Charging for additional folks at breakfast

[Samster]

LOL. Time warp, indeed. But common sense is relative when it comes to state regulations.
If I seem to be bragging and making things seem rosy regarding food and liquor, perhaps I should mention that our dealings with the multiple water authorities about our well and septic permits, not to mention the status of our water rights and the multiple attorneys we currently have on retainer, or how quickly we could respond to a "water call" from a senior water-rights holder downstream.
I'm pretty sure more people in Colorado have been murdered over water than over money and sex put together.
Tom.

Colorado water and mineral rights...I know it well. (pun intended

) We lived in the Denver area for 8 years. At one time, we were looking at turnkey B&B properties to buy in Colorado.

 

[Alibi Ike]

Thanks to some pro-active lobbying by the BBIC (Bed & Breakfast Inns of Colorado) years ago, the Colorado legislature created a B&B liquor license. For less than $100 a year, (both state and county applications), B&Bs can serve complimentary wine and beer for a designated 4 hours a day for registered guests only. It's perfect; it's a no-brainer; and most importantly, it doesn't subject us to the brain damage of the inspections required by state liquor laws.
Also, since we don't sell liquor, and beverages are only available to our guests, it means that we won't have people on a pub-crawl coming to visit.
BBIC efforts also ensured that food prep regulations for B&Bs in Colorado were not draconian. Since most are pretty small operations, B&Bs are not subject to state inspection. However, because we are members of BBIC, we are subject to their inspection, which is equally rigorous and covers all aspects of our operation.
It's a win-win situation. Our state B&B organization (*not* the state) guarantees that we are up to snuff. During ski season, we serve a complimentary simple supper to our guests in addition to breakfast. As long as we don't charge for it, we stay out of the restaurant category. Of course, it's factored into our room pricing, but during ski season, lodging costs in our area can triple. Since our marketing is to middle-of-the road guests, our tariffs are below what the high-end places charge, even with our supper.
My wife's aunt & uncle ran a B&B in North Carolina, and we have heard horror stories about state regulations. Colorado isn't the wild west any more, but our B&B regs seem to be based on common sense. Knowing what some of you go through, we feel lucky..

Our state organization and many innkeepers spent a year working with the state regulators to get some common sense regs in place. We were good to go when the state went thru a reorg and they blended the dept we had worked with into another dept with a new dept head. New dept head wouldn't agree to anything the old one did without going over the whole mess again.
So, here we are 3 years later in the same place we were 4 years ago.
In the meantime, a few state officials came up with new regs they tried to push thru and new licensing fees and essentially more red tape. My license went up 100% and now I have to take classes. We still haven't been able to figure out where to go for the classes, how much they will cost or anything like that. The most amazing part of it is that the state hasn't sent any info to us. We're just supposed to know we have a year to be compliant with all the news regs.

 

[HighMountainLodge]

Thanks to some pro-active lobbying by the BBIC (Bed & Breakfast Inns of Colorado) years ago, the Colorado legislature created a B&B liquor license. For less than $100 a year, (both state and county applications), B&Bs can serve complimentary wine and beer for a designated 4 hours a day for registered guests only. It's perfect; it's a no-brainer; and most importantly, it doesn't subject us to the brain damage of the inspections required by state liquor laws.
Also, since we don't sell liquor, and beverages are only available to our guests, it means that we won't have people on a pub-crawl coming to visit.
BBIC efforts also ensured that food prep regulations for B&Bs in Colorado were not draconian. Since most are pretty small operations, B&Bs are not subject to state inspection. However, because we are members of BBIC, we are subject to their inspection, which is equally rigorous and covers all aspects of our operation.
It's a win-win situation. Our state B&B organization (*not* the state) guarantees that we are up to snuff. During ski season, we serve a complimentary simple supper to our guests in addition to breakfast. As long as we don't charge for it, we stay out of the restaurant category. Of course, it's factored into our room pricing, but during ski season, lodging costs in our area can triple. Since our marketing is to middle-of-the road guests, our tariffs are below what the high-end places charge, even with our supper.
My wife's aunt & uncle ran a B&B in North Carolina, and we have heard horror stories about state regulations. Colorado isn't the wild west any more, but our B&B regs seem to be based on common sense. Knowing what some of you go through, we feel lucky..

Our state organization and many innkeepers spent a year working with the state regulators to get some common sense regs in place. We were good to go when the state went thru a reorg and they blended the dept we had worked with into another dept with a new dept head. New dept head wouldn't agree to anything the old one did without going over the whole mess again.
So, here we are 3 years later in the same place we were 4 years ago.
In the meantime, a few state officials came up with new regs they tried to push thru and new licensing fees and essentially more red tape. My license went up 100% and now I have to take classes. We still haven't been able to figure out where to go for the classes, how much they will cost or anything like that. The most amazing part of it is that the state hasn't sent any info to us. We're just supposed to know we have a year to be compliant with all the news regs.
.

Our state organization and many innkeepers spent a year working with the state regulators to get some common sense regs in place. We were good to go when the state went thru a reorg and they blended the dept we had worked with into another dept with a new dept head. New dept head wouldn't agree to anything the old one did without going over the whole mess again.
So, here we are 3 years later in the same place we were 4 years ago.
In the meantime, a few state officials came up with new regs they tried to push thru and new licensing fees and essentially more red tape. My license went up 100% and now I have to take classes. We still haven't been able to figure out where to go for the classes, how much they will cost or anything like that. The most amazing part of it is that the state hasn't sent any info to us. We're just supposed to know we have a year to be compliant with all the news regs.

