Electric Kettle Suggestions?

[Tim_Toad_HLB]

That still requires the guest to DO something, tho! I bet some of my guests have stayed with you as I've had some of them stand there and look at the pot and think it is going to magically turn itself on. They must have seen the ones where it is heating when it is on the base!.

"That still requires the guest to DO something, tho! I bet some of my guests have stayed with you as I've had some of them stand there and look at the pot and think it is going to magically turn itself on. They must have seen the ones where it is heating when it is on the base!"
Our guests are welcome to enjoy a hot beverage any time, so they do have to do something to utilize that amentity.
This seemed like the safest, most energy efficient and simple way of providing hot water on demand for our individual scenario. We try our best to limit the "phantom" drains of electricity around here, and I'm sure the base draws a little when not in use, but for our individual situation, this works great. We mostly get coffee lovers, so the kettle can go days between uses.
As part of the check in tour, I show them the tea and coffee selection, the baked goodies, tea kettle, the french press and how to use them.
Takes about two minutes and folks seem to grasp the concept fairly quickly.
In the morning while we're putting out jam and butter, etc. we'll put the kettle on for a minute or so to pre-heat the water and once guests come to the dining room, it then only takes another minute or so for hot water.
For the really hardcore tea drinkers I'm hoping the two Bergamot (sp?) bushes I'm growing will make it and folks could even in the yard and go pick their own tea leaves. Or use up some of our peppermint which grows like a weed here.
.

All good points. We turn the kettle on in the morning as well. And then we get guests who pick it up and pour hot water into their cups thinking that coffee is going to come out. Why would coffee come out in the morning if it was a hot water pot last night?
Ours pretty much gets used everyday because we also have coffee bags for the desperate who don't want to walk 2 blocks to Starbucks but need caffeine anyway. And we have hot cocoa and cider mixes as well.
I guess we just have to go more slowly on that particular part of the tour.
We've also had guests tell us that they turned the pot on but it turned right back off. Well, yes, it will do that if the water is hot already or if the pot is totally empty.
.

"Ours pretty much gets used everyday because we also have coffee bags for the desperate who don't want to walk 2 blocks to Starbucks but need caffeine anyway."
That's why we offer the french press. Its quick, easy and the grounds get mixed with our compost and are great on acid loving plants out in the gardens.
If folks ask how early they can get coffee or have a really early departure, we offer to set the programmable pot and they can help themselves to that at their leisure. That is, as long as by doing so will not disturb any other guests who might be staying in the one room located near the dining room.
We're both WAY more sensitive about noise issues disturbing folks than the vast majority of guests seem to be.
Even we forget sometimes how deeply many folks sleep here, how many people travel with ear plugs, white noise machines, sleep apnea aids, the sound insulating properties of our 18" thick solid brick walls, etc.

 

[NW BB]

These are great! It keeps the water hot all the time and you don't have to bother about refilling those pump pots several times a day.
www.zojirushi.com/ourproducts/elepots/electricpots.html.

www.zojirushi.com/ourproducts/elepots/electricpots.html

That is on my wish list for when our electric kettle goes kaput the next time. And then I want one for my own kitchen.
.

www.zojirushi.com/ourproducts/elepots/electricpots.html

That is on my wish list for when our electric kettle goes kaput the next time. And then I want one for my own kitchen.

These look great but I don't see prices or how to order?
RIki
.

www.zojirushi.com/ourproducts/elepots/electricpots.html

That is on my wish list for when our electric kettle goes kaput the next time. And then I want one for my own kitchen.

These look great but I don't see prices or how to order?
RIki

I don't remember how much we paid for ours, but they're not cheap. We got ours from EBay for less than we found online from any other source.

 

[Copperhead]

I can not tell you what to get but do not get one by DeLonghi. I purchased 2 of these, the second while I was happy with the first. They work similar to Tim's with a base that provides the electricity but mine has a press down lever to actually engage the current. It was to be an auto turn off once the water came to boil....that is what stopped working so if the user did not pick up the kettle from the base it would continue to heat...which is not good news. I still use one in the kitchen for tea drinkers at breakfast.
For my coffee / tea station for early risers, I now have another coffee maker that dispenses only hot water. Not the ideal but for now, it will have to do.

 

[Morticia]

That still requires the guest to DO something, tho! I bet some of my guests have stayed with you as I've had some of them stand there and look at the pot and think it is going to magically turn itself on. They must have seen the ones where it is heating when it is on the base!.

