I HATE ONE NIGHT STAYS

[JeannineIrish]

This is my first post on the new forum. It is taking a little getting used to. I am assuming that only members can post while anyone can visit. Can the visitors see all the posts?
I am really starting to hate one night stays. I just accepted a reservation in July where we will change over one room three days in a row. I know that being an urban B & B we would lose business if we required minimum stays but I'm beginning to wonder how much business we would actually lose. We would definitely lose those reservations from family's looking at universities, they only stay one night everywhere because they are usually doing the college circuit.
I'll run a report from my software and see the % of reservations are looking at colleges and the % of dollars involved. I'll let you know the results.
OK did report. Those looking at Yale as a perspective student is 28% of our reservations and 20% of our sincome since Jan 1 2008.

 

[Morticia]

Next weekend we turn over every room on Saturday morning and Sunday morning, I totally understand what you're saying. I am not looking forward to that. I have to get all the sheets done because I do not have enough to wait a day.
This past week/weekend we turned one room 5 times in a row. Next weekend I turn my least expensive room 3 times in a row.
As far as your question about the forum...visitors can read the posts. You'll see that as 'guests' on the Who's Online list.

 

[JunieBJones (JBJ)]

YES! I hate them too, unless they are icky people then I am thankful. Those who do not have a ton of one nighters have no idea how much work it is. Getting a two night booking is like heaven for me, I can actually relax or take an extra 10 minutes at the grocery store instead of rushing here and there.
That was why I was asking on another thread about discounting multiple stays, it really is worth it!
Welcome to the new forum - it grows on you.

I was EB now JBJ

 

[muirford]

Can you at least do the minimums on weekends, or with a Saturday night? That is what we do, but we are definitely a tourism town, not a university town, even though there is a university here.
Jeanne

 

[JunieBJones (JBJ)]

Just like with my college here. ONLY one nighters. Parents weekend, graduation, dropping off and picking up. I would lose them all if I did a two night min. If I do a one night min, then I get them as repeat guests.
Best news ever a "soccer mom" emailed and said Suzie is not taking her car back to school, so you will be seeing a lot of me this year. SCORE!
Daughter will stay with us too when they come to visit, they book the only room with a sofa bed. So it works out great.

 

[mooseberry]

Since we are a "Trough-Traffic" Town, we rely mostly on travelers coming trough, which are all one nighters....I only have 5 rooms and can manage so far. I did notice it saves me about 2 hours if I have help cleaning rooms. I am happy when I get a multiple night, which also happens for business, like Government and State employees.
If I would not loose all that business, I would definately require a minimum of 2 nights stay.
Also welcome to the Forum

 

[swirt]

Hi JeanineIrish, glad you made it over here. Be sure to check out the FAQ's page for ways to take command of this website and display things in ways you want them to work for you.
We grew tired of one nighters midweek so this year we went to a 2 night minimum all the time. It has certainly helped spread out the flipping of rooms, but it has caused the loss of some revenue as occaisionally a one day opening gets "trapped" here or there. We have chosen not to fill them as the B&B is not our main income source and we need our sanity more than we need to be full all of the time. We could fill them if needed, but I would feel odd about letting some people grab 1 night openings while they sit at the table next to someone who wanted one night but opted for two because we gave them no choice. I guess you could word it as "two night minimum for reservations" with 1 nighters allowed with less than 7 days notice, but that might get complicated.

 

[gillumhouse]

I get a lot of 1 night because I am very near an Interstate - and most of the horse reservations are definitely 1 night as they travel to horse events and back. Lost one of those this morning because I promised a private bath to a couple if they paid private bath rate and I keep my word. That one is a deployment package coming for 2-nuights to ride horses on our rail-trail.
I had a 4-nighter arrive today then got a one night for tomorrow - from BandB.com because I do the low-fat breakfasts. A 2-night is wonderful and a 4-night is manna from heaven!

 

[happyjacks]

Most of my guests are the 'getaway' crowd, so alot of them are looking for longer than one night anyway. I still get requests for onesies, and I still don't like them, but I usually take them.
What I do to ease my workload is this: During high season weekends I don't let the one-nighters choose their room. I tell them "I usually have a two-night minimum for peak weekends. [pause, sometimes they cave] What I can do is book you in for the one night in a queen room with ensuite bathroom [all my rooms are queen with ensuite] but which specific room you're in will depend on availability closer to the date." I ask if they have a first choice to let me know and I'll try to work with that. This almost always works out, I'd say nine times out of ten. Even if the guest had a specific room in mind, they usually don't mind since they're only here for one night anyway.
The main benefit for me is I don't lose a longer stay or have to break up a longer stay over two rooms in order to work around the onesie.
For really peak weekends where I KNOW I'll fill all the rooms for 2 or 3 nights, I just don't take the onesies, period.

 

[JeannineIrish]

YES! I hate them too, unless they are icky people then I am thankful. Those who do not have a ton of one nighters have no idea how much work it is. Getting a two night booking is like heaven for me, I can actually relax or take an extra 10 minutes at the grocery store instead of rushing here and there.
That was why I was asking on another thread about discounting multiple stays, it really is worth it!
Welcome to the new forum - it grows on you.

