A PITA rant!

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Aussie Innkeeper

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 16, 2010
Messages
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Location
Mount Joy, PA
So about two months ago Ms. N (70+?) calls me and makes reservations for two nights for two rooms on one of the busiest weekends here in the area. There's hardly a room (hotel OR B&B) to be found in the county. We have a nice chat and she's very excited about the weekend. They're coming with friends that they've 'been traveling with for more than 30 years'. And this is their first time at a B&B. She wanted to make all the arrangements and surprise them! They were going to a local theater, too.
Well, guess who's surprised! She is, because her friends hate B&B's. Old farts! So Ms. N comes to me late yesterday afternoon after they check in, practically in tears and says that her friends will stay one night, but they will all need to leave this morning. You would think that if they were such good friends that they could just suck it up for two days, but no. They apparently don't seem to care about Ms. N's feelings one bit.
Of course, since she feels so awful, I'm not going to add salt to that wound. I tell her not to worry and give her a couple of suggestions for hotels. Turns out she has to call 3 before she finds one with a available rooms. The hotel she fould...welll....I wouldn't walk near it, let alone stay there...overnight... Guess they're in for a rude awakening.
While they were out last night, I did turn down in their rooms, complete with chocolate mints on the pillows. I'm going to be just syurpy sweet at breakfast, too. I really want them to feel the contrast between what they've experienced here and what they're going to get at the fleabag place on the highway.
devil_smile.gif

Sorry, I know I should feel bad, but I really think these folks are treating their friend unfairly. And me, too.
Good news is that with our wonderful local association network, I was able to re-book both rooms for tonight (at a higher rate than the discount that I'd given to Ms. N). YAY!
 
Very sad for Mrs. N. but I'm sure she will get a little satisfaction when she sees their expression on arriving at that hotel!
Glad you rebooked the rooms. You get to move on and forget them, but they're stuck with each other!
 
One point of satisfaction will be that Ms N will be proven correct in choice of lodging. May her "friends" experience the worst your local fleabag has to offer since they will be able to make a "side-by-side" comparison of what they got and what they paid. You are truly able to show the "better way to stay". I am happiest that you will actually gain financially from this instead of the usual loss.
 
LOL Rule of thumb - NEVER plan surprises for older folks unless you're absolutely sure they will love it.
 
LOL Rule of thumb - NEVER plan surprises for older folks unless you're absolutely sure they will love it..
SM101 said:
LOL Rule of thumb - NEVER plan surprises for older folks unless you're absolutely sure they will love it.
Oh TRUE THAT! I'm seriously considering putting something about 'surprises' on my website. Just a little word of caution. Of course, it will be ignored, but at least I'll feel better that I tried to warn. We've had this problem a couple of times with massages, too. One of the couple schedules a massage for the two of them and the other has never had one before because he/she is totally skeeved out by the thought of someone rubbing their hands all over their person.
embaressed_smile.gif

 
I feel bad for that nice lady. We all know rotten people who take great pains and give it to everyone else!
 
LOL Rule of thumb - NEVER plan surprises for older folks unless you're absolutely sure they will love it..
SM101 said:
LOL Rule of thumb - NEVER plan surprises for older folks unless you're absolutely sure they will love it.
Oh TRUE THAT! I'm seriously considering putting something about 'surprises' on my website. Just a little word of caution. Of course, it will be ignored, but at least I'll feel better that I tried to warn. We've had this problem a couple of times with massages, too. One of the couple schedules a massage for the two of them and the other has never had one before because he/she is totally skeeved out by the thought of someone rubbing their hands all over their person.
embaressed_smile.gif

.
Aussie Innkeeper said:
I'm seriously considering putting something about 'surprises' on my website. Just a little word of caution...at least I'll feel better that I tried to warn.
I don't like that idea!
I'm sure it would be well-worded, but still, some will come away with the wrong idea, to see a warning of some kind. "Please note that B & B's are not to everybody's liking" is not something I'd want on MY website!
They're grownups. It's up to them to do their homework and make their choices.
 
You know what's going to happen. Ms. N's friend won't accept the place they've booked for the night and they'll be calling you hoping to come back. When they can't, their day will be spent searching and not finding.
Don't feel guilty about smiling at this situation!
 
Schadenfreude... at it's best. Enjoy it. You are going to make more money and get to smile like the Cheshire Cat knowing that it's only going to get worse for this people.
Feel sorry for Ms. N. She deserves better friends.
 
I'm sorry you'll have to go through more work, but the extra $$ will be nice. Their loss entirely!
 
Friends for 30 years! Ms N has no idea what that word means if she remains friends with them after this. How rude is that! THEY are not b&b people, that is the problem.
 