"That still requires the guest to DO something, tho! I bet some of my guests have stayed with you as I've had some of them stand there and look at the pot and think it is going to magically turn itself on. They must have seen the ones where it is heating when it is on the base!"
Our guests are welcome to enjoy a hot beverage any time, so they do have to do something to utilize that amentity.
This seemed like the safest, most energy efficient and simple way of providing hot water on demand for our individual scenario. We try our best to limit the "phantom" drains of electricity around here, and I'm sure the base draws a little when not in use, but for our individual situation, this works great. We mostly get coffee lovers, so the kettle can go days between uses.
As part of the check in tour, I show them the tea and coffee selection, the baked goodies, tea kettle, the french press and how to use them.
Takes about two minutes and folks seem to grasp the concept fairly quickly.
In the morning while we're putting out jam and butter, etc. we'll put the kettle on for a minute or so to pre-heat the water and once guests come to the dining room, it then only takes another minute or so for hot water.
For the really hardcore tea drinkers I'm hoping the two Bergamot (sp?) bushes I'm growing will make it and folks could even in the yard and go pick their own tea leaves. Or use up some of our peppermint which grows like a weed here.
.

All good points. We turn the kettle on in the morning as well. And then we get guests who pick it up and pour hot water into their cups thinking that coffee is going to come out. Why would coffee come out in the morning if it was a hot water pot last night?
Ours pretty much gets used everyday because we also have coffee bags for the desperate who don't want to walk 2 blocks to Starbucks but need caffeine anyway. And we have hot cocoa and cider mixes as well.
I guess we just have to go more slowly on that particular part of the tour.
We've also had guests tell us that they turned the pot on but it turned right back off. Well, yes, it will do that if the water is hot already or if the pot is totally empty.
.

"Ours pretty much gets used everyday because we also have coffee bags for the desperate who don't want to walk 2 blocks to Starbucks but need caffeine anyway."
That's why we offer the french press. Its quick, easy and the grounds get mixed with our compost and are great on acid loving plants out in the gardens.
If folks ask how early they can get coffee or have a really early departure, we offer to set the programmable pot and they can help themselves to that at their leisure. That is, as long as by doing so will not disturb any other guests who might be staying in the one room located near the dining room.
We're both WAY more sensitive about noise issues disturbing folks than the vast majority of guests seem to be.
Even we forget sometimes how deeply many folks sleep here, how many people travel with ear plugs, white noise machines, sleep apnea aids, the sound insulating properties of our 18" thick solid brick walls, etc.
.

When early risers wake ME up I know they're way too loud. We just added an insulating strip around our door to hopefully keep that noise down so I can sleep.

 

[Morticia]

OK, had to add this...guests just checked in. After this discussion I thought I would be very careful in the explanation of how the kettle works. I made sure they were standing close and then I demonstrated the ease of use in pushing down the lever, turned the kettle to highlight the 'on' light, explained the 4 minute heating time and how the kettle turns itself off, demonstrated how to pick the kettle up out of the base and then went on to show the guests where the teas were, etc.
I am opening the drawer where we keep the utensils and one of the guests says, 'So, when I get up early and want to have coffee tomorrow, how do I turn this thing on?'

 

[JBloggs]

OK, had to add this...guests just checked in. After this discussion I thought I would be very careful in the explanation of how the kettle works. I made sure they were standing close and then I demonstrated the ease of use in pushing down the lever, turned the kettle to highlight the 'on' light, explained the 4 minute heating time and how the kettle turns itself off, demonstrated how to pick the kettle up out of the base and then went on to show the guests where the teas were, etc.
I am opening the drawer where we keep the utensils and one of the guests says, 'So, when I get up early and want to have coffee tomorrow, how do I turn this thing on?'

.

OK, had to add this...guests just checked in. After this discussion I thought I would be very careful in the explanation of how the kettle works. I made sure they were standing close and then I demonstrated the ease of use in pushing down the lever, turned the kettle to highlight the 'on' light, explained the 4 minute heating time and how the kettle turns itself off, demonstrated how to pick the kettle up out of the base and then went on to show the guests where the teas were, etc.
I am opening the drawer where we keep the utensils and one of the guests says, 'So, when I get up early and want to have coffee tomorrow, how do I turn this thing on?'

I will use this as my answer every time, guests arrived tired from travel why show them everything at check in? They won't hear most of what you say. Proof by what you just said. This is life - people drive, get frustrated, hot, tired, dehydrated and they can't comprehend what we say.
We were out of town recently and when I checked in got the key I walked out and said "What room are we in?" I had no clue.

 

[Proud Texan]

Ours is a Black and Decker and has no switch at all and earned one of the highest CR ratings for safety and speed to boil.
The base is the power unit, and all one needs to do is place the kettle on the base and in 2.5 minutes, boiling hot water. If someone forgets to remove it from the base, the safety feature kicks in once it boils itself dry and turns itself off.
I'll snap a picture of it and post it next.

.

We have a Hamilton Beach kettle that similar in appearance and apparently in function. We love it. It heats the water quickly and you can hear it heating. However, if someone requests tea, chocolate etc. we provide them with a teapot.

