"That's the same price as a hotel!"

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Madeleine

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I still don't get the point. Yes, so my rooms are the same price as a hotel. What is that supposed to mean in re negotiating a lower rate? That I should always be less expensive than a hotel?
(After he left, without a room, I looked up the price on the hotel he quoted and the least expensive room they had was $189 and that doesn't include breakfast of any kind. And that was $30 over what I quoted him.)
So, the negotiating tactic is to lie to me and think I will go lower than a hotel where I know you don't get breakfast?
 
PITA's are always looking for a discount or a good deal...RIGHT.....stick to your guns..and get your price. Don't be intimidated. If they go...then so be it, you can fill the room with someone who will appreciate what you provide at your B & B.
 
PITA's are always looking for a discount or a good deal...RIGHT.....stick to your guns..and get your price. Don't be intimidated. If they go...then so be it, you can fill the room with someone who will appreciate what you provide at your B & B..
He was very surprised when I gave him a list of other places to go. Funny thing was, the first place I told him was one he had already stopped at that had the price he wanted. But it's not a real B&B and he turned his nose up so I know he went there first.
The place he stayed at he paid $7 less than I quoted so that innkeeper jokingly said I wore him down...
 
A few weeks ago someone tried this on me. He wanted to stay here, but someone else was cheaper. I told him to book over there. The truth, my breakfast is better, my house is nicer, my location is better. Someone else will book it. They did.
BTW - When they tell me this, I ask them for the name of the place and I look it up while they are on the telephone and then tell them why the price is different.
 
I've never had anyone use this tactic on me. I would have to try hard not to laugh in their faces if they did. Why wouldn't a B&B be more expensive than a hotel? I did have one guest try and tell me after they stayed that my prices were a bit high. I told her that I was comparable to the "nice" hotels in town ( the nicest we have is a Holiday Inn and Candle Wood Suites) and you are not going to get the quality of food or service that you get here.
Not to mention that I only have 4 rooms. Compared to a corporate hotel that can sell 100 rooms a night, has major marketing budgets, located visibly right off the highway, etc. Large retailers and I'm sure hotels/motels will put a store/lodging in a place that they know won't make money just so that they will have "market share". I don't have 1000's of locations all over the country to use their profit when I have a bad month. I have to be profitable. No one is bailing me out over here. I'm a one woman show who has to keep a full time job outside of the Inn to pay my own bills while the Inn pays it's bills. Ugh....I suppose this is a sore spot for me. I obviously didn't say all that to my guest but they really don't understand what it's like to own a business. I suppose I'll get off my soap box now. lol
 
We get this a lot as we have a large hotel just up the street with a similar name
"oh the Kimberley is cheaper - I say
(1) is that is room only rate? oh I didn't see that - so that's another $30 each
(2) and would you like parking? - that's another $12
(3) would you like wifi? - that's another $30 a day
(4) so my price is looking pretty good isn't it? as all those things here are included
 
A few weeks ago someone tried this on me. He wanted to stay here, but someone else was cheaper. I told him to book over there. The truth, my breakfast is better, my house is nicer, my location is better. Someone else will book it. They did.
BTW - When they tell me this, I ask them for the name of the place and I look it up while they are on the telephone and then tell them why the price is different..
Eric Arthur Blair said:
A few weeks ago someone tried this on me. He wanted to stay here, but someone else was cheaper. I told him to book over there. The truth, my breakfast is better, my house is nicer, my location is better. Someone else will book it. They did.
BTW - When they tell me this, I ask them for the name of the place and I look it up while they are on the telephone and then tell them why the price is different.
"The truth, my breakfast is better, my house is nicer, my location is better"
I love that line, I really do!
 
I've never had anyone use this tactic on me. I would have to try hard not to laugh in their faces if they did. Why wouldn't a B&B be more expensive than a hotel? I did have one guest try and tell me after they stayed that my prices were a bit high. I told her that I was comparable to the "nice" hotels in town ( the nicest we have is a Holiday Inn and Candle Wood Suites) and you are not going to get the quality of food or service that you get here.
Not to mention that I only have 4 rooms. Compared to a corporate hotel that can sell 100 rooms a night, has major marketing budgets, located visibly right off the highway, etc. Large retailers and I'm sure hotels/motels will put a store/lodging in a place that they know won't make money just so that they will have "market share". I don't have 1000's of locations all over the country to use their profit when I have a bad month. I have to be profitable. No one is bailing me out over here. I'm a one woman show who has to keep a full time job outside of the Inn to pay my own bills while the Inn pays it's bills. Ugh....I suppose this is a sore spot for me. I obviously didn't say all that to my guest but they really don't understand what it's like to own a business. I suppose I'll get off my soap box now. lol.
I think the whole attitude thing is that this is 'just your house' and 'you're just renting rooms' so given they know a hotel has a lot of overhead and this is 'just your house, already paid for' why do I think I should charge so much?
And, seriously, what people are willing to pay (I ask now) is $100-$125 for a room. So I explain who has those prices and every last one of them asks, 'But is it nice? Is it like this?' So they all want nice for cheap.
 
