Why guests switch

[Morticia]

So, I got a call this morning for a room for graduation weekend. First time I've ever heard of these people even tho their kid has been at school for 4 years now. I am always curious why they never came here before? I was thinking this guest just waited too long to go where she usually goes when she comes to visit. Then I thought, maybe she's never been here for a visit overnight.
So I asked her how she found us (she didn't know), but she did tell me why she decided to call a B&B. She was just tired of the hotels, tired of the prices they charge. Then she threw in not wanting to stay at Motel 6. OK, I was with her up until she inadvertantly compared me with Motel 6.
This apparently was her train of thought...No more high-priced hotels. No Motel 6. Voila! B&B.
I guess it could have been worse. She could have said Motel 6 was full.

 

[Don Draper]

I would just take it as she walked by your beautiful house and finally decided she deserved to stay somewhere so lovely for a change. How lucky she is that you have availability

 

[Morticia]

I would just take it as she walked by your beautiful house and finally decided she deserved to stay somewhere so lovely for a change. How lucky she is that you have availability

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Yeah, we are filling up fast for that weekend. Very unusual. The hotels ALWAYS fill first, then the B&B's. Unless you've got long-time guests who've been with you since the kid was looking at schools.

 

[Don Draper]

I would just take it as she walked by your beautiful house and finally decided she deserved to stay somewhere so lovely for a change. How lucky she is that you have availability

.

Yeah, we are filling up fast for that weekend. Very unusual. The hotels ALWAYS fill first, then the B&B's. Unless you've got long-time guests who've been with you since the kid was looking at schools.
.

We've seen the weirdest trend this past week. One reservation will come in for a particular weekend (April and May, so far). Then another, then another, then another...all for the same weekend and not seemingly related to each other because they're from very different areas. It's happened with three different weekends so far...power of intention maybe, everyone focusing on the same dates?!?!

 

[Morticia]

I would just take it as she walked by your beautiful house and finally decided she deserved to stay somewhere so lovely for a change. How lucky she is that you have availability

.

Yeah, we are filling up fast for that weekend. Very unusual. The hotels ALWAYS fill first, then the B&B's. Unless you've got long-time guests who've been with you since the kid was looking at schools.
.

We've seen the weirdest trend this past week. One reservation will come in for a particular weekend (April and May, so far). Then another, then another, then another...all for the same weekend and not seemingly related to each other because they're from very different areas. It's happened with three different weekends so far...power of intention maybe, everyone focusing on the same dates?!?!
.

We've seen the weirdest trend this past week. One reservation will come in for a particular weekend (April and May, so far). Then another, then another, then another...all for the same weekend and not seemingly related to each other because they're from very different areas. It's happened with three different weekends so far...power of intention maybe, everyone focusing on the same dates?!?!

When I get something like that I often ask if they saw an advert somewhere. Sometimes a destination here will briefly put out an advert and then the phone rings for that weekend.

 

[SeaWave]

You may also want to consider the economy. Many of my friends are putting off trips abroad, and trying new things either more locally, or within the province or country (odd, since I live in Canada and some of us can get flights abroad much cheaper than flights across our own country!) I always suggest B&Bs to them, as we've been staying in B&Bs for years now and have never really been disappointed - in fact, usually quite the opposite.

 

[JBloggs]

Every guest every year who books here for the graduation says the same thing "I wish I found you four years ago" but do they mean it? I doubt it. We have been here, the college recommends us, we are on their website with a discount for parents. It is just the same old same old - visit the college, parents weekend the first year, then back at graduation with relatives who haven't seen each other in years and have never stayed in a B&B before.
This year, if you book more than two rooms for any graduation there will be a 30 day cancellation - REMIND ME OF THIS END OF APRIL!!! They screw us over every year, try to book them all up, get around the policies and then cancel or no show a room or two. I will got double check my policies again. thanks for the reminder.

