So you want to become Innkeeper Chapter 1

Bed & Breakfast / Short Term Rental Host Forum

Help Support Bed & Breakfast / Short Term Rental Host Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Wow!!! Sounds like you had a great time. Did you have policies in place to have the guest pay for your thousand dollar rug?
 
I hope you confronted them about the carpet. If not then, I would definitely contact them. Do you have a policy about charges for room damages. If you don't..better get one NOW! Good luck with the rest of the season.
 
Wow!!! Sounds like you had a great time. Did you have policies in place to have the guest pay for your thousand dollar rug?.
Well sure we do but just try and collect on them! 9 out of 10 times as you know we lose. Short of having evidence the day before the event and signed witness statements its near impossible for us to collect. Its frustrating at best and luckily we have this site to rant and complain. Fall always seems to bring out the most evil guest
 
Wow!!! Sounds like you had a great time. Did you have policies in place to have the guest pay for your thousand dollar rug?.
Well sure we do but just try and collect on them! 9 out of 10 times as you know we lose. Short of having evidence the day before the event and signed witness statements its near impossible for us to collect. Its frustrating at best and luckily we have this site to rant and complain. Fall always seems to bring out the most evil guest
.
Steven James said:
Fall always seems to bring out the most evil guest
It's summer here that does that. We look forward to the fall and the 'sane' guests coming back. They were a little late this year...
 
I am so sorry that you guys get the crazies. So far (and I am eternally grateful) mine have canceled before they arrived.
 
We have had excessive damage here as well. Finding it BEFORE the guest had checked out allowed us to present them with a bill, charge them, get them to sign the cc receipt and that was that.
However, also have friends who had damage done to their place, got the guest to sign the cc receipt and then got threatening phone calls from the guest's brother saying bad things would happen if the innkeeper didn't refund the money.
 
Seriously? Cut out part of the carpet?
They can pay for it, or you can call the cops and they can explain they pot to the cops...
 
We have had excessive damage here as well. Finding it BEFORE the guest had checked out allowed us to present them with a bill, charge them, get them to sign the cc receipt and that was that.
However, also have friends who had damage done to their place, got the guest to sign the cc receipt and then got threatening phone calls from the guest's brother saying bad things would happen if the innkeeper didn't refund the money..
I often wished it be appropriate to do a mid stay walk through of the room. We use the door hangers to freshen a room and respect the rights to privacy when the guest lock the door. A few years back another guest tilted the ac unit towards the room and you guessed it the water came in and instead of notifying us, they would through towels on the floor to contain the water. I've learnt in seven years of doing this if they insist on paying in cash they usually are more of liability. I was successful once last year in collecting for damages but our location on a three State line means most of our guest are from other States. Its near impossible to litigate over State lines without a great expense to yourself.If a guest insist on cash I do make them sign a separate sheet that lets me collect in court if there are damages. I do think a book about Inn keeping that really spells out the good and the bad should be written. I think its great that this website exist so those that are kicking the idea around can read what actual people in the business say.I am also lucky that between my partner and there is almost nothing we can't fix ourselves. I think I'm going to glue the weft in place where they cut through it and needle punch wool of the same color into the void to fill it. Luckily they did not cut through the canvas backing of the rug. The glue will go down in the weft after the felting takes place. For now I moved the 12x10 rug two feet under the couch. I have a skilled rug hooker coming to stay at the end of the month and I'm so going to have her look at it. She may actually do a traditional repair and dyes her own wool. At this point I'm grateful anger has passed and using my God given noggin to now fix the situation. A friend of ours who runs a B&B for the city of Dubuque has has changed the policy page on there website and I am working on changing mine to be more in line to her site.
 
For the record the Cavernous hole is a bit smaller than a fifty cent piece and is of a conical angled cut. I spotted immediately. It would of taken my partner months to see it. I wish I had his ability not to see obvious things.
 
