How many beds?

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white pine

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Newbie seeking advice again. I've read elsewhere on this blog that the second bed in a room often becomes a luggage rack. O.K., so how often is the second bed slept in? How often do people request a room with two beds? Do all rooms need two? This seems the standard in hotels & motels, but is it really optimal? Personally I like a good reading chair and maybe a small table or desk for my laptop. The place we are looking at is full of beds, unfortunately fulls and twins in the smaller rooms. I know we will have lots of upgrades to queens, maybe some kings when some walls come out. (Right now too many rooms that are too small and not enough baths. We are planning moving to all rooms with private baths.) What do you think is optimal for booking?
 
Who is your target market? Families? (Try to make some suites in that case, each with it's own bath so the rooms can be sold separately as well.) Couples? Friends? Mom & daughter? Guys?
That's how you figure out how many beds. Who is coming. Me? I don't want some crummy cot or fold out when I'm paying $200/night to go on vacation with my mother. (And I don't expect my 70 yo mother to sleep on the cot!)
You can, I know, force guests to take separate rooms. If you're the only game in town, it's a lot more money. We're not the only game so we have to balance that.
As for the second bed in our rooms...used a LOT. College trips for parent & child; friends traveling together; siblings; spouses.
At least give yourself the option of being able to put a second bed in the room. But it's more important if your market is couples to have seating.
 
I wish my smaller rooms (the ones with a shared bath) were large enough to have one of them with twin beds. There have been many times I needed 2 beds in a room.......
Edited to add would need only one room to have 2 beds in my market.
 
As stated, it all depends on the market you want to attract. If you are gearing toward families, of course you need more than one bed in at least some of the rooms (depending on the # of rooms). But if you are going with an all adult place you may opt for only one bed in each room.
I do have 2 rooms of my 5 that have a second bed. Originally the rooms had a queen and a full size sleeper sofa, after one broke due to miss use by a guest, we purchased day beds to take their place.. This works the best for us because they have dual purpose. How often are they used, in my case it is more seasonally... Summers & holidays, otherwise very little.
As Morticia gave the example of traveling with her mother, I will give the example of my recently departed guests, the husband and wife do not sleep in the same bed. They are repeat guests and always book the same room, and have been known to change their plans when 'their' room is unavailable.
 
Agree to all of the above.
Depends entirely on the market you expect and want to attract. Sounds like your place would be family friendly, so more beds would be the way.
Depends also on the size of the room. If the room seems too crowded now with the beds in them, they'll be way more crowded once guests and their bags are squeezed in.
A lot of inns find that the daybeds get a lot of use, even if no one's sleeping in them, as long as they're set up as comfy reading spots.
You'll also want to consider your septic capacity and just how many guests total you realistically can handle. More beds mean more flushes and they all add up.
 
Agree to all of the above.
Depends entirely on the market you expect and want to attract. Sounds like your place would be family friendly, so more beds would be the way.
Depends also on the size of the room. If the room seems too crowded now with the beds in them, they'll be way more crowded once guests and their bags are squeezed in.
A lot of inns find that the daybeds get a lot of use, even if no one's sleeping in them, as long as they're set up as comfy reading spots.
You'll also want to consider your septic capacity and just how many guests total you realistically can handle. More beds mean more flushes and they all add up..
We have all the 'stuff' to set the extra twins up as daybeds with cushions/pillows/bolsters so they can double as seating. What I found here was that as soon as I set up the daybed, someone came who wanted 2 beds (with all the bedding) so I had to undo the daybed covers and put the bolsters away.
Or, they used the daybed for adult entertainment and I had to wash the heavy covers all the time.
All the daybed stuff is in the attic. If the next owners want to try again they can.
 
Agree to all of the above.
Depends entirely on the market you expect and want to attract. Sounds like your place would be family friendly, so more beds would be the way.
Depends also on the size of the room. If the room seems too crowded now with the beds in them, they'll be way more crowded once guests and their bags are squeezed in.
A lot of inns find that the daybeds get a lot of use, even if no one's sleeping in them, as long as they're set up as comfy reading spots.
You'll also want to consider your septic capacity and just how many guests total you realistically can handle. More beds mean more flushes and they all add up..
We have all the 'stuff' to set the extra twins up as daybeds with cushions/pillows/bolsters so they can double as seating. What I found here was that as soon as I set up the daybed, someone came who wanted 2 beds (with all the bedding) so I had to undo the daybed covers and put the bolsters away.
Or, they used the daybed for adult entertainment and I had to wash the heavy covers all the time.
All the daybed stuff is in the attic. If the next owners want to try again they can.
.
Morticia said:
Or, they used the daybed for adult entertainment and I had to wash the heavy covers all the time.
There are always those guests who confuse the comfy reading spot with an open invitation to entertain each other.
 
Three of my rooms have a queen bed and a daybed. The daybeds are not fun to make up and when it is just a couple for a romantic weekend, it gets used as a luggage rack. UGH! I don't think any of my guests have ever used the daybed as a sofa. I hate having a third person in a room but they sure do come in handy when there is the third person and yes that does happen a lot. Much better than making up a sofabed and guests seem to appreciate it more.
 
