The things we do

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JBloggs

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I was in the kitchen then raced in to start a load of my own laundry, getting tired of turning my underwear inside out.
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What are some of the basic things (not going the extra mile for a special ocassion) you do as an innkeeper that your guests have no idea you do, things that impact their stay and you do to make their stay more enjoyable and yet they do not know this, nor do they really care.
If you think about it I bet you will find yourself doing calculated things today that fall into this category.
Examples from me:
  1. Only start the washing machine after breakfast so guests have adequate water pressure when they get up and shower
  2. Wear soft soled shoes so I am quiet as a mouse in the kitchen (since there is a guest room above)
  3. Get out pots and pans the night before so I am quiet in the kitchen
  4. Put juice goblets in the freezer so they are chilled for the oj
  5. Offer non acidic choices or sugar free syrups, offer different variety of sugar substitutes for coffee (you could just have splenda)
  6. Iron sheets or iron pillowcases so they are crisp and smooth for the guest. Along those lines put the pillows in a way that are inviting and attractive on the bed (yes, actual planning in the pillow arrangement) or the quilt/comforter on the end of the bed so they can just pull it up and over them should they need more warmth.
  7. Super preheat the coffee carafes so the coffee stays piping hot for the guests
  8. Turn on the hot water kettle so it is boiled for them when they are ready for tea
  9. Lights over the table in the dining room not on too bright in the am's to annoy people
  10. Newspaper by the coffee area (that one guest usually absconds and the rest never see)
  11. Print out the weather for the day or 3 day period
  12. Cut out special events for that weekend (if you find any, in the paper) and post them for the guest
What do you do? Most do not realize. Shower at night so the guests have the most hot water (if you share the tank-s).
 
I did all those things - plus some more come to mind:
  1. Run the washer/dryer in the main house only during hours that wouldn't possibly disturb the guests
  2. Rotate the magazines in the guest rooms so that only current magazines (last couple of months) were in the rooms
  3. Mow the yards and use the leaf blower when the guests were out or no guests in house (the lawn genies seemed to do the yards)
  4. Warm the guest plates in the oven for the entrees
  5. Rotate the dishes, glassware, cutlery, placemats, napkins, napkin rings so that they were different every day of a guest's stay
  6. Have an assortment of umbrellas available for loan on rainy days.
I'm sure that there are a lot more!
 
That's a great list (both of them) and I think we do all of those things. We don't start laundry or the dishwasher until after 11 AM so everyone who was going to shower has. (Unless everyone is gone, then I'll start it at 9 if I can!)
  1. Schedule all dr, dentist, professional appts so they fall between the hours of 12-2 so we can clean and then be back before 3.
  2. Schedule surgery for the off season unless it's an emergency. (Yes, I am doing this right now.)
  3. Ensure that all (noisy) exterior work does not start until 9 AM or later.
  4. Shower earlier than guests might be up even tho I would rather sleep in.
  5. Train the dog not to bark.
  6. Never go anywhere together when guests are in the house. (Unless we know the guests then we'll go out for dinner.)
 
If I need any dishes in the morning that are in the built-in dish cabinet, get them out before guests turn in because that is the same area as the closet in the room above the dining room. And I set the table quietly - no dropping anything.
 
Great lists! We shovel the snow off their car and start it for them before they leave. Who knew we'd be doing that in October this year?!
 
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