Security of your Innkeeper Quarters

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JBloggs

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I recently read Daniel Edward Craig's book "Murder at Graverly Manor" in which a long term hotelier takes the leap to becoming an innkeeper. In it, he speaks of the differences in a hotel guest/atmosphere to a B&B. He says paraphrased "I cannot even imagine a guest walking into a restaurant kitchen and opening the fridge to help themselves or going through the cupboards, and yet at a B&B they do this!" "Or opening closed doors and entering the General Manager's office."
So last night at 11pm we hear our kitchen doors go bang, we have a chain across them for a light security and then at night we lock them using a bolt we have installed that goes upward (they areleaded glass and wood combo doors). I am in bed and immediately sit upright! Husband goes into the kitchen and sees some guests walking away through the dining room.
Now, just a couple scenarios:
a) they wanted ice, and decided they could just go into a CLOSED DOOR,with private sign, and get it themselves, or try to find it.
b) they saw no one was around and decided to be lookie loos, and go into a CLOSED DOOR,with private sign and peek around
c) they were going into innkeeper quarters where we have confidential information and business transaction "stuff" to steal
d) they were going to rape my family
Now most of that seems extreme I know, but these are strangers in our midst. When I say welcome to the inn, I do not say welcome to the closed and locked doors and my quarters. My children are asleep in their beds ay 11pm. I am not happy that we live in a fishbowl, that we have to lock OURSELVES IN TIGHT when no one in this town even locks their door!
Make sure your quarters are secure, innkeepers, you may not hear people going in like I did, or attempting to go in.
 
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We've had guests wander into our bedroom. Luckily, the dog knows NO ONE comes thru that door except for us and the housekeeper. She starts in low, but she means business....grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
 
When I greet guests, I always say "Welcome to our home". Many of them are first time B&B guests and don't know the drill.
Our guest quarters are separate from ours. At night, ours are locked and I have a shotgun nearby. I normally only use it on varmints, but if someone tried to enter our home, I'd make an exception.
 
When I greet guests, I always say "Welcome to our home". Many of them are first time B&B guests and don't know the drill.
Our guest quarters are separate from ours. At night, ours are locked and I have a shotgun nearby. I normally only use it on varmints, but if someone tried to enter our home, I'd make an exception..
Varmints (wild animals near PT's quarters)
Vermin (wild guests near JB's quarters)
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We had private quarters and kept doors locked when we didn't want anyone wandering into the kitchen. IF yours is not that set up and they don't read signs. You need to clearly tell them. THIS IS OUR PRIVATE AREA. IF YOU NEED ANYTHING, KNOCK on the DOOR< RING the BELL..whatever.
 
We've had guests wander into our bedroom. Luckily, the dog knows NO ONE comes thru that door except for us and the housekeeper. She starts in low, but she means business....grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.
Wow! I'm trying to envision this scenario here. I'm fairly sure DH would bodily remove them from the home if they were found in our bedroom.
Had one this morning insist on picking his plate up after breakfast. DH told him to just leave it there but "No, I need to help you out, I already made my bed this morning". He then starts walking towards the swinging door with the PRIVATE and EMPLOYEES ONLY, DO NOT ENTER signs on it and DH just said "You definitely don't want to walk through that door". He stopped and set the plate down. Do you know how much you'd be helping me if you just left your plate at your setting where I asked you to and just got the hell out of the way?
 
We've had guests wander into our bedroom. Luckily, the dog knows NO ONE comes thru that door except for us and the housekeeper. She starts in low, but she means business....grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.
Wow! I'm trying to envision this scenario here. I'm fairly sure DH would bodily remove them from the home if they were found in our bedroom.
Had one this morning insist on picking his plate up after breakfast. DH told him to just leave it there but "No, I need to help you out, I already made my bed this morning". He then starts walking towards the swinging door with the PRIVATE and EMPLOYEES ONLY, DO NOT ENTER signs on it and DH just said "You definitely don't want to walk through that door". He stopped and set the plate down. Do you know how much you'd be helping me if you just left your plate at your setting where I asked you to and just got the hell out of the way?
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Absolutely. Yesterday we were trying to get the last of the breakfasts out when a guest walked into the kitchen. (OK, the kitchen is a total of 3 feet wide and there she is blocking the entire space.) She starts talking! Telling me what she's doing for the rest of the morning until they leave. AND LOOKING OVER EVERYTHING.
Go away.
 
We've had guests wander into our bedroom. Luckily, the dog knows NO ONE comes thru that door except for us and the housekeeper. She starts in low, but she means business....grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.
Wow! I'm trying to envision this scenario here. I'm fairly sure DH would bodily remove them from the home if they were found in our bedroom.
Had one this morning insist on picking his plate up after breakfast. DH told him to just leave it there but "No, I need to help you out, I already made my bed this morning". He then starts walking towards the swinging door with the PRIVATE and EMPLOYEES ONLY, DO NOT ENTER signs on it and DH just said "You definitely don't want to walk through that door". He stopped and set the plate down. Do you know how much you'd be helping me if you just left your plate at your setting where I asked you to and just got the hell out of the way?
.
Don Draper said:
Wow! I'm trying to envision this scenario here. I'm fairly sure DH would bodily remove them from the home if they were found in our bedroom.
The majoritu of the times it has been a kid looking for the dog. Sometimes, tho, it's guests who think they can just open any door and walk in. They see me go down this hallway so this must be where they can find me.
 
