Naming Names

[Arks]

Please don't name the rooms after animals. I don't like "cutesy" names or theme rooms.

Sigh. There goes the Kitty Cat room in my cat house (brothel) ;-)
If you really get stuck, you could always name your rooms Yellow Socks and Gillum and Catlady. The Proud Texan room might be popular, or not, with old west types!

 

[CafeMae]

This is one of the existing buildings.

Nice! Are there a few rooms in each house that you'd be renting, or would each cabin be seperate?

 

[gillumhouse]

How many rooms? I love place with fun room names!
Cows: Hereford, Angus, Charolais, Long Horn, Short Horn, Jersey, Holstein, etc.
Actors: Eastwood, Wayne, West, etc.
Real People: Oakley, Hickock (sp?), Earp, Custer, Boone, Sitting Bull, etc.
I like that my rooms all have different first letters. It makes it easier to abbreviate them (MD/ED/AD/HD). Just something to keep in mind...
And I wholeheartedly agree that you have to go with what is right for YOUR house. I know of a farmhouse to rent in Amish country... with modern, city decor. It just doesn't feel right. If your house is country, go country. If you don't like country decor, buy a different house!
=)
Kk..

How many rooms? I love place with fun room names!
Cows: Hereford, Angus, Charolais, Long Horn, Short Horn, Jersey, Holstein, etc.
Actors: Eastwood, Wayne, West, etc.
Real People: Oakley, Hickock (sp?), Earp, Custer, Boone, Sitting Bull, etc.
I like that my rooms all have different first letters. It makes it easier to abbreviate them (MD/ED/AD/HD). Just something to keep in mind...
And I wholeheartedly agree that you have to go with what is right for YOUR house. I know of a farmhouse to rent in Amish country... with modern, city decor. It just doesn't feel right. If your house is country, go country. If you don't like country decor, buy a different house!
=)
Kk.

Right now it has three cabin/cottages. One original log, one 1800s cedar, and one early 1900s small ranch style house. As of this moment it will be 5 bedrooms but rented as three units. The barn will be renovated as well - it is 60 x 100 ft so it will be pretty cool along with the two huge silos.
.

Right now it has three cabin/cottages. One original log, one 1800s cedar, and one early 1900s small ranch style house. As of this moment it will be 5 bedrooms but rented as three units. The barn will be renovated as well - it is 60 x 100 ft so it will be pretty cool along with the two huge silos.

The log house could have room names like Winchester (the one i was trying to remember when Remington popped up) and Colt with the muzzleloader or old non-functioning rifle over the fireplace with rustic western decor. 1800s could be your famous western names or tribes. The early 1900s could be your ranch names Longhorn or the Miss Kitty (no explanation would be needed there as everyone knows Gunsmoke) or Lily langtree or sagebrush, etc. You have different eras to have fun with.

 

[JBloggs]

I will say this I am partial to Winchester.
I had originally thought about going with (my former) horse names, with the exception of one or two and you are involved with Quarter Horses you would never get it. I don't know about making the name of a room an inside joke for me.
There is an old Indian cave on the property as well, so some Indian names and of course artifacts would also work. VERY Subtle naturally..

I will say this I am partial to Winchester.
I had originally thought about going with (my former) horse names, with the exception of one or two and you are involved with Quarter Horses you would never get it. I don't know about making the name of a room an inside joke for me.
There is an old Indian cave on the property as well, so some Indian names and of course artifacts would also work. VERY Subtle naturally.

If it were me, I would do some more research, a "who do you think you are" for the property and go from there. I think those would be the most meaningful, history would be more real for your guests when they get to stay there and appreciate it!
I will tell you a little secret, make the name of the most expensive room the one most "out of the area" would pick. In other words, they pick rooms many times just because of their name, so I would get something 'regional' in there if possible. With the local connection to your land, of course. I am excited for you, this is the fun part!

 

[CafeMae]

What is everyone's opinion on mixing it up?
Maybe some cattle names, such as Angus and Charolais - as both will be on the property as well as Longhorns.
Miss Kitty was on the list but for different reasons, my mother's name is Kitty.
I have always been a big John Wayne fan but for some very different reasons, I used to ride a horse he bought for his son Ethan, and he (Ethan) and the horse never got along - or so the story goes, anyway I rode him and we got a long just fine.
First rifle I ever fired was a muzzle loader can't remember what it was, my brother is a collector and he had just finished restoring it.
The place has a history and to ignore that would be foolish, no modern furnishings in an Amish Farm House!.