Perhaps PAII might put together a survey to gather information to rank states friendly/unfriendly to B&Bs. This could be very good information for prospective innkeepers, as well as current ones hoping to sell their inn. Regulations, flexibility, and bureaucratic aggravation are certainly factors to take into account when planning to go into/get out of this business. Hard data might be able to twist some arms when it comes to arriving at realistic regulations for our industry.
Certainly, larger businesses take into account the business-friendly climate of places they consider relocating to; so when a smaller/startup business is being considered, that sort of information clearly should be taken into consideration.
A ranking of "best to worst" states to own a B&B would be useful in establishing a price multiple helpful to lenders, as well as a business-friendly multiple to leverage lending and legislative relief.
In reading earlier comments, it seems clear that most of the bureaucrats who make life so difficult for B&B owners don't have a clue to the challneges of our industry, and probably legislative relief is the only way to change that particular paradigm.
Perhaps PAII might redirect its efforts away from getting us cheap business listings on Trip Adivsor to advocating for legislative relief and improving the business climate for our industry in the states.

 

[JBloggs]

Thanks to some pro-active lobbying by the BBIC (Bed & Breakfast Inns of Colorado) years ago, the Colorado legislature created a B&B liquor license. For less than $100 a year, (both state and county applications), B&Bs can serve complimentary wine and beer for a designated 4 hours a day for registered guests only. It's perfect; it's a no-brainer; and most importantly, it doesn't subject us to the brain damage of the inspections required by state liquor laws.
Also, since we don't sell liquor, and beverages are only available to our guests, it means that we won't have people on a pub-crawl coming to visit.
BBIC efforts also ensured that food prep regulations for B&Bs in Colorado were not draconian. Since most are pretty small operations, B&Bs are not subject to state inspection. However, because we are members of BBIC, we are subject to their inspection, which is equally rigorous and covers all aspects of our operation.
It's a win-win situation. Our state B&B organization (*not* the state) guarantees that we are up to snuff. During ski season, we serve a complimentary simple supper to our guests in addition to breakfast. As long as we don't charge for it, we stay out of the restaurant category. Of course, it's factored into our room pricing, but during ski season, lodging costs in our area can triple. Since our marketing is to middle-of-the road guests, our tariffs are below what the high-end places charge, even with our supper.
My wife's aunt & uncle ran a B&B in North Carolina, and we have heard horror stories about state regulations. Colorado isn't the wild west any more, but our B&B regs seem to be based on common sense. Knowing what some of you go through, we feel lucky..

Our state organization and many innkeepers spent a year working with the state regulators to get some common sense regs in place. We were good to go when the state went thru a reorg and they blended the dept we had worked with into another dept with a new dept head. New dept head wouldn't agree to anything the old one did without going over the whole mess again.
So, here we are 3 years later in the same place we were 4 years ago.
In the meantime, a few state officials came up with new regs they tried to push thru and new licensing fees and essentially more red tape. My license went up 100% and now I have to take classes. We still haven't been able to figure out where to go for the classes, how much they will cost or anything like that. The most amazing part of it is that the state hasn't sent any info to us. We're just supposed to know we have a year to be compliant with all the news regs.
.

Our state organization and many innkeepers spent a year working with the state regulators to get some common sense regs in place. We were good to go when the state went thru a reorg and they blended the dept we had worked with into another dept with a new dept head. New dept head wouldn't agree to anything the old one did without going over the whole mess again.
So, here we are 3 years later in the same place we were 4 years ago.
In the meantime, a few state officials came up with new regs they tried to push thru and new licensing fees and essentially more red tape. My license went up 100% and now I have to take classes. We still haven't been able to figure out where to go for the classes, how much they will cost or anything like that. The most amazing part of it is that the state hasn't sent any info to us. We're just supposed to know we have a year to be compliant with all the news regs.

Perhaps PAII might put together a survey to gather information to rank states friendly/unfriendly to B&Bs. This could be very good information for prospective innkeepers, as well as current ones hoping to sell their inn. Regulations, flexibility, and bureaucratic aggravation are certainly factors to take into account when planning to go into/get out of this business. Hard data might be able to twist some arms when it comes to arriving at realistic regulations for our industry.
Certainly, larger businesses take into account the business-friendly climate of places they consider relocating to; so when a smaller/startup business is being considered, that sort of information clearly should be taken into consideration.
A ranking of "best to worst" states to own a B&B would be useful in establishing a price multiple helpful to lenders, as well as a business-friendly multiple to leverage lending and legislative relief.
In reading earlier comments, it seems clear that most of the bureaucrats who make life so difficult for B&B owners don't have a clue to the challneges of our industry, and probably legislative relief is the only way to change that particular paradigm.
Perhaps PAII might redirect its efforts away from getting us cheap business listings on Trip Adivsor to advocating for legislative relief and improving the business climate for our industry in the states.
.

It's not a STATE thing, it is local regulations. We have HUNDREDS of B&B's in our state and each locale is different. From EXTREME regulation and control (like where Riki is near Charlottesville) to virtually no regulation in other areas of the state.