I've never had anyone use this tactic on me. I would have to try hard not to laugh in their faces if they did. Why wouldn't a B&B be more expensive than a hotel? I did have one guest try and tell me after they stayed that my prices were a bit high. I told her that I was comparable to the "nice" hotels in town ( the nicest we have is a Holiday Inn and Candle Wood Suites) and you are not going to get the quality of food or service that you get here.
Not to mention that I only have 4 rooms. Compared to a corporate hotel that can sell 100 rooms a night, has major marketing budgets, located visibly right off the highway, etc. Large retailers and I'm sure hotels/motels will put a store/lodging in a place that they know won't make money just so that they will have "market share". I don't have 1000's of locations all over the country to use their profit when I have a bad month. I have to be profitable. No one is bailing me out over here. I'm a one woman show who has to keep a full time job outside of the Inn to pay my own bills while the Inn pays it's bills. Ugh....I suppose this is a sore spot for me. I obviously didn't say all that to my guest but they really don't understand what it's like to own a business. I suppose I'll get off my soap box now. lol.
I think the whole attitude thing is that this is 'just your house' and 'you're just renting rooms' so given they know a hotel has a lot of overhead and this is 'just your house, already paid for' why do I think I should charge so much?
And, seriously, what people are willing to pay (I ask now) is $100-$125 for a room. So I explain who has those prices and every last one of them asks, 'But is it nice? Is it like this?' So they all want nice for cheap.
.
The answer to "But is it nice? Is it like this?" is simple.
Yes, it's nice, considering... (and then trail off, leaving no other answer). Good luck with your research, hopefully if you change your mind the room will still be available. >click<
 
confused_smile.gif
what, as if a hotel is better??? good grief.
 
confused_smile.gif
what, as if a hotel is better??? good grief..
seashanty said:
confused_smile.gif
what, as if a hotel is better??? good grief.
Exactly! If someone said "that's the same price as a hotel" to me, I'd say, "Yes! Amazing, isn't it, that we have our place priced that low!"
 
confused_smile.gif
what, as if a hotel is better??? good grief..
seashanty said:
confused_smile.gif
what, as if a hotel is better??? good grief.
Exactly! If someone said "that's the same price as a hotel" to me, I'd say, "Yes! Amazing, isn't it, that we have our place priced that low!"
.
Arkansawyer said:
seashanty said:
confused_smile.gif
what, as if a hotel is better??? good grief.
Exactly! If someone said "that's the same price as a hotel" to me, I'd say, "Yes! Amazing, isn't it, that we have our place priced that low!"
thumbs_up.gif

 
confused_smile.gif
what, as if a hotel is better??? good grief..
seashanty said:
confused_smile.gif
what, as if a hotel is better??? good grief.
Exactly! If someone said "that's the same price as a hotel" to me, I'd say, "Yes! Amazing, isn't it, that we have our place priced that low!"
.
Arkansawyer said:
seashanty said:
confused_smile.gif
what, as if a hotel is better??? good grief.
Exactly! If someone said "that's the same price as a hotel" to me, I'd say, "Yes! Amazing, isn't it, that we have our place priced that low!"
thumbs_up.gif

 
I had a call yesterday asking about our rooms. She wanted to cram 7 people in the suite, I told her we don't cram them in here!
 
Had a call last night looking for a room for 2 nights next weekend. Told her the price and she said, "for all weekend, right?" Nooooo, that's per night. "Don't you have anything cheaper?" Nooooo, that's our cheapest room.
Where do these people find our listing???
 
Had a call last night looking for a room for 2 nights next weekend. Told her the price and she said, "for all weekend, right?" Nooooo, that's per night. "Don't you have anything cheaper?" Nooooo, that's our cheapest room.
Where do these people find our listing???.
We all get them, from time to time. I hate to see where they end up sleeping.
 
Had a call last night looking for a room for 2 nights next weekend. Told her the price and she said, "for all weekend, right?" Nooooo, that's per night. "Don't you have anything cheaper?" Nooooo, that's our cheapest room.
Where do these people find our listing???.
Breakfast Diva said:
Had a call last night looking for a room for 2 nights next weekend. Told her the price and she said, "for all weekend, right?" Nooooo, that's per night. "Don't you have anything cheaper?" Nooooo, that's our cheapest room.
Where do these people find our listing???
"Sorry, the cheap rooms go first." Yeesh.
And I have no idea where people find the listing unless they quote a price at me first, 'We want the $79 rooms.' Yeah, right. Those folks are looking in the AAA book at the Super 8. I explain that to them.
Had a couple come in years ago who had called somewhere else and stopped at the wrong place when they got here. Told me they wanted 2 nights in the 'front' room so I got their paperwork all ready and when I handed it to them they shrieked, 'HOW MUCH? You just told us on the phone it was $95!'
Uh oh. I told them they didn't just call here, they called somewhere else and that I knew where they called. Ripped up the paperwork and sent them on their way.
 
Had a call last night looking for a room for 2 nights next weekend. Told her the price and she said, "for all weekend, right?" Nooooo, that's per night. "Don't you have anything cheaper?" Nooooo, that's our cheapest room.
Where do these people find our listing???.
We all get them, from time to time. I hate to see where they end up sleeping.
.
Their car!
 
Had a call last night looking for a room for 2 nights next weekend. Told her the price and she said, "for all weekend, right?" Nooooo, that's per night. "Don't you have anything cheaper?" Nooooo, that's our cheapest room.
Where do these people find our listing???.
Breakfast Diva said:
Had a call last night looking for a room for 2 nights next weekend. Told her the price and she said, "for all weekend, right?" Nooooo, that's per night. "Don't you have anything cheaper?" Nooooo, that's our cheapest room.
Where do these people find our listing???
Now see, we have always had this "don't you have something more expensive?" I suppose they really are afraid of cheap rooms?
 
I've had people book with me and comment that they avoided some of the other local B&B's because they were too cheap. They were afraid of what they'd get (or not get) I suppose.
 
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