What is worse?

[Copperhead]

For me, being late or no show for breakfast is highly rude especially if they requested anything special or made a comment about breakfast. Actually, I find it rude if they do not show and then tell me they are really not breakfast people.... I told them about breakfast, can't they tell me then! - Ok, I feel better now.
For tarty arrivals I tell them (in their confirmation) to call for the code and the rest of the instructions will be on the entry table.

 

[Samster]

I took your question to mean for late check-ins that were not previously arranged since late for breakfast would also be a surprise.

So, in that case for me, it was the late arrivals. Because I would probably be dead on my feet for the really late arrivals who had not made prior arrangements. It did happen here because of our distance from the major airport. The following mornings were very rough for me!
Late for breakfast - I didn't get all upset about that. There were always plenty of small tasks to work on in the morning. I only had one breakfast "no show" in 2 years. Now, that torqued me off. Just tell me if you aren't going to have breakfast so I don't make a special breakfast for you also, you ungrateful wretch! haha....

 

[Alibi Ike]

For me, being late or no show for breakfast is highly rude especially if they requested anything special or made a comment about breakfast. Actually, I find it rude if they do not show and then tell me they are really not breakfast people.... I told them about breakfast, can't they tell me then! - Ok, I feel better now.
For tarty arrivals I tell them (in their confirmation) to call for the code and the rest of the instructions will be on the entry table..

For tarty arrivals I tell them (in their confirmation) to call for the code and the rest of the instructions will be on the entry table.

And if they're not 'tarts' do you have a different procedure?

 

[Samster]

For me, being late or no show for breakfast is highly rude especially if they requested anything special or made a comment about breakfast. Actually, I find it rude if they do not show and then tell me they are really not breakfast people.... I told them about breakfast, can't they tell me then! - Ok, I feel better now.
For tarty arrivals I tell them (in their confirmation) to call for the code and the rest of the instructions will be on the entry table..

For tarty arrivals I tell them (in their confirmation) to call for the code and the rest of the instructions will be on the entry table.

And if they're not 'tarts' do you have a different procedure?

.

harharhar... I thought the same thing when I read CH's post!

Thanks for posting that. I needed a chuckle.

 

[gillumhouse]

Tipsy, I am TOTALLY impressed with your occupancy! These 3 rooms are my first paid guests this year! The good part is that up until yesterday the construction crews were starting between 5:30 AM and 7 AM even after getting beyond our street with the sewer work. Until yesterday the fire dept parking lot had all sorts of manholes and storm drains awaiting insertion into the ground somewhere in the City and the dirt mountain wsa on the corner directly across from the house so the frontend loader was moving dirt, putting it into dump trucks, or making it into a mountain after the dump trucks dumped it. All my ladies were understanding of the BOE meeting and only 2 arrived before I FINALLY got home. Breakfast is at 6:30 for the 2 who can eat breakfast. Lady # 3 is on a special liquid diet at the moment and could only have some herbal tea.
Alas, Monday night it is back to the BOE.

 

[HighMountainLodge]

We serve breakfast from 8 to 10. Depending on the number of people in the lodge (we've had as many as 28, but we'll never do *that* again), we serve either buffet or do table service.
We also offer a "first tracks" breakfast for people who want to get an early start skiing or hiking or fishing or climbing mountains. It's pretty brainless: juice, coffee, cereal, and leftover muffins, bread, and sundry we've frozen and can nuke for just this purpose.
Regarding late check-in, we're pretty easy, as well. The lodge is 4 miles from the nearest town on mostly dirt/snow-packed roads. Late check-in usually is because of circumstances (dark, blizzards, avalanches, dead moose on the road) beyond their control.
Last year, Julie took a reservation for two couples from the UK. They had rented a condo for a week at the resort, but needed a "bridge" night and booked us. Funny, delightful people; Julie was in stitches telling them about our amenities and the food. "What about cake?" one asked. "Nigel loves cake." It was a running joke over multiple phone calls. Julie promised them cake. Then, the day their plane landed in Denver, we had a winter storm. Dumped about a foot of snow on us, and as they crept up I-70, they discovered that an avalanche had closed Berthoud Pass. Well, they were in a quandary, and called us to apologize for being so late. "No worries," we assured them and suggested that, since the weather was bad, they just find lodging for the night and we wouldn't charge them for the night.
An hour later, (about 9:30 p.m.), they called us again and said, since we had been so nice, they were determined to spend the night with us. They were going the "long way around" and should be at the lodge by midnight.
"$h*t!" I exclaimed when Julie told me. "That means I have to bake a damn cake tonight!"
Which I proceeded to do. They showed up in the middle of a horizontal blizzard, we fed them cake and gave them tea, then sent them off to bed.
It was a funny event. They were most appreciative and have sent us business.
So many weather "acts of God" affect when people show up that we're pretty blase about the whole affair as long as they communicate. If they don't communicate, well then, our policies kick in, and they find a big whopping charge on their credit card. We're nice, but we're not pushovers. --Tom