 

[Tim_Toad_HLB]

OK, had to add this...guests just checked in. After this discussion I thought I would be very careful in the explanation of how the kettle works. I made sure they were standing close and then I demonstrated the ease of use in pushing down the lever, turned the kettle to highlight the 'on' light, explained the 4 minute heating time and how the kettle turns itself off, demonstrated how to pick the kettle up out of the base and then went on to show the guests where the teas were, etc.
I am opening the drawer where we keep the utensils and one of the guests says, 'So, when I get up early and want to have coffee tomorrow, how do I turn this thing on?'

.

OK, had to add this...guests just checked in. After this discussion I thought I would be very careful in the explanation of how the kettle works. I made sure they were standing close and then I demonstrated the ease of use in pushing down the lever, turned the kettle to highlight the 'on' light, explained the 4 minute heating time and how the kettle turns itself off, demonstrated how to pick the kettle up out of the base and then went on to show the guests where the teas were, etc.
I am opening the drawer where we keep the utensils and one of the guests says, 'So, when I get up early and want to have coffee tomorrow, how do I turn this thing on?'

I will use this as my answer every time, guests arrived tired from travel why show them everything at check in? They won't hear most of what you say. Proof by what you just said. This is life - people drive, get frustrated, hot, tired, dehydrated and they can't comprehend what we say.
We were out of town recently and when I checked in got the key I walked out and said "What room are we in?" I had no clue.
.

I may still be on Joe's ignore list, so this may be for the purpose of getting responses from others, but I have some observations and honest, unloaded questions about his post. I'm sorry to use his response to someone else to elicit answers to some long running questions I've had since reading various opinions about the check-in process.
Don't get me wrong. We get some folks who have had very exhausting travel days and I can spot them as soon as they get out of the car. They get a very condensed version of everything while I'M carrying in their bags all the way to their room FOR them.
"I will use this as my answer every time, guests arrived tired from travel why show them everything at check in?"
Sometimes guests are only with us one night and in the case of life and safety stuff, we can't wait until the morning to inform them on how to safely use a fireplace. Or to not leave the lid of the hot tub off overnight in January when we hit single digits and the shell could crack because they thought the hot tub fairy got up at midnight and recovered the tub for them. That has happened, just not the cracking part. I caught the oversight at midnight when I went in the house to turn off some extra lights left on and pull something out of the freezer I forgot to do earlier.
Just how many of everyone's guests show up so visibly tired from their travels to the point that they appear incoherent enough that you might worry about how they even stayed awake enough to drive to your place?
Our experience is that the vast majority of our guests appear to be quite energized, alert and interested in knowing what is where in the house, how to access all of our amenities, etc. How to contact us after hours if they need us, where to go eat dinner, etc.
Many even freshen up and go out for a hike, sightseeing, dinner, shopping, etc.
From July to September, many of them have arrived with enough energy to go attend our opera which doesn't even start until 9pm and ends between 12:30 and 1AM. Without even napping.
Some of our guests are coming to us while on a road trip and have been on vacation for a few days already, so physical exhaustion isn't an issue for them.
I'm very interested in hearing what the general demographic makeup is for fellow innkeepers. ie. 95% harried, exhausted, overextended types, 1% retired leisure travelers, 1% foreign, 1% business, etc..
Ours is probably:
50% - 30-50 years old, middle class, active leisure, arts & culture, shopping
20% - 50-75 years old, middle class, leisure
10% - retired
5% - opera and special event attendees
5% - 21-30 year old, very active, outdoor adventure
10% - everybody else
"They won't hear most of what you say."
Is that a general observation or a big percentage of folk's guests?
I find that about the only guests who don't hear what I'm saying are not the insanely tired ones, but the ones who don't want to hear anything I'm saying. They will then badger us with inane question after inane question their entire stay about information already shared with them. Sounds like that one is common with others too.
"Proof by what you just said. This is life - people drive, get frustrated, hot, tired, dehydrated and they can't comprehend what we say."
Even on a typical Friday of check ins, its the rare guest for us that arrives so late or so exhausted from whatever form of conveyance they used to get here, that a few minutes of "this is where the tea kettle is, this is where the cookies are, this is when and where breakfast is served, we are on a septic system so nothing but bodily waste and TP goes down the chute" is overwhelming.
We were out of town recently and when I checked in got the key I walked out and said "What room are we in?" I had no clue
Knowing how hard you as an innkeeper and parent works, that is totally understandable. We don't get away often enough ourselves and when we do, it feels very foreign and almost numbing to do so.

 

[gillumhouse]

I currently have a Chef's Choice and it works fine BUT it is heavy as lead when filled. I just looked at the Zojirushi boiler/warmers. I went ot eBay to see what they were priced at. I also went to the Zojirushi site and it said warranties were not honored if purchased at auctions and it gave a list of approved stores. Abe's of Maine was on the list as well as Glimpses which had an ad on the left here (and I clicked on it) and chose Abe's as the vendor. Those of you in Maine - I hope it is a reliable store? The price on the 4 liter was $127.99 with free shipping. It has a one-touch dispenser and I think that would be good for DH so he will not have to liftthe heavy pot any longer.
Thank you, Bree, for this thread.