I was EB now JBJ.

I think you had mentioned on the other forum once that your evenings belong to family. How do you handle phone calls and late check-ins? We have the same phone number for our home and business and with caller ID it does help identify family so many times I let the rest go to the machine but many evenings we are answering the phone up until the time that we go to bed.

 

[JeannineIrish]

Can you at least do the minimums on weekends, or with a Saturday night? That is what we do, but we are definitely a tourism town, not a university town, even though there is a university here.
Jeanne.

There again we would lose reservations because some of them are also touring schools but it's a thought that we may consider. I'd also have to figure out how to do that in Webervations. Do we just make the Sat night as the two night minimum or also do the same for Friday arrivals?

 

[JeannineIrish]

Hi JeanineIrish, glad you made it over here. Be sure to check out the FAQ's page for ways to take command of this website and display things in ways you want them to work for you.
We grew tired of one nighters midweek so this year we went to a 2 night minimum all the time. It has certainly helped spread out the flipping of rooms, but it has caused the loss of some revenue as occaisionally a one day opening gets "trapped" here or there. We have chosen not to fill them as the B&B is not our main income source and we need our sanity more than we need to be full all of the time. We could fill them if needed, but I would feel odd about letting some people grab 1 night openings while they sit at the table next to someone who wanted one night but opted for two because we gave them no choice. I guess you could word it as "two night minimum for reservations" with 1 nighters allowed with less than 7 days notice, but that might get complicated..

Thanks for the tips. Do many of you think that requiring a 2 night min would cause people to stay 2 nights or just go somewhere else that doesn't require min.
How do I get back to the list of posts and reading all the posts for a topic? I've just been hitting "Posts I haven't read".

 

[YellowSocks]

Hi JeanineIrish, glad you made it over here. Be sure to check out the FAQ's page for ways to take command of this website and display things in ways you want them to work for you.
We grew tired of one nighters midweek so this year we went to a 2 night minimum all the time. It has certainly helped spread out the flipping of rooms, but it has caused the loss of some revenue as occaisionally a one day opening gets "trapped" here or there. We have chosen not to fill them as the B&B is not our main income source and we need our sanity more than we need to be full all of the time. We could fill them if needed, but I would feel odd about letting some people grab 1 night openings while they sit at the table next to someone who wanted one night but opted for two because we gave them no choice. I guess you could word it as "two night minimum for reservations" with 1 nighters allowed with less than 7 days notice, but that might get complicated..

Thanks for the tips. Do many of you think that requiring a 2 night min would cause people to stay 2 nights or just go somewhere else that doesn't require min.
How do I get back to the list of posts and reading all the posts for a topic? I've just been hitting "Posts I haven't read".
.

At the top (below the header) click on "Innkeeping Forum"
=)
Kk.

 

[JunieBJones (JBJ)]

You can set ANY dates for a 2 night minimum on webervations.
Yes I think you would lose business and they would go elsewhere. Wouldn't you? I would drive hours out versus having to stay 2 nights somewhere I did not need to stay.
I have a message on the machine about online availability, and also book online and save $10. Honestly, 50% plus of my calls here are NEVER to book a room. At least 50% some days higher. the number of 800 #'s which are marketers. The number of local calls that have nothing to do with paying US, but us paying them for sponsoring an event...
Certain days I can answer the phone 10 times and none of them be about booking a room. That is why we got caller id, which was a great move, and also use the online reservations system (the best invention for any B&B!)
Late check ins are always interruptions. If it is after check in time 8pm then there is a note left for the guest on the door. Many have been good about calling lately, when they are going to be after 8pm. I tell them on the phone the arrangement and they are actually relieved and then tell us, Good, then we will stop for a bite as we are starving. I think the guest appreciates that.
How many times will we wait up all hours of the night (sometimes a room doesn't show) but many time til midnight and it disrupts our whole night. THe guest shows with no prior phone call and you hate them already. So a note for them to check themselves in works best.

 

[swirt]

Hi JeanineIrish, glad you made it over here. Be sure to check out the FAQ's page for ways to take command of this website and display things in ways you want them to work for you.
We grew tired of one nighters midweek so this year we went to a 2 night minimum all the time. It has certainly helped spread out the flipping of rooms, but it has caused the loss of some revenue as occaisionally a one day opening gets "trapped" here or there. We have chosen not to fill them as the B&B is not our main income source and we need our sanity more than we need to be full all of the time. We could fill them if needed, but I would feel odd about letting some people grab 1 night openings while they sit at the table next to someone who wanted one night but opted for two because we gave them no choice. I guess you could word it as "two night minimum for reservations" with 1 nighters allowed with less than 7 days notice, but that might get complicated..

Thanks for the tips. Do many of you think that requiring a 2 night min would cause people to stay 2 nights or just go somewhere else that doesn't require min.
How do I get back to the list of posts and reading all the posts for a topic? I've just been hitting "Posts I haven't read".
.

