Would you want to sleep in a (former) brothel?

[toddburme]

Not sure if it was a national deal but we had a Fantasy Suites here in MN. That catered more openly to a sexy getaway. Brazil has one or two of these tryst motels in every part of the city.
But our B&B crowd seems to be more catering to romance and the female side of things. The guys like the history etc but I get the impression that the woman booked it and the guy is along for the ride in a lot of cases. You would hate to lose that market.

 

[Silverspoon]

Anyone famous among the "visitors"? A well-known "lady?" Play up a ghost at Halloween and let it fade away the rest of the year.
I am a firm believer in "if you have it, use it"..

Anyone famous among the "visitors"? A well-known "lady?" Play up a ghost at Halloween and let it fade away the rest of the year.
I am a firm believer in "if you have it, use it".

The ladies involved would not have been famous (except among their clients) and the clients, if they were famous, ain't talkin'
Looking for a name to give the room, I Googled "most famous prostitutes" but didn't come of with any I've met before. ;-)
One other interesting thing I found when I bought the building was that there was a "false wall" down one side of the room in question, an area 4 feet wide x 15 feet long. There was no way to get into this space and I didn't even realize it was there until I noticed that the same room on the opposite side of the building had more space between the window and the corner than the brothel room.
With dreams of finding perhaps a walled-off dead body, or a chest of Confederate gold, I finally broke through the wall into the mystery space. Like Al Capone's vault that embarrassed Geraldo many years ago, my mystery room was completely empty. The space shares another wall with the shared bathroom next door and I've speculated that it was either a place for husbands to hide if their wives came looking for them, or the mistress might have sold tickets to peeping Toms who hid in there.
Who knows. But makes a great story!
.

Jezabelle is the name I think of when I think of a lady of the night, although apparently the true meaning is "unmarried, chaste".

 

[gillumhouse]

The idea of recreating the Bordello would work (and does) if you were in say - Vegas, New Orleans etc. but I agree Arkie, not in small town AK.
But I would place this in your historical facts for the room or building history. People love hearing about the history of a place. I can see you having a lot of fun writing about "if these walls could talk".....

Definitely NOT the whole place - just that room. He would not have to do much for the word to get out about it. It would be interesting to see how it actually played out. Would that room be totally booked way in advance? Or would it be the orphan?
I think women booked the Sybaris as a surprise gift for their boyfriends or husbands - more than the guys booking it.

 

[Madeleine]

OK, todd just gave me this idea by saying (I think) that you might lose the female market if you had a bordello room. (Ahem, no, you wouldn't, but that's another story.)
You could 'sell' that room for 'boudoir photos'. If you know a photog who takes boudoir photos ask if it would be viable.
Think along the lines of those 'wild west' photo stands that set up at the state fair. There's always a floozie in the bunch and everyone wants to be her! You do that on the slow days.

 

[Arks]

OK, todd just gave me this idea by saying (I think) that you might lose the female market if you had a bordello room. (Ahem, no, you wouldn't, but that's another story.)
You could 'sell' that room for 'boudoir photos'. If you know a photog who takes boudoir photos ask if it would be viable.
Think along the lines of those 'wild west' photo stands that set up at the state fair. There's always a floozie in the bunch and everyone wants to be her! You do that on the slow days..

If you know a photog who takes boudoir photos ask if it would be viable.

Sounds like I need to become a photographer ;-)

 

[JBloggs]

So would you sleep in a "former" brothel has now gone sleazy.
That is what I would not do, if you have a boudoir room that would put me off staying there. Something historical is fun, don't go cheezy.

 

[Generic]

So would you sleep in a "former" brothel has now gone sleazy.
That is what I would not do, if you have a boudoir room that would put me off staying there. Something historical is fun, don't go cheezy..

Big difference between a boudoir and a bordello. It can be tastefully done in tones that include some dark reds, doesn't have to be the walls, it can be a dark red pillow on the bed. Many people will see this as ultra romantic. It doesn't have to be cheap and tawdry.
http://www.homedesignfind.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/bedroomfrench-300x300.jpg
http://www.castleinnofneworleans.com/images/12BED&COUCHLEFTWIDEX.jpg

 

[HighMountainLodge]

Anyone famous among the "visitors"? A well-known "lady?" Play up a ghost at Halloween and let it fade away the rest of the year.
I am a firm believer in "if you have it, use it"..

Anyone famous among the "visitors"? A well-known "lady?" Play up a ghost at Halloween and let it fade away the rest of the year.
I am a firm believer in "if you have it, use it".

The ladies involved would not have been famous (except among their clients) and the clients, if they were famous, ain't talkin'
Looking for a name to give the room, I Googled "most famous prostitutes" but didn't come of with any I've met before. ;-)
One other interesting thing I found when I bought the building was that there was a "false wall" down one side of the room in question, an area 4 feet wide x 15 feet long. There was no way to get into this space and I didn't even realize it was there until I noticed that the same room on the opposite side of the building had more space between the window and the corner than the brothel room.
With dreams of finding perhaps a walled-off dead body, or a chest of Confederate gold, I finally broke through the wall into the mystery space. Like Al Capone's vault that embarrassed Geraldo many years ago, my mystery room was completely empty. The space shares another wall with the shared bathroom next door and I've speculated that it was either a place for husbands to hide if their wives came looking for them, or the mistress might have sold tickets to peeping Toms who hid in there.
Who knows. But makes a great story!
.

