its semi-annual clean-up to make room for the A/C units to be put back on the shelves.

 

[Baygirl]

I won't miss waiting around between the hours of 3-6 for check ins!! Worst part of my day.

 

[Generic]

One... I get to pick just one?

• Waiting - What a waste of good time. Of course, I can watch something or read something while waiting, but seems just so pointless to wait for people.
• Arguing - You apparently know my business better than me. Like today, the answer that I don't have a room available still elicited more questions... really, I have a magic room available through the wardrobe. Or they want to know a price on a room that I don't have. How can I have a price on a mythological room?
• Names - Guests who need to know my name... and then mispronounce it, misspell it and sometimes even tell me that I'm not pronouncing it right. Because it's obvious that they know my name better than me... oh, you are named after Jr. NO! I'm named after his damn father, the violist.
• Prying - Guests who think it's okay to ask any question they want? If I reply... do you know what the censored is? They are shocked... but probably less than I am that they asked me that question. (If I never hear the "Are you brothers" question in my life, it will be too damn soon.)

 

[Innkeep]

says in a little voice "I think I'll miss it all when I retire". I have spent so much time at this house I've cut myself off from many of the activities I did in my previous life. I don't get especially provoked by the guests. At this stage in life many of my friends go south for the winter, but it's really daunting to think about making a new network of friends somewhere else.
On further reflection I won't miss the semi-annual health department inspections.

 

[Morticia]

One... I get to pick just one?

• Waiting - What a waste of good time. Of course, I can watch something or read something while waiting, but seems just so pointless to wait for people.
• Arguing - You apparently know my business better than me. Like today, the answer that I don't have a room available still elicited more questions... really, I have a magic room available through the wardrobe. Or they want to know a price on a room that I don't have. How can I have a price on a mythological room?
• Names - Guests who need to know my name... and then mispronounce it, misspell it and sometimes even tell me that I'm not pronouncing it right. Because it's obvious that they know my name better than me... oh, you are named after Jr. NO! I'm named after his damn father, the violist.
• Prying - Guests who think it's okay to ask any question they want? If I reply... do you know what the censored is? They are shocked... but probably less than I am that they asked me that question. (If I never hear the "Are you brothers" question in my life, it will be too damn soon.)

.

Arguing - had that call the other day!
Do you have a room for X days? Yes, it's this price.
That's too much. What are your usual prices?
Usual prices are this. Well I'll take the lowest priced room!
Not available for those dates. This if the only room available.
Too expensive.
Right back where we started.

 

[Generic]

One... I get to pick just one?

• Waiting - What a waste of good time. Of course, I can watch something or read something while waiting, but seems just so pointless to wait for people.
• Arguing - You apparently know my business better than me. Like today, the answer that I don't have a room available still elicited more questions... really, I have a magic room available through the wardrobe. Or they want to know a price on a room that I don't have. How can I have a price on a mythological room?
• Names - Guests who need to know my name... and then mispronounce it, misspell it and sometimes even tell me that I'm not pronouncing it right. Because it's obvious that they know my name better than me... oh, you are named after Jr. NO! I'm named after his damn father, the violist.
• Prying - Guests who think it's okay to ask any question they want? If I reply... do you know what the censored is? They are shocked... but probably less than I am that they asked me that question. (If I never hear the "Are you brothers" question in my life, it will be too damn soon.)

.

Arguing - had that call the other day!
Do you have a room for X days? Yes, it's this price.
That's too much. What are your usual prices?
Usual prices are this. Well I'll take the lowest priced room!
Not available for those dates. This if the only room available.
Too expensive.
Right back where we started.
.

This week it was the "Why don't you have a room for x people?" Because, we gave it up for lent. No roll-away, no sleeping on the floor, no sleeping 5 to a bed. Take your damn incestuous family elsewhere, thank you!

 

[Silverspoon]

One... I get to pick just one?

• Waiting - What a waste of good time. Of course, I can watch something or read something while waiting, but seems just so pointless to wait for people.
• Arguing - You apparently know my business better than me. Like today, the answer that I don't have a room available still elicited more questions... really, I have a magic room available through the wardrobe. Or they want to know a price on a room that I don't have. How can I have a price on a mythological room?
• Names - Guests who need to know my name... and then mispronounce it, misspell it and sometimes even tell me that I'm not pronouncing it right. Because it's obvious that they know my name better than me... oh, you are named after Jr. NO! I'm named after his damn father, the violist.
• Prying - Guests who think it's okay to ask any question they want? If I reply... do you know what the censored is? They are shocked... but probably less than I am that they asked me that question. (If I never hear the "Are you brothers" question in my life, it will be too damn soon.)

.

Arguing - had that call the other day!
Do you have a room for X days? Yes, it's this price.
That's too much. What are your usual prices?
Usual prices are this. Well I'll take the lowest priced room!
Not available for those dates. This if the only room available.
Too expensive.
Right back where we started.
.

To which I say "Gee, I am sorry..think of us another time" and hang up.

 

[JimBoone]

One... I get to pick just one?

• Waiting - What a waste of good time. Of course, I can watch something or read something while waiting, but seems just so pointless to wait for people.
• Arguing - You apparently know my business better than me. Like today, the answer that I don't have a room available still elicited more questions... really, I have a magic room available through the wardrobe. Or they want to know a price on a room that I don't have. How can I have a price on a mythological room?
• Names - Guests who need to know my name... and then mispronounce it, misspell it and sometimes even tell me that I'm not pronouncing it right. Because it's obvious that they know my name better than me... oh, you are named after Jr. NO! I'm named after his damn father, the violist.
• Prying - Guests who think it's okay to ask any question they want? If I reply... do you know what the censored is? They are shocked... but probably less than I am that they asked me that question. (If I never hear the "Are you brothers" question in my life, it will be too damn soon.)