 

[Morticia]

OK, had to add this...guests just checked in. After this discussion I thought I would be very careful in the explanation of how the kettle works. I made sure they were standing close and then I demonstrated the ease of use in pushing down the lever, turned the kettle to highlight the 'on' light, explained the 4 minute heating time and how the kettle turns itself off, demonstrated how to pick the kettle up out of the base and then went on to show the guests where the teas were, etc.
I am opening the drawer where we keep the utensils and one of the guests says, 'So, when I get up early and want to have coffee tomorrow, how do I turn this thing on?'

.

OK, had to add this...guests just checked in. After this discussion I thought I would be very careful in the explanation of how the kettle works. I made sure they were standing close and then I demonstrated the ease of use in pushing down the lever, turned the kettle to highlight the 'on' light, explained the 4 minute heating time and how the kettle turns itself off, demonstrated how to pick the kettle up out of the base and then went on to show the guests where the teas were, etc.
I am opening the drawer where we keep the utensils and one of the guests says, 'So, when I get up early and want to have coffee tomorrow, how do I turn this thing on?'

I will use this as my answer every time, guests arrived tired from travel why show them everything at check in? They won't hear most of what you say. Proof by what you just said. This is life - people drive, get frustrated, hot, tired, dehydrated and they can't comprehend what we say.
We were out of town recently and when I checked in got the key I walked out and said "What room are we in?" I had no clue.
.

The funny thing is, they had to wait for the rest of their party to get here. They asked for a glass of water but that was it. I said, 'Why don't I show you to your rooms so you can relax while you wait?' No. They wanted to sit in the dining room and wait. So, maybe they were tired, maybe not. But they didn't need or want anything when they arrived.
My reason for showing it to them all at once is because they MAY just remember some of it. Otherwise they'll be ringing the bell all day and night asking where's this and where's that? Plus, I need to be sure they get the whole thing about staying out of the kitchen. So, by showing them what's THEIR space and what's MY space, I try to save myself some grief!
I have tried saying, 'Would you like to go to your room first and then meet back here in 10 minutes?' Sure! That's great! And then they don't come back down. So, for the most part, this way works. And when it doesn't work, I have funny stories!
And we're not talking a big, long song and dance, either. I generally get this whole thing done in under 8 minutes.

 

[Morticia]

OK, had to add this...guests just checked in. After this discussion I thought I would be very careful in the explanation of how the kettle works. I made sure they were standing close and then I demonstrated the ease of use in pushing down the lever, turned the kettle to highlight the 'on' light, explained the 4 minute heating time and how the kettle turns itself off, demonstrated how to pick the kettle up out of the base and then went on to show the guests where the teas were, etc.
I am opening the drawer where we keep the utensils and one of the guests says, 'So, when I get up early and want to have coffee tomorrow, how do I turn this thing on?'

.

OK, had to add this...guests just checked in. After this discussion I thought I would be very careful in the explanation of how the kettle works. I made sure they were standing close and then I demonstrated the ease of use in pushing down the lever, turned the kettle to highlight the 'on' light, explained the 4 minute heating time and how the kettle turns itself off, demonstrated how to pick the kettle up out of the base and then went on to show the guests where the teas were, etc.
I am opening the drawer where we keep the utensils and one of the guests says, 'So, when I get up early and want to have coffee tomorrow, how do I turn this thing on?'

I will use this as my answer every time, guests arrived tired from travel why show them everything at check in? They won't hear most of what you say. Proof by what you just said. This is life - people drive, get frustrated, hot, tired, dehydrated and they can't comprehend what we say.
We were out of town recently and when I checked in got the key I walked out and said "What room are we in?" I had no clue.
.