 

[HighMountainLodge]

Thanks to some pro-active lobbying by the BBIC (Bed & Breakfast Inns of Colorado) years ago, the Colorado legislature created a B&B liquor license. For less than $100 a year, (both state and county applications), B&Bs can serve complimentary wine and beer for a designated 4 hours a day for registered guests only. It's perfect; it's a no-brainer; and most importantly, it doesn't subject us to the brain damage of the inspections required by state liquor laws.
Also, since we don't sell liquor, and beverages are only available to our guests, it means that we won't have people on a pub-crawl coming to visit.
BBIC efforts also ensured that food prep regulations for B&Bs in Colorado were not draconian. Since most are pretty small operations, B&Bs are not subject to state inspection. However, because we are members of BBIC, we are subject to their inspection, which is equally rigorous and covers all aspects of our operation.
It's a win-win situation. Our state B&B organization (*not* the state) guarantees that we are up to snuff. During ski season, we serve a complimentary simple supper to our guests in addition to breakfast. As long as we don't charge for it, we stay out of the restaurant category. Of course, it's factored into our room pricing, but during ski season, lodging costs in our area can triple. Since our marketing is to middle-of-the road guests, our tariffs are below what the high-end places charge, even with our supper.
My wife's aunt & uncle ran a B&B in North Carolina, and we have heard horror stories about state regulations. Colorado isn't the wild west any more, but our B&B regs seem to be based on common sense. Knowing what some of you go through, we feel lucky..

Our state organization and many innkeepers spent a year working with the state regulators to get some common sense regs in place. We were good to go when the state went thru a reorg and they blended the dept we had worked with into another dept with a new dept head. New dept head wouldn't agree to anything the old one did without going over the whole mess again.
So, here we are 3 years later in the same place we were 4 years ago.
In the meantime, a few state officials came up with new regs they tried to push thru and new licensing fees and essentially more red tape. My license went up 100% and now I have to take classes. We still haven't been able to figure out where to go for the classes, how much they will cost or anything like that. The most amazing part of it is that the state hasn't sent any info to us. We're just supposed to know we have a year to be compliant with all the news regs.
.

Our state organization and many innkeepers spent a year working with the state regulators to get some common sense regs in place. We were good to go when the state went thru a reorg and they blended the dept we had worked with into another dept with a new dept head. New dept head wouldn't agree to anything the old one did without going over the whole mess again.
So, here we are 3 years later in the same place we were 4 years ago.
In the meantime, a few state officials came up with new regs they tried to push thru and new licensing fees and essentially more red tape. My license went up 100% and now I have to take classes. We still haven't been able to figure out where to go for the classes, how much they will cost or anything like that. The most amazing part of it is that the state hasn't sent any info to us. We're just supposed to know we have a year to be compliant with all the news regs.

Perhaps PAII might put together a survey to gather information to rank states friendly/unfriendly to B&Bs. This could be very good information for prospective innkeepers, as well as current ones hoping to sell their inn. Regulations, flexibility, and bureaucratic aggravation are certainly factors to take into account when planning to go into/get out of this business. Hard data might be able to twist some arms when it comes to arriving at realistic regulations for our industry.
Certainly, larger businesses take into account the business-friendly climate of places they consider relocating to; so when a smaller/startup business is being considered, that sort of information clearly should be taken into consideration.
A ranking of "best to worst" states to own a B&B would be useful in establishing a price multiple helpful to lenders, as well as a business-friendly multiple to leverage lending and legislative relief.
In reading earlier comments, it seems clear that most of the bureaucrats who make life so difficult for B&B owners don't have a clue to the challneges of our industry, and probably legislative relief is the only way to change that particular paradigm.
Perhaps PAII might redirect its efforts away from getting us cheap business listings on Trip Adivsor to advocating for legislative relief and improving the business climate for our industry in the states.
.

It's not a STATE thing, it is local regulations. We have HUNDREDS of B&B's in our state and each locale is different. From EXTREME regulation and control (like where Riki is near Charlottesville) to virtually no regulation in other areas of the state.
.

Whatever. The challenge is to convince the regulating authorities that you contribute significantly to the local economy. If that doesn't work, then spread about the information that the local authorities (name names) discourage local businesses through endless bureaucratic entanglements.
If that doesn't work, invite the authorities to your place for a "mixer," ply them with liquor, and take pictures.
Tom

 

[HighMountainLodge]

Thanks to some pro-active lobbying by the BBIC (Bed & Breakfast Inns of Colorado) years ago, the Colorado legislature created a B&B liquor license. For less than $100 a year, (both state and county applications), B&Bs can serve complimentary wine and beer for a designated 4 hours a day for registered guests only. It's perfect; it's a no-brainer; and most importantly, it doesn't subject us to the brain damage of the inspections required by state liquor laws.
Also, since we don't sell liquor, and beverages are only available to our guests, it means that we won't have people on a pub-crawl coming to visit.
BBIC efforts also ensured that food prep regulations for B&Bs in Colorado were not draconian. Since most are pretty small operations, B&Bs are not subject to state inspection. However, because we are members of BBIC, we are subject to their inspection, which is equally rigorous and covers all aspects of our operation.
It's a win-win situation. Our state B&B organization (*not* the state) guarantees that we are up to snuff. During ski season, we serve a complimentary simple supper to our guests in addition to breakfast. As long as we don't charge for it, we stay out of the restaurant category. Of course, it's factored into our room pricing, but during ski season, lodging costs in our area can triple. Since our marketing is to middle-of-the road guests, our tariffs are below what the high-end places charge, even with our supper.
My wife's aunt & uncle ran a B&B in North Carolina, and we have heard horror stories about state regulations. Colorado isn't the wild west any more, but our B&B regs seem to be based on common sense. Knowing what some of you go through, we feel lucky..