I am so sorry that you guys get the crazies. So far (and I am eternally grateful) mine have canceled before they arrived..
I'm so lucky I'm going out for dinner tonight with two friends that use to own a B&B in NY state and walked away from the light. I know they will have me in stitches tonight with worse nightmare stories than my poor old rug story. I lurked for a few months on here before logging in and the funny part of it is. I realized its just not me and we all seem to be in very similar boats. I found it comforting after awhile to know I'm not alone. I would think everyone of us does not do this out of love for strangers but basically does if for a love a history and a way to maintain a manner of living and preserve a home and its history. I learnt I am this homes Custodian a long time ago and it owns me not the other way around.
 
I hope you confronted them about the carpet. If not then, I would definitely contact them. Do you have a policy about charges for room damages. If you don't..better get one NOW! Good luck with the rest of the season..
This is my friend B&B policy page which the City of Dubuque owns the B&B Its basically the way I'm changing mine too and I be curious what the rest of the people on here think. Its very heavy handed to cancelations but I love it. For damages however I think I want a hourly fee also.
http://www.fourmounds.org/Portals/0/Event%20Whole%20House%20policies%2011.pdf
I like also they are taking not just one night of a rental up front but 50 percent. So if someone is coming for four days they are taking two days up front and the cancelation guide lines are strict but Ohhhhh so devine.
 
We have had excessive damage here as well. Finding it BEFORE the guest had checked out allowed us to present them with a bill, charge them, get them to sign the cc receipt and that was that.
However, also have friends who had damage done to their place, got the guest to sign the cc receipt and then got threatening phone calls from the guest's brother saying bad things would happen if the innkeeper didn't refund the money..
I often wished it be appropriate to do a mid stay walk through of the room. We use the door hangers to freshen a room and respect the rights to privacy when the guest lock the door. A few years back another guest tilted the ac unit towards the room and you guessed it the water came in and instead of notifying us, they would through towels on the floor to contain the water. I've learnt in seven years of doing this if they insist on paying in cash they usually are more of liability. I was successful once last year in collecting for damages but our location on a three State line means most of our guest are from other States. Its near impossible to litigate over State lines without a great expense to yourself.If a guest insist on cash I do make them sign a separate sheet that lets me collect in court if there are damages. I do think a book about Inn keeping that really spells out the good and the bad should be written. I think its great that this website exist so those that are kicking the idea around can read what actual people in the business say.I am also lucky that between my partner and there is almost nothing we can't fix ourselves. I think I'm going to glue the weft in place where they cut through it and needle punch wool of the same color into the void to fill it. Luckily they did not cut through the canvas backing of the rug. The glue will go down in the weft after the felting takes place. For now I moved the 12x10 rug two feet under the couch. I have a skilled rug hooker coming to stay at the end of the month and I'm so going to have her look at it. She may actually do a traditional repair and dyes her own wool. At this point I'm grateful anger has passed and using my God given noggin to now fix the situation. A friend of ours who runs a B&B for the city of Dubuque has has changed the policy page on there website and I am working on changing mine to be more in line to her site.
.
We tried the "Do Not Disturb" hangers and we gave up. They leave it on when they don't want to, they use it to keep you out because they damaged something or are doing something illegal or immoral.... Nope, done! We go in each day. You can ask us not to, but we always need to clear the trash, sorry. We don't do DND.
 