We've had guests wander into our bedroom. Luckily, the dog knows NO ONE comes thru that door except for us and the housekeeper. She starts in low, but she means business....grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.
Wow! I'm trying to envision this scenario here. I'm fairly sure DH would bodily remove them from the home if they were found in our bedroom.
Had one this morning insist on picking his plate up after breakfast. DH told him to just leave it there but "No, I need to help you out, I already made my bed this morning". He then starts walking towards the swinging door with the PRIVATE and EMPLOYEES ONLY, DO NOT ENTER signs on it and DH just said "You definitely don't want to walk through that door". He stopped and set the plate down. Do you know how much you'd be helping me if you just left your plate at your setting where I asked you to and just got the hell out of the way?
.
Don Draper said:
Wow! I'm trying to envision this scenario here. I'm fairly sure DH would bodily remove them from the home if they were found in our bedroom.
The majoritu of the times it has been a kid looking for the dog. Sometimes, tho, it's guests who think they can just open any door and walk in. They see me go down this hallway so this must be where they can find me.
.
Alibi Ike said:
Don Draper said:
Wow! I'm trying to envision this scenario here. I'm fairly sure DH would bodily remove them from the home if they were found in our bedroom.
The majoritu of the times it has been a kid looking for the dog. Sometimes, tho, it's guests who think they can just open any door and walk in. They see me go down this hallway so this must be where they can find me.
So what you are saying is they were looking for our dog. HAHA
 
we have an open kitchen so often people come with plates as you have to walk past the kitchen door to go up the stairs out of the basement breakfast room anyway which I don't mind. Our set up is a bit different so it is easier to keep an eye on things we have one half of the basement as our flat and the other side is the breakfast room. There is a fire door out of the breakfast room but it can only be opened from the inside with a push bar. So if I shut the door at the top of the stairs it means only one door to shut and lock to keep them out which is easier to remember. Our chamber maid who has been with us for 7 years now and is more like family has a key for the top of stairs door and the back door so if we are having a rare sleep in she can get started under her own steam. As well in this country it is rare to have a basement at all so most people don't even think of it.
Thing is the original comment is about guests not being funny but it could have been anyone ie outside burglar. several B&B's round me have had stuff knicked because of leaving doors open for laundry men etc while they were out. opportunity makes thief.
Mind you have been surprised by the honesty of people one guest found a gold and diamond ring and gave it to me and another guest brought me a camera they had found in the car park. shows you people can surprise you. I am sad about the ring cos it says all my love Kevin on it but we havn't had any guests called Kevin ie couples. so have no idea who it belongs to.
 
We have the help out by thaking plate to kitchen but I stop them quickly by saying that is DH's job and he has his methods. As for our quarters, we really have not had anyone try to enter. The kitchen dor is open but I have never had anyone rummage through anything - and I would know if they did. there is a method to my stacking.....
 
In this B & B there is a door leading to kitchen and another door leading into our quarters from the kitchen and yet another door leading from the foyer and behind the front desk. They all have a sliding lock and we don't allow guests int he kitchen although some have wondered in asking were the coffee is when its right in the dinning room by the dinning room door -its impossible to miss-they just want to look! it irritates me! At one time they allowed guests to enter the kitchen and get coffee from the butler's pantry-but the door had been removed from the entrance to the kitchen from the butler's pantry so you could just come into the kitchen. When we arrived we told the owner that under no circumstances would we allow guests into the kitchen-she told us that it was done in the past, DH asked her if she went into a restaurants kitchen and would she be allowed to do so-she said NO so we said NO guests in the kitchen. Its worked out so far but some do anyway.
We try to lock both doors when we go into our quarters but sometimes at night one of us forgets, we do have two cats but keep them in our quarters. One night about two weeks ago we had to eldetly battlelacks-(PITAS-old at that) that opened the door behind the front desk and our cat escaped and she either did not notice or did not care and since she saw that it was dark (we were probably in bed) closed that door-now next morning we are looking for our cat and he was stuck at the other side of the house with no bathroom facilities-you can get the picture-so from now one we make sure we LOCK it on the inside. It just perplexes me why guests go into places they obviously do not belong! Curiousity kills the cat, would be funny if we can put some kind of shock device on the door so that if guests touches it it sends a little shock wave=-ha ha ha.
 
When we made up our wish list as aspiring innkeepers, DH's first item was a separate innkeepers house. I didn't see it as a big issue, but we were amazingly fortunate to find our place which does have a separate innkeepers quarters. It's small, but at least it's really private and we feel like we get away from the guests.
It's very rare that a b&b has separate quarters, so any aspirings out there, pay attention to what the others are saying and when looking for your b&b purchase, make sure that the owners quarters are something you can live comfortably with.
Oh, and one of the first things we did was put a lock on that kitchen door!
 
