How far do you venture from the inn when you have guests?

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Also noting that you need to have your place set up in a way that guests can find what they need if they need it (little items like corkscrews) and also that the innkeepers quarters are completely locakable and protected when you are not home. Obv if you have a front door you never lock and any tom, dick or harry can waltz in, then you better be there. But I feel we have to get our places set up so we can zip out to walk the dog or burn off steam or grab a bite. We cannot, altho we mostly are, we cannot be enslaved to these businesses.
I don't think guests appreciate being babysat, they like to do their own thing. If they like to be babysat then I don't want them as my guests. You all know the type - corner you and suck the life out of you every time you see them. We find ways to HIDE OUT from those. Funny I have seen that on TA reviews where they comment the "innkeepers were always hiding" wonder why!
We had a totally full house and this guest emailed and commented she wanted more time with the innkeepers, this is after I spent OVER AN HOUR (not less, OVER) with them at check in chatting. I had all the other rooms checking in and they didn't give a rip!
I was running on empty, our life was in turmoil as we spent the entire weekend working no time to ourselves. I got irritated by that comment, really irritated. What did she think I was doing when I had two breakfast seatings and clearing up and stripping beds, and a full house all weekend? Sheesh.
 
I leave all the time, Go shopping, Go eat dinner, Hang out with my Partner and Parents, stuff like that. All Guests have my Business # which I forward to my cell, I also have a Live in site Housekeeper.
Most Guests are corporate and here for Months, so there needs are limited! I check in with them a few times I week
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Now if I take a Vacation (Mini) Like Next week, My housekeeper call every 10 minutes,,, LOL
 
I never leave if it is a full house. Or multiple check ins. If there is one check in only and like the couple who called us from 4 hours away at 8pm, I will do what I need to do. I will not be stuck here waiting and waiting. (I say that but often I am stuck waiting!)
I do leave if it is one or two rooms and they are out and about. I love to leave, or I will go insane. I go walking around town, walk to the restaurant on the corner, go out to our land or nearby river with bike and walking trails.
If it is evening and we have one or two rooms we try to not be out too far from the inn or for very long. Typically we get back and the guests have not even been back yet.
If I have guests checked in I will go to church, go to the store, go walking, go to nearby dinner, go to the pharmacy, any place in town or near town (since it is a small town), I won't go to our "nearby" city 20 minutes away without leaving DH here or vice versa.
Guests have our contact info in all instances. I won't be tied to this inn when I don't have to be. I am here ALL THE TIME. I think if we are never able to leave we will burn out. I must get out!! MUST!!
In the first year or so I never left with guests here. I remember saying "How can I ever go shopping?" I had to pick up kids at school - every single day. It was so stressful.
Then I said "Why am I stressing over this? The guests don't mind."
Like I mentioned "Took Sebastaion to his tuba lesson" it didn't bother me in the least, I liked it. But I am a guest who DOES NOT want to be entertained by the innkeepers, at all. I am there for a reason and it is not to listen to innkeepers dribble on about their lives or jobs. I have been roped into that, forced to listen to them and felt nauseas (TN B&B)! I think many innkeepers are good at reading guests and know when that is not what guests want. Esp when they sit down and eat with you on your anniversary that took highwater for you to finally get away together!
The only time I am interested in the innkeepers are my inn-mates from this forum. That is when I WANT to hear all about them - stuff I do not know. I enjoy that..
JunieBJones (JBJ) said:
In the first year or so I never left with guests here. I remember saying "How can I ever go shopping?" I had to pick up kids at school - every single day. It was so stressful.
Then I said "Why am I stressing over this? The guests don't mind."
We don't stress, we split. And, as you say, the guests don't mind. We chat a little at check in, and do the dinner spiel, but I generally spend most of my time with them at breakfast.
Next week we'll have a full house with guests attending a seminar. In the past I've enjoyed visiting with guests from this seminar in the evening. But even then, it might be one evening of all of us chatting, or a visit with a guest for a bit, but other evenings where they go to their rooms and work on what they're learning.
=)
Kk.
 
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