Food Delivery, Delivering Breakfast To The Room, Bike in Room - How do you handle this kind of stuff?

[MtnKeeper]

Looking for some ways of possibly handling requests differently or in a new light.
Do you have guests try to order food delivery to your place? We haven't had any places that offer it but a local store is offering delivery now. Our front door is always locked so they can't get in and we're not here to meet them and open the door to take delivery once we go home nextdoor. How do you handle this? I obviously don't want the guest giving a delivery guy the code to the door.
We don't offer breakfast delivered to the room but our new guest room will include it in the next month. Just had guest whose wife wouldn't come down and he asked in front of others to bring her food, so hubby said sure. Said we spoiled her so she wanted it the second day. No table in room to eat so of course they eat in the bed which of course always worries me given it's french toast and syrup and if they get it on the dry clean only bedspread I've got another issue. Once we offer breakfast included to this upscale room which has coffee maker, refrigerator and a dining table & chairs, I'm sure others are going to ask for it too (of course at a price). How much do you charge and what exactly do you deliver? Coffee is out in urns on the buffet in the dining room and only some rooms have coffee makers in the room.
We get guests who bring their bikes to ride the trails in the area. It's pouring and guest just asked to bring his bike into the bedroom (which there really isn't anywhere to put it). Hubby told him it was fine to bring it around back and leave outside his door as we're extremely safe area. He said he'd do that "under reserve as it's worth $4600." (Of course, he could leave the damn thing on his vehicle like everyone else does but this is the same guy that wanted to bring his own grill and make steaks and chicken all week and didn't understand why that isn't a good idea when you live in the mountains with bears all around. You have to clean your grill as soon as it's cool as a dirty grill attracts bears who knock it over, with everything pouring onto my beautiful patio - obviously we have experience in this area dealing with this.) What would you tell the guest about the bike and the grill?

 

[Generic]

We've had them order to the room. Doesn't really bother us, though we offer them the use of the dining room for it and ask them to clean up after themselves.
We have a garage, we've let them put it in the garage. Or attached to the stairs.

 

[Lee2014]

Too many wonderful restaurants near by. Most of your pizza, take out etc., are too far out to deliver to our area for free…. It's so much easier to go to a restaurant and bring back a doggie bag. (Which we will heat up ourselves for them in the microwave.) Some will pick up pizza but except for the empty or somewhat empty box(s) to carry out to the trash, nothing else has happened so far.
We have a bike rack outside behind bushes which is somewhat concealed from eyes. We have everyone from wrapping the bike in tarps and it all locked up to just leaning against with nothing, Mostly they will stick a small bag over the seat and call it good with a lock around the frame. The bike rentals bring them over and lock them in the bike rack no problem. We did have one wanting to bring them in and we said no. They chained it to the fence under the trees where every neighbor from next door drove by to get home…..

 

[Anon Inn]

We have a locked shop for bikes.
We will be doing breakfast room service next year.
No pizza or food deliveries in this area, but we would provide plates and utensils and let them use the dining room. We provide such if they bring their own food. On road trips many have food in coolers and they'll bring some out for an afternoon or evening snack. We also let them put the coolers in the hallway outside their door. Polyurethane floor finish. No has brought in a cooler this year - yet.

 

[Morticia]

No bikes in the house. Period. How does he store the bike while riding? No one is on the bike 100% of the time.
If mountain biking is popular do you have a secure place to lock a bike? Bike rack? Shed?
Given what you've said about the bears and the grill I'd stick with that line. No guest grilling. Period.
If these rules don't fit his model of his vacation he can rent a house and do what he wants.
Ordering in requires the guest be present at the door when the pizza arrives. If i answer the door, the pizza goes back. Don't annoy me.

 

[gillumhouse]

we let them put the bike on the porch - lock it to the pillar if you can. No one bothers anything here.

