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  1. Tom

    Unhappy Guests Want Discount

    Customer relations ... generally I do not respond kindly to requests for a rebate (i.e. post-sale discount). They are very rare. Sometimes I'll offer something extra if an issue arises. That said, we do weddings and we require that the wedding party book the entire Inn for the weekend. It's...
  2. Tom

    Tesla becoming reliable market

    Back in 2015 Tesla was promoting the destination charging location and several of us got chargers. Over the next few years, it attracted guests, but recently, mainly since beginning of pandemic and now this year, I'm getting 2 or 3 a week. Part of this is the big increase with Model 3, but I...
  3. Tom

    Hello from Wales!

    Welcome! Wales is beautiful, very green, lots of sheep. Agree, the Call for Best Rates seems to be a possible negative. I inferred that I would get better rates if I called rather than booked online. Maybe true, but that may prevent people from booking direct when they can't reach you and may...
  4. Tom

    Back to Daily Cleaning? Neatening? Yea or Nay?

    Our experience the same for 13 years. We'll empty trash, collect wine glasses, but leave them alone. I'll tell them to toss towels out of door if they need new. Our guests don't expect maid service. I am who they see: check-in, evening wine, breakfast. I'm an old guy; maid outfit don't fit no mo.
  5. Tom

    Guest of the Day

    In the Inn, we have 3 nice glass front LPG fireplaces; no shenanigans except occasionally someone tries to dry their socks. In the guest house we have a free-standing wood stove I used when we lived there. It works great, but there's a trick to it, so for guests, no. I put a nice wooden sign...
  6. Tom

    Dealing with Fraudulent Bookings

    When I started 13 years ago, the most common request of this type said "I am coming to your City with seven newly ordained Greek priests to stay 10 days". Last year, I got the Greek priest one again! Poor guys, all the time on the road.
  7. Tom

    Guest Vaccination Requirement

    I must disagree. If you want privacy, stay at home. If you come to my inn, I need to manage risk and comfort levels for our guests and for ourselves; that means your willingness to share a little. If you are not vaccinated, or don't want to share, that's OK, you are welcome, but I need to...
  8. Tom

    Just Set 2022 Rates - A Few Thoughts

    Getting me thinking ... I could bump rates a little, but my $175 to $195 seems to match my market and the $195 books at about one-third of the $175 even with the only 2-person tub as an amenity, which is a sort of message. What I really wish I could do is cut back on single night stays but keep...
  9. Tom

    The year 2021

    Rollercoaster ride.
  10. Tom

    Guest Vaccination Requirement

    It's my business and I make my rules, subject to explicit legal limitations such as discrimination. I deal with it by advising guests in the confirmation: COVID 19 Note for Fall 2021: we’ve made certain changes to keep you – and us – safe. We ourselves have been fully vaccinated against COVID...
  11. Tom

    Flannel sheets?

    DW adores flannel sheets; my guess is a quarter of guests would too, but the other 3/4 would definitely not, so ... no flannel sheets. There's a lot in hospitality that goes to the lowest common expectation. I did serve a Japanese breakfast last week, though, but I got an OK in advance. Not...
  12. Tom

    There’s nothing to eat!

    And I should add, if I had been informed that the daughter was vegan, I could have accommodated her; I would have talked with her personally about what she might like. But I think for her, nothing is what she wanted to eat.
  13. Tom

    There’s nothing to eat!

    It's a good strategy. Same here, children allowed by approval -- typically, no, if we are busy, but mainly, parent's who call also tend to be polite and manage kids better.
  14. Tom

    Can’t remember the exact quote

    Definitely laughed out loud! I always thought your bucket of nice was a half-pint jelly jar -- that's why you've been my innspiration all these years.
  15. Tom

    There’s nothing to eat!

    My version of nothing to eat: on a busy weekend I'll put out a nice, traditional buffet. I'm tending it and a mom/daughter come through. Mom – fit, tan, So.Cal. -- is carrying the plate for the daughter -- late teens, and skinny. Mom talks, daughter doesn't say a word, but I can see her face...
  16. Tom

    Just saw this online and wanted to share

    $1,000,000/night, tempting. We haven't raised our rates recently, but maybe ...
  17. Tom

    Sleeper Sofas & Futons

    We have a queen sleeper in a large room that also has our usual California king. Having that extra bed has been helpful for bookings. The sleeper was expensive but after about five years the mattress and the springs gave out. Replacing the mattress portion was not practical but by adding a...
  18. Tom

    Hard to know where to look

    Had to laugh! We had a couple a few years ago who came to our area specifically for the work of a well-known tattoo artist. He had been working with the same guy for several years and had both arms covered in a custom styled full-color mash up of Star Wars and Futurama. We also had a goth...
  19. Tom

    2 Interviews Scheduled; 2 No-Shows

    As usual, Mort has it. It's not the extra unemployment money, it's the fact that service workers have always had a fragile social and economic situation and a year and a half pandemic made it worse and wrecked the ad hoc support system that most people used to give them the hours and flexibility...
  20. Tom

    Going in alone

    Don't know if Foxfire is still following, I will second all the advice above and add that it's critical to establish a local network of support for housekeeping and repairs and find somebody who can back you up when you need to leave town or want to take some time off or have a last-minute...
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