 

[The Tipsy Butler]

Tipsy, I am TOTALLY impressed with your occupancy! These 3 rooms are my first paid guests this year! The good part is that up until yesterday the construction crews were starting between 5:30 AM and 7 AM even after getting beyond our street with the sewer work. Until yesterday the fire dept parking lot had all sorts of manholes and storm drains awaiting insertion into the ground somewhere in the City and the dirt mountain wsa on the corner directly across from the house so the frontend loader was moving dirt, putting it into dump trucks, or making it into a mountain after the dump trucks dumped it. All my ladies were understanding of the BOE meeting and only 2 arrived before I FINALLY got home. Breakfast is at 6:30 for the 2 who can eat breakfast. Lady # 3 is on a special liquid diet at the moment and could only have some herbal tea.
Alas, Monday night it is back to the BOE..

I'm very pleasantly shocked. Oh - and BTW - I guess I was tired. Last night was our full house. Not tonight.

 

[Don Draper]

We serve breakfast from 8 to 10. Depending on the number of people in the lodge (we've had as many as 28, but we'll never do *that* again), we serve either buffet or do table service.
We also offer a "first tracks" breakfast for people who want to get an early start skiing or hiking or fishing or climbing mountains. It's pretty brainless: juice, coffee, cereal, and leftover muffins, bread, and sundry we've frozen and can nuke for just this purpose.
Regarding late check-in, we're pretty easy, as well. The lodge is 4 miles from the nearest town on mostly dirt/snow-packed roads. Late check-in usually is because of circumstances (dark, blizzards, avalanches, dead moose on the road) beyond their control.
Last year, Julie took a reservation for two couples from the UK. They had rented a condo for a week at the resort, but needed a "bridge" night and booked us. Funny, delightful people; Julie was in stitches telling them about our amenities and the food. "What about cake?" one asked. "Nigel loves cake." It was a running joke over multiple phone calls. Julie promised them cake. Then, the day their plane landed in Denver, we had a winter storm. Dumped about a foot of snow on us, and as they crept up I-70, they discovered that an avalanche had closed Berthoud Pass. Well, they were in a quandary, and called us to apologize for being so late. "No worries," we assured them and suggested that, since the weather was bad, they just find lodging for the night and we wouldn't charge them for the night.
An hour later, (about 9:30 p.m.), they called us again and said, since we had been so nice, they were determined to spend the night with us. They were going the "long way around" and should be at the lodge by midnight.
"$h*t!" I exclaimed when Julie told me. "That means I have to bake a damn cake tonight!"
Which I proceeded to do. They showed up in the middle of a horizontal blizzard, we fed them cake and gave them tea, then sent them off to bed.
It was a funny event. They were most appreciative and have sent us business.
So many weather "acts of God" affect when people show up that we're pretty blase about the whole affair as long as they communicate. If they don't communicate, well then, our policies kick in, and they find a big whopping charge on their credit card. We're nice, but we're not pushovers. --Tom.

...we're pretty blase about the whole affair as long as they communicate. If they don't communicate, well then, our policies kick in, and they find a big whopping charge on their credit card. We're nice, but we're not pushovers. --Tom

This is exactly our attitude. It's so frustrating when they just DON'T call, you just don't know what to think. Give us a call and let us know you're on your way.

 

[gillumhouse]

Tipsy, I am TOTALLY impressed with your occupancy! These 3 rooms are my first paid guests this year! The good part is that up until yesterday the construction crews were starting between 5:30 AM and 7 AM even after getting beyond our street with the sewer work. Until yesterday the fire dept parking lot had all sorts of manholes and storm drains awaiting insertion into the ground somewhere in the City and the dirt mountain wsa on the corner directly across from the house so the frontend loader was moving dirt, putting it into dump trucks, or making it into a mountain after the dump trucks dumped it. All my ladies were understanding of the BOE meeting and only 2 arrived before I FINALLY got home. Breakfast is at 6:30 for the 2 who can eat breakfast. Lady # 3 is on a special liquid diet at the moment and could only have some herbal tea.
Alas, Monday night it is back to the BOE..