We have had excessive damage here as well. Finding it BEFORE the guest had checked out allowed us to present them with a bill, charge them, get them to sign the cc receipt and that was that.
However, also have friends who had damage done to their place, got the guest to sign the cc receipt and then got threatening phone calls from the guest's brother saying bad things would happen if the innkeeper didn't refund the money..
I often wished it be appropriate to do a mid stay walk through of the room. We use the door hangers to freshen a room and respect the rights to privacy when the guest lock the door. A few years back another guest tilted the ac unit towards the room and you guessed it the water came in and instead of notifying us, they would through towels on the floor to contain the water. I've learnt in seven years of doing this if they insist on paying in cash they usually are more of liability. I was successful once last year in collecting for damages but our location on a three State line means most of our guest are from other States. Its near impossible to litigate over State lines without a great expense to yourself.If a guest insist on cash I do make them sign a separate sheet that lets me collect in court if there are damages. I do think a book about Inn keeping that really spells out the good and the bad should be written. I think its great that this website exist so those that are kicking the idea around can read what actual people in the business say.I am also lucky that between my partner and there is almost nothing we can't fix ourselves. I think I'm going to glue the weft in place where they cut through it and needle punch wool of the same color into the void to fill it. Luckily they did not cut through the canvas backing of the rug. The glue will go down in the weft after the felting takes place. For now I moved the 12x10 rug two feet under the couch. I have a skilled rug hooker coming to stay at the end of the month and I'm so going to have her look at it. She may actually do a traditional repair and dyes her own wool. At this point I'm grateful anger has passed and using my God given noggin to now fix the situation. A friend of ours who runs a B&B for the city of Dubuque has has changed the policy page on there website and I am working on changing mine to be more in line to her site.
.
We tried the "Do Not Disturb" hangers and we gave up. They leave it on when they don't want to, they use it to keep you out because they damaged something or are doing something illegal or immoral.... Nope, done! We go in each day. You can ask us not to, but we always need to clear the trash, sorry. We don't do DND.
.
I like your thinking Eric and its where I'm leaning on going to.....I said recently to my partner while we make money like a business this is clearly and still our home. Some B&B's are strictly profit making or as someone said Newhart Inns. For me this is my home and my memories and I really should have no guilt taking control of my home. I find it unusual how the average guest does not respect our homes and I often wonder if its a generational thing because if I were visiting my mothers home there are strict guidelines of conduct. My biggest pet peeve are the furniture decorators or those who rearrange. I would never go into my mothers home to stay and think I have the right to move her beds and then leave them for her to move back. I had one wacko this last Winter who removed all the wall art and placed it in the closet. Can you believe it!!! I came across another demented person like this and they stated they did not like things with eyes. Luckily she left the next morning and two days later she called asking if she could come back and my reply of course was NEVER! She evidently was not liking her motel/hotel accommodations! LOL. The expensive art I keep alarmed and more than once have been awakened by alarms going off. I love asking them what the need was to remove a painting from its wall. As of yet not one has given me a clear answer. Its even more fun to alarm the glass cases and ask them what is it they wanted to see when those alarms squeal off. I love seeing humans turn bright red and still find it fascinating how they think they have the right to go into sealed cases, cabinets, and curios. I've learnt if you add signage and state the piece is alarmed it makes them want to gain access even more LOL. It is alarming not to pun, how the American public think because they pay to stay at a place be it hotel , motel, B&B that they have the right to invade every aspect and can do whatever they want with no consequences for there actions. Clearly something has changed in my lifetime.
 
Seriously? Cut out part of the carpet?
They can pay for it, or you can call the cops and they can explain they pot to the cops....
If I took it in it be a couple hundred dollars and probably out of the room for 1-2 months or I can fix it myself for probably five dollars. I used the same rug to fix the roller coaster wood floor after guest tilted a ac into the room. Believe it or not if you put a rug of this size and weight onto a warped wood floor, that wood floor will lay down flat again within a years time. Its so frustrating that we open our homes to strangers and human nature is what it is and they always seem to conceal the damage. I wish they would of left it burnt and let me tackle the situation than make it worse by cutting the burned area from the rug. Thing is I probably would of strangled her if she would of admitted to it. Anger I've learnt takes time to dissolve and separation from the anger is a must to allow it to dissolve. But you guys are great for letting me vent! You saved me from going to prison for strangling another person and saved me hundreds in therapist bills.
 
