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  1. M

    BnBFinder - Unauthorized Listings & Gift Cards

    Thanks, everyone should check to see if your listing is up there — if you search by your town you come up without a picture but there’s a link to your site. The guests don’t bother to go to the gift card section and then scroll down to find participating properties - they believe that if...
  2. M

    BnBFinder - Unauthorized Listings & Gift Cards

    Just spent half an hour with an irate guest who booked us because he saw us on BnBfinder and had one of their gift cards. I am not a member but like many of you they copied my information and put me on their website hoping I would join. This guy was insisting that I take the card an honor his...
  3. M

    Comphy Sheets

    Anyone else recently receive an order of Comphy sheets and have spots and/or marks all over them? I bought a bunch of white flat, fitted and pillow cases all in King Size a couple months ago but I'm not just using them and out of the package they have marks and spots on them. Never had this...
  4. M

    Realistic Expectations

    Try looking for a property that has a small cottage on it that you can convert to your 2 bedroom home - you'll get privacy and the space you need so long as the bills can be paid without that income. We'll be selling our place in about 4-5 years. It's 10 guest rooms on 20+ acres with beautiful...
  5. M

    Cleaning - Gloves Required?

    We've always provided our housekeepers with gloves and required them to use them. Our new housekeeper said she never has even at two major hotels here in the area but my husband insisted that she wear them. We just found that she's hasn't been using them and actually hid the box in our pump...
  6. M

    Serious about changing careers

    The cost of the B&B is not the important # in the equation. It's more important what your bottom line is at the end of the year and if you're able to live the kind of life you want. A lifestyle B&B many times doesn't provide much added income but you can work when you want and where you want...
  7. M

    Deposit - Cancellation Policy Advice

    10 room Lodge - we take 50% of deposit at time of booking, full amount for one night stays. So if someone is booking a $2000 foliage stay, we take $1000. Two week cancellation policy - if you cancel before 14 days, refund minus $25 cancellation fee. (Reservations over $1500 have a $100...
  8. M

    Deposit

    If you don't want last minute cancellations and no-shows, charge a 50% deposit when they book. Also if they book within your cancellation policy (ours is 14 days which means they can't check the 10 day weather report and cancel because of rain), then we charge the full amount. Have a $25...
  9. M

    Makeup :-(

    We have the black cloths and don't have anyone getting makeup on the towels. Probably because I have a sign hanging above the vanity that says if they want to reuse the towels just hang them up. Otherwise if they are on the floor we'll replace. Then it says "And the black facecloth is a...
  10. M

    Best or favorite quiche combination?

    I haven't made them in a while because I switched to frittatas and baked eggs in ramekins because I get lots of gluten free guests -- but these combos are awesome: - Roasted Apples and Goat Cheese Quiche - Carmelized Onion and Sharp Provolone Quiche (this is a guest favorite every time - very...
  11. M

    Inn Tuneups - Cost? Benefits?

    Yes, knowing your area and your clientele is super important. We are actually one of those places where people will call and hang up if all 4 of my rooms with jetted tubs are full. Therefore we are remodeling two more rooms that are middle of the road in price to have jetted this these next 6...
  12. M

    Inn Tuneups - Cost? Benefits?

    We had inn consultants come in to talk to us about their services and then they sent us a proposal on how we should take the place to the next level. I believe their quote was $3700 (in that ballpark). While they were walking around he kept talking about the fact that we needed to turn unused...
  13. M

    No hot water this morning - how do I make up for it?

    We once had a mishap with a jacuzzi tub for a couple. We moved them to another room so the second night would be fine but that night we knew where they were going for dinner because we made their reservation. I called and paid $75 toward their dinner bill. (Note their room was almost $300 a...
  14. M

    Looking to build a website

    Be careful with GroupOn - you don't want to start off with your prices being so discounted that guests come to expect that's what your prices will be. I would avoid them if at all possible.
  15. M

    microwave bacon?

    Restaurant Depot - you can get a card as a business and purchase all of your food, cleaning supplies, dishes, pans, etc. (all commercial stuff) at big discounts. They have them in Andover and Everett MA (other locations but I think those are the closest to you). If you live near one you save...
  16. M

    microwave bacon?

    Go to the Restaurant Depot in Everett - buy a box of their precooked bacon slices (300 in a box - 2 packs of 150 slices each). Microwave a plate full of them (I have a tray from Amazon) and it takes about 2 minutes I think for a full tray. Turns out awesome and guests LOVE it. I did this...
  17. M

    Looking to build a website

    Yes you can certainly get a website for about $1000 or so. $5K is not ridiculous for a high quality responsive website including SEO - the saying that we all use with our guests that you get what you pay for works for all of us as well. You can tell when you open a website that's been done by...
  18. M

    Looking to build a website

    Sounds like not having the name is a done deal so I won't respond on that. You need to have a professional website done and photos. Your website is how everyone will find you and view your property - that's the one thing that you can't half-ass in this business and expect to be successful...
  19. M

    Occupancy rates

    You can't really go by the occupancy rate for a B&B because we're all different. We might have the same occupancy rate but our ADRs are different and our expenses are different (huge in NH are the differences in real estate taxes from town to town.) I'm in your subject area and I have kids...
  20. M

    OTAs - Cancellation Frequency?

    Exactly - if she found my email on my website to email me asking for the second night at a big discount then she certainly could have contacted me first to book the entire thing at the special military price we give (would have been so much better for her). Oh well, I'm just so done dealing...
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