 

[Copperhead]

Not many options for delivery here but when they order pizza we ask them to come down and meet the delivery at the front door. This has not been a problem so far. (knocking on wood)
We put TV tables in the closet of each room as we do not have room for tables in each. Some take their food out to the balcony or eat at one of the many outdoor areas.
We have a covered pavilion where guests can store their bikes.
No grills, no cooking period. You know that if they do, that means they also want a prepping area in the kitchen and oh, I forgot this or that! Next thing you know you will be their personal chef!

 

[JimBoone]

By nature of our design and business model (tiny motel) rooms open to a common porch so deliveries could be made direct to a guest room although our only deliver is a sort of food taxi company, we don't serve food ourselves. Seems like most folks and delivery people have cell phones so if service perhaps they could call the guest on arrival to come to the door.
We have a grill in the garden area if desired as fire rules prohibit cooking on porch or near the building, it's there if someone asks, but I've only seen it used by a few guests.
Our rooms are larger and perhaps not as upscale as yours, I have had a few cyclists ask about having their bike in the room and have not had any problems, could also lock a bike in the cage with my couple of old cars.

 

[MtnKeeper]

Not many options for delivery here but when they order pizza we ask them to come down and meet the delivery at the front door. This has not been a problem so far. (knocking on wood)
We put TV tables in the closet of each room as we do not have room for tables in each. Some take their food out to the balcony or eat at one of the many outdoor areas.
We have a covered pavilion where guests can store their bikes.
No grills, no cooking period. You know that if they do, that means they also want a prepping area in the kitchen and oh, I forgot this or that! Next thing you know you will be their personal chef!

.

Of course he'd need to clean up somewhere because how can you safely wash up raw chicken containers and utensils in the guest room with only a small bathroom sink. And how would he clean the grill off - I'd wind up having to do it. This guy just keeps getting better - we have a compacted bluestone driveway (not paved as that's over $70K for how long our driveway is and keeping it natural makes it better for environment and wildlife spotting - they use our driveway as a trail so guests see moose, beer, etc.). He told Hubby last night that our bluestone driveway is getting into the calibers of his truck and causing them to grind. We've lived here for 12 years and had thousands of guests, even some with fancy Corvettes and Porsches, and NO ONE has had any issues. This guy should just stay home away from people. I hate one nighters but wish to the heavens he was - nope 5 night stay for this guy. I'll really need some vodka or valium soon.

 

[2cat_lady]

We provide plates and utensils on a shelf in our dining room and let guests know they are welcome to use them. I basically tell them they must eat in the dining room and not their room (white bedding) and most people get it. Only one place will delive pizza but it's too complicated, as our address is linked with my personal email address and password (?!) so most will just get take out at that point.
I had that issue this spring where we ended up steaming lobsters for guests but it only worked out for them that we happened to be home. What they would have done if we weren't and everything was locked up, I don't know.
Room in our back garage for bikes but building a storage shed for just that purpose is in our list of things to do.

 

[OnTheShore]

Not many options for delivery here but when they order pizza we ask them to come down and meet the delivery at the front door. This has not been a problem so far. (knocking on wood)
We put TV tables in the closet of each room as we do not have room for tables in each. Some take their food out to the balcony or eat at one of the many outdoor areas.
We have a covered pavilion where guests can store their bikes.
No grills, no cooking period. You know that if they do, that means they also want a prepping area in the kitchen and oh, I forgot this or that! Next thing you know you will be their personal chef!

.

Of course he'd need to clean up somewhere because how can you safely wash up raw chicken containers and utensils in the guest room with only a small bathroom sink. And how would he clean the grill off - I'd wind up having to do it. This guy just keeps getting better - we have a compacted bluestone driveway (not paved as that's over $70K for how long our driveway is and keeping it natural makes it better for environment and wildlife spotting - they use our driveway as a trail so guests see moose, beer, etc.). He told Hubby last night that our bluestone driveway is getting into the calibers of his truck and causing them to grind. We've lived here for 12 years and had thousands of guests, even some with fancy Corvettes and Porsches, and NO ONE has had any issues. This guy should just stay home away from people. I hate one nighters but wish to the heavens he was - nope 5 night stay for this guy. I'll really need some vodka or valium soon.
.