When we made up our wish list as aspiring innkeepers, DH's first item was a separate innkeepers house. I didn't see it as a big issue, but we were amazingly fortunate to find our place which does have a separate innkeepers quarters. It's small, but at least it's really private and we feel like we get away from the guests.
It's very rare that a b&b has separate quarters, so any aspirings out there, pay attention to what the others are saying and when looking for your b&b purchase, make sure that the owners quarters are something you can live comfortably with.
Oh, and one of the first things we did was put a lock on that kitchen door!.
HEAR HEAR!
Many aspirings think they can just have a room to sleep in and utilize the rest of the house, after all it is my house, right? Wrong. Trust me, the lack of privacy makes your owner's quarters a haven of rest for you, an escape, the creme de la creme in this business, muy importante'. You will need it more than every before, in your life. There is no "going home" after work, there is no "leave your troubles at the office" there is no where to run! So I agree, make it as private and personal as possible, lock er up (and even then watch them as they try to break in!)
 
When we made up our wish list as aspiring innkeepers, DH's first item was a separate innkeepers house. I didn't see it as a big issue, but we were amazingly fortunate to find our place which does have a separate innkeepers quarters. It's small, but at least it's really private and we feel like we get away from the guests.
It's very rare that a b&b has separate quarters, so any aspirings out there, pay attention to what the others are saying and when looking for your b&b purchase, make sure that the owners quarters are something you can live comfortably with.
Oh, and one of the first things we did was put a lock on that kitchen door!.
HEAR HEAR!
Many aspirings think they can just have a room to sleep in and utilize the rest of the house, after all it is my house, right? Wrong. Trust me, the lack of privacy makes your owner's quarters a haven of rest for you, an escape, the creme de la creme in this business, muy importante'. You will need it more than every before, in your life. There is no "going home" after work, there is no "leave your troubles at the office" there is no where to run! So I agree, make it as private and personal as possible, lock er up (and even then watch them as they try to break in!)
.
There have only been a few guests who have walked in thru our exterior door. The reason each time? They 'didn't have to go up any steps.'
Well, what good does that do? If that's not the entry door (marked) then what good does it do you just because there are no steps?
We have a screen door on there now and we keep that locked.
Oy.
 
When we made up our wish list as aspiring innkeepers, DH's first item was a separate innkeepers house. I didn't see it as a big issue, but we were amazingly fortunate to find our place which does have a separate innkeepers quarters. It's small, but at least it's really private and we feel like we get away from the guests.
It's very rare that a b&b has separate quarters, so any aspirings out there, pay attention to what the others are saying and when looking for your b&b purchase, make sure that the owners quarters are something you can live comfortably with.
Oh, and one of the first things we did was put a lock on that kitchen door!.
HEAR HEAR!
Many aspirings think they can just have a room to sleep in and utilize the rest of the house, after all it is my house, right? Wrong. Trust me, the lack of privacy makes your owner's quarters a haven of rest for you, an escape, the creme de la creme in this business, muy importante'. You will need it more than every before, in your life. There is no "going home" after work, there is no "leave your troubles at the office" there is no where to run! So I agree, make it as private and personal as possible, lock er up (and even then watch them as they try to break in!)
.
We saw so many places when we were looking where the innkeepers had ONE room, a bedroom. And, the sellers all told us that they kept a suitcase handy for when they had to rent out their bedroom in peak season.
How can anyone live like that? Where do you store your 'stuff'. Where do you hang your family photos? I can see why a lot of those places were for sale. The owners set a time limit...for 5 years we live like this, suck the money out and then move on.
One place had the innkeeper living in the laundry room. A whole wall of washers & dryers at the foot of her bed.
We wrote that entire state off our list after we saw that time and again.
You need your space. Believe us when we tell you this!
Even if it's just to be able to go into the kitchen at midnight and get some tea. You need to be able to do that without having a guest asking you for something because they happen to be up, too.
 
we have a lounge, full bathroom and small lounge but I would kill for a proper office. To lay out all my marketing stuff out. if we knock 4 into 5 we wont need 5's bathroom so I am hoping to take that woo hoo.
 
The lock went on our kitchen door this past Spring. Same reason..
my mum many years ago had her car stolen from the B&B she worked in someone walked in the front door straight into the kitchen took her handbag and car keys and took the car as well. more recently 4 bags of laundry (dirty) were taken from the back of one of my neighbours watched by their dogs but left their laptops came through the back door while they were in. my neighbour stuart had his car stolen in this way. my neighbour bev had a burglar come through her bathroom window couldn't get out of the bathroom but damaged all the shower cubicle which they had to climb on to get down which cost to fix. My next door neighbour has an ornamental bridge and that was stolen and left 2 miles away but at least she got it back. its why we have no garden furniture on the front it attracts drunks walking home. I think part of the problem is the recession it seems to be an attitude change of I'll get everything I can even if I don't want it. It was going that way but it seems to be getting worce.
 
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