2017 - a good year?

[Morticia]

We've already gotten 10 reservations for 2017. The calendar isn't even set up yet so I'm giving the lucky callers this year's rates. (And making reminders for myself who wants what.) I'm fairly amazed by this. Now have to get that calendar set up!
Oh, and, even if you can't answer the phone, be sure to call back ASAP. The last caller said she started with the places that came up first and not a single one returned her call or had a calendar bookable into next year. And I was the only person who actually answered the phone. (So, yeah, we're not the first choice...)

 

[Skamokawa]

Yes but you are the most responsive and anticipatory. That number of advance bookings means you're first for some.
Next time you will be first choice for them too.

 

[Jcam]

its why my software is rolling - I can load bookings into it 10 years ahead - own web site 18 months ahead and OTA's 356 days ahead.

 

[Morticia]

its why my software is rolling - I can load bookings into it 10 years ahead - own web site 18 months ahead and OTA's 356 days ahead..

I can load the calendar, I just didn't do it yet. Slacker. ;-)
It's my project after breakfast tomorrow. I generally try to load the next year after the repeats have reserved so they don't get bumped (which did happen last year) .

 

[Lee2014]

We are so jealous! Our instant bookings for next year happens in July.

 

[Silverspoon]

Wow! Good for you! I actually do not like advanced bookings more than 6-7 months ahead. My experience is that they are the most likely to cancel....just before the late cancel date.

 

[Copperhead]

 

[gillumhouse]

Wow! Good for you! I actually do not like advanced bookings more than 6-7 months ahead. My experience is that they are the most likely to cancel....just before the late cancel date.

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I had one a few years ago - I called a couple weeks before to confirm. Oh, I forgot I had made that. Cancelled. They 25th anniversary was made almost a year in advance, but THAT was not going to be forgotten.
I know i will have a 2-night in January every year for the accountant, just not the dates until a week or so in advance.

 

[Silverspoon]

Wow! Good for you! I actually do not like advanced bookings more than 6-7 months ahead. My experience is that they are the most likely to cancel....just before the late cancel date.

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I had one a few years ago - I called a couple weeks before to confirm. Oh, I forgot I had made that. Cancelled. They 25th anniversary was made almost a year in advance, but THAT was not going to be forgotten.
I know i will have a 2-night in January every year for the accountant, just not the dates until a week or so in advance.
.

So much can change in over one year! And to tell you the truth, I do not want to be hemmed in that far in advance at this stage of our life

 

[JimBoone]

Somewhat off topic, but when a potential guest books a room six months or more in advance do you have any sort of cancellation fee? What's the feeling of the group?
Most times we only ask for a three day notice if a guest wishes to cancel, but it annoys me on those few special event times during the year when folks book months in advance and then want to cancel on short or no notice. Often times I feel it is not a real reservation, more of a desire that I should hold a room IN CASE they later decide that they really want to attend the event. Just my rant for the day.

 

[Hillbilly]

We only Book out 12 months for repeat customers and 9 months for new customers. Why? Because we give repeats 3 months to secure their special date. Works great for returning guests. To much farther out and it just runs into problems with cancellations and bad credit cards. But if it works for you than that's awesome!

 

[Morticia]

Somewhat off topic, but when a potential guest books a room six months or more in advance do you have any sort of cancellation fee? What's the feeling of the group?
Most times we only ask for a three day notice if a guest wishes to cancel, but it annoys me on those few special event times during the year when folks book months in advance and then want to cancel on short or no notice. Often times I feel it is not a real reservation, more of a desire that I should hold a room IN CASE they later decide that they really want to attend the event. Just my rant for the day..

Especially for event weekends you might consider taking a deposit. We used to have a lot of place holders. One woman did that for 3 years. She called to cancel exactly one week prior to arrival after holding the room for a year. I stopped accepting her reservations that far in advance.
Since instituting the deposit and cancellation fees the cancellation rate has dropped from 10% to less than 1%.
No more holding rooms for the maybes.

 

[Morticia]

Somewhat off topic, but when a potential guest books a room six months or more in advance do you have any sort of cancellation fee? What's the feeling of the group?
Most times we only ask for a three day notice if a guest wishes to cancel, but it annoys me on those few special event times during the year when folks book months in advance and then want to cancel on short or no notice. Often times I feel it is not a real reservation, more of a desire that I should hold a room IN CASE they later decide that they really want to attend the event. Just my rant for the day..

BTW, I also have a reminder set up to resend the confirmation in January and then again one month prior. (Lesson learned - After charging a guest's card for her late arrival for a reservation she insisted she didn't make and lots of grief with the credit card processor.)

 

[MtnKeeper]

Somewhat off topic, but when a potential guest books a room six months or more in advance do you have any sort of cancellation fee? What's the feeling of the group?
Most times we only ask for a three day notice if a guest wishes to cancel, but it annoys me on those few special event times during the year when folks book months in advance and then want to cancel on short or no notice. Often times I feel it is not a real reservation, more of a desire that I should hold a room IN CASE they later decide that they really want to attend the event. Just my rant for the day..

We take a deposit for all reservations and have a 14 day cancellation policy with a $25 cancellation fee. If someone books a large reservation over 1500, then they have a $100 cancellation fee. Weddings have an even larger fee. I consider credit card fees as a cost of business (for actual business) and not something I'm going to cover for place holders, if they want to cancel then they pay to cancel. You'd be surprised even with a $25 fee how it weeds out those who are holders and not actual bookers.

