Construction Discounts

[BTW]

Sometimes you just can't win .... anyway ..... we're a little Key West B&B / Resort here, on an acre and 500 yards from the water on the gulf side of Florida and the adjoining, vacant for years property has decided to go 3 stories high directly over our pool. (Great surprise, no warning, just heavy equipment clearing the lot on a Saturday morning).

Look, it's all legal .... code, plans, usage, zoning ... blah, blah, blah, believe me, I've been all over our city a few lawyers. So we can't do crap about it. It's going to literally eclipse the sun from our pool in late afternoons as well.

BUT, here's the most pressing problem. Concrete poured this week and they'll be going vertical in the next few weeks. They'll be on perfect pace to be full out nail-gunning as we're coming into a DESPERATELY needed season. Wife and I crushed, but again ... nothing we can do.

So back to my post title ... what do we do about "construction discounts?" Folks, this 3 story building is 5 feet from their side of my 8 foot high fence .... the edge of my pool is 10 feet from my side of my fence ... basically, 15 feet from my pool water and will be 30 feet high. For many months heading into 2021, our pool will be useless and the noise will be crazy as you can expect. As well, one of our rooms will absolutely be un-rentable, unbearable due to proximity and noise so we'll have to close 1 out of 11 rooms (basically 10% of our occupancy) for months

Thoughts on how to "state it" on website? Thoughts on discounts?

We really appreciate

 

[Morticia]

Is the pool a big draw or are people usually out for the day? I would assume people do just stay there at the pool all day. If you can avoid mentioning the pool so it’s a bit of a surprise, it might not be so bad.

We had a jack hammer start up at 7 am right outside a guest room. About 3 feet away. It was only the one day but we gave everyone a voucher for a discount for their next stay. One couple has come back every year since because we did that discount.

I’m not sure how to handle everyday construction. Are they starting at a particular time? Is it every day?

Sorry.

 

[gillumhouse]

There was a BIG highway project in the city of St Charles, Illinois - basically CLOSED the main drag in front of the business district for a year. They did a Hard Hat Promo for the year. It worked!! You can get plastic hard hats (and hard hat stress balls) at Oriental Trading - Printed Novelty Plastic Construction Hats | WCHAT03 - DiscountMugs

You can get your logo on them. Give those out to guests - promote it as a Construction Special - explaining about the construction next door. Watch it happen! Come see how it is done and get a Construction Special rate.

Come up with a construction breakfast - maybe do a gingerbread house - under construction - table centerpiece. Have some Lincoln Logs or legos in an area for build your own building - have a contest among the guests with some gag (or small) prize. Turn your lemons into lemonade. It is worth a shot!

 

[BTW]

Is the pool a big draw or are people usually out for the day? I would assume people do just stay there at the pool all day. If you can avoid mentioning the pool so it’s a bit of a surprise, it might not be so bad.

We had a jack hammer start up at 7 am right outside a guest room. About 3 feet away. It was only the one day but we gave everyone a voucher for a discount for their next stay. One couple has come back every year since because we did that discount.

I’m not sure how to handle everyday construction. Are they starting at a particular time? Is it every day?

Sorry.

Construction will start at 0700 everyday ... I'd say it will be an 8-9 month project, ending August ???

 

[BTW]

There was a BIG highway project in the city of St Charles, Illinois - basically CLOSED the main drag in front of the business district for a year. They did a Hard Hat Promo for the year. It worked!! You can get plastic hard hats (and hard hat stress balls) at Oriental Trading - Printed Novelty Plastic Construction Hats | WCHAT03 - DiscountMugs

You can get your logo on them. Give those out to guests - promote it as a Construction Special - explaining about the construction next door. Watch it happen! Come see how it is done and get a Construction Special rate.

Come up with a construction breakfast - maybe do a gingerbread house - under construction - table centerpiece. Have some Lincoln Logs or legos in an area for build your own building - have a contest among the guests with some gag (or small) prize. Turn your lemons into lemonade. It is worth a shot!

LOL, see our website .... this is exactly the crazy, quirky way we typically roll. Good stuff, thanks

 

[Morticia]

Construction will start at 0700 everyday ... I'd say it will be an 8-9 month project, ending August ???

Any chance you can get them to start later?

Making a game out of it sounds good, too!

 

[JimBoone]

You can get plastic hard hats (and hard hat stress balls) at Oriental Trading Come up with a construction breakfast - maybe do a gingerbread house - under construction - table centerpiece. Have some Lincoln Logs or legos in an area for build your own building - have a contest among the guests with some gag (or small) prize. Turn your lemons into lemonade. It is worth a shot!

This brings back memories, back in the 60's we ordered novelties from Oriental Trading Company for prizes at children's shows when I worked at a theatre chain, you sound a bit like an old showman yourself.

 

[JimBoone]

LOL, see our website .... this is exactly the crazy, quirky way we typically roll. Good stuff, thanks

Don't underestimate yourselves or your guests, any hotel can offer a room for the night, but only you can offer YOU, the fact that you care is what sets you apart for the large corporate entity. Promote that 11th room as the "construction room", make your big discount for that room, don't be too quick to cut rates on the others till you see how this effects you and your guests. I expect there are always folks like me that turn in early and get up early. If you promote that 11th room you have made guests aware of the issue without being negative in general.

 

[KenW]

Sometimes you just can't win .... anyway ..... we're a little Key West B&B / Resort here, on an acre and 500 yards from the water on the gulf side of Florida and the adjoining, vacant for years property has decided to go 3 stories high directly over our pool. (Great surprise, no warning, just heavy equipment clearing the lot on a Saturday morning).

