• Cocoa Cottage gets a sweet promotion - INN the news 08.23.08

[JunieBJones (JBJ)]

• Cocoa Cottage gets a sweet promotion
Muskegon Chronicle - MLive.com - Muskegon,MI,USA
And they welcome the national attention drawn to their bed and breakfast and to the Michigan shoreline. They have gotten it before, but never on such a wide ...
I wanted our au-chocolat innkeeper in MEX to see this.

 

[muirford]

I'm being dense - what organization is it?

 

[EmptyNest]

I'm being dense - what organization is it?.

I assumed they meant Arringtons

 

[EmptyNest]

I love this quote:"won....national Innkeeper of the Year award Robertson won recently from a now defunct organization." All of those "so called" awards from them i thought were a joke and a waste!!!
Sorry to those of you who got them...but did it get you anything???? Other than the fact you could say you got their award on your web site

 

[user 26]

I'm being dense - what organization is it?.

I assumed they meant Arringtons
.

pre-innkeeping, as a b&b go-er, i used to love those arrington guides. sad that they went away ...
chocolate, chocolate, chocolate ... i wonder how the innkeepers keep trim with all the CHOCOLATE in the house! oh my! yummmmm

 

[gillumhouse]

I love this quote:"won....national Innkeeper of the Year award Robertson won recently from a now defunct organization." All of those "so called" awards from them i thought were a joke and a waste!!!
Sorry to those of you who got them...but did it get you anything???? Other than the fact you could say you got their award on your web site

.

but did it get you anything???? Other than the fact you could say you got their award on your web site

It gave you the opportunity to place an expensive ad in the annual Awards Issue.
The Arrington Award really did mean something - at that time. It was really before all the review sites came into prominence - Pre-TA.
Unlike most of the innkeeping magazines I saw at that time, Arrington's had columns that applied to my small inn, they actually featured a small, out-of-the-way inn once in a while. Most of the magazines only dealt with the high-end expensive inns who were drop-dead gorgeous because they had to be to getthose rates.
Arrington awards were supposedly voted on by guests so they did mean something.

 

[EmptyNest]

I love this quote:"won....national Innkeeper of the Year award Robertson won recently from a now defunct organization." All of those "so called" awards from them i thought were a joke and a waste!!!
Sorry to those of you who got them...but did it get you anything???? Other than the fact you could say you got their award on your web site

.

but did it get you anything???? Other than the fact you could say you got their award on your web site

It gave you the opportunity to place an expensive ad in the annual Awards Issue.
The Arrington Award really did mean something - at that time. It was really before all the review sites came into prominence - Pre-TA.
Unlike most of the innkeeping magazines I saw at that time, Arrington's had columns that applied to my small inn, they actually featured a small, out-of-the-way inn once in a while. Most of the magazines only dealt with the high-end expensive inns who were drop-dead gorgeous because they had to be to getthose rates.
Arrington awards were supposedly voted on by guests so they did mean something.
.

Not wanting to go back and relive this...but I never thought they meant anything...I know of innkeepers who just sent them in themselves...not the guests. Sorry.

 

[Cathy]

Thanks for thinking of me .. we have a drawer in the fridge full of chocolate. Used to be so full it was hard to close, but we are trying to lose a bit of weight ... just trying to keep chocolate for the guests now.
We serve chocolate with every breakfast. It is either in the muffins, scones or ... chocolate dipped strawberries (which we serve to every guest for their last breakfast).

 

[hawley]

Thanks for thinking of me .. we have a drawer in the fridge full of chocolate. Used to be so full it was hard to close, but we are trying to lose a bit of weight ... just trying to keep chocolate for the guests now.
We serve chocolate with every breakfast. It is either in the muffins, scones or ... chocolate dipped strawberries (which we serve to every guest for their last breakfast)..

Off topic here, but looked at your web site. I remember you talking about guests and problems with kids. When I looked at your rooms, I only thought each one had 1 bedroom with 1 bed. Do you have a suite with more beds where you are getting the calls for kids?

 

[Cathy]

Thanks for thinking of me .. we have a drawer in the fridge full of chocolate. Used to be so full it was hard to close, but we are trying to lose a bit of weight ... just trying to keep chocolate for the guests now.
We serve chocolate with every breakfast. It is either in the muffins, scones or ... chocolate dipped strawberries (which we serve to every guest for their last breakfast)..

Off topic here, but looked at your web site. I remember you talking about guests and problems with kids. When I looked at your rooms, I only thought each one had 1 bedroom with 1 bed. Do you have a suite with more beds where you are getting the calls for kids?
.

Our rooms all only have one bed ... we do not offer to add another bed, and those toting children must tote their beds as well. Even though we try to be unhelpful they still came.
On the last day, I was told that we needed to buya play and pack (?) (playpen) and a booster seat, I said that we were not going to do that and we are still not going to encourage children.
We have just added a futon to the white chocolate room, but, we are not really telling anyone, especially those with kids, yet. We are seeing what happens. We bought it more for those traveling together, only wanting one room, but do not want to sleep together. Right now, it is our little secret.