Please don't name the rooms after animals. I don't like "cutesy" names or theme rooms. You will have to explain it to someone. If you want to do that all the time..then go for it.Who is going to be your target market?
.

Who is going to be your target market?

I love the photo of the property, and your description of the ranch theme -sounds great. I've been on tripadvisor looking at the 2011 top hotels and B&Bs in different regions, trying to get ideas for my inn. One of the top places listed in the US was a ranch themed place, so it sounds like your thoughts are right where people like it.
As to names of rooms, I grew up in the 80s - not exactly when westerns were popular. When I hear a name like John Wayne, I don't have fond memories. I think shooting, desert, violence and perhaps inappropriate depiction of native americans in films. Furthermore, I feel really uncool if I don't get the pop culture reference. And I don't want to feel uncool when I stay somewhere - I want to have fun, forget my worries, and go horseback riding or longhorn cow gazing!
I really like the idea of names being something historical or cultural, but not part of our every day vocabulary (keep the movies in the room, just don't name the room after the movie or actor). Two cents, nothing more.

 

[Breakfast Diva]

I wouldn't name one of the rooms "Muzzle Loader"

 

[Weaver]

This is one of the existing buildings.

Nice! Are there a few rooms in each house that you'd be renting, or would each cabin be seperate?
.

Nice! Are there a few rooms in each house that you'd be renting, or would each cabin be seperate?

Each of the three existing cabins would be a single rental. Two are two bed units and one is a one bed. The barn will get converted at some point to some level of function, just not sure what yet. Gotta live with it for a while.

 

[OnTheShore]

Do you know what species of trees were used to make the log cabin? Perhaps even if it's not exactly right, something like Ponderosa has a western / ranch feel to it and among the right crowd will evoke memories of a TV show that I recall as being one with a relatively positive message.
The names of our cottages at Harborfields are relatively mundane but each is appropriate and descriptive to the cottage and it's setting, and so they just seem to work.

 

[Weaver]

Do you know what species of trees were used to make the log cabin? Perhaps even if it's not exactly right, something like Ponderosa has a western / ranch feel to it and among the right crowd will evoke memories of a TV show that I recall as being one with a relatively positive message.
The names of our cottages at Harborfields are relatively mundane but each is appropriate and descriptive to the cottage and it's setting, and so they just seem to work..

The existing are a collection depending on the building. Barn is oak and heart pine, log is ? with heart pine flooring, not sure yet, still checking on that one, one is maple interior and unknown framing, and the other is local pine and oak. But that is a good thought. My other thought was to name each of the additional cabins/barns as I add some over the years for the location where they were originally built.
This is such a tough one.
I am so tempted to make a list and hang it on the door of my carriage house and throw darts to make the final call.
Either that or name each cabin for the first guest that stays in it! LOL NOT.

 

[JBloggs]

Then there is the fun of typing and writing the names thousands of times over the upcoming years. Having it fit nicely on printed material, etc. We have the one cottage called the wash house cottage, as it was the wash house for the three properties here over 115 years ago. I have had people say at the breakfast table or write "We enjoyed the wash room" and others look and wonder "What the!"

 

[muirford]

I hate to burst your bubble, but room names are most likely going to aid your business if you pick names which are attributes that people will do a google search for. JB alluded to this in post referring to using regional names. For example, a Civil War B&B might use the names of battlefield towns or rivers. In the Shenandoah Valley, Blue Ridge and Shenandoah names would help.
Especially as a startup, you might want to choose names that are SEO friendly and not more esoteric choices like cattle breeds or gun models. Just my two cents - my B&B has been open for 27 years with only numbers for the rooms, so I don't practice what I preach in this instance.