I'm very pleasantly shocked. Oh - and BTW - I guess I was tired. Last night was our full house. Not tonight.
.

I am the one in shock today! All 3 work for the State - and 2 of them (the traveling together) left tips! State people do not leave tips!

 

[greyswan]

we've started offering breakfast at 6:30 since we get a lot of military stays. Occasionally have moved it up to 6:15 but that was an exception to our "rule" It takes me 1/2 hr to wake up and get moving and then we plan on an hr for the food prep.

 

[Joey Camb]

we do 7.30 till 9.30 cos if we are full (ie 26) we need to spread them as we cook to order. or 8-10 on a weekend. If they want earlier they get a mini pack up the night before (ie fruit, yogurt, cerial, milk etc) in a mini fridge. We had a fab couple who were going on a balloon ride so had to be there for 5.30 they came back and had breakfast afterwards that has got to be super cool.

 

[gillumhouse]

I offer between 4 AM and 10 AM - you tell me when. That early because of the horse people who sometimes - summer especially - want on the road before the heat of the day. Normally breakfast is requested between 6 and 9. I can do this with only 3 rooms. More than that - I doubt it. I have also done my full breakfast as a to go (egg bake & English muffin bread (or cornbread) are each baked in an 8x8 square pan and the bread "layered" with the egg bake as filling and then cut into 6 pieces). If wrapped in wax paper, it can be nuked at a gas station/convenience store along the way if they want it hot but it is good cold too.
I have learned (FINALLY) to time the entree to be done about 10 minutes AFTER the specified breakfast time. If they are on time, it allows them to have fruit & juice and perhaps muffins before the entree comes. And if they are a little late, gives more time before it turns to crap.

 

[InnBloom]

I offer between 4 AM and 10 AM - you tell me when. That early because of the horse people who sometimes - summer especially - want on the road before the heat of the day. Normally breakfast is requested between 6 and 9. I can do this with only 3 rooms. More than that - I doubt it. I have also done my full breakfast as a to go (egg bake & English muffin bread (or cornbread) are each baked in an 8x8 square pan and the bread "layered" with the egg bake as filling and then cut into 6 pieces). If wrapped in wax paper, it can be nuked at a gas station/convenience store along the way if they want it hot but it is good cold too.
I have learned (FINALLY) to time the entree to be done about 10 minutes AFTER the specified breakfast time. If they are on time, it allows them to have fruit & juice and perhaps muffins before the entree comes. And if they are a little late, gives more time before it turns to crap..

And if they are a little late, gives more time before it turns to crap.

So I guess "Crap on Toast" is not a fall-back entree for you?

 

[InnBloom]

We serve breakfast from 8 to 10. Depending on the number of people in the lodge (we've had as many as 28, but we'll never do *that* again), we serve either buffet or do table service.
We also offer a "first tracks" breakfast for people who want to get an early start skiing or hiking or fishing or climbing mountains. It's pretty brainless: juice, coffee, cereal, and leftover muffins, bread, and sundry we've frozen and can nuke for just this purpose.
Regarding late check-in, we're pretty easy, as well. The lodge is 4 miles from the nearest town on mostly dirt/snow-packed roads. Late check-in usually is because of circumstances (dark, blizzards, avalanches, dead moose on the road) beyond their control.
Last year, Julie took a reservation for two couples from the UK. They had rented a condo for a week at the resort, but needed a "bridge" night and booked us. Funny, delightful people; Julie was in stitches telling them about our amenities and the food. "What about cake?" one asked. "Nigel loves cake." It was a running joke over multiple phone calls. Julie promised them cake. Then, the day their plane landed in Denver, we had a winter storm. Dumped about a foot of snow on us, and as they crept up I-70, they discovered that an avalanche had closed Berthoud Pass. Well, they were in a quandary, and called us to apologize for being so late. "No worries," we assured them and suggested that, since the weather was bad, they just find lodging for the night and we wouldn't charge them for the night.
An hour later, (about 9:30 p.m.), they called us again and said, since we had been so nice, they were determined to spend the night with us. They were going the "long way around" and should be at the lodge by midnight.
"$h*t!" I exclaimed when Julie told me. "That means I have to bake a damn cake tonight!"
Which I proceeded to do. They showed up in the middle of a horizontal blizzard, we fed them cake and gave them tea, then sent them off to bed.
It was a funny event. They were most appreciative and have sent us business.
So many weather "acts of God" affect when people show up that we're pretty blase about the whole affair as long as they communicate. If they don't communicate, well then, our policies kick in, and they find a big whopping charge on their credit card. We're nice, but we're not pushovers. --Tom.