Wow!!! Sounds like you had a great time. Did you have policies in place to have the guest pay for your thousand dollar rug?.
Well sure we do but just try and collect on them! 9 out of 10 times as you know we lose. Short of having evidence the day before the event and signed witness statements its near impossible for us to collect. Its frustrating at best and luckily we have this site to rant and complain. Fall always seems to bring out the most evil guest
.
Steven James said:
Fall always seems to bring out the most evil guest
It's summer here that does that. We look forward to the fall and the 'sane' guests coming back. They were a little late this year...
.
Last night the home was 72 plus degrees on all three floors and had a request for extra heat. Sooooo of course I gave them a space heater and guess what, two hours later they requested another one. Two space heaters and 72 degrees. the crazies are out! I don't cook breakfast I pull a "Newhart" in this department but the two space heater quarters are next to the kitchen and there I was bullets of sweat pouring off my face this morning. Soon as they left I opened all the doors to cool the place down. Eeeeegads the fun never ends. I need to send myself on a vacation next Fall. Luckily I scheduled three more retreats before the end of October. I' love my post menstrual stitching, hooking , quilting ladies. Give me a retreat any day over regular B&B guest. With a group over just a couple at least a democracy or a monarchy seems to take place. Love hearing ten woman yell at the eleventh woman to put a sweater on.
 
We have had excessive damage here as well. Finding it BEFORE the guest had checked out allowed us to present them with a bill, charge them, get them to sign the cc receipt and that was that.
However, also have friends who had damage done to their place, got the guest to sign the cc receipt and then got threatening phone calls from the guest's brother saying bad things would happen if the innkeeper didn't refund the money..
I often wished it be appropriate to do a mid stay walk through of the room. We use the door hangers to freshen a room and respect the rights to privacy when the guest lock the door. A few years back another guest tilted the ac unit towards the room and you guessed it the water came in and instead of notifying us, they would through towels on the floor to contain the water. I've learnt in seven years of doing this if they insist on paying in cash they usually are more of liability. I was successful once last year in collecting for damages but our location on a three State line means most of our guest are from other States. Its near impossible to litigate over State lines without a great expense to yourself.If a guest insist on cash I do make them sign a separate sheet that lets me collect in court if there are damages. I do think a book about Inn keeping that really spells out the good and the bad should be written. I think its great that this website exist so those that are kicking the idea around can read what actual people in the business say.I am also lucky that between my partner and there is almost nothing we can't fix ourselves. I think I'm going to glue the weft in place where they cut through it and needle punch wool of the same color into the void to fill it. Luckily they did not cut through the canvas backing of the rug. The glue will go down in the weft after the felting takes place. For now I moved the 12x10 rug two feet under the couch. I have a skilled rug hooker coming to stay at the end of the month and I'm so going to have her look at it. She may actually do a traditional repair and dyes her own wool. At this point I'm grateful anger has passed and using my God given noggin to now fix the situation. A friend of ours who runs a B&B for the city of Dubuque has has changed the policy page on there website and I am working on changing mine to be more in line to her site.
.
We tried the "Do Not Disturb" hangers and we gave up. They leave it on when they don't want to, they use it to keep you out because they damaged something or are doing something illegal or immoral.... Nope, done! We go in each day. You can ask us not to, but we always need to clear the trash, sorry. We don't do DND.
.
I like your thinking Eric and its where I'm leaning on going to.....I said recently to my partner while we make money like a business this is clearly and still our home. Some B&B's are strictly profit making or as someone said Newhart Inns. For me this is my home and my memories and I really should have no guilt taking control of my home. I find it unusual how the average guest does not respect our homes and I often wonder if its a generational thing because if I were visiting my mothers home there are strict guidelines of conduct. My biggest pet peeve are the furniture decorators or those who rearrange. I would never go into my mothers home to stay and think I have the right to move her beds and then leave them for her to move back. I had one wacko this last Winter who removed all the wall art and placed it in the closet. Can you believe it!!! I came across another demented person like this and they stated they did not like things with eyes. Luckily she left the next morning and two days later she called asking if she could come back and my reply of course was NEVER! She evidently was not liking her motel/hotel accommodations! LOL. The expensive art I keep alarmed and more than once have been awakened by alarms going off. I love asking them what the need was to remove a painting from its wall. As of yet not one has given me a clear answer. Its even more fun to alarm the glass cases and ask them what is it they wanted to see when those alarms squeal off. I love seeing humans turn bright red and still find it fascinating how they think they have the right to go into sealed cases, cabinets, and curios. I've learnt if you add signage and state the piece is alarmed it makes them want to gain access even more LOL. It is alarming not to pun, how the American public think because they pay to stay at a place be it hotel , motel, B&B that they have the right to invade every aspect and can do whatever they want with no consequences for there actions. Clearly something has changed in my lifetime.
.
It's not generational. For me I always worry when a guest calls my B&B a "Hotel". A hotel is a place where no one respects property. It is the Car Rental with the CDW. And you know how many people want to buy a rental car after they are finished with it. There is NO ONE who takes better care of your home than you.
Schadenfreude is the word you are looking for. And I've been contemplating putting a dummy camera with a blinking red light inside of my laundry area. It's a door marked private and I just let myself imagine that they respect me enough to not go in. But how embarrassing would it be to open it up and see the flashing red light of a camera staring at you.
I've had minor furniture movement. I keep furniture in the rooms to a minimum and not much in the way of movement. But you can never tell what will throw people. My mother used to cover the mirrors at my grandparent's place in Florida because she hated waking up at night and seeing someone staring back at her in the moonlight.
PS: Can I contribute $10 to your paragraph fund? You know, that thing that tells us a different idea is coming.... :)
 