 

[JBloggs]

On this same topic of history I just got this Tweet: Part of Sucker Punch set in Brattleboro insane asylum, not unlike the one that inhabited our grounds once. Inn History. http://bit.ly/Jx0Ic1
Room names would not be evident to the former use of premises there.
My least favorite room names of all are those you cannot pronounce, as an innkeeper it is a road to an untimely death with a jump off a short cliff... Trust me, trust all of us, when we say even the simple easy to pronounce names are butchered, like the number of times we are called a bread and breakfast. Happens all the time...our name is a familiar name, and yet no one can seem to spell it or speak it. It is just plain WEIRD!
I googled and this came up first:
http://makingbandb.blogspot.com/2009/05/room-naming.html
and this (which leads me to the obv question, what is the name of the propert/inn, this will help determine the room names more clearly) http://bandb.about.com/cs/runningarticles/ht/name_a_bandb.htm

 

[Anon Inn]

Do you know what species of trees were used to make the log cabin? Perhaps even if it's not exactly right, something like Ponderosa has a western / ranch feel to it and among the right crowd will evoke memories of a TV show that I recall as being one with a relatively positive message.
The names of our cottages at Harborfields are relatively mundane but each is appropriate and descriptive to the cottage and it's setting, and so they just seem to work..

The existing are a collection depending on the building. Barn is oak and heart pine, log is ? with heart pine flooring, not sure yet, still checking on that one, one is maple interior and unknown framing, and the other is local pine and oak. But that is a good thought. My other thought was to name each of the additional cabins/barns as I add some over the years for the location where they were originally built.
This is such a tough one.
I am so tempted to make a list and hang it on the door of my carriage house and throw darts to make the final call.
Either that or name each cabin for the first guest that stays in it! LOL NOT.
.

When choosing a name for our B&B, we shortened the list to 5, then went to the local bar and took a poll. The top pick became the name of the place. I'm not good at darts.

 

[gillumhouse]

On this same topic of history I just got this Tweet: Part of Sucker Punch set in Brattleboro insane asylum, not unlike the one that inhabited our grounds once. Inn History. http://bit.ly/Jx0Ic1
Room names would not be evident to the former use of premises there.
My least favorite room names of all are those you cannot pronounce, as an innkeeper it is a road to an untimely death with a jump off a short cliff... Trust me, trust all of us, when we say even the simple easy to pronounce names are butchered, like the number of times we are called a bread and breakfast. Happens all the time...our name is a familiar name, and yet no one can seem to spell it or speak it. It is just plain WEIRD!
I googled and this came up first:
http://makingbandb.blogspot.com/2009/05/room-naming.html
and this (which leads me to the obv question, what is the name of the propert/inn, this will help determine the room names more clearly) http://bandb.about.com/cs/runningarticles/ht/name_a_bandb.htm.

Gillum = Gilliam, Gullian, etc
In my Aspiring I touch on naming your inn - I advise against naming it for the famous owner of the property if his last name was something like Schmidt. Try saying that quickly! Thank you for calling the Schmidt House!
Ours are mundane - the owner's of the property prior to us and we started calling Rosi's Room that before the B & B because she had written Rosemary loves _______ on 2 walls as a teen. When DH shouted out to me, This house is too darn big! Where are you? - I answered Rosi's Room. (The house has gotten decidedly smaller over the years!)
Rosi's Room is where the last Gillum child was born and the only granddaughter was also born in that room. But I was NOT going to call it the Birthing Room (found out that history after we were open anyway.)

 

[Copperhead]

How many rooms? I love place with fun room names!
Cows: Hereford, Angus, Charolais, Long Horn, Short Horn, Jersey, Holstein, etc.
Actors: Eastwood, Wayne, West, etc.
Real People: Oakley, Hickock (sp?), Earp, Custer, Boone, Sitting Bull, etc.
I like that my rooms all have different first letters. It makes it easier to abbreviate them (MD/ED/AD/HD). Just something to keep in mind...
And I wholeheartedly agree that you have to go with what is right for YOUR house. I know of a farmhouse to rent in Amish country... with modern, city decor. It just doesn't feel right. If your house is country, go country. If you don't like country decor, buy a different house!
=)
Kk..

How many rooms? I love place with fun room names!
Cows: Hereford, Angus, Charolais, Long Horn, Short Horn, Jersey, Holstein, etc.
Actors: Eastwood, Wayne, West, etc.
Real People: Oakley, Hickock (sp?), Earp, Custer, Boone, Sitting Bull, etc.
I like that my rooms all have different first letters. It makes it easier to abbreviate them (MD/ED/AD/HD). Just something to keep in mind...
And I wholeheartedly agree that you have to go with what is right for YOUR house. I know of a farmhouse to rent in Amish country... with modern, city decor. It just doesn't feel right. If your house is country, go country. If you don't like country decor, buy a different house!
=)
Kk.

