Don Draper
Well-known member
- Joined
- Aug 10, 2008
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We were so lucky to escape for two nights and stayed in a b&b while gone. Thought it was worth posting my observations since we've been having so many discussions lately on the forum as to what we should be considering "standard" in terms of our offerings. I also thought it was interesting because I think of myself as a pretty low-maintenance traveler and was therefore surprised at some of the seemingly "little" things that struck me as off.I think my most important take-a-way lesson from the weekend was how much a great innkeeper can make up for any other shortcomings. The place we stayed was nice, you could tell at one point it had been great but certain things have been "let go". After some conversations with the innkeeper she divulged that she is leaving soon so I didn't pursue any of my very minor complaints with her.
My "peeves":
Old and uncomfortable mattress. It just needed to be replaced. Luckily there was also a daybed in the room which had a newer mattress so at least my back wasn't sore. Hubs got stuck with the bad bed but he was fine (he can sleep just about anywhere). When we first took over here we couldn't afford to replace all the beds all at once. For the ones that had to stay, we spent $80 at Walmart for a 3-inch memory foam topper which really worked wonders, and held us over until the next year when we could replace them.
No nightstand/reading lamp on my side of the bed...ended up not mattering because I slept on the other bed but it irked me, I'm an avid reader, especially before falling asleep at night.
Peeling wallpaper and mold in the bathroom. This was offset by the really pretty and new tile work in the bathroom and good shower head...but the moldy spots on the walls were off-putting. Also, the caulk around the shower stall was very old and stained...prior to this trip I wouldn't have thought this would bother me but it just made the whole room feel less than clean.
Our bathroom was detached which was fine, but it would have been good to have a mirror in the bedroom...I could have finished getting ready while hubs was in the shower but I had to wait until he was finished. The guest room journal had this comment in it about 3 times so I guess they don't read those!
No half and half for coffee...just milk. I would not consider myself a coffee snob but I a really missed it. Even the powdered stuff would have been good.
The "hits":
Innkeeper was so truly sweet and hospitable. I am happy for her that she is soon leaving to pursue other things, she's just at the 7 year mark and starting to burn out. She was flexible with our schedule, had great area info and directions available in each room, and offered 3 different choices for breakfast which I thought was amazing considering she did it all by herself. Her food was simple and delicious (perfectly cooked bacon!) and she was very gracious with each guest and made them feel special. She just really had the knack (and made me realize how much I do NOT...I gotta work really hard to be hospitable!). She also had an open kitchen which I could just never do...I don't like an audience while cooking but she was a total natural, flipping eggs and chatting everyone up. People LOVE to gather in a kitchen.
Nice "honor bar" area set up for drinks/snacks as well as toiletry items you might have forgotten (deodorant, razor, toothbrush, etc.).
Really good homemade cookies every day.
I'm going through my rooms today trying out beds and checking for functional things (lamps, etc.) that I haven't looked at in a while.
My "peeves":
Old and uncomfortable mattress. It just needed to be replaced. Luckily there was also a daybed in the room which had a newer mattress so at least my back wasn't sore. Hubs got stuck with the bad bed but he was fine (he can sleep just about anywhere). When we first took over here we couldn't afford to replace all the beds all at once. For the ones that had to stay, we spent $80 at Walmart for a 3-inch memory foam topper which really worked wonders, and held us over until the next year when we could replace them.
No nightstand/reading lamp on my side of the bed...ended up not mattering because I slept on the other bed but it irked me, I'm an avid reader, especially before falling asleep at night.
Peeling wallpaper and mold in the bathroom. This was offset by the really pretty and new tile work in the bathroom and good shower head...but the moldy spots on the walls were off-putting. Also, the caulk around the shower stall was very old and stained...prior to this trip I wouldn't have thought this would bother me but it just made the whole room feel less than clean.
Our bathroom was detached which was fine, but it would have been good to have a mirror in the bedroom...I could have finished getting ready while hubs was in the shower but I had to wait until he was finished. The guest room journal had this comment in it about 3 times so I guess they don't read those!
No half and half for coffee...just milk. I would not consider myself a coffee snob but I a really missed it. Even the powdered stuff would have been good.
The "hits":
Innkeeper was so truly sweet and hospitable. I am happy for her that she is soon leaving to pursue other things, she's just at the 7 year mark and starting to burn out. She was flexible with our schedule, had great area info and directions available in each room, and offered 3 different choices for breakfast which I thought was amazing considering she did it all by herself. Her food was simple and delicious (perfectly cooked bacon!) and she was very gracious with each guest and made them feel special. She just really had the knack (and made me realize how much I do NOT...I gotta work really hard to be hospitable!). She also had an open kitchen which I could just never do...I don't like an audience while cooking but she was a total natural, flipping eggs and chatting everyone up. People LOVE to gather in a kitchen.
Nice "honor bar" area set up for drinks/snacks as well as toiletry items you might have forgotten (deodorant, razor, toothbrush, etc.).
Really good homemade cookies every day.
I'm going through my rooms today trying out beds and checking for functional things (lamps, etc.) that I haven't looked at in a while.