Seriously considering annexing the downstairs bedroom for ourselves.

[TheBeachHouse]

We see a way to have a dining room and nice master bathroom if we grab the only first floor guest room.
How valuable is a first floor room? Have you done this?
Last night, we had dinner on our dining room set - that is now in the inn as our apartment has no space for it. I realized how much I missed it! We figured out a way to create a dining room if we take one room from the inn.
I'm worried about going from 6 rooms to 5. But more, is a first floor room so very valuable? People do sometimes request it.

 

[Morticia]

We would die without first floor rooms. You really need to look at your demographic. It would be nice to have a dining room, but it's it really worth it?

 

[gillumhouse]

It depends on YOUR guest demographic. It also depends on how much revenue will be lost (and how important that factor is compared to YOUR happiness) and how that will impact your finances. I have never had a ground floor room as that has always been a requirement for Himself. I am afraid this is one question only you can answer.
Satisfaction factor for innkeeper vs revenue is personal. Demand and need for first floor room for guests is a location issue. 5 rooms vs 6 is a financial issue and only you know your finances.

 

[JBloggs]

Do the report to see how often it rented vs the others. ie room b made $25k, is it worth losing that revenue for the space you gain? That is important to note.
First floor are more gold than silver, I know that. We lost business because we didn't have a first or ground floor room to rent. I would make that the one that had the king bed and all the whistles for older, larger or health impaired guests if I had to do over again.

 

[Morticia]

Do the report to see how often it rented vs the others. ie room b made $25k, is it worth losing that revenue for the space you gain? That is important to note.
First floor are more gold than silver, I know that. We lost business because we didn't have a first or ground floor room to rent. I would make that the one that had the king bed and all the whistles for older, larger or health impaired guests if I had to do over again..

Bingo on that! Our rooms have the perks - king bed, double queen beds, fireplaces.
In beachy's case, tho, she has views upstairs.
Definitely need to look at the numbers.

 

[JBloggs]

Do the report to see how often it rented vs the others. ie room b made $25k, is it worth losing that revenue for the space you gain? That is important to note.
First floor are more gold than silver, I know that. We lost business because we didn't have a first or ground floor room to rent. I would make that the one that had the king bed and all the whistles for older, larger or health impaired guests if I had to do over again..

Bingo on that! Our rooms have the perks - king bed, double queen beds, fireplaces.
In beachy's case, tho, she has views upstairs.
Definitely need to look at the numbers.
.

Bingo on that! Our rooms have the perks - king bed, double queen beds, fireplaces.
In beachy's case, tho, she has views upstairs.
Definitely need to look at the numbers.

Numbers speak volumes.
Agreed.
I think views from rooms are more important to advance reservations, but not to those walk ins or same week. I think of all the c-pappers who always need a king bed.
I slept in a queen all this past week and that divot in the middle nearly killed us. It is there, youbetchya. I thought about how I slept in our rooms on and off as we discuss to see what it is like, bring our luggage along and test them out. But honestly, I usually do it alone. So the test is not valid. But it is a nice escape!

 

[TheBeachHouse]

Yep, we will be doing the math this summer. It's all a math game.

 

[JimBoone]

Only you can determine if you can afford to lose the revenue from this room, to me the question is revenue more than the location of the room. If you do the math on your time at the inn thus far, what would the loss of revenue from that room do to your financial position?
If you can afford the change and it won't sink the ship I say go for it, your being happy and content as the innkeeper will pay big dividends in years to come.
Our place (motel) had 11 rooms, tiny living area and initially mother and our young son lived with us, we took 3 guest rooms as family bedrooms thinking that eventually we could put two of them back into the business, at this point mother is gone and son is married and on his own, but that extra space is still nice and I'm content to do this for the rest of my days. Money is nice, but being content with your life is more important in my view.