Aussie, glad you rebooked the rooms and with more $$$ See there is a God!
 
She obv doesn't know them very well, or was trying to change them. BTW How many of your family/friends stay at B&B's? NONE of mine. Most don't even know what we do here...
A few that have tell horror stories. One said to me "Do you serve french toast?" and then said they did a B&B road trip where they stayed at diff B&B's for 5 nights and had french toast (diff ways) at every single one of them. That was the first and the last B&B journey for them.
I bought an anniversary stay for my parents and my mother ended up sleeping in the arm chair because the innkeeper had sprayed Fabreeze all over the linens before check in, they left the next day and checked out leaving a day early, and Mom went and got antihistamine.
An Aunt and Uncle went to one and only told me about when they heard we were going to be innkeepers and bought an inn, they said the innkeepers were in their business the whole time, my aunt was going through stage 4 cancer treatments and they just wanted a change of scenery with a waterview and peace and quiet. They were very anti-B&B after that.
And then we had so many bad experiences that may even be the reason we opted to do this in the first place! We wanted to be the "great innkeepers" not the snippy arrogant ones, who seem put out over everything. Who don't give a rip about you one way or the other.
Yes, booked a B&B in Leavenworth WA with the snow falling they closed the outdoor hot-tub, the whole reason we booked this inn was to be in ski country and with an outdoor hot-tub in the snow. They also said NO KIDS AT ALL, and there were little kids there.
The B&B that put out white bread still frozen from the freezer to make your own toast and a handful f oranges, the coffee pot (MR Coffee just sitting out there for the entire 5 rooms) was empty.
Those are just a couple, I have plenty more you have probably all heard before, but I found the B&B's in other countries were awesome! From Wales to Costa Rica to the Great Barrier Reef. Great B&Bs, great experiences, wonderful! Outdoor showers, smoothies made to order, libraries full of books, romance, quiet, scenery. Great things! Great places!
 
She obv doesn't know them very well, or was trying to change them. BTW How many of your family/friends stay at B&B's? NONE of mine. Most don't even know what we do here...
A few that have tell horror stories. One said to me "Do you serve french toast?" and then said they did a B&B road trip where they stayed at diff B&B's for 5 nights and had french toast (diff ways) at every single one of them. That was the first and the last B&B journey for them.
I bought an anniversary stay for my parents and my mother ended up sleeping in the arm chair because the innkeeper had sprayed Fabreeze all over the linens before check in, they left the next day and checked out leaving a day early, and Mom went and got antihistamine.
An Aunt and Uncle went to one and only told me about when they heard we were going to be innkeepers and bought an inn, they said the innkeepers were in their business the whole time, my aunt was going through stage 4 cancer treatments and they just wanted a change of scenery with a waterview and peace and quiet. They were very anti-B&B after that.
And then we had so many bad experiences that may even be the reason we opted to do this in the first place! We wanted to be the "great innkeepers" not the snippy arrogant ones, who seem put out over everything. Who don't give a rip about you one way or the other.
Yes, booked a B&B in Leavenworth WA with the snow falling they closed the outdoor hot-tub, the whole reason we booked this inn was to be in ski country and with an outdoor hot-tub in the snow. They also said NO KIDS AT ALL, and there were little kids there.
The B&B that put out white bread still frozen from the freezer to make your own toast and a handful f oranges, the coffee pot (MR Coffee just sitting out there for the entire 5 rooms) was empty.
Those are just a couple, I have plenty more you have probably all heard before, but I found the B&B's in other countries were awesome! From Wales to Costa Rica to the Great Barrier Reef. Great B&Bs, great experiences, wonderful! Outdoor showers, smoothies made to order, libraries full of books, romance, quiet, scenery. Great things! Great places!.
Joey Bloggs said:
She obv doesn't know them very well, or was trying to change them. BTW How many of your family/friends stay at B&B's? NONE of mine.
My daughter is the only one of my family who would ever think to stay at a B&B.
 
My guess would be that no matter what you did special for these people they are going to be saying to their friends, 'See, this is so much better than that B&B.' It's their attitude.
 
