Rollaway Bed

[Audrey Forrest]

I am offering a rollaway bed and would like your opinion as to whether this
bed should be made up or whether it is reasonable to ask the guest to do it
once they check in. If they want it in the room a desk would have to be moved
out. If they want the convenience of the desk, the rollaway bed will fit in the
walk-in closet. Personally, I feel they would enjoy the room more with the
rollaway in the closet. It is stored there right now but I would like to get
feedback as to how you would deal with it. Desk is heavy to move but 2
people can move it if they really want to keep the rollaway in the room space.
Hope to hear from you all.

 

[Anon Inn]

Best to ask the guest. We have a fee for the rollaway in addition to an extra breakfast charge.

 

[Morticia]

Skip the roll away. It sounds like too much work.

 

[EmptyNest]

Charge an extra fee for it and you do the set up. Guest should not have to make their own bed.
But if it is that much trouble, I would skip even offering one. How cramped would it be with it in the room?

 

[gillumhouse]

I would not offer it. #1 - a rollaway is NOT comfortable so whomever draws the short straw will not be happy and #2 it is more work than it is worth. I no longer off the cots unless I REALLY have to. No guest should ever have to make up their bed with the sheets ("making" it in the morning is their choice).

 

[Generic]

I offer only daybeds, never a roll away. Not worth the extra work at all.

 

[Tom]

We have a "roll away", but it is a flat bed with foldable legs on wheels and a real twin innerspring mattress (i.e. it is not the kind that folds in the middle like a clam), so it is a) comfortable, b) really heavy - DW can't move it, but it fits in the elevator, c) needs two trips to move: frame and mattress. We always make it up for guest, turned down to make it look cozy.
We have 3 rooms out of 5 where it fits easily. We charge $25/night for an extra person in room above the couple rate. When two are sharing room, but not bed, we usually just bring in roll away at no additional charge.
Don't have hard numbers, but my impression is that we use it a bit less than 10 times/year. One room has king/queen so that carries most of the 2 persons in 2 beds traffic, but the availability of the roll away made the reservations when we used it..
My opinion: a good extra bed is worth it.

 

[Lee2014]

We offer single beds (and rollaways for children). We set them up with sheets, blankets, pillows, etc. If it is an extra person then extra amenities as well. $25 a person over two people per room. Our rooms can handle the extra bed without moving stuff. The ones that require moving things, we talk them into taking another room if possible.

 

[Morticia]

If you decide to offer the roll away it should definitely be set up for the guest. Guests should not have to make their own bed.
Now, you have mentioned 2 ways of doing this - you remove furniture from the room (and store it where? In the closet?) or, you set the bed up in the closet.
I will say that when my son got to his college dorm room there were 2 beds and 3 students so he slept in the closet for a few months until one of the guys dropped out.
But he was 17.
If you're going to ask a guest to sleep in the closet it had better be one big closet! I would set the cot up and take a picture of it so the guest can see what it looks like in place. There should be a light and a side table as well.

 

[OnTheShore]

We had a roll-away. The fold-up kind. It was ancient, "Clanky," with lots of sharp edges and stuff. definitely not OSHA-Approved. We called it the death trap. Only one family (regulars) ever requested it, and we'ld have to haul it out of storage and take it down to their cottage. Fortunately the kids started having kids, so now they take multiple cottages when they come. We took the ol' death trap to the scrap metal pile at the dump!

 

[gillumhouse]

Back in the day when we did offer the cots - they are spring-loaded canvas, no bars except along the sides. We used them when we camped and were comfortable - as comfortable as one can be in a narrow bed. Hate t put them up & take down. I put 2 egg-crate foam mattresses on the cot, then a mattress pad, and then the sheets and quilt.