 

[Morticia]

Also consider how much you will use this room and how often. When this room is vacant, try sitting in it when guests are in the inn. Can you hear them? They can hear you in that case.
Can you get to this room without going thru the inn? Are you going to put in a doorway from the space you already have to limit going thru the inn proper? (I hate running into guests when I'm on a mission.)
Can the space be converted back?
We looked at a place in VT that had a guest room I would have annexed as it would have given us a real bedroom and direct access to the inn without climbing a ladder as the main innkeeper space required.

 

[TheBeachHouse]

Also consider how much you will use this room and how often. When this room is vacant, try sitting in it when guests are in the inn. Can you hear them? They can hear you in that case.
Can you get to this room without going thru the inn? Are you going to put in a doorway from the space you already have to limit going thru the inn proper? (I hate running into guests when I'm on a mission.)
Can the space be converted back?
We looked at a place in VT that had a guest room I would have annexed as it would have given us a real bedroom and direct access to the inn without climbing a ladder as the main innkeeper space required..

a ladder? ummmm, no!

 

[JBloggs]

Yep, we will be doing the math this summer. It's all a math game..

Yep, we will be doing the math this summer. It's all a math game.

This summer?
I thought you wanted to do it now. Off season is the time to make the changes. I think we all like to spread out and enjoy what we have when the guests are lighter load. Enjoy.

 

[user 26]

For right now, enjoy the dining room! When spring comes, run your numbers - if it's a really popular room, you've got a tough choice to make. If you just really need more living space, sometimes that is what you need most of all to make the job of your life bearable. I have seen so so many bed and breakfasts where the innkeepers have just a bedroom and bathroom all to themselves with no private living spaces unless there are no guests. I lived that way with one important difference, I used the dining area as my living room after all guests were checked in and I was able to lock them out.
My first floor room was a hit or miss. Very large suite with its own bathroom and a king size bed but no view. If someone wanted/needed a first floor room, it was a huge hit. But others would struggle to get up the stairs so they could look out at the harbor.
New owner also bought the hotel across the road. She converted my old dining room and kitchen into two first floor suites with water views. THOSE are incredibly popular. Everyone now eats breakfast in the restaurant portion of the little hotel across the road.

 

[EmptyNest]

How often will you use a dining room? Personally I would keep a first floor room for guests.

 

[TheBeachHouse]

Plans are shaping up.
The switch won't happen for at least two years and by then we'll have a better idea of whether we can afford it.
We tend to think of how to improve the place constantly. The idea of improving OUR portion of the house was just another in a long line of ideas.
A roof top deck.
A putting green.
Turning the third floor into a one bedroom apartment with full kitchen.
Breaking off the small back area into an apartment for rent.
Usually, we plan for improving the inn. This plan is for us. As we age, we may go for it.

 

[Morticia]

Plans are shaping up.
The switch won't happen for at least two years and by then we'll have a better idea of whether we can afford it.
We tend to think of how to improve the place constantly. The idea of improving OUR portion of the house was just another in a long line of ideas.
A roof top deck.
A putting green.
Turning the third floor into a one bedroom apartment with full kitchen.
Breaking off the small back area into an apartment for rent.
Usually, we plan for improving the inn. This plan is for us. As we age, we may go for it..

Ah, this makes more sense! If we were planning to live here forever, we'd rent out our space and move into the inn. We wouldn't need all the bathrooms, but it would be good space otherwise.

 

[TheBeachHouse]

Plans are shaping up.
The switch won't happen for at least two years and by then we'll have a better idea of whether we can afford it.
We tend to think of how to improve the place constantly. The idea of improving OUR portion of the house was just another in a long line of ideas.
A roof top deck.
A putting green.
Turning the third floor into a one bedroom apartment with full kitchen.
Breaking off the small back area into an apartment for rent.
Usually, we plan for improving the inn. This plan is for us. As we age, we may go for it..

Ah, this makes more sense! If we were planning to live here forever, we'd rent out our space and move into the inn. We wouldn't need all the bathrooms, but it would be good space otherwise.
.