I think requiring a two night minimum causes those who can only stay 1 night to look elsewhere, but it leaves more room for those who can stay 2 nights or more. In this area nearly all of the B&B's have 2-night minimums on weekends (summer through fall). In Winter and Spring they are more desperate so they usually drop them (we close in the off season). For us it was more of a lifestyle choice.
The quickest way to navigate the forum is to click the word "Top" in the maroon bar at the top of every comment. That will immediately jump you to the top of the page, then look for "Unread topics" list on the right (or on the left if you use the two column format) This will usually get you there without reloading the page, so it goes a lot faster.

 

[Morticia]

A lot of our guests are on their way to and from their 'vacation'. So we get them 2 weekends in a row for one night. Because there is so much of this, for me to require 2 nights wouldn't work.

 

[muirford]

Can you at least do the minimums on weekends, or with a Saturday night? That is what we do, but we are definitely a tourism town, not a university town, even though there is a university here.
Jeanne.

There again we would lose reservations because some of them are also touring schools but it's a thought that we may consider. I'd also have to figure out how to do that in Webervations. Do we just make the Sat night as the two night minimum or also do the same for Friday arrivals?
.

I am sure I do lose some - that's not really the point. It's business I don't mind losing, and can afford to lose. If you can fill those Saturdays with weekenders - that's the question you have to be ready to answer - then turning away one-nighters for Saturdays is just like turning away guests with children or pets or guests who think your rates are too high. That's the business - you're not trying to attract the Motel 6 crowd, so your rates aren't $49. I only do it for Saturday nights at this point.
You should check out your competition, but I can tell you there are B&Bs within 10 miles of me without the two-night minimum. They fill up on Saturdays before I do, but I am still full most weekends and mostly with two-nighters. I can almost always sell a room for Saturday night only right up through Saturday afternoon - but if I book a room two weeks out for just Saturday, it is a lot harder for me to sell Friday. That's what I know about my business.
You are in a university town but also near enough to urban centers that you may have weekend tourism to support a two-night stay. You'll have to figure that out. Summer is a good time to try it - more vacationers.
Other urban B&Bs have even longer minimum stays - the 1871 House in Manhattan generally has a three-night minimum and drops it to two in the off-season, or maybe it's four that drops to three. Manhattan is a market in and of itself...
Jeanne

 

[JunieBJones (JBJ)]

Nearly all of our anniversary couples and wedding nights (of which we have many) are one nighters. Our weekend getaways for an event are two nighters.
We would lose all wedding nights if we had a 2 night min. Those are the really special guests to me. AND LEAST AMOUNT OF TROUBLE as guests. They get here really late. I like to put their names on the board and they come down stairs and love it. Take photos of the board.
Many of them come back and stay with us on an anniversary. And of course they are the ones who make the greatest memories here. They also are the best word of mouth for us.
We are stuck with one night stays. We have had a good run lately of 2 nighters, for which I am thankful. But to grab the travelers like Bree said, we need to offer one nighters.
Sure would be nice to have 2 or 3 night stays all the time.

 

[Morticia]

You can set ANY dates for a 2 night minimum on webervations.
Yes I think you would lose business and they would go elsewhere. Wouldn't you? I would drive hours out versus having to stay 2 nights somewhere I did not need to stay.
I have a message on the machine about online availability, and also book online and save $10. Honestly, 50% plus of my calls here are NEVER to book a room. At least 50% some days higher. the number of 800 #'s which are marketers. The number of local calls that have nothing to do with paying US, but us paying them for sponsoring an event...
Certain days I can answer the phone 10 times and none of them be about booking a room. That is why we got caller id, which was a great move, and also use the online reservations system (the best invention for any B&B!)
Late check ins are always interruptions. If it is after check in time 8pm then there is a note left for the guest on the door. Many have been good about calling lately, when they are going to be after 8pm. I tell them on the phone the arrangement and they are actually relieved and then tell us, Good, then we will stop for a bite as we are starving. I think the guest appreciates that.
How many times will we wait up all hours of the night (sometimes a room doesn't show) but many time til midnight and it disrupts our whole night. THe guest shows with no prior phone call and you hate them already. So a note for them to check themselves in works best..

You can set ANY dates for a 2 night minimum on webervations.

Let me ask this about Webervations, as I find it annoying with SuperInn...when I block off a weekend as '2 night min' SuperInn allows a Thurs-Fri or Sat-Sun booking as fulfilling the 2 night min. Does Webervations do that or does it only allow the 2 night min to be fulfilled if the guest books Fri-Sat?
Even tho it is a pain, this does work for me as I can get a one-nighter into the open Fri or Sat. But it's a pain when it happens for Thanksgiving when I meant for it to show Wed-Thurs as the 2 night and it allows the guest to book Thurs-Fri (and me not wanting a T-Day check-in.)

 

[hawley]

I normally have 2 night stays. But also have 3, 4, week stays. I do have the occassional 1 night stay and this week I have 2 one night stays.
In my first suite, I discount multi night stays by $10. So a 1 nighter pays $10 more. If my grand daughter can come over, I pay her the $10 for doing the vacuuming and dusting. It is a good way for her to make some money and helps me.