Thanks guys for the imput. I was planning on a mix of rooms. Three suites with a layout of large room small room and bath; One "flex" suite with a large room and a small room with a connecting bath between which could be booked as a suite, large room with bath or twin with bath. The other rooms vary in size but will have their own bath. One would work well with a king, some of the others would do best with a combination of smaller beds. One suite downstairs is planned as ADA compliant.
It was suggested to me to watch the total number of rooms and beds to keep it under the % of rooms which need to be compliant. Having travelled with elder parents, I like the layout of this suite, and it is close to an outside door where a ramp could be installed with drive access but minimal visual impact.
I am relieved you all think a mix is ok. I didn't want to think of replacing all the beds with queens. I was planning on doing a daybed in some of the suites, I may rethink that. Some of the beds are going to go anyway, but some are nice and add alot of character. Thanks again.
 
I am going to jump back in here about the daybed thing. My experience is quiet different than the others here. I love my daybeds and so do our guests. They do use them to lounge & more when there are only 2 of them, but that is my intention. I have a change in bedding if needed just like I do with my other beds. Sometimes they are used for little bags but my rooms have ample closet space to spread out luggage.
The style of daybed changes the complexity of bedding and time, effort in changing the sheets. This bed uses a twin quilt, tucked in under the matress and pillow cases. Easy as making any other bed.
100_1909.JPG
 
Thanks guys for the imput. I was planning on a mix of rooms. Three suites with a layout of large room small room and bath; One "flex" suite with a large room and a small room with a connecting bath between which could be booked as a suite, large room with bath or twin with bath. The other rooms vary in size but will have their own bath. One would work well with a king, some of the others would do best with a combination of smaller beds. One suite downstairs is planned as ADA compliant.
It was suggested to me to watch the total number of rooms and beds to keep it under the % of rooms which need to be compliant. Having travelled with elder parents, I like the layout of this suite, and it is close to an outside door where a ramp could be installed with drive access but minimal visual impact.
I am relieved you all think a mix is ok. I didn't want to think of replacing all the beds with queens. I was planning on doing a daybed in some of the suites, I may rethink that. Some of the beds are going to go anyway, but some are nice and add alot of character. Thanks again..
You definitely need some king beds in the mix. If you can keep some of the twins as the second bed, it works for us.
 
I am going to jump back in here about the daybed thing. My experience is quiet different than the others here. I love my daybeds and so do our guests. They do use them to lounge & more when there are only 2 of them, but that is my intention. I have a change in bedding if needed just like I do with my other beds. Sometimes they are used for little bags but my rooms have ample closet space to spread out luggage.
The style of daybed changes the complexity of bedding and time, effort in changing the sheets. This bed uses a twin quilt, tucked in under the matress and pillow cases. Easy as making any other bed.
100_1909.JPG
.
Wow, that's sharp!
 
i think a mix is great (some rooms with two beds) but you must get some queen beds asap. and a couple kings if you can. if you are running a b&b in the u.s., people want bigger beds. back in 2005 when i was renovating an old place, the man running a 10 room hotel (now a b&b) across the road told me to get queen beds and that he was gradually replacing all of his with no smaller than queen. and he has some rooms with two (big) beds in them. he was right. i was consistently asked for 'nothing smaller than a queen' ... that was an eye opener for me. even though the larger beds made the small rooms tighter, guests wanted that bigger bed. i got grumbles about 'our bed is so small' but never 'our room is too small'. i would have rooms with a lovely view of the harbor passed over because of a double bed. also ... i had some very tall guests that wanted king beds or some accommodation for long legs at the end of the bed and i had a padded bench the height of the bed that i could fit out when asked to as though it were an extension of the mattress. so i recommend staying away from foot boards unless you have really long beds.
this is not a personal choice, i am happy in my short, twin bed.
copperhead, that is some bed! like sleeping in an elegant sleigh. i like it.
 
i think a mix is great (some rooms with two beds) but you must get some queen beds asap. and a couple kings if you can. if you are running a b&b in the u.s., people want bigger beds. back in 2005 when i was renovating an old place, the man running a 10 room hotel (now a b&b) across the road told me to get queen beds and that he was gradually replacing all of his with no smaller than queen. and he has some rooms with two (big) beds in them. he was right. i was consistently asked for 'nothing smaller than a queen' ... that was an eye opener for me. even though the larger beds made the small rooms tighter, guests wanted that bigger bed. i got grumbles about 'our bed is so small' but never 'our room is too small'. i would have rooms with a lovely view of the harbor passed over because of a double bed. also ... i had some very tall guests that wanted king beds or some accommodation for long legs at the end of the bed and i had a padded bench the height of the bed that i could fit out when asked to as though it were an extension of the mattress. so i recommend staying away from foot boards unless you have really long beds.
this is not a personal choice, i am happy in my short, twin bed.
copperhead, that is some bed! like sleeping in an elegant sleigh. i like it..
We had 2 rooms with doubles here and they were always the last rooms to book. Got one king because we got tired of sending guests away because they refused anything smaller than a king. Even the 'bath across the hall' room booked faster when we upgraded it from double to queen.
If I could fit king beds in all the rooms, I'd do it in a heartbeat. But I need the space for the second bed.
 