Right now it has three cabin/cottages. One original log, one 1800s cedar, and one early 1900s small ranch style house. As of this moment it will be 5 bedrooms but rented as three units. The barn will be renovated as well - it is 60 x 100 ft so it will be pretty cool along with the two huge silos.
.

Right now it has three cabin/cottages. One original log, one 1800s cedar, and one early 1900s small ranch style house. As of this moment it will be 5 bedrooms but rented as three units. The barn will be renovated as well - it is 60 x 100 ft so it will be pretty cool along with the two huge silos.

And you see I like the K.I.S.S. method. Back in the Day - choose your trip back in time: Log Cabin cir. ?, Cedar Cottage cir 18?? Ranch House cir 19?? It would be fun to find some items to display of home and farm items used during the time frame.

 

[Weaver]

On this same topic of history I just got this Tweet: Part of Sucker Punch set in Brattleboro insane asylum, not unlike the one that inhabited our grounds once. Inn History. http://bit.ly/Jx0Ic1
Room names would not be evident to the former use of premises there.
My least favorite room names of all are those you cannot pronounce, as an innkeeper it is a road to an untimely death with a jump off a short cliff... Trust me, trust all of us, when we say even the simple easy to pronounce names are butchered, like the number of times we are called a bread and breakfast. Happens all the time...our name is a familiar name, and yet no one can seem to spell it or speak it. It is just plain WEIRD!
I googled and this came up first:
http://makingbandb.blogspot.com/2009/05/room-naming.html
and this (which leads me to the obv question, what is the name of the propert/inn, this will help determine the room names more clearly) http://bandb.about.com/cs/runningarticles/ht/name_a_bandb.htm.

Thanks JB those were good reads.
I have narrowed it down to several for the property and probably won't pick a final one until I sleep there for a few nights which is insane since as soon as I sign the contracts I want to get the web page rolling.
All have the name of the river that is the property line, of which there is significant frontage.
Catawba River
So I was toying with.....
Barns at ...Inn or just Barns at ....
Cabins at....Farm or just Cabins at .....
The Inn at.....
.....River Farm
.....River Inn
Maybe I should just take a walk and talk to my neighbor's cows and see if they have any suggestions. But they are Maryland cows and probably won't know anything about a more southern locale. Maybe I should ask the Longhorns, see if they have any opinions.
Although I do like the idea of just making a list, hitting a local bar and see what the yokels have to say, they probably can pronounce all the local Indian names, which I won't even touch with a ten foot pole. If I can't pronounce it how will some guest from 2 or 3 hours away?
Oh hell, maybe just numbers would be better!
Does anyone have an opinion on western authors?
I am going to print these all out and put them under my pillow and see if any of them appear in my dreams, seems as scientific as any other option.
I am NOT discounting what any of you have said it just seems there is no simple answer, I am sure it will come to me, hopefully sooner rather than later.
JB - you said this was the fun part???? gimme a financial statement or a dirty bathroom any day!

 

[CafeMae]

On this same topic of history I just got this Tweet: Part of Sucker Punch set in Brattleboro insane asylum, not unlike the one that inhabited our grounds once. Inn History. http://bit.ly/Jx0Ic1
Room names would not be evident to the former use of premises there.
My least favorite room names of all are those you cannot pronounce, as an innkeeper it is a road to an untimely death with a jump off a short cliff... Trust me, trust all of us, when we say even the simple easy to pronounce names are butchered, like the number of times we are called a bread and breakfast. Happens all the time...our name is a familiar name, and yet no one can seem to spell it or speak it. It is just plain WEIRD!
I googled and this came up first:
http://makingbandb.blogspot.com/2009/05/room-naming.html
and this (which leads me to the obv question, what is the name of the propert/inn, this will help determine the room names more clearly) http://bandb.about.com/cs/runningarticles/ht/name_a_bandb.htm.