Our state organization and many innkeepers spent a year working with the state regulators to get some common sense regs in place. We were good to go when the state went thru a reorg and they blended the dept we had worked with into another dept with a new dept head. New dept head wouldn't agree to anything the old one did without going over the whole mess again.
So, here we are 3 years later in the same place we were 4 years ago.
In the meantime, a few state officials came up with new regs they tried to push thru and new licensing fees and essentially more red tape. My license went up 100% and now I have to take classes. We still haven't been able to figure out where to go for the classes, how much they will cost or anything like that. The most amazing part of it is that the state hasn't sent any info to us. We're just supposed to know we have a year to be compliant with all the news regs.
.

Our state organization and many innkeepers spent a year working with the state regulators to get some common sense regs in place. We were good to go when the state went thru a reorg and they blended the dept we had worked with into another dept with a new dept head. New dept head wouldn't agree to anything the old one did without going over the whole mess again.
So, here we are 3 years later in the same place we were 4 years ago.
In the meantime, a few state officials came up with new regs they tried to push thru and new licensing fees and essentially more red tape. My license went up 100% and now I have to take classes. We still haven't been able to figure out where to go for the classes, how much they will cost or anything like that. The most amazing part of it is that the state hasn't sent any info to us. We're just supposed to know we have a year to be compliant with all the news regs.

Perhaps PAII might put together a survey to gather information to rank states friendly/unfriendly to B&Bs. This could be very good information for prospective innkeepers, as well as current ones hoping to sell their inn. Regulations, flexibility, and bureaucratic aggravation are certainly factors to take into account when planning to go into/get out of this business. Hard data might be able to twist some arms when it comes to arriving at realistic regulations for our industry.
Certainly, larger businesses take into account the business-friendly climate of places they consider relocating to; so when a smaller/startup business is being considered, that sort of information clearly should be taken into consideration.
A ranking of "best to worst" states to own a B&B would be useful in establishing a price multiple helpful to lenders, as well as a business-friendly multiple to leverage lending and legislative relief.
In reading earlier comments, it seems clear that most of the bureaucrats who make life so difficult for B&B owners don't have a clue to the challneges of our industry, and probably legislative relief is the only way to change that particular paradigm.
Perhaps PAII might redirect its efforts away from getting us cheap business listings on Trip Adivsor to advocating for legislative relief and improving the business climate for our industry in the states.
.

It's not a STATE thing, it is local regulations. We have HUNDREDS of B&B's in our state and each locale is different. From EXTREME regulation and control (like where Riki is near Charlottesville) to virtually no regulation in other areas of the state.
.

Whatever. The challenge is to convince the regulating authorities that you contribute significantly to the local economy. If that doesn't work, then spread about the information that the local authorities (name names) discourage local businesses through endless bureaucratic entanglements.
If that doesn't work, invite the authorities to your place for a "mixer," ply them with liquor, and take pictures.
Tom

 

[gillumhouse]

Thanks to some pro-active lobbying by the BBIC (Bed & Breakfast Inns of Colorado) years ago, the Colorado legislature created a B&B liquor license. For less than $100 a year, (both state and county applications), B&Bs can serve complimentary wine and beer for a designated 4 hours a day for registered guests only. It's perfect; it's a no-brainer; and most importantly, it doesn't subject us to the brain damage of the inspections required by state liquor laws.
Also, since we don't sell liquor, and beverages are only available to our guests, it means that we won't have people on a pub-crawl coming to visit.
BBIC efforts also ensured that food prep regulations for B&Bs in Colorado were not draconian. Since most are pretty small operations, B&Bs are not subject to state inspection. However, because we are members of BBIC, we are subject to their inspection, which is equally rigorous and covers all aspects of our operation.
It's a win-win situation. Our state B&B organization (*not* the state) guarantees that we are up to snuff. During ski season, we serve a complimentary simple supper to our guests in addition to breakfast. As long as we don't charge for it, we stay out of the restaurant category. Of course, it's factored into our room pricing, but during ski season, lodging costs in our area can triple. Since our marketing is to middle-of-the road guests, our tariffs are below what the high-end places charge, even with our supper.
My wife's aunt & uncle ran a B&B in North Carolina, and we have heard horror stories about state regulations. Colorado isn't the wild west any more, but our B&B regs seem to be based on common sense. Knowing what some of you go through, we feel lucky..

Our state organization and many innkeepers spent a year working with the state regulators to get some common sense regs in place. We were good to go when the state went thru a reorg and they blended the dept we had worked with into another dept with a new dept head. New dept head wouldn't agree to anything the old one did without going over the whole mess again.
So, here we are 3 years later in the same place we were 4 years ago.
In the meantime, a few state officials came up with new regs they tried to push thru and new licensing fees and essentially more red tape. My license went up 100% and now I have to take classes. We still haven't been able to figure out where to go for the classes, how much they will cost or anything like that. The most amazing part of it is that the state hasn't sent any info to us. We're just supposed to know we have a year to be compliant with all the news regs.
.

Our state organization and many innkeepers spent a year working with the state regulators to get some common sense regs in place. We were good to go when the state went thru a reorg and they blended the dept we had worked with into another dept with a new dept head. New dept head wouldn't agree to anything the old one did without going over the whole mess again.
So, here we are 3 years later in the same place we were 4 years ago.
In the meantime, a few state officials came up with new regs they tried to push thru and new licensing fees and essentially more red tape. My license went up 100% and now I have to take classes. We still haven't been able to figure out where to go for the classes, how much they will cost or anything like that. The most amazing part of it is that the state hasn't sent any info to us. We're just supposed to know we have a year to be compliant with all the news regs.

