Getting on the Package Wagon

[JBloggs]

Will you try any new packages in 2010?
I had a few successful packages last year, and am adding a couple different this year. Would you keep it simple and only show a few packages available at one time, or have a full listing of them? Would one method sell more than the other?

 

[Baygirl]

I'm trying to think of a few more packages. The romance package we offer is a hit. Would like to keep it simple and maybe add something that includes the movies. I think I would show all the listing of the different packages offered.

 

[muirford]

I have two basic packages and think I will add two more this year based on requests - one for chocolate-dipped strawberries and one for a cheese plate. I took photos of them when I did them as a special request to be able to add them to our list for this year.

 

[aieechihuahua]

We've never done packages, but I am thinking about it. To those of you who do, are they one night stays or minimum of two?

 

[muirford]

I generally do mine as add-ons so you can order them with either a one-night or two-night stay. Over holidays or special events I will include items on a two-night stay. I think I am going to only do a massage with a two-night stay in the future, though.

 

[aieechihuahua]

I generally do mine as add-ons so you can order them with either a one-night or two-night stay. Over holidays or special events I will include items on a two-night stay. I think I am going to only do a massage with a two-night stay in the future, though..

I generally do mine as add-ons so you can order them with either a one-night or two-night stay. Over holidays or special events I will include items on a two-night stay. I think I am going to only do a massage with a two-night stay in the future, though.

Why?

 

[muirford]

I generally do mine as add-ons so you can order them with either a one-night or two-night stay. Over holidays or special events I will include items on a two-night stay. I think I am going to only do a massage with a two-night stay in the future, though..

I generally do mine as add-ons so you can order them with either a one-night or two-night stay. Over holidays or special events I will include items on a two-night stay. I think I am going to only do a massage with a two-night stay in the future, though.

Why?
.

Why?

Why the massage with a 2-day stay only? Because my massage therapist is very generous with her time and one-hour usually turns into 90 to 120 minutes. With a 3:00 check-in, 11:00 checkout, breakfast 8:30 to 9:30, and folks going out to dinner around 6:30 (our restaurants are a star attraction) - the actual time to schedule a massage is kinda limited without allowing an early check-in or late check-out. When I've done it, people are late getting here - you know how that goes - and the therapist sits around or then they have to reschedule dinner - it just gets to be a big mess. It's much easier if it can be scheduled late morning or early afternoon of a stayover day.

 

[EmptyNest]

I generally do mine as add-ons so you can order them with either a one-night or two-night stay. Over holidays or special events I will include items on a two-night stay. I think I am going to only do a massage with a two-night stay in the future, though..

I generally do mine as add-ons so you can order them with either a one-night or two-night stay. Over holidays or special events I will include items on a two-night stay. I think I am going to only do a massage with a two-night stay in the future, though.

Why?
.

Why?

Why the massage with a 2-day stay only? Because my massage therapist is very generous with her time and one-hour usually turns into 90 to 120 minutes. With a 3:00 check-in, 11:00 checkout, breakfast 8:30 to 9:30, and folks going out to dinner around 6:30 (our restaurants are a star attraction) - the actual time to schedule a massage is kinda limited without allowing an early check-in or late check-out. When I've done it, people are late getting here - you know how that goes - and the therapist sits around or then they have to reschedule dinner - it just gets to be a big mess. It's much easier if it can be scheduled late morning or early afternoon of a stayover day.
.

I have to agree with you on this one. It is tough finding a good time if they are only there for one night. This might not be the case elsewhere and maybe would work. We did massages with one nighters and it was fine though sometimes the times did get tricky. My massage therapist is a "stickler" for timing. SHe's always there on time and times it all perfectly so she can get out and on to others.

 

[JBloggs]

We had guests who would book a massage at the corner spa on a Friday night at 6pm and arrive at 7 or 8pm. It is way too tight to travel and get there and get the massage, not relaxing that way either! I would say a two nighter is the way to go for those type packages for sure.
Anyone else care to share WHAT your NEW packages will include? I have been dragging my feet on the chocolate dipped strawberries, it seems many inns offer this and guests enjoy it. I am never certain if I will be able to find any decent berries, so I am hesitant. Like right now, none to be had.
What sort of seasonal packages do you do where you are? I think many are more seasonal.