Is the room fairly large? Make it a real sexy room with HIGH rent. Mirror on the ceiling etc. There was a place in one of the southwest suburbs of Chicago called the Sybaris that was RAW SEX in the decor and no bones about it. the rates depended on if you wanted for the night or 4 hours (in the early 90s it was something like $350 or $400 for 4 hours). It was a popular anniversary, landmark birthday, or tryst getaway place. It made its money on mirrors, sunken tubs, etc I inquired for a DH birthday or an anniversary (can't remember which) and that is how I know a bit about price - it was out of MY range.
.

Is the room fairly large? Make it a real sexy room with HIGH rent. Mirror on the ceiling etc.

It's a fairly large room, but good lord, this is small-town Arkansas!
.

As if they do not do SEXY in small town Arkansas? Besides, if you are like the rest of us, locals are not your guests anyway. Call it the Sybaris Room and make it your MOST expensive.
.

As if they do not do SEXY in small town Arkansas? Besides, if you are like the rest of us, locals are not your guests anyway. Call it the Sybaris Room and make it your MOST expensive.

And make sure it is well insulated!
.

As if they do not do SEXY in small town Arkansas? Besides, if you are like the rest of us, locals are not your guests anyway. Call it the Sybaris Room and make it your MOST expensive.

And make sure it is well insulated!

And boil the sheets after checkout!

 

[HighMountainLodge]

Before we bought the High Mountain Lodge, we looked at a lot of properties in Colorado, including the Bross Hotel in Paonia, Colorado www.paonia-inn.com/ (it's for sale, btw; check out www.innmatchmakers.com), that has a ghost in one of its bedrooms. It seems that Mother Bross has been known to "tuck" guests into bed in a particular room.
The phenomenon has been written up in a book on Colorado ghosts, and people actually book the room in hopes that Mother Bross will show up and help them snuggle down.
My take: if your place has a marketing "hook," take advantage of it. Shoot, there are places in Lake City, Colorado, that promote the fact that Colorado's most infamous cannibal, Alferd Packer, ate all his friends not far from town. The last time we climbed a 14er in the east San Juans, we ate at a restaurant/bar that advertised the "Cannibal Friendwich," which consisted of pulled pork BBQ on a hoagie.
I'm pretty sure you don't have to worry about the sensibilities of your neighbors in small-town Arkansas. If it brings paying customers into town, shoot, before you know it, the hardware store will start stocking French ticklers.

 

[Arks]

Before we bought the High Mountain Lodge, we looked at a lot of properties in Colorado, including the Bross Hotel in Paonia, Colorado www.paonia-inn.com/ (it's for sale, btw; check out www.innmatchmakers.com), that has a ghost in one of its bedrooms. It seems that Mother Bross has been known to "tuck" guests into bed in a particular room.
The phenomenon has been written up in a book on Colorado ghosts, and people actually book the room in hopes that Mother Bross will show up and help them snuggle down.
My take: if your place has a marketing "hook," take advantage of it. Shoot, there are places in Lake City, Colorado, that promote the fact that Colorado's most infamous cannibal, Alferd Packer, ate all his friends not far from town. The last time we climbed a 14er in the east San Juans, we ate at a restaurant/bar that advertised the "Cannibal Friendwich," which consisted of pulled pork BBQ on a hoagie.
I'm pretty sure you don't have to worry about the sensibilities of your neighbors in small-town Arkansas. If it brings paying customers into town, shoot, before you know it, the hardware store will start stocking French ticklers..

I'm pretty sure you don't have to worry about the sensibilities of your neighbors in small-town Arkansas. If it brings paying customers into town, shoot, before you know it, the hardware store will start stocking French ticklers.

At this point my neighbors can't imagine any tourists coming to our town, and they think I'm foolish to try. I'll prove them wrong, but will have to wait until they see that before I start "pushing it" too much. People here don't have sex, you know. (I've heard of a few who do, but they wouldn't think of enjoying it.)

 

[gillumhouse]

Before we bought the High Mountain Lodge, we looked at a lot of properties in Colorado, including the Bross Hotel in Paonia, Colorado www.paonia-inn.com/ (it's for sale, btw; check out www.innmatchmakers.com), that has a ghost in one of its bedrooms. It seems that Mother Bross has been known to "tuck" guests into bed in a particular room.
The phenomenon has been written up in a book on Colorado ghosts, and people actually book the room in hopes that Mother Bross will show up and help them snuggle down.
My take: if your place has a marketing "hook," take advantage of it. Shoot, there are places in Lake City, Colorado, that promote the fact that Colorado's most infamous cannibal, Alferd Packer, ate all his friends not far from town. The last time we climbed a 14er in the east San Juans, we ate at a restaurant/bar that advertised the "Cannibal Friendwich," which consisted of pulled pork BBQ on a hoagie.
I'm pretty sure you don't have to worry about the sensibilities of your neighbors in small-town Arkansas. If it brings paying customers into town, shoot, before you know it, the hardware store will start stocking French ticklers..