Thanks JB those were good reads.
I have narrowed it down to several for the property and probably won't pick a final one until I sleep there for a few nights which is insane since as soon as I sign the contracts I want to get the web page rolling.
All have the name of the river that is the property line, of which there is significant frontage.
Catawba River
So I was toying with.....
Barns at ...Inn or just Barns at ....
Cabins at....Farm or just Cabins at .....
The Inn at.....
.....River Farm
.....River Inn
Maybe I should just take a walk and talk to my neighbor's cows and see if they have any suggestions. But they are Maryland cows and probably won't know anything about a more southern locale. Maybe I should ask the Longhorns, see if they have any opinions.
Although I do like the idea of just making a list, hitting a local bar and see what the yokels have to say, they probably can pronounce all the local Indian names, which I won't even touch with a ten foot pole. If I can't pronounce it how will some guest from 2 or 3 hours away?
Oh hell, maybe just numbers would be better!
Does anyone have an opinion on western authors?
I am going to print these all out and put them under my pillow and see if any of them appear in my dreams, seems as scientific as any other option.
I am NOT discounting what any of you have said it just seems there is no simple answer, I am sure it will come to me, hopefully sooner rather than later.
JB - you said this was the fun part???? gimme a financial statement or a dirty bathroom any day!
.

Well, I'm excited for you. Options are good, and opinions are free advice. When I was working on my logo a few weeks back, I got tons of input from family and friends. Thanked them very much, but was not happy with the two favorites, and after some soul searching, decided to do what I don't often do, and go with a less favored option - that was hard for me, but I am very happy with it.

 

[white pine]

I am open as long as it has a western theme, and it DOES NOT have anything to do with a famous hat maker who's last name starts with S.

Like we couldn't have guessed that one.

Gotta have an Annie Oakley room. Wild Bill. What Native Americans lived near there? Come up with some of those, too..

BTW did you know Annie Oakley was from Indiana? I used to drive past her childhood home.
.

BTW did you know Annie Oakley was from Indiana? I used to drive past her childhood home.

So if you are in Indiana name a room Annie Oakley, athough I have always heard she was from OHIO.
Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show was in a train wreck enroute to Danville VA. (For the local connection to all of this)
This became the financial ruin of Buffalo Bill Cody.
Yes they did tour the east, for sure, but this is not what you think of as the wild west. Not Wyoming, or Nebraska.
I love all this stuff. SHOOT 'EM UP!
.

Annie Oakley was born and died in Ohio. Sorry Indiana, but it is easy to see why the confusion - Darke County, Ohio is on the Indiana border,
Back to the task at hand - Stagecoach Chuckwagon Cherokee Happy Trails
Longhorn Lily Langtree Miss Kitty Remington Hawkins (rifle used by Lewis & Clark) Bluebonnet Sagebrush Yellow Rose
.

I love the western wildflower theme. Yellow Rose, Bluebonnet, Sweet Grass... I am wondering, is it the woman who choses the b&b? Who is going to be your customer base? Families on vacation? Romantics in search of? Maybe worth a thought.
Another theme might be the ol wester brands like lazy s or - b q

 

[Joey Camb]

Yes those are great ones. No I am not going Deadwood Wild West just a subtle theme of old west, fancy parlors, stone fireplaces, that sort of thing.
Every guest that has stayed at the property or held a wedding there previously has commented on how they feel like they are out west with the long horn cattle just the other side of the fence, the open rolling pastures, and the river that cuts through the valley making up part of the property line.
So with that said I want to evoke a very subtle feeling without beating the guests over their heads with it. Keep 'em coming..

As regards the name - try them all several times as if you were answering the phone - Thank you for calling Weaver Ranch Weaver speaking how can I help you? Can you see youself saying this name repeatedly every day? and how easy is it to say? Also watch out for it being too similar to anywhere else ie my problem is I am The Camberley with The Kimberley hotel 200 yards up the street leads to constant insanity.

 

[Samster]

I'm excited for you too!
I would make your property name something memorable - we've talked a lot on here about how people end up with guests who can't remember where their reservation is. Something that evokes the location or the ambiance.
I always remember room names at places I've stayed that also remind me of the locale, but I have a hard time remembering the room name if they're named after people. Maybe that's just me?
Have fun with it! Some places have had a room naming contest for one of their guest rooms prior to opening as a marketing tool.