 

[EmptyNest]

We had guests who would book a massage at the corner spa on a Friday night at 6pm and arrive at 7 or 8pm. It is way too tight to travel and get there and get the massage, not relaxing that way either! I would say a two nighter is the way to go for those type packages for sure.
Anyone else care to share WHAT your NEW packages will include? I have been dragging my feet on the chocolate dipped strawberries, it seems many inns offer this and guests enjoy it. I am never certain if I will be able to find any decent berries, so I am hesitant. Like right now, none to be had.
What sort of seasonal packages do you do where you are? I think many are more seasonal..

Yes, it can be real iffy on getting good strawberries during the winter months. I just did them summers. We had good success with our cheese and cracker tray with sparkling cider or wine if you have your liqour license. What about offering some sort of delectable chocolate dessert?

 

[gillumhouse]

My Bike N Winery and Covered Bridges & Wine are basically the same package but appeal to different types of guests. Both have been very successful. Although the Bring Your Horses Pkg does not get used a lot, it does get used. My packages are 2-nights although the Inn-toInns are one night each inn. They have been very good for revenue. The Thanksgiving package alone gave me my December expense funds plus the insurance payment. I have added the Din er Dol lars package for the winter to see if it works. I am thinking about doing a Mine Monument Tribute Package but have to check out one of them - have been told it is not open except at the anniversary of the disaster - and do the routing. I have several big ones here - Monongah, Dola, Farmington, and Sago. It would be a history of mines but I need to do a bit more work on it.
I have not had that many requess for massage the last couple years. I think people have discovered massage as something they get anytime - it is no longer the "luxury I do not get at home" that it used to be.

 

[aieechihuahua]

I generally do mine as add-ons so you can order them with either a one-night or two-night stay. Over holidays or special events I will include items on a two-night stay. I think I am going to only do a massage with a two-night stay in the future, though..

I generally do mine as add-ons so you can order them with either a one-night or two-night stay. Over holidays or special events I will include items on a two-night stay. I think I am going to only do a massage with a two-night stay in the future, though.

Why?
.

Why?

Why the massage with a 2-day stay only? Because my massage therapist is very generous with her time and one-hour usually turns into 90 to 120 minutes. With a 3:00 check-in, 11:00 checkout, breakfast 8:30 to 9:30, and folks going out to dinner around 6:30 (our restaurants are a star attraction) - the actual time to schedule a massage is kinda limited without allowing an early check-in or late check-out. When I've done it, people are late getting here - you know how that goes - and the therapist sits around or then they have to reschedule dinner - it just gets to be a big mess. It's much easier if it can be scheduled late morning or early afternoon of a stayover day.
.

very good reasons I would not have thought of. Thanks!!

 

[JBloggs]

The massage thing here has become that guests check in and expect to just walk in to a spa and get one, they have set hours and reserved massages here, no walking in for one. Apparently as you say K, they are getting them more often, so expect the same thing they find in a large city to occur here, not happenin' I'm afraid. I would like to do inn-room massage package. I might check around and see if I can find anyone, most of them told me in the past "I don't work weekends, I got into this to pick and choose MY hours" FINE!
As we traveled home yesterday taking the blue highways and staying off the interstates - there was one thing we noticed - the lack of restaurants in each small town. The further we drove the hungrier we got and could find NOTHING open on a Sunday. Most of the towns didn't even have a McDonalds.
We discussed this and what OUR guests find when they arrive and how we accommodate their dining needs. All I could say was, the poorer the town the less the restaurants. Restaurants for tourists and special occasions in some of them, but bascially the people IN THE TOWNS were not eating out, that much was obvious. Now I understand when a guest calling asks if there iwll be someplace to eat and I shake my head finding that an odd question.

 

[gillumhouse]

The massage thing here has become that guests check in and expect to just walk in to a spa and get one, they have set hours and reserved massages here, no walking in for one. Apparently as you say K, they are getting them more often, so expect the same thing they find in a large city to occur here, not happenin' I'm afraid. I would like to do inn-room massage package. I might check around and see if I can find anyone, most of them told me in the past "I don't work weekends, I got into this to pick and choose MY hours" FINE!
As we traveled home yesterday taking the blue highways and staying off the interstates - there was one thing we noticed - the lack of restaurants in each small town. The further we drove the hungrier we got and could find NOTHING open on a Sunday. Most of the towns didn't even have a McDonalds.
We discussed this and what OUR guests find when they arrive and how we accommodate their dining needs. All I could say was, the poorer the town the less the restaurants. Restaurants for tourists and special occasions in some of them, but bascially the people IN THE TOWNS were not eating out, that much was obvious. Now I understand when a guest calling asks if there iwll be someplace to eat and I shake my head finding that an odd question..