Look, it's all legal .... code, plans, usage, zoning ... blah, blah, blah, believe me, I've been all over our city a few lawyers. So we can't do crap about it. It's going to literally eclipse the sun from our pool in late afternoons as well.

BUT, here's the most pressing problem. Concrete poured this week and they'll be going vertical in the next few weeks. They'll be on perfect pace to be full out nail-gunning as we're coming into a DESPERATELY needed season. Wife and I crushed, but again ... nothing we can do.

So back to my post title ... what do we do about "construction discounts?" Folks, this 3 story building is 5 feet from their side of my 8 foot high fence .... the edge of my pool is 10 feet from my side of my fence ... basically, 15 feet from my pool water and will be 30 feet high. For many months heading into 2021, our pool will be useless and the noise will be crazy as you can expect. As well, one of our rooms will absolutely be un-rentable, unbearable due to proximity and noise so we'll have to close 1 out of 11 rooms (basically 10% of our occupancy) for months

Thoughts on how to "state it" on website? Thoughts on discounts?

We really appreciate

Do your guests spend most of their time at your pool area or are they out exploring the area most of the day? I would contact the contractor and find out their work schedule. For some visitors it may not be a issue. Definitely contact guests and let them know what's going on and see how it goes. I would just handle each guest separately as they respond and do what you need to do to make them happy.

 

[TheBeachHouse]

Great promo ideas! Longer term, the loss of afternoon sun will be a factor. Can you organize another space as an afternoon patio? On the other side of the Property? Perhaps put out a small happy hour for “sundown.” Lemonade and cookies? Self serve, but pretty with a set of lounge chairs in the sun. ???

 

[CoffeeTreks]

Don't underestimate yourselves or your guests, any hotel can offer a room for the night, but only you can offer YOU, the fact that you care is what sets you apart for the large corporate entity. Promote that 11th room as the "construction room", make your big discount for that room, don't be too quick to cut rates on the others till you see how this effects you and your guests. I expect there are always folks like me that turn in early and get up early. If you promote that 11th room you have made guests aware of the issue without being negative in general.

Smart guy this JimBoone. Good advise. With the pandemic, I realized that I had been to eager to rush into solutions, where just minor adjustments were necessary. I hope that's the case with your too. (I too would be furious, I get it)

 

[gillumhouse]

This brings back memories, back in the 60's we ordered novelties from Oriental Trading Company for prizes at children's shows when I worked at a theatre chain, you sound a bit like an old showman yourself.

For our 7th year in business, I ordered mini-backscratchers from Oriental (only stopped when I could no longer get them). I made address labels that I cut apart (I have a tool for that) and put it on the handle (top side) We have the 7-year Itch - help us scratch it! On the underside the label had Gillum House Bed & Breakfast and our 800-number (not everyone had a computer back then). They were a BIG hit.

The next year the topside label read - Itching for a Get-away? Let us Scratch it!! Still a big hit. I had people coming up to me years later saying they still had that backscratcher. One wife said, it is holy heel if it has been moved. A couple years AFTER I stopped doing it, a man cam up to me at an unrelated to tourism conference and asked it I still had any as he had lost his. (I did happen to have one with me)

The replacement item was a failure. I got blue mini-flyswatters in the shape of a house and imprinted with SWAT THE BLUES AT GILLUM HOUSE and our (then) 800 number. This brought comments like: Do you have that many flies? Are there a lot of flies? They totally missed the message. Sigh! (It comes in handy for those tight places the fly always finds to land when one gets in the office.)

 

[BTW]

Any chance you can get them to start later?

Making a game out of it sounds good, too!

No chance at schedule change, owner and contractor outright hostile toward all bordering properties from get go

 

[Char]

Sometimes you just can't win .... anyway ..... we're a little Key West B&B / Resort here, on an acre and 500 yards from the water on the gulf side of Florida and the adjoining, vacant for years property has decided to go 3 stories high directly over our pool. (Great surprise, no warning, just heavy equipment clearing the lot on a Saturday morning).

Look, it's all legal .... code, plans, usage, zoning ... blah, blah, blah, believe me, I've been all over our city a few lawyers. So we can't do crap about it. It's going to literally eclipse the sun from our pool in late afternoons as well.

BUT, here's the most pressing problem. Concrete poured this week and they'll be going vertical in the next few weeks. They'll be on perfect pace to be full out nail-gunning as we're coming into a DESPERATELY needed season. Wife and I crushed, but again ... nothing we can do.

So back to my post title ... what do we do about "construction discounts?" Folks, this 3 story building is 5 feet from their side of my 8 foot high fence .... the edge of my pool is 10 feet from my side of my fence ... basically, 15 feet from my pool water and will be 30 feet high. For many months heading into 2021, our pool will be useless and the noise will be crazy as you can expect. As well, one of our rooms will absolutely be un-rentable, unbearable due to proximity and noise so we'll have to close 1 out of 11 rooms (basically 10% of our occupancy) for months

Thoughts on how to "state it" on website? Thoughts on discounts?

We really appreciate

Any chance of constructing a "dome" over your pool?... which would provide lighted night time swims, privacy, swimming during inclement weather, private swim/pool parties, seasonal indoor decorating..?

 

[Morticia]

No chance at schedule change, owner and contractor outright hostile toward all bordering properties from get go

Ugh! What is it with people who antagonize their neighbors immediately? Is this going to be a full time home or rental unit? If they’re only building it to rent it out I guess they don’t have to care about getting along.

 

[Arks]

The replacement item was a failure. I got blue mini-flyswatters in the shape of a house and imprinted with SWAT THE BLUES AT GILLUM HOUSE and our (then) 800 number. This brought comments like: Do you have that many flies? Are there a lot of flies? They totally missed the message. Sigh!View attachment 54

Life is full of "live and learn" situations!