I'll bet his truck is equipped with 4-wheel drive, and reasonably big tires, too. Capable of driving off-road -- in mud and and all kinds of stuff, let alone a blue-stone driveway!
I find it sad when people buy vehicles like this and yet never ever take them off of paved highways.

 

[user 26]

Guests ordering food had to be down at the door to accept delivery.
Breakfast to the room for a fee. But this needed to be prearranged so I could have a table set up in the room if it didn't already have one, not a breakfast tray.
I had a barn for bike storage but there were some with bikes costing as much as a used car. They were really worried about leaving their bikes in the barn. I had a whole house rental for the bike groups ... these were touring groups ... they'd bike to a place, stay the night, bike the area, stay the next night, and then ride off to the next place ... There was a van that followed them for basic repair or in case of injury, but they rode their bikes everywhere. I totally understood their worry when I caught on to how much they had invested in those bicycles and ended up having a carpenter make a secure 'room' or shop within the barn. It was something I needed anyway as I had power tools and other things that had to be securely stored. There were two people with folding bikes that went into huge canvas bags that they lugged up to their rooms.

 

[TheBeachHouse]

In a million years I would never steam lobsters for a guest. I hate the smell in the house and the garbage attracts raccoons! We have had people bring steamed lobsters to the house for dinner and eat them on the porch. I was wary, but she cleaned the area up better than I would have myself.
Many people take pizza to their rooms. I don't like it, but have never told anyone not to.
The bike? We did put a pair in our shed once, but in general, you bring 'em, you store 'em. Most people leave them on the fancy rack they have on their car. I wouldn't want them in the house.
The driveway is ruining his fancy-azz car???? Hahahhahhahahaaaaa! Oh well, right?

 

[Copperhead]

Not many options for delivery here but when they order pizza we ask them to come down and meet the delivery at the front door. This has not been a problem so far. (knocking on wood)
We put TV tables in the closet of each room as we do not have room for tables in each. Some take their food out to the balcony or eat at one of the many outdoor areas.
We have a covered pavilion where guests can store their bikes.
No grills, no cooking period. You know that if they do, that means they also want a prepping area in the kitchen and oh, I forgot this or that! Next thing you know you will be their personal chef!

.

Of course he'd need to clean up somewhere because how can you safely wash up raw chicken containers and utensils in the guest room with only a small bathroom sink. And how would he clean the grill off - I'd wind up having to do it. This guy just keeps getting better - we have a compacted bluestone driveway (not paved as that's over $70K for how long our driveway is and keeping it natural makes it better for environment and wildlife spotting - they use our driveway as a trail so guests see moose, beer, etc.). He told Hubby last night that our bluestone driveway is getting into the calibers of his truck and causing them to grind. We've lived here for 12 years and had thousands of guests, even some with fancy Corvettes and Porsches, and NO ONE has had any issues. This guy should just stay home away from people. I hate one nighters but wish to the heavens he was - nope 5 night stay for this guy. I'll really need some vodka or valium soon.
.

He told Hubby last night that our bluestone driveway is getting into the calibers of his truck and causing them to grind. We've lived here for 12 years and had thousands of guests, even some with fancy Corvettes and Porsches, and NO ONE has had any issues. This guy should just stay home away from people. I hate one nighters but wish to the heavens he was - nope 5 night stay for this guy. I'll really need some vodka or valium soon.

HaHA Right! Guess he has never taken it off road! The truck is saying 'finally'.

 

[Lee2014]

Not many options for delivery here but when they order pizza we ask them to come down and meet the delivery at the front door. This has not been a problem so far. (knocking on wood)
We put TV tables in the closet of each room as we do not have room for tables in each. Some take their food out to the balcony or eat at one of the many outdoor areas.
We have a covered pavilion where guests can store their bikes.
No grills, no cooking period. You know that if they do, that means they also want a prepping area in the kitchen and oh, I forgot this or that! Next thing you know you will be their personal chef!