Lack of places to eat is common in rural areas everywhere. Not enough population to support an eatery even if they DID eat out. One reason I added the packed lunch to some of my packages. I understand the question because I grew up rural.
My Canadians were happy to discover they would be able to walk to the Chinese restaurant AND that they actually had choices of going out or ordering in. Now if I can just get them back out to the stable in the morning and back to the highway - it started snowing just before they arrived and I heard it could be as much as 6 inches,

 

[JBloggs]

I have fallen off the package wagon.
It is always one bad apple that makes our policies isn't it. My one fear doing packages is someone cancelling and being irrational and being stuck with the bill. Now I am nervous and rethinking my packages.

 

[Morticia]

I have fallen off the package wagon.
It is always one bad apple that makes our policies isn't it. My one fear doing packages is someone cancelling and being irrational and being stuck with the bill. Now I am nervous and rethinking my packages..

I have fallen off the package wagon.
It is always one bad apple that makes our policies isn't it. My one fear doing packages is someone cancelling and being irrational and being stuck with the bill. Now I am nervous and rethinking my packages.

With the pkg I did inn to inn, we required a $200 deposit so we could buy the GC's that went along with it. That would not have been refunded even if we had decided to refund the rooms. I would not say the $$$ were to buy the GC's as the guest would then expect those to be mailed to them. It's a deposit to do all the legwork.
When I have an add on, I tell the guest that as soon as I have purchased the parts for the add on (balloons, flowers, cake, whatever) that part is no longer refundable if they cancel.
So these are way to work a pkg. You select a portion of the pkg that is req'd, no matter what, and that does not get refunded regardless.

 

[JBloggs]

Yes I know, but when they call it is another story, when we put a room back in inventory vs having spent $75 on a dinner cruise or something we get stuck with. Funny the dinner cruise has a non refundable booking policy but we B&B's can't seem to!
You are right, the leg work and planning is all part of it. I am always waiting to hear someone say like this man "I did not agree to those policies, my wife did and that is MY credit card"

 

[Morticia]

Yes I know, but when they call it is another story, when we put a room back in inventory vs having spent $75 on a dinner cruise or something we get stuck with. Funny the dinner cruise has a non refundable booking policy but we B&B's can't seem to!
You are right, the leg work and planning is all part of it. I am always waiting to hear someone say like this man "I did not agree to those policies, my wife did and that is MY credit card".

You are right, the leg work and planning is all part of it. I am always waiting to hear someone say like this man "I did not agree to those policies, my wife did and that is MY credit card"

I know this is going off the deep end on this, but you could reply to THAT comment, 'Then I am going to have to report this as a stolen credit card as the user did not have your permission.'

 

[JBloggs]

Yes I know, but when they call it is another story, when we put a room back in inventory vs having spent $75 on a dinner cruise or something we get stuck with. Funny the dinner cruise has a non refundable booking policy but we B&B's can't seem to!
You are right, the leg work and planning is all part of it. I am always waiting to hear someone say like this man "I did not agree to those policies, my wife did and that is MY credit card".

You are right, the leg work and planning is all part of it. I am always waiting to hear someone say like this man "I did not agree to those policies, my wife did and that is MY credit card"

I know this is going off the deep end on this, but you could reply to THAT comment, 'Then I am going to have to report this as a stolen credit card as the user did not have your permission.'
.

Nice!
Hopefully he didn't do that already or he won't get his refund.

 

[egoodell]

We've never done packages, but I am thinking about it. To those of you who do, are they one night stays or minimum of two?.

We've never done packages, but I am thinking about it. To those of you who do, are they one night stays or minimum of two?

Our main packages are just add ons. Cheese plate - we have a local woman who makes a fantastic cheese ball that we can purchase in bulk - 12 at a time because she delivers them frozen. So they are easy to do. We do dipped strawberries - I've been lucky enough even in winter to find good enough of them, and have chocolate on hand so they can be done the afternoon of. We have our license so can add a bottle of wine or sparkling at any time - we have a case on hand of three different wines. I just bought a massage table and have a list of massage therapists - three so am waiting to see if that will book.
Our bigger package is the add on of the wine tour. That's what sells the most. Since we have that we have not bothered with a restaurant package. But what I do have is a "gourmet picnic" Again, we have a wonderful local gourmet store and bakery. I pick up the salad and sandwich from the gourmet store, a tart from the bakery, kettle chips from the market, and use my cheese ball with crackers for the appetizer. Some folks take two days to eat it all and they love it. I take the cost and double it. $80 for two.
RIki