When guests rent all the rooms

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Baygirl

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Happy Sunday to all!
We just had a family rent all the rooms for the weekend. Not sure about the rest of you, but we'd much rather have a full house where none of the guests know each other. This makes for a much quieter weekend. It seems most of the time the guests think because they rented all the rooms they have run of the house. Get's a little frustrating............Yes, you rented all the rooms, but not the house. This is our house that we live in!
Wanted to know how you guys handle it when a family or group rent all the rooms. We have done a few things different and have decided to incorporate a few more when someone books the entire place.
We charge a $500.00 fully refundable cleaning fee. This is due prior to check in (this seems to keep them more on their toes for cleanliness and aware of what and how everyone is behaving)
If they bring a bunch of food/drink in they need to take their garbage with them. (we get charged add'l for over our limit on garbage)
Change our cancellation policy from 14 days to a 30 day cancellation. (harder to fill a whole house in 14 days)
Now we're going to add no outside guests to gather here. The lodge is for guests only. Seems like again since they rented the whole house they think that people can just come by and hang out anytime. Also going to add that no add'l guests for breakfast unless we are asked a day in advance so DH can prepare for it. Today we had people that were part of the family but staying someplace else think they could drop by and have breakfast. I told them sorry we prepare only so much for our guests and that's it. Then she has the nerve to ask if she could at least get some cereal. I guess she rubbed me the wrong way, but i said no. I didn't like the fact that just because they knew the family members that they could just show up.
OH OK..........I feel better now! Thanks for listening....... It is peak season and you know how the days can get..........My fuse is getting a little shorter each day!!!
 
No boundaries. Pack mentality.
The reason I hate group bookings/rentals. Hate them.
 
While we normally don't charge a deposit, when the reservation exceeds 2 rooms we charge a 50% non-refundable deposit. It's just too risky otherwise. We always explain that they are not renting the house, they are renting the rooms and the occupancy. The rest of the house is ours and we are there each day.
 
For GUESTS only!
We are not a restaurant and can serve only registered guests. - simply stated!
If you wish to have a gathering of all your family/friends the cost of facility use is $ per hour. Restrictions are:
Been there, done that and can write a book....but there is always someone finding a loophole that they try to climb through. Guess I will have this about fool proof when I sell.
 
We have had full-house rentals a couple times with sisters (once with spouses in tow) and the biker boys (I almost forgot them) but we are small so perhaps that made the difference. we love it - the house sounds like it did when our kids were home! They call to each other from wherever and the house sounds alive! there is just the 2 of us so there is no one else to worry about with noise factor. No close neighbors.
After the wedding of the daughter of our minister at the time, the familiy gathered on our porch for conversation before heading back to the out-of-state residences. The joy and laughter of those voices was so heartening. BUT, I have never experienced the "take advantage" nor the herd mentalities here. THAT makes a difference! I have seen it and understand your frustration.
 
all rooms=all trouble. I send them to a vacation rental agency. If it were in the off season, I would consider it, but they've always been in our peak season and after I did 2 of them, I said never again.
 
Interesting. We had one room here this weekend for a wedding. Usually there is some sort of Sunday brunch somewhere so we've taken to asking guests who are here for a wedding if they will be here for brekkie.
This guest said, 'There's something at the inn where the bride and groom are staying but the innkeepers there already told them NO extra guests are allowed in the house or for breakfast.'
Case closed.
So, the innkeepers told the family when they made the rez.
 
"Get's a little frustrating............Yes, you rented all the rooms, but not the house. This is our house that we live in!"
The other issue you have is, 75% of the time ONE person is footing the bill for the whole house booking, sometimes it is the individ room paying, but since you have one person on file with their cc#, the rest feel no responsibility, it is that free lunch mentality. They will go behind "Staff only doors, get into cupboards and desk drawers and anything else they feel they are entitled to."
They DEMAND a discount and are ten times more work, IF You have one or two rooms not in the loop you will regret it as they will feel like a pork chop at a Jewish picnic.
 
usually .... i enjoyed the whole house rental. part of the house rental was not comforable because the one or two rooms not in the group were not able to enjoy the common areas ... it just didn't work at my place.
here is how i handled breakfast for a group that might have people from outside come in
i made sure one guest was in charge of the group, they made the original reservation and i took their cc info as the group leader ... breakfast was a buffet ... i set out a certain amount of food and drink and that was it.... so if a friend came by and the group invited them to have coffee and some of the buffet ... it was already paid for. i asked the incharge person if they were inviting the guest to join them. they decided. but i did not provide extra food. this is not possible with a plated meal. so for a group like that i didn't do it.
the bicyclers were a good group, all had their bikes, it wasn't like a wedding where other folks would just show up. but they en masse took showers which was a strain ... and the laundry! yikes.
best was a group of boaters who sailed up the coast and stayed two nights ... they were lovely. set up their own 'bar' in the common area, were neat and respectful and generous ... just a delight. they were repeats each year i was there.
worst was my very first group renters who all knew each other and used my place as a party house extension of the wedding venue. nightmare. vomit damage in a room by two brothers who snuck out early ... just awful. but i learned a lot from that one ... got a lot of sage advice from this forum.
i was always tweaking, rearranging and trying new things. it often depended on finances, too! if i had zip money and all the bills to pay, i looked more kindly at group rentals you betcha ... but the rule book came out. i didn't object to a few folks coming by that weren't guests.
such a challenge!!
 
The 'it's my space' mentality also takes over when there's just one room here to see locals. They invite everyone over. They hog the porch or the common space and I don't even realize unless I take a walk thru.
Today I found a stranger in one of the rooms. Her aunt let her in to change her clothes AFTER check-out. She had already handed in her keys and the housekeeper was already stripping the room. (One of the pitfalls of the coded entry vs a keyed lock.) The housekeeper never knows for sure who the guests are so she always comes to get me when something seems off.
 
Ive just had a group in like that I also refuse to allocate rooms I do a picture and description and they have to sort it all out. However they all started complaining to me about their room allocations "well sort it out with the organiser grrrr. Its the reason I refuse to take responsibility!
 
What you describe is our exact experience with whole house bookings and we just hate it. Much simpler when it's a full house with all strangers.
If one person insists on booking multiple rooms they must give us a 50% non-refundable deposit. We strongly encourage each guest to make their own booking, with their own cc (this also saves you from the sour puss who is in every group who waits 'til the last minute and gets "stuck" with the small room). No one but registered guests on the property, period. We need a name and contact info for every room, regardless of who pays, to make sure they all get our confirmation with every blessed thing outlined.
Good on you for the cleaning deposit, the threat should be good enough to keep them at least aware.
 
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