Regarding late check-in, we're pretty easy, as well. The lodge is 4 miles from the nearest town on mostly dirt/snow-packed roads. Late check-in usually is because of circumstances (dark, blizzards, avalanches, dead moose on the road) beyond their control.

Yikes. I've heard a lot of excuses for being late, but thankfully not "dead moose in the road". I'm thinking that would put the road out of service for awhile!!

 

[gillumhouse]

I offer between 4 AM and 10 AM - you tell me when. That early because of the horse people who sometimes - summer especially - want on the road before the heat of the day. Normally breakfast is requested between 6 and 9. I can do this with only 3 rooms. More than that - I doubt it. I have also done my full breakfast as a to go (egg bake & English muffin bread (or cornbread) are each baked in an 8x8 square pan and the bread "layered" with the egg bake as filling and then cut into 6 pieces). If wrapped in wax paper, it can be nuked at a gas station/convenience store along the way if they want it hot but it is good cold too.
I have learned (FINALLY) to time the entree to be done about 10 minutes AFTER the specified breakfast time. If they are on time, it allows them to have fruit & juice and perhaps muffins before the entree comes. And if they are a little late, gives more time before it turns to crap..

And if they are a little late, gives more time before it turns to crap.

So I guess "Crap on Toast" is not a fall-back entree for you?

.

So I guess "Crap on Toast" is not a fall-back entree for you?
Nope - don't do toast. Have not served toast in years.

 

[Copperhead]

For me, being late or no show for breakfast is highly rude especially if they requested anything special or made a comment about breakfast. Actually, I find it rude if they do not show and then tell me they are really not breakfast people.... I told them about breakfast, can't they tell me then! - Ok, I feel better now.
For tarty arrivals I tell them (in their confirmation) to call for the code and the rest of the instructions will be on the entry table..

For tarty arrivals I tell them (in their confirmation) to call for the code and the rest of the instructions will be on the entry table.

And if they're not 'tarts' do you have a different procedure?

.

harharhar... I thought the same thing when I read CH's post!

Thanks for posting that. I needed a chuckle.
.

Hahaha - sometimes blunders can be so punny!

 

[HighMountainLodge]

We serve breakfast from 8 to 10. Depending on the number of people in the lodge (we've had as many as 28, but we'll never do *that* again), we serve either buffet or do table service.
We also offer a "first tracks" breakfast for people who want to get an early start skiing or hiking or fishing or climbing mountains. It's pretty brainless: juice, coffee, cereal, and leftover muffins, bread, and sundry we've frozen and can nuke for just this purpose.
Regarding late check-in, we're pretty easy, as well. The lodge is 4 miles from the nearest town on mostly dirt/snow-packed roads. Late check-in usually is because of circumstances (dark, blizzards, avalanches, dead moose on the road) beyond their control.
Last year, Julie took a reservation for two couples from the UK. They had rented a condo for a week at the resort, but needed a "bridge" night and booked us. Funny, delightful people; Julie was in stitches telling them about our amenities and the food. "What about cake?" one asked. "Nigel loves cake." It was a running joke over multiple phone calls. Julie promised them cake. Then, the day their plane landed in Denver, we had a winter storm. Dumped about a foot of snow on us, and as they crept up I-70, they discovered that an avalanche had closed Berthoud Pass. Well, they were in a quandary, and called us to apologize for being so late. "No worries," we assured them and suggested that, since the weather was bad, they just find lodging for the night and we wouldn't charge them for the night.
An hour later, (about 9:30 p.m.), they called us again and said, since we had been so nice, they were determined to spend the night with us. They were going the "long way around" and should be at the lodge by midnight.
"$h*t!" I exclaimed when Julie told me. "That means I have to bake a damn cake tonight!"
Which I proceeded to do. They showed up in the middle of a horizontal blizzard, we fed them cake and gave them tea, then sent them off to bed.
It was a funny event. They were most appreciative and have sent us business.
So many weather "acts of God" affect when people show up that we're pretty blase about the whole affair as long as they communicate. If they don't communicate, well then, our policies kick in, and they find a big whopping charge on their credit card. We're nice, but we're not pushovers. --Tom.