I am going to jump back in here about the daybed thing. My experience is quiet different than the others here. I love my daybeds and so do our guests. They do use them to lounge & more when there are only 2 of them, but that is my intention. I have a change in bedding if needed just like I do with my other beds. Sometimes they are used for little bags but my rooms have ample closet space to spread out luggage.
The style of daybed changes the complexity of bedding and time, effort in changing the sheets. This bed uses a twin quilt, tucked in under the matress and pillow cases. Easy as making any other bed.
100_1909.JPG
.
Gorgeous daybed, Copperhead!
 
Depends on the guests you get. We get all couples with just a couple of situations with mother/daughter type traveler who usually are fine with a king bed.
In our area king beds are the biggest draw - no call for two beds in the rooms. What I've done just in case is to put a sofa in one that opens to a queen and a overstuffed love seat in the other that opens to sleep a twin bed. Have only used each one time. I would much rather do that then mess with the two twins and the belt and remake to change from two beds to one king.
It is in my estimation at least in our area, a "given" that a bed and breakfast room will have one bed - usually a queen but if you have room our guests love a king.
RIki
 
i think a mix is great (some rooms with two beds) but you must get some queen beds asap. and a couple kings if you can. if you are running a b&b in the u.s., people want bigger beds. back in 2005 when i was renovating an old place, the man running a 10 room hotel (now a b&b) across the road told me to get queen beds and that he was gradually replacing all of his with no smaller than queen. and he has some rooms with two (big) beds in them. he was right. i was consistently asked for 'nothing smaller than a queen' ... that was an eye opener for me. even though the larger beds made the small rooms tighter, guests wanted that bigger bed. i got grumbles about 'our bed is so small' but never 'our room is too small'. i would have rooms with a lovely view of the harbor passed over because of a double bed. also ... i had some very tall guests that wanted king beds or some accommodation for long legs at the end of the bed and i had a padded bench the height of the bed that i could fit out when asked to as though it were an extension of the mattress. so i recommend staying away from foot boards unless you have really long beds.
this is not a personal choice, i am happy in my short, twin bed.
copperhead, that is some bed! like sleeping in an elegant sleigh. i like it..
Thanks again, good ideas. I thought about limiting footboards. I think it makes the bed that much harder to make. We just sold our antique walnut bed because the square footboard posts always managed to hit me on the hip when I made it--bruises! We have a friend who is 6'7" and I know he is always telling tales of dangling feet and diagonal sleeping. So more to think about....
 
Think carefully about your market and why people are coming to stay with you. I think from many of the experiences posted previously here by innkeepers with multiple beds in rooms that they have discovered it fosters guests attempting to push the occupancy limits in those rooms, which can lead to problems. You need to have your max occupancy policy clearly stated for each room and be willing to enforce it.
We have a mixture of types of rooms here and it's worked out very well. We have a fairly large room with 2 Queen beds and it's our least booked room and it's a really pretty room. But, it's worked for couples wanting separate beds, ladies traveling together, and infrequently for a third person. Our most popular room has a King sized bed and can also be part of a 2 bedroom suite. We have a fair number of folks that will go for our very large suite with a full sized sleep sofa in the living room for extra guests. I have found for our location, it is RARE that folks want to have a third person right in the same room with them. They like the privacy of a separate room in a suite arrangement for an additional guest(s). Our rooms are fairly large, too. Just my 2 cents....
 
i think a mix is great (some rooms with two beds) but you must get some queen beds asap. and a couple kings if you can. if you are running a b&b in the u.s., people want bigger beds. back in 2005 when i was renovating an old place, the man running a 10 room hotel (now a b&b) across the road told me to get queen beds and that he was gradually replacing all of his with no smaller than queen. and he has some rooms with two (big) beds in them. he was right. i was consistently asked for 'nothing smaller than a queen' ... that was an eye opener for me. even though the larger beds made the small rooms tighter, guests wanted that bigger bed. i got grumbles about 'our bed is so small' but never 'our room is too small'. i would have rooms with a lovely view of the harbor passed over because of a double bed. also ... i had some very tall guests that wanted king beds or some accommodation for long legs at the end of the bed and i had a padded bench the height of the bed that i could fit out when asked to as though it were an extension of the mattress. so i recommend staying away from foot boards unless you have really long beds.
this is not a personal choice, i am happy in my short, twin bed.
copperhead, that is some bed! like sleeping in an elegant sleigh. i like it..
Thanks again, good ideas. I thought about limiting footboards. I think it makes the bed that much harder to make. We just sold our antique walnut bed because the square footboard posts always managed to hit me on the hip when I made it--bruises! We have a friend who is 6'7" and I know he is always telling tales of dangling feet and diagonal sleeping. So more to think about....
.
I removed the footboard in one room and as soon as I can get as "hollywood" frame to attach the other headboard to - that footboard is also gone (currently part of the bed frame). The queen bed is so high with the mattress and box spring that the footboatd is not an issue.
The footboard made the room look a lot smaller - in addition to the bruises I got bumping into it.
 
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