I have four rooms and I don't always know when guests leave for the day, so I can fluff their rooms. Do you use "do not disturb" or "please clean " signs and if you do, do guests always remember to use them? Any other ideas? Thanks.
Personally, I wouldn't mind not having to clean every room everyday. It's the one time I got a 'princess and the pea' guest who put the sign out in the evening when they went to dinner, we missed it, as of course we would, and the guest got peeved that would cancel the whole thing for me.We have 5 guest rooms and try to watch who has headed out, otherwise we do check the cars in the drive. We do have signs for 'Do Not Disturb" that has a note below for the guest that housekeeping is done between the hours of 11 and 1. (this info is also in our guest room books)
NOTE: just because the car is gone does not necessarily mean everyone in that room is gone; ALWAYS knock!!!!
We went to a B&B that had 2 door hangers of different colors, white meant clean the room, black was do not distrub. The innkeeper went through a lengthy discussion on this which made me think, wow this is time consumming during check in (this place had 20+ rooms)..
Personally, I wouldn't mind not having to clean every room everyday. It's the one time I got a 'princess and the pea' guest who put the sign out in the evening when they went to dinner, we missed it, as of course we would, and the guest got peeved that would cancel the whole thing for me.We have 5 guest rooms and try to watch who has headed out, otherwise we do check the cars in the drive. We do have signs for 'Do Not Disturb" that has a note below for the guest that housekeeping is done between the hours of 11 and 1. (this info is also in our guest room books)
NOTE: just because the car is gone does not necessarily mean everyone in that room is gone; ALWAYS knock!!!!
We went to a B&B that had 2 door hangers of different colors, white meant clean the room, black was do not distrub. The innkeeper went through a lengthy discussion on this which made me think, wow this is time consumming during check in (this place had 20+ rooms)..
We just had guests for over a week who never wanted thier room touched. Yes, over a week. They asked one time for new towels but they took their own trash out to the dumpster when they thought it needed to go.
More like that would be nice but it was definitely harder to clean that bathroom 9 days later than it would have been had we been running thru there everyday.
I've noticed more guests telling us it isn't necessary to tidy their rooms, tho. Shy? Maybe. Leaving expensive equipment in the room? Maybe. Whatever the reason it has been a trend so far this month.
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You'd really be surprised just how many guests will simply leave their do-not-disturb signs hanging the whole time they're there. Which is reason enough for me to really like the signs. They give guests more privacy while saving the inn both time and money. What's not to like about that?Morticia said:Personally, I wouldn't mind not having to clean every room everyday
A few years ago there was a contest to desing witty door hangers. I can't find the results any longer but some of them were a riot. They got very creative. It was a hotel-based contest. Some were real works of art and others it was impossible to understand what they were for. Had they not been hanging on the doorknobs, no one would have known what to do with them.Personally, I wouldn't mind not having to clean every room everyday. It's the one time I got a 'princess and the pea' guest who put the sign out in the evening when they went to dinner, we missed it, as of course we would, and the guest got peeved that would cancel the whole thing for me.We have 5 guest rooms and try to watch who has headed out, otherwise we do check the cars in the drive. We do have signs for 'Do Not Disturb" that has a note below for the guest that housekeeping is done between the hours of 11 and 1. (this info is also in our guest room books)
NOTE: just because the car is gone does not necessarily mean everyone in that room is gone; ALWAYS knock!!!!
We went to a B&B that had 2 door hangers of different colors, white meant clean the room, black was do not distrub. The innkeeper went through a lengthy discussion on this which made me think, wow this is time consumming during check in (this place had 20+ rooms)..
We just had guests for over a week who never wanted thier room touched. Yes, over a week. They asked one time for new towels but they took their own trash out to the dumpster when they thought it needed to go.
More like that would be nice but it was definitely harder to clean that bathroom 9 days later than it would have been had we been running thru there everyday.
I've noticed more guests telling us it isn't necessary to tidy their rooms, tho. Shy? Maybe. Leaving expensive equipment in the room? Maybe. Whatever the reason it has been a trend so far this month.