I may still be on Joe's ignore list, so this may be for the purpose of getting responses from others, but I have some observations and honest, unloaded questions about his post. I'm sorry to use his response to someone else to elicit answers to some long running questions I've had since reading various opinions about the check-in process.
Don't get me wrong. We get some folks who have had very exhausting travel days and I can spot them as soon as they get out of the car. They get a very condensed version of everything while I'M carrying in their bags all the way to their room FOR them.
"I will use this as my answer every time, guests arrived tired from travel why show them everything at check in?"
Sometimes guests are only with us one night and in the case of life and safety stuff, we can't wait until the morning to inform them on how to safely use a fireplace. Or to not leave the lid of the hot tub off overnight in January when we hit single digits and the shell could crack because they thought the hot tub fairy got up at midnight and recovered the tub for them. That has happened, just not the cracking part. I caught the oversight at midnight when I went in the house to turn off some extra lights left on and pull something out of the freezer I forgot to do earlier.
Just how many of everyone's guests show up so visibly tired from their travels to the point that they appear incoherent enough that you might worry about how they even stayed awake enough to drive to your place?
Our experience is that the vast majority of our guests appear to be quite energized, alert and interested in knowing what is where in the house, how to access all of our amenities, etc. How to contact us after hours if they need us, where to go eat dinner, etc.
Many even freshen up and go out for a hike, sightseeing, dinner, shopping, etc.
From July to September, many of them have arrived with enough energy to go attend our opera which doesn't even start until 9pm and ends between 12:30 and 1AM. Without even napping.
Some of our guests are coming to us while on a road trip and have been on vacation for a few days already, so physical exhaustion isn't an issue for them.
I'm very interested in hearing what the general demographic makeup is for fellow innkeepers. ie. 95% harried, exhausted, overextended types, 1% retired leisure travelers, 1% foreign, 1% business, etc..
Ours is probably:
50% - 30-50 years old, middle class, active leisure, arts & culture, shopping
20% - 50-75 years old, middle class, leisure
10% - retired
5% - opera and special event attendees
5% - 21-30 year old, very active, outdoor adventure
10% - everybody else
"They won't hear most of what you say."
Is that a general observation or a big percentage of folk's guests?
I find that about the only guests who don't hear what I'm saying are not the insanely tired ones, but the ones who don't want to hear anything I'm saying. They will then badger us with inane question after inane question their entire stay about information already shared with them. Sounds like that one is common with others too.
"Proof by what you just said. This is life - people drive, get frustrated, hot, tired, dehydrated and they can't comprehend what we say."
Even on a typical Friday of check ins, its the rare guest for us that arrives so late or so exhausted from whatever form of conveyance they used to get here, that a few minutes of "this is where the tea kettle is, this is where the cookies are, this is when and where breakfast is served, we are on a septic system so nothing but bodily waste and TP goes down the chute" is overwhelming.
We were out of town recently and when I checked in got the key I walked out and said "What room are we in?" I had no clue
Knowing how hard you as an innkeeper and parent works, that is totally understandable. We don't get away often enough ourselves and when we do, it feels very foreign and almost numbing to do so.
.

Most of our guests don't appear to need to be anywhere when they arrive. If someone is dancing from foot to foot I'll ask if they'd like to see their room while the other person handles the details? I can give 10 second directions to the room. Or the folks who got stuck in traffic and it's ME who is going to make them late for whatever they have a reservation for...dinner, wedding, ballgame. Those folks I skip the whole tour as they're not going to be in the house anyway. They get their keys and off they go.
BUT, when I have let BOTH guests go to the room, they don't come back. I'm not standing around twiddling my thumbs waiting for them and I don't want to be in the middle of something else and NOW they want to ring the bell and get the tour. Or, they come back downstairs without their cc and they sigh about having to go back upstairs to get it. (I've had that a few times, 'The cc is in the car, do I HAVE to do this now, can't it wait until we check-out?' At that point, darn tootin' it has to be done now, or I'll find you've checked yourself out at 6 AM!)
Our demo is mostly 50+ (which is why I joked about needing an AARP card to get in the door). About 1% are biz travelers. Probably 20% are retired or semi-retired (ie- they own their own biz but someone else is running it now).
Yes, after a long Friday night drive when they spent all day at work and then fought city traffic in multiple cities, they can be tired and grumpy. In which case, I talk faster, but I still talk. When I get them to their rooms I point to the room book and tell them anything I missed or anything they forgot is in the book and if it's not, ring the bell. If they seem to have a sense of humor, I'll tell them the book has all the answers and there's a pop quiz in the morning.
What would make me uncomfortable as a guest are the things I don't do myself as an innkeeper...sit the guest down and do a half hour 'talk' about the inn and the area OR, show the guest immediately to their room and then tell them 'I'll be waiting, come back down in 10 minutes and we'll go over the details.'

 

[sandynn]

These are great! It keeps the water hot all the time and you don't have to bother about refilling those pump pots several times a day.
www.zojirushi.com/ourproducts/elepots/electricpots.html.

I have this brand too. I love it and would it again. I bought it on line and have had it for 8 years. I never worry that the water is hot like I would if I put it in a pumper. I bought mine on line. It is a 4.0 L and I am glad I bought that size. My guests always want to know where I bought it. If it quits working I will buy another only with a stainless steel outside. They didn't have the that one whey I got mine. i The one I have now is white.

 

[Samster]

OK, had to add this...guests just checked in. After this discussion I thought I would be very careful in the explanation of how the kettle works. I made sure they were standing close and then I demonstrated the ease of use in pushing down the lever, turned the kettle to highlight the 'on' light, explained the 4 minute heating time and how the kettle turns itself off, demonstrated how to pick the kettle up out of the base and then went on to show the guests where the teas were, etc.
I am opening the drawer where we keep the utensils and one of the guests says, 'So, when I get up early and want to have coffee tomorrow, how do I turn this thing on?'

.

