Charging more for a more private room

Bed & Breakfast / Short Term Rental Host Forum

Help Support Bed & Breakfast / Short Term Rental Host Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

JBloggs

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 7, 2008
Messages
17,744
Reaction score
9
Would you consider a room with no adjoining walls to any other room an amenity for which to charge $5 more?
I ask as I just raised the rate of that room $5 as it seems to be booked most now.
This is what I sent to an innmate this morning re this room and what got me thinking about finally doing it:
These guests from Jersey stayed the night prior in Lexington. I asked if they were at a B&B – I always get guest feedback on other B&B’s this way.
They said they got there late and just stayed at a Days inn. Days inn internet special rates for Lexington are: 2 doubles 94.35 or one king is 105.00 or $149, and includes for a continental breakfast and stinky room.
So here they got this beautiful Garden Room, check in refreshments (Homemade angel food cake – which btw seems to be a hit), sodas, cide/coffee/hotcocoa/tea, other snacks like peanuts or crackers (available), walk to a great food and atmosphere and reasonably priced restaurant and then walk to a café for local music after, free parking free wifi, cable tv, central heat - no horrible wall unit turning on and off, fresh flowers in their room, loved the library of books and atmosphere, and then today a bang up breakfast with fresh fruit like STARFRUIT and homemade cinnamon apple compote as the first course. A romantic candle light breakfast for two – with nice background music and fresh carnation bouquet on the table. Also MUCH local information from the innkeeper.
I’m jus’ sayin’ - the value in a B&B is soooo much greater than a hotel. I will need to blog this AGAIN and hit them over the head with it. But those reading the blog already know this!
So I raised this room rate $5 which I have thought of doing for a while, every guest saves $10 if they book online, or more if there is a special promotion.
 
Are you going to sell the privacy part of it or just let it go with the additional $5 tacked on? Why I ask is kind of what I was alluding to before...lack of privacy. Will guests in the other rooms think their room is now 'not private enough' if one room is touted as being 'private'?
How about 'the MOST private room'? We do have one room that everyone says is really 'quiet'. They never hear guests in the other rooms and this room has 2 partially common walls and is over the kitchen. It really surprises me they don't hear anything. But is it because we tell them it's the quietest room and so set up that atmosphere of quiet?
 
No I am not going to tout it as anything other than what I do. They can look at the floor plan to see it has no bordering rooms. I am just going to raise the rate $5. I am telling you all why I am doing it, it is being booked MOST and so I wondered if that "very private" room is something people find as an amenity. That is not WHY it is being booked most, there are other reasons. In fact it is at the front of the house and people think that means street noise, and it is the contrary here.
 
No I am not going to tout it as anything other than what I do. They can look at the floor plan to see it has no bordering rooms. I am just going to raise the rate $5. I am telling you all why I am doing it, it is being booked MOST and so I wondered if that "very private" room is something people find as an amenity. That is not WHY it is being booked most, there are other reasons. In fact it is at the front of the house and people think that means street noise, and it is the contrary here..
Is $5 enough then? How about $10?
 
No I am not going to tout it as anything other than what I do. They can look at the floor plan to see it has no bordering rooms. I am just going to raise the rate $5. I am telling you all why I am doing it, it is being booked MOST and so I wondered if that "very private" room is something people find as an amenity. That is not WHY it is being booked most, there are other reasons. In fact it is at the front of the house and people think that means street noise, and it is the contrary here..
Is $5 enough then? How about $10?
.
The other room is also a queen bed which was the same price. $10 would make it the next room size up.
 
Wish I could do that. BUT my most private room - no common walls, larger be, and private bath is already $34 more than the other two. BUT for $30 more a second room can have a private bath one step from their room - and that has happened many times.
 
JB, Why do YOU think it is being booked most often? I have found that usually the most expensive rooms rent 1st (or at least they used to...nowadays I'm not so sure with the people booking the least expensive and hoping for an upgrade) I think any room that has a jacuzzi, fireplace, king bed or more space can rent for more. If I knew your website, I could look at it and tell you from a guests perspective which one I would rent and why.
 