We have had excessive damage here as well. Finding it BEFORE the guest had checked out allowed us to present them with a bill, charge them, get them to sign the cc receipt and that was that.
However, also have friends who had damage done to their place, got the guest to sign the cc receipt and then got threatening phone calls from the guest's brother saying bad things would happen if the innkeeper didn't refund the money..
I often wished it be appropriate to do a mid stay walk through of the room. We use the door hangers to freshen a room and respect the rights to privacy when the guest lock the door. A few years back another guest tilted the ac unit towards the room and you guessed it the water came in and instead of notifying us, they would through towels on the floor to contain the water. I've learnt in seven years of doing this if they insist on paying in cash they usually are more of liability. I was successful once last year in collecting for damages but our location on a three State line means most of our guest are from other States. Its near impossible to litigate over State lines without a great expense to yourself.If a guest insist on cash I do make them sign a separate sheet that lets me collect in court if there are damages. I do think a book about Inn keeping that really spells out the good and the bad should be written. I think its great that this website exist so those that are kicking the idea around can read what actual people in the business say.I am also lucky that between my partner and there is almost nothing we can't fix ourselves. I think I'm going to glue the weft in place where they cut through it and needle punch wool of the same color into the void to fill it. Luckily they did not cut through the canvas backing of the rug. The glue will go down in the weft after the felting takes place. For now I moved the 12x10 rug two feet under the couch. I have a skilled rug hooker coming to stay at the end of the month and I'm so going to have her look at it. She may actually do a traditional repair and dyes her own wool. At this point I'm grateful anger has passed and using my God given noggin to now fix the situation. A friend of ours who runs a B&B for the city of Dubuque has has changed the policy page on there website and I am working on changing mine to be more in line to her site.
.
Steven James said:
I often wished it be appropriate to do a mid stay walk through of the room.
Get rid of the door hangers that allow your guests to 'deny' you admittance to the rooms everyday. We clean every guest room everyday so it's easier to find those problems ahead of time. Even if a guest says there's no need to clean, we open the door to be sure there's nothing needing attention. (A/C left on, heat running, windows open in a storm, wet towels everywhere.) It doesn't mean we'll clean, but we will protect our property.
We don't go into the room if the guest is only in the house one night. But, you might consider a turn down service to get you into the room if you're finding more problems than usual.
 