OK, had to add this...guests just checked in. After this discussion I thought I would be very careful in the explanation of how the kettle works. I made sure they were standing close and then I demonstrated the ease of use in pushing down the lever, turned the kettle to highlight the 'on' light, explained the 4 minute heating time and how the kettle turns itself off, demonstrated how to pick the kettle up out of the base and then went on to show the guests where the teas were, etc.
I am opening the drawer where we keep the utensils and one of the guests says, 'So, when I get up early and want to have coffee tomorrow, how do I turn this thing on?'

I will use this as my answer every time, guests arrived tired from travel why show them everything at check in? They won't hear most of what you say. Proof by what you just said. This is life - people drive, get frustrated, hot, tired, dehydrated and they can't comprehend what we say.
We were out of town recently and when I checked in got the key I walked out and said "What room are we in?" I had no clue.
.

I may still be on Joe's ignore list, so this may be for the purpose of getting responses from others, but I have some observations and honest, unloaded questions about his post. I'm sorry to use his response to someone else to elicit answers to some long running questions I've had since reading various opinions about the check-in process.
Don't get me wrong. We get some folks who have had very exhausting travel days and I can spot them as soon as they get out of the car. They get a very condensed version of everything while I'M carrying in their bags all the way to their room FOR them.
"I will use this as my answer every time, guests arrived tired from travel why show them everything at check in?"
Sometimes guests are only with us one night and in the case of life and safety stuff, we can't wait until the morning to inform them on how to safely use a fireplace. Or to not leave the lid of the hot tub off overnight in January when we hit single digits and the shell could crack because they thought the hot tub fairy got up at midnight and recovered the tub for them. That has happened, just not the cracking part. I caught the oversight at midnight when I went in the house to turn off some extra lights left on and pull something out of the freezer I forgot to do earlier.
Just how many of everyone's guests show up so visibly tired from their travels to the point that they appear incoherent enough that you might worry about how they even stayed awake enough to drive to your place?
Our experience is that the vast majority of our guests appear to be quite energized, alert and interested in knowing what is where in the house, how to access all of our amenities, etc. How to contact us after hours if they need us, where to go eat dinner, etc.
Many even freshen up and go out for a hike, sightseeing, dinner, shopping, etc.
From July to September, many of them have arrived with enough energy to go attend our opera which doesn't even start until 9pm and ends between 12:30 and 1AM. Without even napping.
Some of our guests are coming to us while on a road trip and have been on vacation for a few days already, so physical exhaustion isn't an issue for them.
I'm very interested in hearing what the general demographic makeup is for fellow innkeepers. ie. 95% harried, exhausted, overextended types, 1% retired leisure travelers, 1% foreign, 1% business, etc..
Ours is probably:
50% - 30-50 years old, middle class, active leisure, arts & culture, shopping
20% - 50-75 years old, middle class, leisure
10% - retired
5% - opera and special event attendees
5% - 21-30 year old, very active, outdoor adventure
10% - everybody else
"They won't hear most of what you say."
Is that a general observation or a big percentage of folk's guests?
I find that about the only guests who don't hear what I'm saying are not the insanely tired ones, but the ones who don't want to hear anything I'm saying. They will then badger us with inane question after inane question their entire stay about information already shared with them. Sounds like that one is common with others too.
"Proof by what you just said. This is life - people drive, get frustrated, hot, tired, dehydrated and they can't comprehend what we say."
Even on a typical Friday of check ins, its the rare guest for us that arrives so late or so exhausted from whatever form of conveyance they used to get here, that a few minutes of "this is where the tea kettle is, this is where the cookies are, this is when and where breakfast is served, we are on a septic system so nothing but bodily waste and TP goes down the chute" is overwhelming.
We were out of town recently and when I checked in got the key I walked out and said "What room are we in?" I had no clue
Knowing how hard you as an innkeeper and parent works, that is totally understandable. We don't get away often enough ourselves and when we do, it feels very foreign and almost numbing to do so.
.

We get quite a few exhausted travelers here. Most are driving 90 minutes via Interstate from one of the busiest airports in the country. Getting a rental car is never easy. Many have flown across country, so they've had a very long day. Luckily we have a powder room on the first floor near our check-in area so they aren't hopping around waiting to get to their room. Like Bree, I can run their credit card and get the tour of the common areas & keypad lock demo done quickly, then help them with their bags to their room & do their room tour in about 5 minutes. Many guests come back looking for me & dinner suggestions and they're like new people after freshening up. We have very few folks in the over 60 crowd but a fair number of young people in their 20s. Most guests are in the 30-55 year old range. I think that a good many use our room books for information.

 

[Don Draper]

These are great! It keeps the water hot all the time and you don't have to bother about refilling those pump pots several times a day.
www.zojirushi.com/ourproducts/elepots/electricpots.html.