I am actually not trying to figure out why it books,I said I already know why, I am asking if YOU ALL thinking a room with no adjoining walls to any other rooms is an AMENITY?
This just got me to thinking about that.
wink_smile.gif

I have a print out right here - as I can run reports on anything to which room booked most PER MONTH, PER WEEK and FOR THE YEAR.
 
I am actually not trying to figure out why it books,I said I already know why, I am asking if YOU ALL thinking a room with no adjoining walls to any other rooms is an AMENITY?
This just got me to thinking about that.
wink_smile.gif

I have a print out right here - as I can run reports on anything to which room booked most PER MONTH, PER WEEK and FOR THE YEAR..
No I would not consider it an AMENITY. But in my room description, I would refer to something like "our most private room" This room shares no adjoining walls...or something to that effect. And YES, I would be charging as much as traffic would allow for it. Everything you give guests is value added and they should be willing to pay it as compared to the run of the mill interstate hotel.
 
I say do like the stores do - raise the price so you can offer the discount - and end up getting the same amt. So, raise it $10! To answer your question - yes, people would consider it an amenity, but I wouldn't put it on the website (for reasons that Morticia pointed out). If someone calls to rent and asks why this room is more than the others, just explain the "more privacy since there are no adjoining walls". Most people will think of that as a good thing. (But at the same time wonder about your other rooms)
 
I am actually not trying to figure out why it books,I said I already know why, I am asking if YOU ALL thinking a room with no adjoining walls to any other rooms is an AMENITY?
This just got me to thinking about that.
wink_smile.gif

I have a print out right here - as I can run reports on anything to which room booked most PER MONTH, PER WEEK and FOR THE YEAR..
Joey Bloggs said:
I am actually not trying to figure out why it books,I said I already know why, I am asking if YOU ALL thinking a room with no adjoining walls to any other rooms is an AMENITY?
Ah, so after my experience you're asking if I would consider no shared walls an amenity I would pay extra for? $5? Sure, I'd pay $5 more to not be front row center for a drunken hook up in the next room. But it's not something I would necessarily think about when booking. Placement of beds? Where's the bathroom situated? I guess I expect heads of beds on the same wall and bathrooms to be side by side from years of going to hotels.
It's what makes having the floor plan so neat even tho it's the rare guest who clicks thru to it.
 
I say do like the stores do - raise the price so you can offer the discount - and end up getting the same amt. So, raise it $10! To answer your question - yes, people would consider it an amenity, but I wouldn't put it on the website (for reasons that Morticia pointed out). If someone calls to rent and asks why this room is more than the others, just explain the "more privacy since there are no adjoining walls". Most people will think of that as a good thing. (But at the same time wonder about your other rooms).
I think Joey has a few different price points. Here guests generally want to know why one room is so much lower (and can they tolerate that one thing, whatever it is to get the lower price!)
 
When I'm looking to stay at a b&b I don't think I have ever looked to see if it has adjoing walls or not.....I very rarely even look at the map of the house if there is one, I go by what the room description says, so I don't think I would pay for that amenity.
 
Definitely I'd raise the price of the most popular room. And that's enough of a reason to say to guests - our most popular room.
Is that an amenity on its own? Well, only if you're willing to say it's the quietest, which does raise the issue in a guest's mind about noise in the other rooms.
So no, I'd not consider it an amenity. Just most popular, private, garden room.
BTW, sounds like they're loving those starfruit more and more these days!
 
"So, are we using too much capital on things guests don't necesarily want or need?"
I find .....yes. This year, I dropped alot of the "free" stuff that I threw in right through last year, and it has made not one iota of difference that I can see....other than cushioning the bottom line tremendously.
But, then my Inn does not have a demanding high-end demographic either.
 
"So, are we using too much capital on things guests don't necesarily want or need?"
I find .....yes. This year, I dropped alot of the "free" stuff that I threw in right through last year, and it has made not one iota of difference that I can see....other than cushioning the bottom line tremendously.
But, then my Inn does not have a demanding high-end demographic either..
Well I guess we have been made to believe we have to throw in all the extra goodies to compare with some others....
Maybe we should start a new novel idea........a bed and breakfast is what you get here...no more no less....How would that go over????
 