.You'd really be surprised just how many guests will simply leave their do-not-disturb signs hanging the whole time they're there. Which is reason enough for me to really like the signs. They give guests more privacy while saving the inn both time and money. What's not to like about that?Morticia said:Personally, I wouldn't mind not having to clean every room everyday
Provided, that is, that they're not only tastefully designed (and there are plenty of nice ones out there) but also easy for guests to understand. If they need explaining at check-in (like the one's CH described finding at an inn), well, they're just silly.
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Very small here so I check the parking lot, look for door hangers or call their room. Mary in BridgewaterWe have the door hangers and guests rarely use them except the PRIVACY side. But, I like having them. Room books also have info about when we re-fresh the rooms but of course there are plenty of people that never read them!
We usually end up chatting up guests at breakfast or right after and offer concierge services (directions, maps, dinner reservations, etc.) so that gives us an opportunity for us to figure out when they're out and to tell them that we'll refresh their rooms while they're sightseeing or whatever. Romantic weekends are really the only time that folks pass on daily maid service. Most appreciate it and we like to get in there and refresh rooms for guests. We have several pretty large suites and one has a full kitchen. We've had guests really "live" in that room and wish that we had gotten in there to empty trash, etc.
We also try to do a turndown service but we tell the guests that we only do it if we can tell if they're out of the room. We have 2 buildings so sometimes it's difficult to see when folks are gone for the day or when they leave for dinner AND lots of people walk around here. In 2 years it's worked out fine though.
For me as a guest, it's nice to come back to a room that's been refreshed..
Very small here so I check the parking lot, look for door hangers or call their room. Mary in BridgewaterWe have the door hangers and guests rarely use them except the PRIVACY side. But, I like having them. Room books also have info about when we re-fresh the rooms but of course there are plenty of people that never read them!
We usually end up chatting up guests at breakfast or right after and offer concierge services (directions, maps, dinner reservations, etc.) so that gives us an opportunity for us to figure out when they're out and to tell them that we'll refresh their rooms while they're sightseeing or whatever. Romantic weekends are really the only time that folks pass on daily maid service. Most appreciate it and we like to get in there and refresh rooms for guests. We have several pretty large suites and one has a full kitchen. We've had guests really "live" in that room and wish that we had gotten in there to empty trash, etc.
We also try to do a turndown service but we tell the guests that we only do it if we can tell if they're out of the room. We have 2 buildings so sometimes it's difficult to see when folks are gone for the day or when they leave for dinner AND lots of people walk around here. In 2 years it's worked out fine though.
For me as a guest, it's nice to come back to a room that's been refreshed..
.
Ditto...if their car is gone and no noise comes from the room, then I knock.Mary at Bridgewater Inn and Cottage said:Very small here so I check the parking lot, look for door hangers or call their room. Mary in Bridgewater
Gotta say those Embassy Suites contest winners are absolutely adorable.A few years ago there was a contest to desing witty door hangers. I can't find the results any longer but some of them were a riot. They got very creative. It was a hotel-based contest. Some were real works of art and others it was impossible to understand what they were for. Had they not been hanging on the doorknobs, no one would have known what to do with them.Personally, I wouldn't mind not having to clean every room everyday. It's the one time I got a 'princess and the pea' guest who put the sign out in the evening when they went to dinner, we missed it, as of course we would, and the guest got peeved that would cancel the whole thing for me.We have 5 guest rooms and try to watch who has headed out, otherwise we do check the cars in the drive. We do have signs for 'Do Not Disturb" that has a note below for the guest that housekeeping is done between the hours of 11 and 1. (this info is also in our guest room books)
NOTE: just because the car is gone does not necessarily mean everyone in that room is gone; ALWAYS knock!!!!
We went to a B&B that had 2 door hangers of different colors, white meant clean the room, black was do not distrub. The innkeeper went through a lengthy discussion on this which made me think, wow this is time consumming during check in (this place had 20+ rooms)..
We just had guests for over a week who never wanted thier room touched. Yes, over a week. They asked one time for new towels but they took their own trash out to the dumpster when they thought it needed to go.