When we talk about the future, we sometimes say, "When we own the house."
Currently, the house owns us!

 

[Silverspoon]

Can you be flexible? It would be fairly easy to convert a bed room to a dining room if the room was positioned adjacent to your current living space on one side and the inn on the other. You could use it as a part of the inn during the busiest season and convert it to your dining room during the winter and early spring. Let's face it, you are too busy during the summer to use a dining room anyway. May s well make $$$ with it.
We have a room on the second floor, which we use as DH's study, that has two doorways: one leads to our master bedroom/bathroom and the other leads to the hallway of the second floor room (bedroom, private hall, dressing room/bathroom). Currently the sound-proofed door of this "in between" room that connects to the guest suite is kept locked from our side.
I have often thought that we could easily set up a bed in that space and sell the upstairs as a two bedroom suite with shared bath if we needed the income. In your case all you would have to do is create/soundproof the second doorway into your space and move the furniture around on a seasonal basis. Best of both worlds without totally sacrificing the income during high season.

 

[Lee2014]

Look at it from every angle….
Can you have the dining room open only during breakfast hours so you can have it to yourselves the rest of the day? (That is what we do and it is used as extra office space, living room, dining room, craft room, etc. Just need to be taken away before going to bed.)
A first floor guest room is very important! Especially as your repeat clientele age. (We only have one downstairs and its fought over by guests. Its first come folks!) My grandma uses it every winter so we block it off for the winter and guests complain, but understand. I recommend keeping an eye on how much money that one room gives you.
Your sanity is also important as well as money to pay the bills. Is there a way to add an addition and have extra space there? I'd go for the golfing green instead and you can have tournaments meets as well as practicing for your enjoyment. Then the rooftop deck for the TV crews and then you can……..

 

[Lee2014]

Plans are shaping up.
The switch won't happen for at least two years and by then we'll have a better idea of whether we can afford it.
We tend to think of how to improve the place constantly. The idea of improving OUR portion of the house was just another in a long line of ideas.
A roof top deck.
A putting green.
Turning the third floor into a one bedroom apartment with full kitchen.
Breaking off the small back area into an apartment for rent.
Usually, we plan for improving the inn. This plan is for us. As we age, we may go for it..

Ah, this makes more sense! If we were planning to live here forever, we'd rent out our space and move into the inn. We wouldn't need all the bathrooms, but it would be good space otherwise.
.

When we talk about the future, we sometimes say, "When we own the house."
Currently, the house owns us!
.

When we talk about the future, we sometimes say, "When we own the house."
Currently, the house owns us!

Sorry to burst your bubble, but even after the mortgage is paid, the house still thinks its owns you. My family has been its slaves for forty years….

 

[TheBeachHouse]

Can you be flexible? It would be fairly easy to convert a bed room to a dining room if the room was positioned adjacent to your current living space on one side and the inn on the other. You could use it as a part of the inn during the busiest season and convert it to your dining room during the winter and early spring. Let's face it, you are too busy during the summer to use a dining room anyway. May s well make $$$ with it.
We have a room on the second floor, which we use as DH's study, that has two doorways: one leads to our master bedroom/bathroom and the other leads to the hallway of the second floor room (bedroom, private hall, dressing room/bathroom). Currently the sound-proofed door of this "in between" room that connects to the guest suite is kept locked from our side.
I have often thought that we could easily set up a bed in that space and sell the upstairs as a two bedroom suite with shared bath if we needed the income. In your case all you would have to do is create/soundproof the second doorway into your space and move the furniture around on a seasonal basis. Best of both worlds without totally sacrificing the income during high season..

Might be doable. Bedroom in the summer, dining room in the winter....hmmmm.
No room for an addition. Or heart. We did two separate additions on our previous house - do not want to go through that again!
I do have fun arranging and rearranging the house. Thanks, All, for the suggestions. If you ever drop by, I'll show you the rooms.