Regarding late check-in, we're pretty easy, as well. The lodge is 4 miles from the nearest town on mostly dirt/snow-packed roads. Late check-in usually is because of circumstances (dark, blizzards, avalanches, dead moose on the road) beyond their control.

Yikes. I've heard a lot of excuses for being late, but thankfully not "dead moose in the road". I'm thinking that would put the road out of service for awhile!!
.

Regarding late check-in, we're pretty easy, as well. The lodge is 4 miles from the nearest town on mostly dirt/snow-packed roads. Late check-in usually is because of circumstances (dark, blizzards, avalanches, dead moose on the road) beyond their control.

Yikes. I've heard a lot of excuses for being late, but thankfully not "dead moose in the road". I'm thinking that would put the road out of service for awhile!!

Oh, it does. A year ago last October one Tuesday evening, I was coming home from a choir rehearsal in Denver. It was close to 10 o'clock, and when I got to the top of Berthoud Pass (US Hwy 40), I found myself in bumper to bumper traffic--unheard of at that time of night and not ski season. The traffic crept down the pass, and about halfway down, I drove past a moose corpse with antlers sticking in the air higher than my car. It had had an unfortunate encounter with a Toyota, and neither the Corolla nor the moose had fared well. The holdup was because some good-ole-boys in a pickup were arguing with the CDOT workers and the Highway Patrol because they wanted to field dress the moose before the carcass was carried away.
Julie was wondering what took me so long to get back to the lodge, because of course, cell phones don't work on the pass. I explained my predicament, and we both decided that we weren't in Denver anymore.
Field-dressing road kill is about as close as we get to recycling up here.
--Tom

 

[HighMountainLodge]

Breakfast is always up in the air for us. We have different menu plans depending on the number of people in the lodge. It can range from 2 to +30. We do table service for smaller groups (< 6) and put out a buffet for larger groups. We ask people when they will be coming down to breakfast, and we add 15 minutes to each side. Our large-group menus aren't going to shrivel up and rot if folks are late, but they won't taste as nice, either. Oh, well.
Our biggest problem is portion control and quantity. We've had groups of 20 in the lodge who pick at their food and leave staggering amounts behind. Then, the next week, we have the same number of people show up for breakfast who descend on the dining room like a biblical plague of locusts and devour everything in sight and lick the glaze off the plates.
Thank God for freezers and microwaves.
But I have to say that I'm surprised at the leniency about breakfast times in some of these posts. In the summer when we have the occasional folks who want to get an early start at climbing a 14er in Rocky Mountain National Park, it they want breakfast before God gets up, they're just going to have to make do with the power bars in their packs.
--Tom

 

[gillumhouse]

Breakfast is always up in the air for us. We have different menu plans depending on the number of people in the lodge. It can range from 2 to +30. We do table service for smaller groups (< 6) and put out a buffet for larger groups. We ask people when they will be coming down to breakfast, and we add 15 minutes to each side. Our large-group menus aren't going to shrivel up and rot if folks are late, but they won't taste as nice, either. Oh, well.
Our biggest problem is portion control and quantity. We've had groups of 20 in the lodge who pick at their food and leave staggering amounts behind. Then, the next week, we have the same number of people show up for breakfast who descend on the dining room like a biblical plague of locusts and devour everything in sight and lick the glaze off the plates.
Thank God for freezers and microwaves.
But I have to say that I'm surprised at the leniency about breakfast times in some of these posts. In the summer when we have the occasional folks who want to get an early start at climbing a 14er in Rocky Mountain National Park, it they want breakfast before God gets up, they're just going to have to make do with the power bars in their packs.
--Tom.

Tom, I tried to make up for what I did NOT have with service. When I started, I was 3 with shared bath. The service DID bring many of my guests back for return visits. We had 1 "meet-in-the-middle" that came 3 times. I figure they either got married or broke up.

 

[Alice I. W.]

we've started offering breakfast at 6:30 since we get a lot of military stays. Occasionally have moved it up to 6:15 but that was an exception to our "rule" It takes me 1/2 hr to wake up and get moving and then we plan on an hr for the food prep..

That is so kind of you! I am from a military town, and many people just don't understand how early things get going here, I'm sure that your early breakfasts are appreciated!