What's Your Forecast for End of Year?

[GoodScout]

For those of you who do traditional business over the Christmas/New Year's holidays, what's your forecast for this year?

We were running just slightly behind last year on advance bookings, but now the cancellation calls are coming in hot and heavy. Not looking good, and the news reports are projecting a post-Thanksgiving spike-upon-a-spike should hit right before the holidays.

Thoughts?

 

[Arks]

Very unpredictable. I'm almost totally booked for the next 17 days, then have exactly 1 reservation on the books for the rest of December! Really strange times. I will continue to stick to my regular cancellation policy.

 

[Morticia]

We decided to close early this year. We have two reservations coming up, then we’re closing until April. I checked what dates guests are looking at and there’s nothing until next year.

 

[TheBeachHouse]

We closed. We caved. We gave up. Our full thanksgiving house all cancelled befor November. We looked at December and saw no bookings. New Year’s Eve had been booked a year in advance, but all cancelled. So, rather than wait for the onesies and twosies to disrupt our lives, we closed the calendar until May. Now we can relax and learn cooking for two on a budget. Sort of like when we were first married.
If we do get calls, we can refer them, to the three inns that are sticking it out.

Our year end calculations have us at just over 50% gross income. Way less net income.

 

[alias annie]

very quiet in December, but that is typical for us.

 

[gillumhouse]

For me it is business as usual = 0 until the phone rings or I get an e-mail from RezKey. YTD revenue is surprising because it is at the level of about 2006 - 50% of my best year ever. I am hoping to get a call or 2 for gift certificates as Christmas presents. If I do not, oh well. I will survive. I have a Board of Education Levy Election in 10 days - that will cover a couple utilities.

 

[Generic]

What's a reservation?

 

[Morticia]

What's a reservation?

We’re getting them for next year, but not this year.

 

[Anon Inn]

Very few advance reservations for this last month of 2020. Those I have are for the stand-alone units. But this is pretty normal for this time of year. Sometimes we get Christmas people. We always thought they were escaping their families.

 

[Generic]

We’re getting them for next year, but not this year.

We got ONE on the books... it's for the end of December. They cancelled earlier this year. I doubt it will happen, they will cancel.

We only take reservations 180 days in advance. Still nothing for the summer. And we are currently only open 2/3rd of the rooms, so no shared bathrooms.

 

[Morticia]

We got ONE on the books... it's for the end of December. They cancelled earlier this year. I doubt it will happen, they will cancel.

We only take reservations 180 days in advance. Still nothing for the summer. And we are currently only open 2/3rd of the rooms, so no shared bathrooms.

I open reservations for a year in advance. Altho this year, with everything already canceled into March of next year, I’ve got rooms reserved into 2022. On paper until I get the prices loaded!

 

[JimBoone]

Strange year for sure, November did quite well, I tend to think folks who would normally stay in a large hotel, chose mom & pop this year where you walk from your vehicle to your room and have limited contact with others. Our December's depend on favorable weather for the ski slopes.

 

[Tamelon]

We had a great Sept and November but we've decided to do full house rentals only for now. We have 2 bookings through the holidays, then a miracle private rental mid January through mid May.

 

[2cat_lady]

Have a few but it's normally quiet this time of year for me. We have a fishing village next to us that lights up all the boats in the harbour. Very popular around here but most folks come within driving distance so they don't need to stay overnight. Only if they want to make an evening of it. Not much looking into the New Year. We still have closed provincial borders with only residents and essential workers allowed in. Otherwise, you just apply for exemption at least 30 days prior. No travelling for sports so no tournaments. I have a few bookings from folks that put their cancelled reservations over into next season. But, vaccination rollout I think will be too slow for people to be able to plan far in advance. We're preparing for another slow season ahead.

 

[Anon Inn]

I’ve got rooms reserved into 2022.

Some bookings here for 2021, but many came here this past year because we are so rural with extremely low case counts. Our case count jumped to 39 this week. County population of abt 4000 so likely too high a percentage for the careful ones. At this time anticipating fewer bookings going forward. Hope I’m wrong. I love doing this and the human contact (even limited) with guests has been therapeutic this past year.

 

[Anon Inn]

We have a fishing village next to us that lights up all the boats in the harbour.

A small town near here lights up a crab pot Christmas tree every year, complete with crabby carols. They’re doing it this afternoon at 4 and I might go. It’s a drive-by event this year. It’s one of my favorite quirky events.

 

[Baygirl]

Coming in to our slow time....So far looking busy for NY's eve. We shall see if the reservations hold. So far YTD we're down about 35% from last year.

 

[GoodScout]

December bookings down just 5% right now, but not sure it's going to pick up since this coming week is the week we usually get slammed with calls and fill up Christmas-to-NewYears week. Doubtful that's going to happen.

Looking at 2021, our ski season reservations are practically nonexistent, down 50% from two years ago.

 

[gillumhouse]

Had a call from the road tonight that actually turned into a reservation - in December!! Most likely the last of the year - although I DID have an e-mail with questions about the elopements. Getting the marriage license would be interesting right now......

 

[Morticia]

We got a call tonight, too. Accident on the road needed a place to stay.