Perhaps PAII might put together a survey to gather information to rank states friendly/unfriendly to B&Bs. This could be very good information for prospective innkeepers, as well as current ones hoping to sell their inn. Regulations, flexibility, and bureaucratic aggravation are certainly factors to take into account when planning to go into/get out of this business. Hard data might be able to twist some arms when it comes to arriving at realistic regulations for our industry.
Certainly, larger businesses take into account the business-friendly climate of places they consider relocating to; so when a smaller/startup business is being considered, that sort of information clearly should be taken into consideration.
A ranking of "best to worst" states to own a B&B would be useful in establishing a price multiple helpful to lenders, as well as a business-friendly multiple to leverage lending and legislative relief.
In reading earlier comments, it seems clear that most of the bureaucrats who make life so difficult for B&B owners don't have a clue to the challneges of our industry, and probably legislative relief is the only way to change that particular paradigm.
Perhaps PAII might redirect its efforts away from getting us cheap business listings on Trip Adivsor to advocating for legislative relief and improving the business climate for our industry in the states.
.

It's not a STATE thing, it is local regulations. We have HUNDREDS of B&B's in our state and each locale is different. From EXTREME regulation and control (like where Riki is near Charlottesville) to virtually no regulation in other areas of the state.
.

And EACH Health Dept/whatever inspector or dept must justify their position with ENFORCEMENT and each may be interpretting the same rules in a different manner. My small State has 55 Counties people think BUT I know it is a State of 110 States (each County is it's own Kingdom of the Health Dept and Kingdom of the Building Commisson) plus however many deputy Fire Marshals there are in the State.
So sometimes it is not the regulations but the interpretation of those regs. And trust me, some of these twerps KNOW they have the power to shut you down.

 

[Copperhead]

Thanks to some pro-active lobbying by the BBIC (Bed & Breakfast Inns of Colorado) years ago, the Colorado legislature created a B&B liquor license. For less than $100 a year, (both state and county applications), B&Bs can serve complimentary wine and beer for a designated 4 hours a day for registered guests only. It's perfect; it's a no-brainer; and most importantly, it doesn't subject us to the brain damage of the inspections required by state liquor laws.
Also, since we don't sell liquor, and beverages are only available to our guests, it means that we won't have people on a pub-crawl coming to visit.
BBIC efforts also ensured that food prep regulations for B&Bs in Colorado were not draconian. Since most are pretty small operations, B&Bs are not subject to state inspection. However, because we are members of BBIC, we are subject to their inspection, which is equally rigorous and covers all aspects of our operation.
It's a win-win situation. Our state B&B organization (*not* the state) guarantees that we are up to snuff. During ski season, we serve a complimentary simple supper to our guests in addition to breakfast. As long as we don't charge for it, we stay out of the restaurant category. Of course, it's factored into our room pricing, but during ski season, lodging costs in our area can triple. Since our marketing is to middle-of-the road guests, our tariffs are below what the high-end places charge, even with our supper.
My wife's aunt & uncle ran a B&B in North Carolina, and we have heard horror stories about state regulations. Colorado isn't the wild west any more, but our B&B regs seem to be based on common sense. Knowing what some of you go through, we feel lucky..

Our state organization and many innkeepers spent a year working with the state regulators to get some common sense regs in place. We were good to go when the state went thru a reorg and they blended the dept we had worked with into another dept with a new dept head. New dept head wouldn't agree to anything the old one did without going over the whole mess again.
So, here we are 3 years later in the same place we were 4 years ago.
In the meantime, a few state officials came up with new regs they tried to push thru and new licensing fees and essentially more red tape. My license went up 100% and now I have to take classes. We still haven't been able to figure out where to go for the classes, how much they will cost or anything like that. The most amazing part of it is that the state hasn't sent any info to us. We're just supposed to know we have a year to be compliant with all the news regs.
.

Our state organization and many innkeepers spent a year working with the state regulators to get some common sense regs in place. We were good to go when the state went thru a reorg and they blended the dept we had worked with into another dept with a new dept head. New dept head wouldn't agree to anything the old one did without going over the whole mess again.
So, here we are 3 years later in the same place we were 4 years ago.
In the meantime, a few state officials came up with new regs they tried to push thru and new licensing fees and essentially more red tape. My license went up 100% and now I have to take classes. We still haven't been able to figure out where to go for the classes, how much they will cost or anything like that. The most amazing part of it is that the state hasn't sent any info to us. We're just supposed to know we have a year to be compliant with all the news regs.

Perhaps PAII might put together a survey to gather information to rank states friendly/unfriendly to B&Bs. This could be very good information for prospective innkeepers, as well as current ones hoping to sell their inn. Regulations, flexibility, and bureaucratic aggravation are certainly factors to take into account when planning to go into/get out of this business. Hard data might be able to twist some arms when it comes to arriving at realistic regulations for our industry.
Certainly, larger businesses take into account the business-friendly climate of places they consider relocating to; so when a smaller/startup business is being considered, that sort of information clearly should be taken into consideration.
A ranking of "best to worst" states to own a B&B would be useful in establishing a price multiple helpful to lenders, as well as a business-friendly multiple to leverage lending and legislative relief.
In reading earlier comments, it seems clear that most of the bureaucrats who make life so difficult for B&B owners don't have a clue to the challneges of our industry, and probably legislative relief is the only way to change that particular paradigm.
Perhaps PAII might redirect its efforts away from getting us cheap business listings on Trip Adivsor to advocating for legislative relief and improving the business climate for our industry in the states.
.