 

[Morticia]

Every guest every year who books here for the graduation says the same thing "I wish I found you four years ago" but do they mean it? I doubt it. We have been here, the college recommends us, we are on their website with a discount for parents. It is just the same old same old - visit the college, parents weekend the first year, then back at graduation with relatives who haven't seen each other in years and have never stayed in a B&B before.
This year, if you book more than two rooms for any graduation there will be a 30 day cancellation - REMIND ME OF THIS END OF APRIL!!! They screw us over every year, try to book them all up, get around the policies and then cancel or no show a room or two. I will got double check my policies again. thanks for the reminder..

Because I haven't had the frantic parent wanting 4 rooms, I didn't institute the 30 day cancel this year. Everyone who is coming, except one family, has one room only. That's doable for me. Now the mother who wants the whole inn for Columbus Day will have a 30 day cancel.
We are also on the colleges' websites, with a discount for the student if they bring the student along with them. (ie- we don't charge the extra person fee.) I asked this guest if that's where she found us. Nope, didn't even think to look there as she wanted 'something different' and maybe thought there would only be the local hotels on the website. (She's booking about 35 minutes away from where she wants to be.)

 

[Innkeeper To Go]

Every guest every year who books here for the graduation says the same thing "I wish I found you four years ago" but do they mean it? I doubt it. We have been here, the college recommends us, we are on their website with a discount for parents. It is just the same old same old - visit the college, parents weekend the first year, then back at graduation with relatives who haven't seen each other in years and have never stayed in a B&B before.
This year, if you book more than two rooms for any graduation there will be a 30 day cancellation - REMIND ME OF THIS END OF APRIL!!! They screw us over every year, try to book them all up, get around the policies and then cancel or no show a room or two. I will got double check my policies again. thanks for the reminder..

Every guest every year who books here for the graduation says the same thing "I wish I found you four years ago" but do they mean it? I doubt it.

You might be right, JB. But I just have to say as a frequent traveler myself that when I made the transition years and years ago to boutique lodging (B&Bs and small inns) from the big guys, I felt the exact same way.
And sure, the B&Bs were there all along. But old habits die hard.
I'm guessing that the guests who come to your lovely inn feel they've been cheating themselves all that time they were going elsewhere. How could they not?

 

[JBloggs]

Every guest every year who books here for the graduation says the same thing "I wish I found you four years ago" but do they mean it? I doubt it. We have been here, the college recommends us, we are on their website with a discount for parents. It is just the same old same old - visit the college, parents weekend the first year, then back at graduation with relatives who haven't seen each other in years and have never stayed in a B&B before.
This year, if you book more than two rooms for any graduation there will be a 30 day cancellation - REMIND ME OF THIS END OF APRIL!!! They screw us over every year, try to book them all up, get around the policies and then cancel or no show a room or two. I will got double check my policies again. thanks for the reminder..

Every guest every year who books here for the graduation says the same thing "I wish I found you four years ago" but do they mean it? I doubt it.

You might be right, JB. But I just have to say as a frequent traveler myself that when I made the transition years and years ago to boutique lodging (B&Bs and small inns) from the big guys, I felt the exact same way.
And sure, the B&Bs were there all along. But old habits die hard.
I'm guessing that the guests who come to your lovely inn feel they've been cheating themselves all that time they were going elsewhere. How could they not?
.

Every guest every year who books here for the graduation says the same thing "I wish I found you four years ago" but do they mean it? I doubt it.

You might be right, JB. But I just have to say as a frequent traveler myself that when I made the transition years and years ago to boutique lodging (B&Bs and small inns) from the big guys, I felt the exact same way.
And sure, the B&Bs were there all along. But old habits die hard.
I'm guessing that the guests who come to your lovely inn feel they've been cheating themselves all that time they were going elsewhere. How could they not?

They are always feeling they should have found us long ago - the value is a no brainer compared to the un-comfort-inn. Oddly enough there have been students who have told their parents about us and like you say - they travel, crash at a hotel and that's that. But graduation is when they are forced to book in advance as everything fills up. It is a happy time for the families, they always appreciate what we do when they are here. (The extended rel's are another story - but most go to hotels)