.

Of course he'd need to clean up somewhere because how can you safely wash up raw chicken containers and utensils in the guest room with only a small bathroom sink. And how would he clean the grill off - I'd wind up having to do it. This guy just keeps getting better - we have a compacted bluestone driveway (not paved as that's over $70K for how long our driveway is and keeping it natural makes it better for environment and wildlife spotting - they use our driveway as a trail so guests see moose, beer, etc.). He told Hubby last night that our bluestone driveway is getting into the calibers of his truck and causing them to grind. We've lived here for 12 years and had thousands of guests, even some with fancy Corvettes and Porsches, and NO ONE has had any issues. This guy should just stay home away from people. I hate one nighters but wish to the heavens he was - nope 5 night stay for this guy. I'll really need some vodka or valium soon.
.

Probably the grinding is the noise the truck is making translated, "Yah! This is great! Watch me spin my tires." My car hates traffic. It will sit there and rattle it's frustration.

 

[Innkeep]

One weekend a year I have triathletes with those very expensive bikes. For the ones who insist, I have a less traveled hallway near the entrance that I let them park their bikes in. I have an unlocked spare garage at the back of the property for people with regular priced bikes.

 

[Jcam]

we allow food in the rooms as them sneeking it in makes more mess - try and discourage currys as much as possible
Bikes - when we redid the extension on the back we put in a bike store as with the tour de france coming through we are doing more cyclists etc and wanted to tap into that as many bikes are worth more than my car.
No outside cooking - not really a thing in the UK anyway due to the weather plus no outside space suitable most is car park.
Breakfast in rooms - fine if one half is willing to do all the running - otherwise no we serve 21 with 2 of us - no one spare for running over 3 stories with breakfasts.

 

[JBloggs]

I thought about this before answering. Knowing your higher price point brings two issues: 1) they will expect more. 2) you should be able to set limits more. It is a two edged sword.
As a guest, you cannot tell me not to bring in food or eat when and where I like, it is absurd. I am not a child, don't treat me like one. (That is the guest speaking)
Also it appears too many have no idea how precious and well looked after expensive bicycles are, i want to keep an eye on it. The "bike rack" on my car is to transport it, not store it.
As for grilling, if you have it in sight, and you are B&B/ lodge/ inn then I should be able to use it. (If not, the innkeeper speaking says HIDE THE DANG THING) bring their own grill? No, this isnt a campground.
Breakfast delivery- do you have the manpower to do this? It is not the delivery alone, but cleaning it all up afterward too. Food will be sitting in the room, so ask them to place trays outside the door. And for additional,cost to deliver make it higher if it is not what you want tomdo all the time. We only offer it in two rooms, which are also the most expensive tooms, so they can't book a less priced and expect it. Make it avail weekends only. Do a trial run and see what works for you. It is nice pocket change.
We know how it is innkeeper, tail wagging the dog if we don't set limits. But no harm in asking, let people be people. They just want to enjoy their stay there. They are number one in their own eyes, not guest 578 like you see them.
ps sorry for typos on "device" as forum is not device friendly.

 

[TheBeachHouse]

with regard to the code to open the door, have the delivery guy call the guest on his cell to say he is at the door.
we get this a lot. the guest goes back up to his room and the delivery guy rings our doorbell! NO! If you order food, be in the main room to answer the door. (Which I tell them as I give them the take out menu.)

 

[Morticia]

We had a set of golf clubs come in the door today. That's a first. I sincerely hope they didn't clean them with the good towels.
It's on the guest to know in advance, before the reservation is made, what is included. If the guest needs bike storage they should ask in advance if that is available. They should not expect to wheel the thing thru the house. What is acceptable in their home, with two people, may not be acceptable in a house with 14 people.
If the guest needs car washing or under cover motorcycle storage they should ask before the rez is made.
They really should not expect that a B&B that does not advertise these extras has them.
BTW, does he expect you to pave the driveway just for his convenience?