She obv doesn't know them very well, or was trying to change them. BTW How many of your family/friends stay at B&B's? NONE of mine. Most don't even know what we do here...
A few that have tell horror stories. One said to me "Do you serve french toast?" and then said they did a B&B road trip where they stayed at diff B&B's for 5 nights and had french toast (diff ways) at every single one of them. That was the first and the last B&B journey for them.
I bought an anniversary stay for my parents and my mother ended up sleeping in the arm chair because the innkeeper had sprayed Fabreeze all over the linens before check in, they left the next day and checked out leaving a day early, and Mom went and got antihistamine.
An Aunt and Uncle went to one and only told me about when they heard we were going to be innkeepers and bought an inn, they said the innkeepers were in their business the whole time, my aunt was going through stage 4 cancer treatments and they just wanted a change of scenery with a waterview and peace and quiet. They were very anti-B&B after that.
And then we had so many bad experiences that may even be the reason we opted to do this in the first place! We wanted to be the "great innkeepers" not the snippy arrogant ones, who seem put out over everything. Who don't give a rip about you one way or the other.
Yes, booked a B&B in Leavenworth WA with the snow falling they closed the outdoor hot-tub, the whole reason we booked this inn was to be in ski country and with an outdoor hot-tub in the snow. They also said NO KIDS AT ALL, and there were little kids there.
The B&B that put out white bread still frozen from the freezer to make your own toast and a handful f oranges, the coffee pot (MR Coffee just sitting out there for the entire 5 rooms) was empty.
Those are just a couple, I have plenty more you have probably all heard before, but I found the B&B's in other countries were awesome! From Wales to Costa Rica to the Great Barrier Reef. Great B&Bs, great experiences, wonderful! Outdoor showers, smoothies made to order, libraries full of books, romance, quiet, scenery. Great things! Great places!.
The problem is there are too many "innkeepers" who either thought it was going to be easy-peasy and are burned out or have been doing it too long and want out but cannot because money is so tight. I have known 2 ladies who REALLY wanted to do B & B but were so totally not right for it. Neither one ever did it - thank goodness. I was saved from telling them the truth because I could see early on that it was never going to happen - probably because they were so wrong for it.
I have sent 2 of my sons to B & Bs and they loved it.
 
She obv doesn't know them very well, or was trying to change them. BTW How many of your family/friends stay at B&B's? NONE of mine. Most don't even know what we do here...
A few that have tell horror stories. One said to me "Do you serve french toast?" and then said they did a B&B road trip where they stayed at diff B&B's for 5 nights and had french toast (diff ways) at every single one of them. That was the first and the last B&B journey for them.
I bought an anniversary stay for my parents and my mother ended up sleeping in the arm chair because the innkeeper had sprayed Fabreeze all over the linens before check in, they left the next day and checked out leaving a day early, and Mom went and got antihistamine.
An Aunt and Uncle went to one and only told me about when they heard we were going to be innkeepers and bought an inn, they said the innkeepers were in their business the whole time, my aunt was going through stage 4 cancer treatments and they just wanted a change of scenery with a waterview and peace and quiet. They were very anti-B&B after that.
And then we had so many bad experiences that may even be the reason we opted to do this in the first place! We wanted to be the "great innkeepers" not the snippy arrogant ones, who seem put out over everything. Who don't give a rip about you one way or the other.
Yes, booked a B&B in Leavenworth WA with the snow falling they closed the outdoor hot-tub, the whole reason we booked this inn was to be in ski country and with an outdoor hot-tub in the snow. They also said NO KIDS AT ALL, and there were little kids there.
The B&B that put out white bread still frozen from the freezer to make your own toast and a handful f oranges, the coffee pot (MR Coffee just sitting out there for the entire 5 rooms) was empty.
Those are just a couple, I have plenty more you have probably all heard before, but I found the B&B's in other countries were awesome! From Wales to Costa Rica to the Great Barrier Reef. Great B&Bs, great experiences, wonderful! Outdoor showers, smoothies made to order, libraries full of books, romance, quiet, scenery. Great things! Great places!.
Joey Bloggs said:
She obv doesn't know them very well, or was trying to change them. BTW How many of your family/friends stay at B&B's? NONE of mine.
My daughter is the only one of my family who would ever think to stay at a B&B.
.
my parents have been to hotels in london for their most recent stays - but there arn't many bb's there due to high property prices - but I want to stay at St Alfeges (it was on hotel inspector) if we go looked cool! when they went to ireland for a funeral though I booked a bb for them though - I usually book for them as I know what they want and make sure that that research is done ie not a dump run by loony people!
 
Well, maybe the old curmudgeon didn't like my place, but I'll tell you what he DID like - all the complimentary items like the bottled water, cookies, coffee (of course had to use the Keurig when the full pot was right there!), chocolates, etc.
It worked out even better than I could have expected. On Sunday morning, the one couple that took the room that I had to turn that day left very early. I knew beforehand this was the arrangement. Didn't have breakfast. So, I got to turn the room right away while DH was in the kitchen monitoring things. This meant that I got to go to DD's football game to watch her cheer. Would have missed it had I had to wait for check-outs and turn-over of room. AND the new guest left me a $20 tip! The old farts left nothing but a lot of mess and a room I had to air out because of old-lady perfume!
 
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