It's not a STATE thing, it is local regulations. We have HUNDREDS of B&B's in our state and each locale is different. From EXTREME regulation and control (like where Riki is near Charlottesville) to virtually no regulation in other areas of the state.
.

Whatever. The challenge is to convince the regulating authorities that you contribute significantly to the local economy. If that doesn't work, then spread about the information that the local authorities (name names) discourage local businesses through endless bureaucratic entanglements.
If that doesn't work, invite the authorities to your place for a "mixer," ply them with liquor, and take pictures.
Tom
.

Whatever. The challenge is to convince the regulating authorities that you contribute significantly to the local economy.

But the bars and restaurants that serve liquor contribute more, at least here! Here I am able to GIVE a bottle of champagne to my guests without a permit. If we asked for a 4 hr free flow we would all be stoned to death. lol

 

[Innkeep]

There are just a few causes that I donate a one night GC to. They're the ones that I used to donate $$ to in my previous life. I got a call today. First off she complained that the CG was expiring at the end of this month (It was issued in April, 2010) and she really wanted to use it in May.
Then she wanted to know what time breakfast was served. I asked her when she'd like it. She proceeds to tell me that if it's early enough she will be inviting 2 more people for breakfast?!?!?!? I told her that her gift certificte was my donation to the public TV station and that it didn't include extra people for breakfast. Then she said Oh, but I expected to pay for extra breakfasts. Then I said But I can't do that due to Heath Dept regulations. Then she said Oh but I'll leave you a tip.

I suspect the extra people will show up regardless, so I'll have enough food for everybody. Fortunately it's a weekday. If I started printing up these special GC's with the disclaimer that the GC recipient is not entitled to invite extra people to breakfast I suspect it might cut down on the number of people that would bid on it cause they'd think I was really wierd. I'll have to think about that for a while.

 

[Don Draper]

There are just a few causes that I donate a one night GC to. They're the ones that I used to donate $$ to in my previous life. I got a call today. First off she complained that the CG was expiring at the end of this month (It was issued in April, 2010) and she really wanted to use it in May.
Then she wanted to know what time breakfast was served. I asked her when she'd like it. She proceeds to tell me that if it's early enough she will be inviting 2 more people for breakfast?!?!?!? I told her that her gift certificte was my donation to the public TV station and that it didn't include extra people for breakfast. Then she said Oh, but I expected to pay for extra breakfasts. Then I said But I can't do that due to Heath Dept regulations. Then she said Oh but I'll leave you a tip.

I suspect the extra people will show up regardless, so I'll have enough food for everybody. Fortunately it's a weekday. If I started printing up these special GC's with the disclaimer that the GC recipient is not entitled to invite extra people to breakfast I suspect it might cut down on the number of people that would bid on it cause they'd think I was really wierd. I'll have to think about that for a while.

.

This is why we stopped donating GC's of any kind. It's always a hassle of some kind (cramming 6 people in one room, late check out, early check in, yada, yada, yada)! It's actually mind-boggling, the paying guests don't ask for any of this stuff!

 

[Alibi Ike]

There are just a few causes that I donate a one night GC to. They're the ones that I used to donate $$ to in my previous life. I got a call today. First off she complained that the CG was expiring at the end of this month (It was issued in April, 2010) and she really wanted to use it in May.
Then she wanted to know what time breakfast was served. I asked her when she'd like it. She proceeds to tell me that if it's early enough she will be inviting 2 more people for breakfast?!?!?!? I told her that her gift certificte was my donation to the public TV station and that it didn't include extra people for breakfast. Then she said Oh, but I expected to pay for extra breakfasts. Then I said But I can't do that due to Heath Dept regulations. Then she said Oh but I'll leave you a tip.

I suspect the extra people will show up regardless, so I'll have enough food for everybody. Fortunately it's a weekday. If I started printing up these special GC's with the disclaimer that the GC recipient is not entitled to invite extra people to breakfast I suspect it might cut down on the number of people that would bid on it cause they'd think I was really wierd. I'll have to think about that for a while.

.

We've only had a couple of them come home to haunt us. One called and said she'd bid every year on our GC's and now wanted to use all of them at once for a 3-night stay. Hmmm. Did she READ the expiry date on each one?
The one that bothered me most was one we didn't even write. The PO's wrote it and it was given away AFTER we bought the place. We had no idea what it was when the guy called. We called the PO's and they laughed at us when we asked them for payment. 'That's a FREE GC, you can tell them no if you want, but the guy's a lawyer and you'll just have grief.'
The last one we had was cute. They were trying to figure out how to have a little getaway for their anniversary when she unexpectedly won our GC from a website we were helping to get established. Voila! She was thrilled. They came, they stayed, they left. Very happy & relaxed.

 

[Generic]

There are just a few causes that I donate a one night GC to. They're the ones that I used to donate $$ to in my previous life. I got a call today. First off she complained that the CG was expiring at the end of this month (It was issued in April, 2010) and she really wanted to use it in May.
Then she wanted to know what time breakfast was served. I asked her when she'd like it. She proceeds to tell me that if it's early enough she will be inviting 2 more people for breakfast?!?!?!? I told her that her gift certificte was my donation to the public TV station and that it didn't include extra people for breakfast. Then she said Oh, but I expected to pay for extra breakfasts. Then I said But I can't do that due to Heath Dept regulations. Then she said Oh but I'll leave you a tip.