I'm pretty sure you don't have to worry about the sensibilities of your neighbors in small-town Arkansas. If it brings paying customers into town, shoot, before you know it, the hardware store will start stocking French ticklers.

At this point my neighbors can't imagine any tourists coming to our town, and they think I'm foolish to try. I'll prove them wrong, but will have to wait until they see that before I start "pushing it" too much. People here don't have sex, you know. (I've heard of a few who do, but they wouldn't think of enjoying it.)
.

I was teasing with the "over the top" decor. But wouldn't it be an interesting experiment to find out if a room like that would be the most booked or the orphan?

 

[user 26]

wouldn't bother me at all ... i'd find it interesting, especially if you can find old pictures of the place ... i may be way in the wrong era, but i keep thinking of old time saloon gals

 

[Madeleine]

Before we bought the High Mountain Lodge, we looked at a lot of properties in Colorado, including the Bross Hotel in Paonia, Colorado www.paonia-inn.com/ (it's for sale, btw; check out www.innmatchmakers.com), that has a ghost in one of its bedrooms. It seems that Mother Bross has been known to "tuck" guests into bed in a particular room.
The phenomenon has been written up in a book on Colorado ghosts, and people actually book the room in hopes that Mother Bross will show up and help them snuggle down.
My take: if your place has a marketing "hook," take advantage of it. Shoot, there are places in Lake City, Colorado, that promote the fact that Colorado's most infamous cannibal, Alferd Packer, ate all his friends not far from town. The last time we climbed a 14er in the east San Juans, we ate at a restaurant/bar that advertised the "Cannibal Friendwich," which consisted of pulled pork BBQ on a hoagie.
I'm pretty sure you don't have to worry about the sensibilities of your neighbors in small-town Arkansas. If it brings paying customers into town, shoot, before you know it, the hardware store will start stocking French ticklers..

I'm pretty sure you don't have to worry about the sensibilities of your neighbors in small-town Arkansas. If it brings paying customers into town, shoot, before you know it, the hardware store will start stocking French ticklers.

At this point my neighbors can't imagine any tourists coming to our town, and they think I'm foolish to try. I'll prove them wrong, but will have to wait until they see that before I start "pushing it" too much. People here don't have sex, you know. (I've heard of a few who do, but they wouldn't think of enjoying it.)
.

I thought that was only in Lake Woebegon!

 

[toddburme]

well if the impression is something like this - http://gallery4collectors.com/TheBordello.htm Very safe to click. Then I can see it. A fun and classy view of a different time. But who is to say what it really used to look like?

 

[ukmaineiac]

After a super quick skim of the other replies I agree with JB (and others). History GREAT !!!! But no need to make it Brothel-Esque. I personally seek out places with a history (any history not just libidinous). Suggestion is immensely more interesting / enticing than demonstration.

 

[Arks]

wouldn't bother me at all ... i'd find it interesting, especially if you can find old pictures of the place ... i may be way in the wrong era, but i keep thinking of old time saloon gals.

i may be way in the wrong era, but i keep thinking of old time saloon gals

I imagine it was a pretty nice hotel when new in 1860 but the brothel era came in the roaring 20's when the place was over 60 years old and, no doubt, going downhill. So rather than saloon girls I'm picturing Bonnie Parker.

 

[ukmaineiac]

After a super quick skim of the other replies I agree with JB (and others). History GREAT !!!! But no need to make it Brothel-Esque. I personally seek out places with a history (any history not just libidinous). Suggestion is immensely more interesting / enticing than demonstration..

.... I should add that, as a five year old, we had a horrendous car crash in south eastern Turkey. The locals were incredible but there were no B&Bs (or inns, hotels or motels). There was however one establishment that had extra rooms ........ I have never since stayed in a brothel but they will always have a fond place in my heart.
.... One more reason I don't post under my "real" name

 

[Tom]

This post has received more replies than any of the last roughly 70 posts (since bedbugs). The title alone grabs interest.

 

[Arks]

This post has received more replies than any of the last roughly 70 posts (since bedbugs). The title alone grabs interest..

This post has received more replies than any of the last roughly 70 posts (since bedbugs). The title alone grabs interest.

Well, I guess there are worse things than bedbugs to be caught at a brothel.
So sorry Proud Texan has been away lately. I'm just sure he would have enjoyed the discussion.

 

[Flower]

We know of a winery that changed it name to dirty laundry and it has a booming buiness. Check it out Both y el p and tr ip have many postings on peoples experiences. The winery is based on a brothell theme. It all depends on how you present it. AND what story you tell.
http://www.tripadvisor.ca/Attraction_Review-g616300-d1034381-Reviews-Dirty_Laundry_Vineyard-Summerland_Okanagan_Valley_British_Columbia.html
http://www.yelp.ca/biz/dirty-laundry-vineyard-summerland