These are great! It keeps the water hot all the time and you don't have to bother about refilling those pump pots several times a day.
www.zojirushi.com/ourproducts/elepots/electricpots.html

So it is on all the time, is that what you mean? What about when it is empty, does it sense the water level and turn off?
.

Yes, it's on all the time. The model we had carried about 3 liters. If the water level gets too low, it turns itself off. There is also a button on it that allows you to bring it to a boil again. Some of our guests liked that feature because they liked really hot water.
We sold our to a neighboring B&B after we got a Flavia coffee/water machine since it not only makes coffee, but it also dispenses hot water. We've had the Flavia now for about 5 years and love it.
.

You got me looking at the Flavia machines. The initial investment seems more than reasonable, but I'm wondering how the supply costs are to keep everything stocked? We have 9 rooms, so usually 10-20 guests on any given night and I wonder if the coffee/tea would be too expensive to keep up with. I love the idea though and think guests would love it.

 

[NW BB]

These are great! It keeps the water hot all the time and you don't have to bother about refilling those pump pots several times a day.
www.zojirushi.com/ourproducts/elepots/electricpots.html.

These are great! It keeps the water hot all the time and you don't have to bother about refilling those pump pots several times a day.
www.zojirushi.com/ourproducts/elepots/electricpots.html

So it is on all the time, is that what you mean? What about when it is empty, does it sense the water level and turn off?
.

Yes, it's on all the time. The model we had carried about 3 liters. If the water level gets too low, it turns itself off. There is also a button on it that allows you to bring it to a boil again. Some of our guests liked that feature because they liked really hot water.
We sold our to a neighboring B&B after we got a Flavia coffee/water machine since it not only makes coffee, but it also dispenses hot water. We've had the Flavia now for about 5 years and love it.
.

You got me looking at the Flavia machines. The initial investment seems more than reasonable, but I'm wondering how the supply costs are to keep everything stocked? We have 9 rooms, so usually 10-20 guests on any given night and I wonder if the coffee/tea would be too expensive to keep up with. I love the idea though and think guests would love it.
.

I LOVE the Flavia machine! The cost of the coffee can add up, but it's worth every penny to me to be free from having to provide separate hot water and coffee. They also sell tea and cocoa in the packets, but in my opinion they are not very good. We have a 24 hour beverage station (table) and I have several different flavia coffee types & Swiss Miss chocolate (regular and sugar free), in a basket. I use a separate wooden tea box which displays our large selection of Stash teas (a local tea company). It not only brews one cup at a time, but also dispenses hot water.
In the morning, before breakfast we have our home roast coffee brewed for our guests, so they are not using the Flavia unless they are very early risers. For those early risers, it's a great convenience for them to be able to make a cup of coffee without bothering anyone.
I think their prices for the coffee have gone up, but last time I checked it was somewhere around 45 cents per packet. The coffee is really good quality which is even more important for us since we are in the Pacific Northwest, the home of the coffee snob! You do save some money by not having to brew coffee during the day and have to throw out what's leftover. We used to have those coffee bags that brew in hot water like a tea bag, but it just didn't cut it with our guests.
The machine has a good sized water reservoir, so usually we only have to check the water level at night before we close up the inn. There is an instruction card that comes with the machine which I have placed next to the machine, but I have found that I need to the personal instruction when people check in. They still forget how to use it later on, but at least when they read the card it sounds familiar to them and they are not disturbing me to ask how to use it.
We bought it when we were at the PAII conference in Rhode Island (5 years ago?) and have never had any trouble with it.

 

[Don Draper]

These are great! It keeps the water hot all the time and you don't have to bother about refilling those pump pots several times a day.
www.zojirushi.com/ourproducts/elepots/electricpots.html.

These are great! It keeps the water hot all the time and you don't have to bother about refilling those pump pots several times a day.
www.zojirushi.com/ourproducts/elepots/electricpots.html

So it is on all the time, is that what you mean? What about when it is empty, does it sense the water level and turn off?
.

Yes, it's on all the time. The model we had carried about 3 liters. If the water level gets too low, it turns itself off. There is also a button on it that allows you to bring it to a boil again. Some of our guests liked that feature because they liked really hot water.
We sold our to a neighboring B&B after we got a Flavia coffee/water machine since it not only makes coffee, but it also dispenses hot water. We've had the Flavia now for about 5 years and love it.
.

You got me looking at the Flavia machines. The initial investment seems more than reasonable, but I'm wondering how the supply costs are to keep everything stocked? We have 9 rooms, so usually 10-20 guests on any given night and I wonder if the coffee/tea would be too expensive to keep up with. I love the idea though and think guests would love it.
.