I suspect the extra people will show up regardless, so I'll have enough food for everybody. Fortunately it's a weekday. If I started printing up these special GC's with the disclaimer that the GC recipient is not entitled to invite extra people to breakfast I suspect it might cut down on the number of people that would bid on it cause they'd think I was really wierd. I'll have to think about that for a while.

.

We've only had a couple of them come home to haunt us. One called and said she'd bid every year on our GC's and now wanted to use all of them at once for a 3-night stay. Hmmm. Did she READ the expiry date on each one?
The one that bothered me most was one we didn't even write. The PO's wrote it and it was given away AFTER we bought the place. We had no idea what it was when the guy called. We called the PO's and they laughed at us when we asked them for payment. 'That's a FREE GC, you can tell them no if you want, but the guy's a lawyer and you'll just have grief.'
The last one we had was cute. They were trying to figure out how to have a little getaway for their anniversary when she unexpectedly won our GC from a website we were helping to get established. Voila! She was thrilled. They came, they stayed, they left. Very happy & relaxed.
.

Luckily, I don't have POs, but frankly, if I did and they had done that, I would have simply called the police and registered the fraud. See how quickly they come up with an offer when the police show up at their place for the fraud. (Or I would have threatened to register a claim in small claims court and if they didn't pony up, I would have actually registered it, just to see them ruin a day explaining the fraud to the judge.)

 

[Copperhead]

There are just a few causes that I donate a one night GC to. They're the ones that I used to donate $$ to in my previous life. I got a call today. First off she complained that the CG was expiring at the end of this month (It was issued in April, 2010) and she really wanted to use it in May.
Then she wanted to know what time breakfast was served. I asked her when she'd like it. She proceeds to tell me that if it's early enough she will be inviting 2 more people for breakfast?!?!?!? I told her that her gift certificte was my donation to the public TV station and that it didn't include extra people for breakfast. Then she said Oh, but I expected to pay for extra breakfasts. Then I said But I can't do that due to Heath Dept regulations. Then she said Oh but I'll leave you a tip.

I suspect the extra people will show up regardless, so I'll have enough food for everybody. Fortunately it's a weekday. If I started printing up these special GC's with the disclaimer that the GC recipient is not entitled to invite extra people to breakfast I suspect it might cut down on the number of people that would bid on it cause they'd think I was really wierd. I'll have to think about that for a while.

.

We've only had a couple of them come home to haunt us. One called and said she'd bid every year on our GC's and now wanted to use all of them at once for a 3-night stay. Hmmm. Did she READ the expiry date on each one?
The one that bothered me most was one we didn't even write. The PO's wrote it and it was given away AFTER we bought the place. We had no idea what it was when the guy called. We called the PO's and they laughed at us when we asked them for payment. 'That's a FREE GC, you can tell them no if you want, but the guy's a lawyer and you'll just have grief.'
The last one we had was cute. They were trying to figure out how to have a little getaway for their anniversary when she unexpectedly won our GC from a website we were helping to get established. Voila! She was thrilled. They came, they stayed, they left. Very happy & relaxed.
.

The one that bothered me most was one we didn't even write. The PO's wrote it and it was given away AFTER we bought the place. We had no idea what it was when the guy called. We called the PO's and they laughed at us when we asked them for payment. 'That's a FREE GC, you can tell them no if you want, but the guy's a lawyer and you'll just have grief.'

WHAT!!!! I would have taken them (PO's) to small claims court and site fraud. Knowing they got away with it, hey could have done it again. And the fact that they gave it to a lawyer to boot...

 

[IronGate]

There are just a few causes that I donate a one night GC to. They're the ones that I used to donate $$ to in my previous life. I got a call today. First off she complained that the CG was expiring at the end of this month (It was issued in April, 2010) and she really wanted to use it in May.
Then she wanted to know what time breakfast was served. I asked her when she'd like it. She proceeds to tell me that if it's early enough she will be inviting 2 more people for breakfast?!?!?!? I told her that her gift certificte was my donation to the public TV station and that it didn't include extra people for breakfast. Then she said Oh, but I expected to pay for extra breakfasts. Then I said But I can't do that due to Heath Dept regulations. Then she said Oh but I'll leave you a tip.

I suspect the extra people will show up regardless, so I'll have enough food for everybody. Fortunately it's a weekday. If I started printing up these special GC's with the disclaimer that the GC recipient is not entitled to invite extra people to breakfast I suspect it might cut down on the number of people that would bid on it cause they'd think I was really wierd. I'll have to think about that for a while.

.

We've only had a couple of them come home to haunt us. One called and said she'd bid every year on our GC's and now wanted to use all of them at once for a 3-night stay. Hmmm. Did she READ the expiry date on each one?
The one that bothered me most was one we didn't even write. The PO's wrote it and it was given away AFTER we bought the place. We had no idea what it was when the guy called. We called the PO's and they laughed at us when we asked them for payment. 'That's a FREE GC, you can tell them no if you want, but the guy's a lawyer and you'll just have grief.'
The last one we had was cute. They were trying to figure out how to have a little getaway for their anniversary when she unexpectedly won our GC from a website we were helping to get established. Voila! She was thrilled. They came, they stayed, they left. Very happy & relaxed.
.

The one that bothered me most was one we didn't even write. The PO's wrote it and it was given away AFTER we bought the place. We had no idea what it was when the guy called. We called the PO's and they laughed at us when we asked them for payment. 'That's a FREE GC, you can tell them no if you want, but the guy's a lawyer and you'll just have grief.'

WHAT!!!! I would have taken them (PO's) to small claims court and site fraud. Knowing they got away with it, hey could have done it again. And the fact that they gave it to a lawyer to boot...
.