I have never offered free sodas - or bottles of anything. There are glasses (ok wrapped plastic glasses) in the bathrooms with faucets that turn on and water flows (oh how my Mom would have loved that amenity when we were growing up!) if they want water or they ask for a pitcher of water which I give them from the faucet down here. I do have baskets with bananas, apples, and a few pkgs of mini-cookies and crackers because they do sometimes come in late or do need a snack. I do have a carnation in each room because I like that and guests have mentioned how nice it was.
 
Was thinking about this whilst doing my preparatory dusting. Dust never rests, that should be engraved somewhere...
Did you get the bandb.com survey results today? What guests are looking for when they book a B&B? I don't think 'free stuff' was anywhere on the list. Free sodas, free snacks, free bottled water, flowers in the rooms, etc. I know we all think that's what sets us apart and I know guests like that stuff, but I don't think it's what gets them in the door.
What's important:
  1. Private bathrooms (far and away at 93%)
  2. Free breakfast (close second 88%)
  3. Free TV
  4. Late arrival
  5. Free WiFi in room
Mini bar access, which I assume every traveler would take to mean 'paid snacks' was way down on the list. Now maybe the next banb.com survey should specifically ask about all the other free stuff to see if it is in any way important to the guest. Important enough to sway their selecting one B&B over another, or a B&B over a hotel.
It looks like, to the folks who took the survey, that although we are treating them like guests in our home (and thus providing the things we would provide to our own family members), the guests are looking at it more like a nicer place to stay and are NOT expecting all the free stuff.
So, are we using too much capital on things guests don't necesarily want or need? (Along the lines of the bar blog guy asking what gets thrown out and are your portions too large or are you too generous, which fits a lot of us.)
Sorry, this was a total highjack of your point about raising rates. But, maybe not. Maybe we could all keep rates where they are or make more money at any price point if we dialed back on the things guests don't 'need' or never use and scaled up on what they do want and are willing to pay for.
All of the free soda in the world won't get the guest in the door if what they really wanted was a free breakfast or late arrival. Something everyone can easily provide with no additional expense (as we are already doing the breakfast).
 
"So, are we using too much capital on things guests don't necesarily want or need?"
I find .....yes. This year, I dropped alot of the "free" stuff that I threw in right through last year, and it has made not one iota of difference that I can see....other than cushioning the bottom line tremendously.
But, then my Inn does not have a demanding high-end demographic either..
Well I guess we have been made to believe we have to throw in all the extra goodies to compare with some others....
Maybe we should start a new novel idea........a bed and breakfast is what you get here...no more no less....How would that go over????
.
It's hard to tell from my perspective as I know what I offer and I know it's a minimal amount so if there's less where I stay then I wonder if I'm offering too much. And given what I know is offered by other places here (on the forum), I KNOW I don't offer too much.
I also know that prices for a lot of things are a LOT higher here. Joey can put together a beautiful floral arrangement for under $10. $10 gets me last week's flowers on discount. This week's flowers are $20 and half wilted already.
Fresh fruit is thru the roof. $4.99 for a cantaloupe? And it might be bad already. Egads.
 
"So, are we using too much capital on things guests don't necesarily want or need?"
I find .....yes. This year, I dropped alot of the "free" stuff that I threw in right through last year, and it has made not one iota of difference that I can see....other than cushioning the bottom line tremendously.
But, then my Inn does not have a demanding high-end demographic either..
Well I guess we have been made to believe we have to throw in all the extra goodies to compare with some others....
Maybe we should start a new novel idea........a bed and breakfast is what you get here...no more no less....How would that go over????
.
catlady said:
Maybe we should start a new novel idea........a bed and breakfast is what you get here...no more no less....How would that go over????
I'm not sure. Maybe it's too late? Maybe we have trained the guest to expect all the free stuff. What is irksome is listening to the hotel guest gripe about paying for all of the stuff we offer for free and then not thinking they got a good price at the B&B. So last night they paid for parking, paid for WiFi, paid for an add on breakfast, paid at the desk for a soda and candy bar ($2/each) but all the same items for free weren't enough to rate the B&B as a good value.
 
Back
Top