I LOVE the Flavia machine! The cost of the coffee can add up, but it's worth every penny to me to be free from having to provide separate hot water and coffee. They also sell tea and cocoa in the packets, but in my opinion they are not very good. We have a 24 hour beverage station (table) and I have several different flavia coffee types & Swiss Miss chocolate (regular and sugar free), in a basket. I use a separate wooden tea box which displays our large selection of Stash teas (a local tea company). It not only brews one cup at a time, but also dispenses hot water.
In the morning, before breakfast we have our home roast coffee brewed for our guests, so they are not using the Flavia unless they are very early risers. For those early risers, it's a great convenience for them to be able to make a cup of coffee without bothering anyone.
I think their prices for the coffee have gone up, but last time I checked it was somewhere around 45 cents per packet. The coffee is really good quality which is even more important for us since we are in the Pacific Northwest, the home of the coffee snob! You do save some money by not having to brew coffee during the day and have to throw out what's leftover. We used to have those coffee bags that brew in hot water like a tea bag, but it just didn't cut it with our guests.
The machine has a good sized water reservoir, so usually we only have to check the water level at night before we close up the inn. There is an instruction card that comes with the machine which I have placed next to the machine, but I have found that I need to the personal instruction when people check in. They still forget how to use it later on, but at least when they read the card it sounds familiar to them and they are not disturbing me to ask how to use it.
We bought it when we were at the PAII conference in Rhode Island (5 years ago?) and have never had any trouble with it.
.

Thanks so much for the info! It really sounds convenient. I think this will have to wait until we are able to go to fewer rooms, it would just cost too much right now for us (making a full pot of our Arabica blend costs $.47).
We don't make coffee during the day, we keep hot water out and have a large selection of Bigelow teas and hot chocolate. We keep coffee crystals as well as Regular/Decaf coffee bags out as well which luckily so far seems to be satisfactory for the guests.
I AM a coffee snob so I don't touch 'em, but luckily we have a fantastic local coffee house if I get a craving!

 

[gillumhouse]

These are great! It keeps the water hot all the time and you don't have to bother about refilling those pump pots several times a day.
www.zojirushi.com/ourproducts/elepots/electricpots.html.

These are great! It keeps the water hot all the time and you don't have to bother about refilling those pump pots several times a day.
www.zojirushi.com/ourproducts/elepots/electricpots.html

So it is on all the time, is that what you mean? What about when it is empty, does it sense the water level and turn off?
.

Yes, it's on all the time. The model we had carried about 3 liters. If the water level gets too low, it turns itself off. There is also a button on it that allows you to bring it to a boil again. Some of our guests liked that feature because they liked really hot water.
We sold our to a neighboring B&B after we got a Flavia coffee/water machine since it not only makes coffee, but it also dispenses hot water. We've had the Flavia now for about 5 years and love it.
.

You got me looking at the Flavia machines. The initial investment seems more than reasonable, but I'm wondering how the supply costs are to keep everything stocked? We have 9 rooms, so usually 10-20 guests on any given night and I wonder if the coffee/tea would be too expensive to keep up with. I love the idea though and think guests would love it.
.

I LOVE the Flavia machine! The cost of the coffee can add up, but it's worth every penny to me to be free from having to provide separate hot water and coffee. They also sell tea and cocoa in the packets, but in my opinion they are not very good. We have a 24 hour beverage station (table) and I have several different flavia coffee types & Swiss Miss chocolate (regular and sugar free), in a basket. I use a separate wooden tea box which displays our large selection of Stash teas (a local tea company). It not only brews one cup at a time, but also dispenses hot water.
In the morning, before breakfast we have our home roast coffee brewed for our guests, so they are not using the Flavia unless they are very early risers. For those early risers, it's a great convenience for them to be able to make a cup of coffee without bothering anyone.
I think their prices for the coffee have gone up, but last time I checked it was somewhere around 45 cents per packet. The coffee is really good quality which is even more important for us since we are in the Pacific Northwest, the home of the coffee snob! You do save some money by not having to brew coffee during the day and have to throw out what's leftover. We used to have those coffee bags that brew in hot water like a tea bag, but it just didn't cut it with our guests.
The machine has a good sized water reservoir, so usually we only have to check the water level at night before we close up the inn. There is an instruction card that comes with the machine which I have placed next to the machine, but I have found that I need to the personal instruction when people check in. They still forget how to use it later on, but at least when they read the card it sounds familiar to them and they are not disturbing me to ask how to use it.
We bought it when we were at the PAII conference in Rhode Island (5 years ago?) and have never had any trouble with it.
.

Thanks so much for the info! It really sounds convenient. I think this will have to wait until we are able to go to fewer rooms, it would just cost too much right now for us (making a full pot of our Arabica blend costs $.47).
We don't make coffee during the day, we keep hot water out and have a large selection of Bigelow teas and hot chocolate. We keep coffee crystals as well as Regular/Decaf coffee bags out as well which luckily so far seems to be satisfactory for the guests.
I AM a coffee snob so I don't touch 'em, but luckily we have a fantastic local coffee house if I get a craving!
.

I AM a coffee snob so I don't touch 'em,
I have become one since I started roasting my coffee beans. Rarely have the beans been roasted more than 2 days ago.