The one that bothered me most was one we didn't even write. The PO's wrote it and it was given away AFTER we bought the place. We had no idea what it was when the guy called. We called the PO's and they laughed at us when we asked them for payment. 'That's a FREE GC, you can tell them no if you want, but the guy's a lawyer and you'll just have grief.'

WHAT!!!! I would have taken them (PO's) to small claims court and site fraud. Knowing they got away with it, hey could have done it again. And the fact that they gave it to a lawyer to boot...

I think I would have been inclined to have a casual conversation with the guest:
"Hey, you're a lawyer -- I've got a couple of questions for you. What are the issues when someone gives away a gift certificate to a business he no longer owns, and has no intention of making it good? . . . (pause for response) . . . What issues does the person who received the 'gift' have? (Oh, how did I know you were a lawyer? Why, the PO told me when he let me know about this here fraudulent GC!)"

 

[Proud Texan]

We charge $15.00 per additional person for breakfast. The few times we've had this request, there wasn't even a pause before acceptance. People are used to paying this much when they go out for breakfast.
If you don't value your own work and product, how can you expect anyone else to?

 

[Copperhead]

We charge $15.00 per additional person for breakfast. The few times we've had this request, there wasn't even a pause before acceptance. People are used to paying this much when they go out for breakfast.
If you don't value your own work and product, how can you expect anyone else to?.

We charge $15.00 per additional person for breakfast. The few times we've had this request, there wasn't even a pause before acceptance. People are used to paying this much when they go out for breakfast.
If you don't value your own work and product, how can you expect anyone else to?

Can you do this legally in your area? Many places state that if you charge for breakfast you are considered a restaurant and are subject to those rules... THIS SAID so those reading will REVIEW your license and laws associated before charging, you never know who you may be serving.

 

[JBloggs]

Hey Innkeep I want an update, what happened, did it happen already?

 

[Innkeep]

Hey Innkeep I want an update, what happened, did it happen already?.

You'll have to wait another week.

 

[Innkeep]

Hey Innkeep I want an update, what happened, did it happen already?.

breakfast update:
She called the day of arrival to "ask" if she could invite a 3rd person to breakfast. I said I'd rather not, then she proceeded to tell me the third would be coming. I really felt over a barrel because this was a GC I donated to the public TV station, so I didn't feel like I could tell her to go take a hike because I wouldn't be able to meet her expectations. The money was already spent for a worthy cause. I am seriously re-thinking what to do about giving the GC's. This might be a reason to quit.
Anyway, she knew when check-in time was, came a half an hour early. This month has been sloooow, so I was ready and didn't have an excuse not to let her in. Room was ready and that way I didn't have to wait for a later arrival. The husband was a real sweetie, and he wasn't the one on the phone each time.
Breakfast comes today, one of the 3 was a no-show, the other two extras picked at their food. The real guests ate their entire meal. Breakfast conversation is about how they'd love to come back again and do the same thing over. I explained again, this time in the presence of the husband that I am not allowed by county ordinance and that the health dept is really strict, and that their presence could get me in trouble... also said that their "extras" barely ate anything anyway. She finally "got it".
Then she proceeded to tell me about their stay at a B&B in another state that prepared lovely breakfasts and lunches for the public, but they weren't allowed to prepare supper. You guessed it. She was able to get supper out of that B&B too.
I really do understand that by sticking to my policies I help out every other B&B that has policies. I am the beneficiary of someone else who didn't stick to theirs in regards to feeding non-guests. If y'all knew how often I cave in I'm afraid you'd kick me off the forum. I guess I need to join some sort of a support group.
BTW, I did get a very substantial "tip"

 

[Alibi Ike]

Hey Innkeep I want an update, what happened, did it happen already?.

breakfast update:
She called the day of arrival to "ask" if she could invite a 3rd person to breakfast. I said I'd rather not, then she proceeded to tell me the third would be coming. I really felt over a barrel because this was a GC I donated to the public TV station, so I didn't feel like I could tell her to go take a hike because I wouldn't be able to meet her expectations. The money was already spent for a worthy cause. I am seriously re-thinking what to do about giving the GC's. This might be a reason to quit.
Anyway, she knew when check-in time was, came a half an hour early. This month has been sloooow, so I was ready and didn't have an excuse not to let her in. Room was ready and that way I didn't have to wait for a later arrival. The husband was a real sweetie, and he wasn't the one on the phone each time.
Breakfast comes today, one of the 3 was a no-show, the other two extras picked at their food. The real guests ate their entire meal. Breakfast conversation is about how they'd love to come back again and do the same thing over. I explained again, this time in the presence of the husband that I am not allowed by county ordinance and that the health dept is really strict, and that their presence could get me in trouble... also said that their "extras" barely ate anything anyway. She finally "got it".
Then she proceeded to tell me about their stay at a B&B in another state that prepared lovely breakfasts and lunches for the public, but they weren't allowed to prepare supper. You guessed it. She was able to get supper out of that B&B too.
I really do understand that by sticking to my policies I help out every other B&B that has policies. I am the beneficiary of someone else who didn't stick to theirs in regards to feeding non-guests. If y'all knew how often I cave in I'm afraid you'd kick me off the forum. I guess I need to join some sort of a support group.
BTW, I did get a very substantial "tip"
.

A tip from a donated GC is unheard of.
I hate people like your guest. They make life for everyone around them hell. And now she has another story to tell...I got free breakfast for my friends on a GC I only paid $x for.
Stop now before we hurt you.