Anyway, what do you do when someone wants to book your entire bed and breakfast?
We consider the booking and start asking questions. Is it a family? What appealed to folks about your place? Have any of the group stayed in a B&B before? Is it all couples, or are there some children included? What are the average ages if all couples? How old are any of the kids if kids will be coming also?
A group of 20-30 somethings will be radically harder than if everyone is in their 50-60s. Take my word for it. Younger people are usually the biggest pigs, are noisier, sleep later, won't let you know much about late arrival or early departure changes, will gang up on you if you try to enforce any behavioral or alcohol limiting polcies, etc.
The list is endless but just a few targeted questions should tell you what kind of people you can expect.
Do you change your cancellation policy?
We haven't up to this point, but after multiple headaches with whole house bookings, we are now ready to toughen up everything about these kind of stays.
Make it longer?
If its during our typically busy season, we're now prepared to make it at least double our usual.
Do you require a deposit?
Our usual policy has been in place up to this point, but that will be changing.
Do you offer a discount?
We used to and really have regretted it nearly every single time.
Do you need to know the names of whos in each room?
Not really. Its nice to know for greeting folks as they arrive, but if they all arrive en masse it hardly matters. We actually think it would be better to treat each room's guests as independent of the others. This might better insure that all parties staying in our home receive a confirmation packet, directions & map, have a clear understanding of B&B etiquette, what kind of behavior is acceptable and what is not, etc. Way too many of these type guests have either never stayed in a B&B, think once they all are here, its their place to do and act as they please, etc..
Do you allow one person to 'hold the rooms' and then have others in the party call to hold they particular room?
If there is one party acting as the organizer, we've done our best to convey all of the above to them and have trusted them to pass along all the important information. Huge mistake on our part making that assumption. At the very least that one person must pay the deposit.
Anything else?
Don't let a group "take over" your house. If you are in a busy destination and its a time when you typically can book all the rooms to different parties at full price, you'll smart to turn down anyone except a group you get the utmost of good vibes from in the planning process.
Groups act like groups, they will do whatever they want unless you are really clear on everything and you'll be gritting your teeth the whole time.
A big thing we've experienced is that a group immediately forgets that WE are part of the household also and their late night antics, louder than normal noise levels, more than normal trash levels, etc.. have an effect on our quality of life also.
For families, our experience has been that whatever dysfunction or family dynamics are in place at home, they all will be on display also in our home.
Our experience has been that it is even more work than normal and at least part of the group will throw you lots of behavioral issues to deal with.
Groups as a whole in our experience are not that grateful or appreciative of any discount we've offered the "organizer" or aren't told by the organizer that everyone should be really cool and considerate because they are getting a discount.
We've now even gone as far as to consider informing any group inquirers that any group discount offered will not be assured until the end of the stay.