We have had excessive damage here as well. Finding it BEFORE the guest had checked out allowed us to present them with a bill, charge them, get them to sign the cc receipt and that was that.
However, also have friends who had damage done to their place, got the guest to sign the cc receipt and then got threatening phone calls from the guest's brother saying bad things would happen if the innkeeper didn't refund the money..
I often wished it be appropriate to do a mid stay walk through of the room. We use the door hangers to freshen a room and respect the rights to privacy when the guest lock the door. A few years back another guest tilted the ac unit towards the room and you guessed it the water came in and instead of notifying us, they would through towels on the floor to contain the water. I've learnt in seven years of doing this if they insist on paying in cash they usually are more of liability. I was successful once last year in collecting for damages but our location on a three State line means most of our guest are from other States. Its near impossible to litigate over State lines without a great expense to yourself.If a guest insist on cash I do make them sign a separate sheet that lets me collect in court if there are damages. I do think a book about Inn keeping that really spells out the good and the bad should be written. I think its great that this website exist so those that are kicking the idea around can read what actual people in the business say.I am also lucky that between my partner and there is almost nothing we can't fix ourselves. I think I'm going to glue the weft in place where they cut through it and needle punch wool of the same color into the void to fill it. Luckily they did not cut through the canvas backing of the rug. The glue will go down in the weft after the felting takes place. For now I moved the 12x10 rug two feet under the couch. I have a skilled rug hooker coming to stay at the end of the month and I'm so going to have her look at it. She may actually do a traditional repair and dyes her own wool. At this point I'm grateful anger has passed and using my God given noggin to now fix the situation. A friend of ours who runs a B&B for the city of Dubuque has has changed the policy page on there website and I am working on changing mine to be more in line to her site.
.
We tried the "Do Not Disturb" hangers and we gave up. They leave it on when they don't want to, they use it to keep you out because they damaged something or are doing something illegal or immoral.... Nope, done! We go in each day. You can ask us not to, but we always need to clear the trash, sorry. We don't do DND.
.
I like your thinking Eric and its where I'm leaning on going to.....I said recently to my partner while we make money like a business this is clearly and still our home. Some B&B's are strictly profit making or as someone said Newhart Inns. For me this is my home and my memories and I really should have no guilt taking control of my home. I find it unusual how the average guest does not respect our homes and I often wonder if its a generational thing because if I were visiting my mothers home there are strict guidelines of conduct. My biggest pet peeve are the furniture decorators or those who rearrange. I would never go into my mothers home to stay and think I have the right to move her beds and then leave them for her to move back. I had one wacko this last Winter who removed all the wall art and placed it in the closet. Can you believe it!!! I came across another demented person like this and they stated they did not like things with eyes. Luckily she left the next morning and two days later she called asking if she could come back and my reply of course was NEVER! She evidently was not liking her motel/hotel accommodations! LOL. The expensive art I keep alarmed and more than once have been awakened by alarms going off. I love asking them what the need was to remove a painting from its wall. As of yet not one has given me a clear answer. Its even more fun to alarm the glass cases and ask them what is it they wanted to see when those alarms squeal off. I love seeing humans turn bright red and still find it fascinating how they think they have the right to go into sealed cases, cabinets, and curios. I've learnt if you add signage and state the piece is alarmed it makes them want to gain access even more LOL. It is alarming not to pun, how the American public think because they pay to stay at a place be it hotel , motel, B&B that they have the right to invade every aspect and can do whatever they want with no consequences for there actions. Clearly something has changed in my lifetime.
.
It's not generational. For me I always worry when a guest calls my B&B a "Hotel". A hotel is a place where no one respects property. It is the Car Rental with the CDW. And you know how many people want to buy a rental car after they are finished with it. There is NO ONE who takes better care of your home than you.
Schadenfreude is the word you are looking for. And I've been contemplating putting a dummy camera with a blinking red light inside of my laundry area. It's a door marked private and I just let myself imagine that they respect me enough to not go in. But how embarrassing would it be to open it up and see the flashing red light of a camera staring at you.
I've had minor furniture movement. I keep furniture in the rooms to a minimum and not much in the way of movement. But you can never tell what will throw people. My mother used to cover the mirrors at my grandparent's place in Florida because she hated waking up at night and seeing someone staring back at her in the moonlight.
PS: Can I contribute $10 to your paragraph fund? You know, that thing that tells us a different idea is coming.... :)
.
Eric Arthur Blair said:
PS: Can I contribute $10 to your paragraph fund? You know, that thing that tells us a different idea is coming.... :)
I'll throw in $10, too.
 
Back
Top