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NW BB

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Last night I received a reservation request that I knew was coming at some point, but I was dreading. We have guests that have stayed a couple times a year with us since 2000 in our Cottage. They come here to totally get away. They bring their food, so after we greet them, they go into the Cottage and stay there for 3 or 4 nights and are never seen or leave during their stay. We deliver breakfast to them (outside their door) and no housekeeping.
Sounds like a dream, right? WRONG! When they check out, it takes us twice as long to clean as usual and there is a musky/oily smell. At one point last year I realized they had used an oily brown bath product in our double jacuzzi tub. We provide 3 different bubble bath products for our guests which are not oil based and are all natural and don't harm the jets or plumbing and our guests are told not to use any other products in the tub. After they checked out, I realized they had used this oily brown product. So, the next time they stayed, I reminded them that they could only use our products. Ok, great...no problem that time.
Their next stay was last December and when they checked out, not only was the place a mess, but the smell/odor of oily/musk was overwhelming. When I went to clean the tub I knew something was up. It was clean looking. No ring, no waterspots on the spout. etc. When I pulled the spa pillows off, the backs of them were covered with the same crap they had used before!! Now I was livid! I cleaned out the jets with bleach water 3 times and still there was that smell. The smell permeated the entire Cottage.
No matter what we did, we could not get rid of the smell. Laundered everything that could be cleaned, including drapes, steam cleaned the carpet, decorative pillow coverings, etc. We used our air purifier/sanitizing machine for a couple of days and still the odor was there. The smell got less over time, but I'm not exagerating when I say that I could still smell a lingering odor nearly 2 months after they checked out. My guess is that they not only used the product in the tub, but it was also some sort of massage/body oil they put on themselves then sat on all the furnishings. Oh, and on the frosted small window on the front door (you can't see through it), they covered it with a towel & duct tape! Of course when we took it down, the tape took paint off with it.
After that incidence, my DH and I decided "no more". We couldn't trust them again even we gave them another warning. It was a very difficult e-mail to write, but I informed them that we could no longer accept reservations from them and why.
I'm sure all of us have a "do not rent" list, but have you ever had to use it? Most of the time, the ones you don't want back also don't want to stay again.
Ohhhhhh....you want to hear the kicker?? This couple actually owns/runs hotels. They should know better.
 
I'm betting they probably do not perform housekeeping & maintenance themselves at their own hotels. What was their response/reaction when you told them you would not be able to accommodate them any longer?
 
It is a shame that they are so self-centered that they could not be more respectful of your property. And yes they should know better.
 
Good for you for standing up to these people!!!! The work they put you through to clean their room sounds terrible. I have a thing where I have to enter the room each day to at least empty out the trash cans. When I worked at Holiday Inn that is what they did just to make sure the room was ok. That might cut down on people doing things they shouldn't be doing.
 
have you any idea what they are using? how did you explain you weren't accepting their reservation?
 
We have a list with one name on it and it's there because they smoked in the room. I've never had them call to rebook.
 
Here's the letter I sent them last night. I really didn't give them the opportunity for a response, so I doubt I'll hear back from them:
Dear xxxx & xxxx,

It saddens me to have to write you this e-mail, but unfortunately, we can no longer accept your reservations. During your stay with us in December, an oily musky product was used in the tub after we specifically asked that no other products be used except for the ones we provide. There was also a very musky odor in the Cottage which we could not remove. We laundered all bedding, draperies and steam cleaned the carpet, but still could not eliminate the smell. We used many cleaning products and our air sanitizing/purifying machine to no avail. The next two guests who reserved the Cottage after you refused to stay due to the odor and we needed to return their deposits, cancel their reservations and find alternative lodging for them. The odor lingered for more than a month. We just can't afford to take the risk again.

We wish you all the best,
xxxx & xxxx
 
Any money you would have made from their reservation is gone down the drain with all the cleaning supplies, water and electricity you have to use to try to clean the room! Can you block their email address? If not, just delete any incoming emails from them without even reading them.
 
there are days when most of the people who book would be turned away but they usually straighten out after awhile. that doesn't seem to be your experience. having to tell guests they are not welcome is hard. just last month a long time repeat booked here but i had to ask them to rebook closer to their arrival date as they cancel or change their plans almost all the time. that did not go over well and she sent an email that was not pleasant.
then another one of that type guest booked last week. last year they started off with 7 nights and by the time they got here they only stayed for one. because they only booked 4 nights this time i'm thinking they have figured out how long they really need to be here. this is a local family so honoring the reservation is in my best interests. if they start the whole cancllation thing again this year i will suggest they try elsewhere next year. it also doesn't help their case that the husband does not speak to us, even at breakfast. he once asked for a condiment we did not have and when i couldn't produce it he responded, 'it figures,' and went back to the paper. the following year we had the family size bottle just for him and plopped it on his table before we even served the meal. after that he lightened up quite a bit but only with dh, me he doesn't like. hwever, as long as he doesn't bother me in any way his money is just as green as anyone else's/
good for you to let those folks know you've had enough. having to turn other guests away should have resulted in a fee for lost revenue issued to the guests who made the mess.
 
Oh, how awful. Good riddence to them. Block their email so you are not tempted to read any response and then possibly be fuming.
 
Sounds like patchouli oil.
Nasty, hippy, pervasive stuff. I don't doubt a word of how it was to eradicate that horrible stench.
Its users relish the opportunity to share it with the world and in our experiences with it here and in life in general, (way too many old Portland friends slathered it on) I'd rather work at getting rid of the smell of Chanel No. 5.
Its the oily nature of it, like what skunks emit which gives it its enduring "legacy"
To date, we've chalked up at least one set of sheets, a couple sets of towels (same guests as the sheets) and done the dance like you with herculean efforts to get rid of it.
 
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