.

The "magic room through the wardrobe" sounds like a fun idea, if a property accepted children that might be a great marketing plan

 

[JimBoone]

One... I get to pick just one?

• Waiting - What a waste of good time. Of course, I can watch something or read something while waiting, but seems just so pointless to wait for people.
• Arguing - You apparently know my business better than me. Like today, the answer that I don't have a room available still elicited more questions... really, I have a magic room available through the wardrobe. Or they want to know a price on a room that I don't have. How can I have a price on a mythological room?
• Names - Guests who need to know my name... and then mispronounce it, misspell it and sometimes even tell me that I'm not pronouncing it right. Because it's obvious that they know my name better than me... oh, you are named after Jr. NO! I'm named after his damn father, the violist.
• Prying - Guests who think it's okay to ask any question they want? If I reply... do you know what the censored is? They are shocked... but probably less than I am that they asked me that question. (If I never hear the "Are you brothers" question in my life, it will be too damn soon.)

.

Arguing - had that call the other day!
Do you have a room for X days? Yes, it's this price.
That's too much. What are your usual prices?
Usual prices are this. Well I'll take the lowest priced room!
Not available for those dates. This if the only room available.
Too expensive.
Right back where we started.
.

I think people are so cauught up in their "me" plans that they are not really listening to what is being said when they telephone, they think we are upselling when we say that only the largest room is still available or they are thinking large hotel and just don't get the idea that all our room could be full.

 

[Jcam]

One... I get to pick just one?

• Waiting - What a waste of good time. Of course, I can watch something or read something while waiting, but seems just so pointless to wait for people.
• Arguing - You apparently know my business better than me. Like today, the answer that I don't have a room available still elicited more questions... really, I have a magic room available through the wardrobe. Or they want to know a price on a room that I don't have. How can I have a price on a mythological room?
• Names - Guests who need to know my name... and then mispronounce it, misspell it and sometimes even tell me that I'm not pronouncing it right. Because it's obvious that they know my name better than me... oh, you are named after Jr. NO! I'm named after his damn father, the violist.
• Prying - Guests who think it's okay to ask any question they want? If I reply... do you know what the censored is? They are shocked... but probably less than I am that they asked me that question. (If I never hear the "Are you brothers" question in my life, it will be too damn soon.)

.

Arguing - had that call the other day!
Do you have a room for X days? Yes, it's this price.
That's too much. What are your usual prices?
Usual prices are this. Well I'll take the lowest priced room!
Not available for those dates. This if the only room available.
Too expensive.
Right back where we started.
.

I think people are so cauught up in their "me" plans that they are not really listening to what is being said when they telephone, they think we are upselling when we say that only the largest room is still available or they are thinking large hotel and just don't get the idea that all our room could be full.
.

people who don't understand full means full! "oh but i only want a single" - that's nice but we are full.
Not showing off but we have a nice place, very good price, off street parking which we do free (this is mega rare here), good breakfast, good reviews and a streets width from a very busy conference center - what a complete surprise that when there is a conference for 12000 people the places nearest the conference center fill up first! what a complete surprise. Also a complete surprise that people who stayed last year book as they leave for the same event the next year as they don't want to loose their place.
Chap rang for one of the busiest shows we do people stay in places 15-20 miles away - sorry we are full but I know X place has a room chap "how far away is it from Center?" about 10 mins walk "Oh I want somewhere really close to the center" - you and everyone else and they booked 12 months ago - sorry you will be in next town.

 

[Glaciers In Saskatoon]

I won't miss food allergies.

In our "thank you for your booking" email. I asked about food allergies. Last month one couple wrote a 6 page Word doc listing websites, newspaper articles, doctors reports etc. Everything from only steamed fish and cucumbers with NO pimples to borsch without beet root and no fresh farm eggs. it went on and on. I wrote them back reminding them that we only serve breakfast and were a Canadian family home with a regular kitchen and one staff member: ME. I then suggested they find another accommodation.
Guess what - they booked in more days!

 

[TheBeachHouse]

I won't miss food allergies.

In our "thank you for your booking" email. I asked about food allergies. Last month one couple wrote a 6 page Word doc listing websites, newspaper articles, doctors reports etc. Everything from only steamed fish and cucumbers with NO pimples to borsch without beet root and no fresh farm eggs. it went on and on. I wrote them back reminding them that we only serve breakfast and were a Canadian family home with a regular kitchen and one staff member: ME. I then suggested they find another accommodation.
Guess what - they booked in more days!.

What did you end up feeding them?
(I might have asked, "what would you like for breakfast?"

 

[Silverspoon]

I won't miss food allergies.

In our "thank you for your booking" email. I asked about food allergies. Last month one couple wrote a 6 page Word doc listing websites, newspaper articles, doctors reports etc. Everything from only steamed fish and cucumbers with NO pimples to borsch without beet root and no fresh farm eggs. it went on and on. I wrote them back reminding them that we only serve breakfast and were a Canadian family home with a regular kitchen and one staff member: ME. I then suggested they find another accommodation.
Guess what - they booked in more days!.

OMG, kill me now! More days? Will you take them?

 

[BananaE29]

Having a phone on my hip CONSTANTLY!