 

[hawley]

Thanks for thinking of me .. we have a drawer in the fridge full of chocolate. Used to be so full it was hard to close, but we are trying to lose a bit of weight ... just trying to keep chocolate for the guests now.
We serve chocolate with every breakfast. It is either in the muffins, scones or ... chocolate dipped strawberries (which we serve to every guest for their last breakfast)..

Off topic here, but looked at your web site. I remember you talking about guests and problems with kids. When I looked at your rooms, I only thought each one had 1 bedroom with 1 bed. Do you have a suite with more beds where you are getting the calls for kids?
.

Our rooms all only have one bed ... we do not offer to add another bed, and those toting children must tote their beds as well. Even though we try to be unhelpful they still came.
On the last day, I was told that we needed to buya play and pack (?) (playpen) and a booster seat, I said that we were not going to do that and we are still not going to encourage children.
We have just added a futon to the white chocolate room, but, we are not really telling anyone, especially those with kids, yet. We are seeing what happens. We bought it more for those traveling together, only wanting one room, but do not want to sleep together. Right now, it is our little secret.
.

With the pool, I would certainly discourage children unless it was 1 adult and 1 child. I don't know what your laws are. But the liability and worry would kill me.
I have a 2 bedroom suite and discourage children, but sometimes I take them. We are not a romantic getaway, so most times someone else doesn't even know they are there. But breakfast is stressful for me because kids can be messy and I have a carpet under the dining room table.

 

[EmptyNest]

Thanks for thinking of me .. we have a drawer in the fridge full of chocolate. Used to be so full it was hard to close, but we are trying to lose a bit of weight ... just trying to keep chocolate for the guests now.
We serve chocolate with every breakfast. It is either in the muffins, scones or ... chocolate dipped strawberries (which we serve to every guest for their last breakfast)..

Off topic here, but looked at your web site. I remember you talking about guests and problems with kids. When I looked at your rooms, I only thought each one had 1 bedroom with 1 bed. Do you have a suite with more beds where you are getting the calls for kids?
.

Our rooms all only have one bed ... we do not offer to add another bed, and those toting children must tote their beds as well. Even though we try to be unhelpful they still came.
On the last day, I was told that we needed to buya play and pack (?) (playpen) and a booster seat, I said that we were not going to do that and we are still not going to encourage children.
We have just added a futon to the white chocolate room, but, we are not really telling anyone, especially those with kids, yet. We are seeing what happens. We bought it more for those traveling together, only wanting one room, but do not want to sleep together. Right now, it is our little secret.
.

If you don't want children..then state that in your policies and stick to it. Do not encourage "not bringing childen"...specifically state " we cannot accommodate children at the inn." Nuff said!
There are thousands of other people coming to vacation there...you will not have to worry about filling your rooms and the consequences of dealing with children. To me, your place looks like a romantic get away...I'd sure want to get away there...but I don't want any kids hanging around on my vacation.
AND...oh my gosh... I just went back to look at your rooms again... YOUR RATES ARE WAY TOOO LOW..no wonder you get people with children wanting to stay with you. With those low rates, people will wonder what is wrong???? ANd you will attract the wrong kind of guests.
You are catering to tourists..right??? what do hotels in your town charge???
Casa del Artistes is charging $125 a night...you should be too and maybe higher!!!! If you are doing this as a business run it as a business. Tourists pay good money

 

[cherry64]

My DH and I stayed here a couple of years ago for our anniversay. I could have bathed in the chocolate fudge sauce they used for dipping strawberries, if it wasn't so thick and wonderfully succulent. And the flourless chocolate cake was really good too.
We had also filled out one of those surveys before we left. Loved the art deco feel of the place. Hope to go back some day.

 

[noodle-inn]

i've been
told i 'need to buy' ...... a high chair, a booster seat, a crib, a play pen and a potty seat !! who is going to scrb that out? not me!

i have not bought these things and i am not going to.

 

[EmptyNest]

i've been
told i 'need to buy' ...... a high chair, a booster seat, a crib, a play pen and a potty seat !! who is going to scrb that out? not me!

i have not bought these things and i am not going to..

WHO SAYS????? That is a parent's responsiblity if they travel with their children and YOU ACCEPT THEM...NOT YOURS!!! And I would not hesitate to tell someone that!!!
Your other choice..NO CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 10!!!!!

 

[Morticia]

i've been
told i 'need to buy' ...... a high chair, a booster seat, a crib, a play pen and a potty seat !! who is going to scrb that out? not me!

i have not bought these things and i am not going to..

i've been
told i 'need to buy' ...... a high chair, a booster seat, a crib, a play pen and a potty seat !!
who is going to scrb that out? not me!

i have not bought these things and i am not going to.

We've never been told we should provide those things. Everytime we have a kid here, tho, hubs brings it up...'It would be so much easier if we had...'
No it wouldn't. We have to store it, clean it and keep up with what is au courant in the child-safety world. No thanks. I won't even buy 'gear' for the grandkids because I'd buy the wrong thing.
When we get callers with kids we are very explicit about what we do not have, including child-proof anything.