More like that would be nice but it was definitely harder to clean that bathroom 9 days later than it would have been had we been running thru there everyday.
I've noticed more guests telling us it isn't necessary to tidy their rooms, tho. Shy? Maybe. Leaving expensive equipment in the room? Maybe. Whatever the reason it has been a trend so far this month.
.You'd really be surprised just how many guests will simply leave their do-not-disturb signs hanging the whole time they're there. Which is reason enough for me to really like the signs. They give guests more privacy while saving the inn both time and money. What's not to like about that?Morticia said:Personally, I wouldn't mind not having to clean every room everyday
Provided, that is, that they're not only tastefully designed (and there are plenty of nice ones out there) but also easy for guests to understand. If they need explaining at check-in (like the one's CH described finding at an inn), well, they're just silly.
.
Then again, there is this I just found...granddad's collection of doorhangers from around the world.
A different contest.
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We do the same. Usually i am working in my office so I hear if people leave and will just look out my door if I am really curious to know who left. I am also able to see our parking lot from my office. We also will sometimes ask what the guest has planned for the day and they tell us if they are going to meet someone, go somewhere and even will tell us when they plan on doing that so we kind of have a general idea how long they will be staying in their room.Very small here so I check the parking lot, look for door hangers or call their room. Mary in BridgewaterWe have the door hangers and guests rarely use them except the PRIVACY side. But, I like having them. Room books also have info about when we re-fresh the rooms but of course there are plenty of people that never read them!
We usually end up chatting up guests at breakfast or right after and offer concierge services (directions, maps, dinner reservations, etc.) so that gives us an opportunity for us to figure out when they're out and to tell them that we'll refresh their rooms while they're sightseeing or whatever. Romantic weekends are really the only time that folks pass on daily maid service. Most appreciate it and we like to get in there and refresh rooms for guests. We have several pretty large suites and one has a full kitchen. We've had guests really "live" in that room and wish that we had gotten in there to empty trash, etc.
We also try to do a turndown service but we tell the guests that we only do it if we can tell if they're out of the room. We have 2 buildings so sometimes it's difficult to see when folks are gone for the day or when they leave for dinner AND lots of people walk around here. In 2 years it's worked out fine though.
For me as a guest, it's nice to come back to a room that's been refreshed..
.Ditto...if their car is gone and no noise comes from the room, then I knock.Mary at Bridgewater Inn and Cottage said:Very small here so I check the parking lot, look for door hangers or call their room. Mary in Bridgewater
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We do a couple of things to keep track of who is coming and going. We have a dry erase board in the kitchen which lists the rooms, names, time of breakfast, dietary restrictions and make of car. That way if it's insanely crazy, we can always look to see who's car is in the lot. The other thing we have is a driveway monitor (a hose, sort of like a gas station) which does a ding-dong in the inn's kitchen and our separate innkeeper's house. This way I know if someone has drive up or has left. I can't tell you how much this monitor has helped me. I no longer feel like I have to be on alert, listening to hear a car door or constantly looking out a window to see if a check-in has pulled up.
We only refresh rooms until 12:00 noon. After that, they can let us know if they need any clean towels, etc. I have thought about doing a door hanger, but like a previous poster, didn't want the guest to think if they hung it out we would freshen their room any time of the day or night. I still might do the door hanger, but it would say only "ROOM FRESHENING NOT NEEDED". That way I would know not to bother, yet it doesn't give guests another option..
I like that idea a lot - not just for guests, but we've had problems lately with all the snow of college kids whose own parking lot isn't plowed deciding that it's okay to park in our lot. After we've spent a lot of time and moved our own cars elsewhere so our guests would have a place to park. Would you mind sharing where you got your monitor, maybe the brand name, and is it battery-operated or plug-in?Breakfast Diva said:The other thing we have is a driveway monitor (a hose, sort of like a gas station) which does a ding-dong in the inn's kitchen and our separate innkeeper's house. This way I know if someone has drive up or has left. I can't tell you how much this monitor has helped me. I no longer feel like I have to be on alert, listening to hear a car door or constantly looking out a window to see if a check-in has pulled up.