 

[Lee2014]

Somewhat off topic, but when a potential guest books a room six months or more in advance do you have any sort of cancellation fee? What's the feeling of the group?
Most times we only ask for a three day notice if a guest wishes to cancel, but it annoys me on those few special event times during the year when folks book months in advance and then want to cancel on short or no notice. Often times I feel it is not a real reservation, more of a desire that I should hold a room IN CASE they later decide that they really want to attend the event. Just my rant for the day..

We let them book one year ahead. In January we remind them of their booking and that payment is due for one night stay to continue to hold their room….Their room goes available if no money is received. It works very well for us.

 

[JimBoone]

Somewhat off topic, but when a potential guest books a room six months or more in advance do you have any sort of cancellation fee? What's the feeling of the group?
Most times we only ask for a three day notice if a guest wishes to cancel, but it annoys me on those few special event times during the year when folks book months in advance and then want to cancel on short or no notice. Often times I feel it is not a real reservation, more of a desire that I should hold a room IN CASE they later decide that they really want to attend the event. Just my rant for the day..

We take a deposit for all reservations and have a 14 day cancellation policy with a $25 cancellation fee. If someone books a large reservation over 1500, then they have a $100 cancellation fee. Weddings have an even larger fee. I consider credit card fees as a cost of business (for actual business) and not something I'm going to cover for place holders, if they want to cancel then they pay to cancel. You'd be surprised even with a $25 fee how it weeds out those who are holders and not actual bookers.
.

Thanks, this sounds like a good plan, I don't know that we are a sufficiently classy place to do this on a regular basis, but for October (leaves) and a few events where folks book well in advance it would be a plus.

 

[JimBoone]

Somewhat off topic, but when a potential guest books a room six months or more in advance do you have any sort of cancellation fee? What's the feeling of the group?
Most times we only ask for a three day notice if a guest wishes to cancel, but it annoys me on those few special event times during the year when folks book months in advance and then want to cancel on short or no notice. Often times I feel it is not a real reservation, more of a desire that I should hold a room IN CASE they later decide that they really want to attend the event. Just my rant for the day..

BTW, I also have a reminder set up to resend the confirmation in January and then again one month prior. (Lesson learned - After charging a guest's card for her late arrival for a reservation she insisted she didn't make and lots of grief with the credit card processor.)
.

We've never embraced the future and gone to computerized reservations so a reminder depends on a feeble memory, but we do try to call ahead on special weekends, hopefully now that our daughter has joined us maybe we will progress and get with the program.

 

[JBloggs]

A wise innmate once said "Nothing good comes from answering the phone after 10o'clock at night." The same is true from booking over 12 months.
Not only does it tighten the ball and chain around your foot and neck and limit your choices in life, it almost always ends in a bad credit card or forgotten reservation by the "impulse" booker. There is nothing worse than having a reservation on the books to limit your future decisions, planning, even inn operations. In my very strong opinion...

 

[Morticia]

Somewhat off topic, but when a potential guest books a room six months or more in advance do you have any sort of cancellation fee? What's the feeling of the group?
Most times we only ask for a three day notice if a guest wishes to cancel, but it annoys me on those few special event times during the year when folks book months in advance and then want to cancel on short or no notice. Often times I feel it is not a real reservation, more of a desire that I should hold a room IN CASE they later decide that they really want to attend the event. Just my rant for the day..

We take a deposit for all reservations and have a 14 day cancellation policy with a $25 cancellation fee. If someone books a large reservation over 1500, then they have a $100 cancellation fee. Weddings have an even larger fee. I consider credit card fees as a cost of business (for actual business) and not something I'm going to cover for place holders, if they want to cancel then they pay to cancel. You'd be surprised even with a $25 fee how it weeds out those who are holders and not actual bookers.
.

Thanks, this sounds like a good plan, I don't know that we are a sufficiently classy place to do this on a regular basis, but for October (leaves) and a few events where folks book well in advance it would be a plus.
.

Thanks, this sounds like a good plan, I don't know that we are a sufficiently classy place to do this on a regular basis, but for October (leaves) and a few events where folks book well in advance it would be a plus.

I don't think 'class' has anything to do with it. You run a business, you do what you need to do to make it thrive.
Altho I do have online reservations, you can still make notes for yourself on a paper calendar.

 

[Jcam]

A wise innmate once said "Nothing good comes from answering the phone after 10o'clock at night." The same is true from booking over 12 months.
Not only does it tighten the ball and chain around your foot and neck and limit your choices in life, it almost always ends in a bad credit card or forgotten reservation by the "impulse" booker. There is nothing worse than having a reservation on the books to limit your future decisions, planning, even inn operations. In my very strong opinion....

We are willing but its due to the nature of business in my town - ie people are coming in the main for specific annual events and as soon as they get the date for the next year they want to make sure they have somewhere close to the venue to stay - not a 30 minute taxi each way. If in doubt I make them pay a non refundable deposit but again we do email about 3 months out to confirm again things havn't changed - good thing as have an event in may chap came to the door and booked as that year they had ended up in the next town over due to demand and didn't want to be caught out - however had lost the paper where he had taken all our details so was super pleased to know where it was he had actually booked! was going to have to look on google maps and ring every B&B on our street (there are about 15 bb's and hotels on my street its a 3 mile road)