Exhausted

[JunieBJones (JBJ)]

Aloha Samster,
I can't imagine how you do that. We have four suites and a room manager who handles all the rooms. We are responsible for the rest. We did it all for the first year and a half but we knew that we had to have help, and that's with two of us as full time innkeepers.
I know that the bills have to be paid, but here is what we do.
We built a business plan that gives us 60 days of travel each year.At first blush, that seems like a lot, but when you consider the extra hours we put in without realizing it, it is actually a bit conservative. I have already blocked off time in June for the next getaway. This isn't luxury, this is essential!
This is a busy time in Hawaii, but we just returned from a 2 week vacation to Buenos Aires. We were busy until we departed and we are busy upon our return, but once we blocked off time for vacation, we stuck to it. we had a great time and came back refreshed and ready to go.
Whenever a day or two go unbooked during a normally busy time, we block them off. Often, as those days grow near and we have passed up opportunities to book them, we begin to look forward to a gauranteed break. It can even motivate us to work more beforehand.
One other thought about traveling is that we instantly have things in common with many of our guests, who seem happy to hear that we have been to the same places. We just had dinner in Buenos Aires with guests who had stayed with us in Hawaii just three weeks prior. By the way, Buenos Aires is a very inexpensive place to visit these days. Other guests look forward to the idea that their innkeeper hosts would want to look them up when they are passing through their home town. ETC.
I can't say with certainty that we will make our goal of 60 days this year, but we are going to try our best..

Aloha Samster,
I can't imagine how you do that. We have four suites and a room manager who handles all the rooms. We are responsible for the rest. We did it all for the first year and a half but we knew that we had to have help, and that's with two of us as full time innkeepers.
I know that the bills have to be paid, but here is what we do.
We built a business plan that gives us 60 days of travel each year.At first blush, that seems like a lot, but when you consider the extra hours we put in without realizing it, it is actually a bit conservative. I have already blocked off time in June for the next getaway. This isn't luxury, this is essential!
This is a busy time in Hawaii, but we just returned from a 2 week vacation to Buenos Aires. We were busy until we departed and we are busy upon our return, but once we blocked off time for vacation, we stuck to it. we had a great time and came back refreshed and ready to go.
Whenever a day or two go unbooked during a normally busy time, we block them off. Often, as those days grow near and we have passed up opportunities to book them, we begin to look forward to a gauranteed break. It can even motivate us to work more beforehand.
One other thought about traveling is that we instantly have things in common with many of our guests, who seem happy to hear that we have been to the same places. We just had dinner in Buenos Aires with guests who had stayed with us in Hawaii just three weeks prior. By the way, Buenos Aires is a very inexpensive place to visit these days. Other guests look forward to the idea that their innkeeper hosts would want to look them up when they are passing through their home town. ETC.
I can't say with certainty that we will make our goal of 60 days this year, but we are going to try our best.

I am going to preface this by saying that I am not an innkeeper.
However, 60 days off seems very reasonable to me. If you were working a "regular" job, you'd have 52 weeks with 2 days off per year. 60 days off is only slightly more than 1/2 that. Whatever works for you is what works for you
.

Aloha Samster,
I can't imagine how you do that. We have four suites and a room manager who handles all the rooms. We are responsible for the rest. We did it all for the first year and a half but we knew that we had to have help, and that's with two of us as full time innkeepers.
I know that the bills have to be paid, but here is what we do.
We built a business plan that gives us 60 days of travel each year.At first blush, that seems like a lot, but when you consider the extra hours we put in without realizing it, it is actually a bit conservative. I have already blocked off time in June for the next getaway. This isn't luxury, this is essential!
This is a busy time in Hawaii, but we just returned from a 2 week vacation to Buenos Aires. We were busy until we departed and we are busy upon our return, but once we blocked off time for vacation, we stuck to it. we had a great time and came back refreshed and ready to go.
Whenever a day or two go unbooked during a normally busy time, we block them off. Often, as those days grow near and we have passed up opportunities to book them, we begin to look forward to a gauranteed break. It can even motivate us to work more beforehand.
One other thought about traveling is that we instantly have things in common with many of our guests, who seem happy to hear that we have been to the same places. We just had dinner in Buenos Aires with guests who had stayed with us in Hawaii just three weeks prior. By the way, Buenos Aires is a very inexpensive place to visit these days. Other guests look forward to the idea that their innkeeper hosts would want to look them up when they are passing through their home town. ETC.
I can't say with certainty that we will make our goal of 60 days this year, but we are going to try our best.

I am going to preface this by saying that I am not an innkeeper.
However, 60 days off seems very reasonable to me. If you were working a "regular" job, you'd have 52 weeks with 2 days off per year. 60 days off is only slightly more than 1/2 that. Whatever works for you is what works for you

Huh? How is 14 days (2 weeks) vacation equal to 60 (2 months/8 weeks)?

 

[Morticia]

Aloha Samster,
I can't imagine how you do that. We have four suites and a room manager who handles all the rooms. We are responsible for the rest. We did it all for the first year and a half but we knew that we had to have help, and that's with two of us as full time innkeepers.
I know that the bills have to be paid, but here is what we do.
We built a business plan that gives us 60 days of travel each year.At first blush, that seems like a lot, but when you consider the extra hours we put in without realizing it, it is actually a bit conservative. I have already blocked off time in June for the next getaway. This isn't luxury, this is essential!
This is a busy time in Hawaii, but we just returned from a 2 week vacation to Buenos Aires. We were busy until we departed and we are busy upon our return, but once we blocked off time for vacation, we stuck to it. we had a great time and came back refreshed and ready to go.
Whenever a day or two go unbooked during a normally busy time, we block them off. Often, as those days grow near and we have passed up opportunities to book them, we begin to look forward to a gauranteed break. It can even motivate us to work more beforehand.
One other thought about traveling is that we instantly have things in common with many of our guests, who seem happy to hear that we have been to the same places. We just had dinner in Buenos Aires with guests who had stayed with us in Hawaii just three weeks prior. By the way, Buenos Aires is a very inexpensive place to visit these days. Other guests look forward to the idea that their innkeeper hosts would want to look them up when they are passing through their home town. ETC.
I can't say with certainty that we will make our goal of 60 days this year, but we are going to try our best..

Aloha Samster,
I can't imagine how you do that. We have four suites and a room manager who handles all the rooms. We are responsible for the rest. We did it all for the first year and a half but we knew that we had to have help, and that's with two of us as full time innkeepers.
I know that the bills have to be paid, but here is what we do.
We built a business plan that gives us 60 days of travel each year.At first blush, that seems like a lot, but when you consider the extra hours we put in without realizing it, it is actually a bit conservative. I have already blocked off time in June for the next getaway. This isn't luxury, this is essential!
This is a busy time in Hawaii, but we just returned from a 2 week vacation to Buenos Aires. We were busy until we departed and we are busy upon our return, but once we blocked off time for vacation, we stuck to it. we had a great time and came back refreshed and ready to go.
Whenever a day or two go unbooked during a normally busy time, we block them off. Often, as those days grow near and we have passed up opportunities to book them, we begin to look forward to a gauranteed break. It can even motivate us to work more beforehand.
One other thought about traveling is that we instantly have things in common with many of our guests, who seem happy to hear that we have been to the same places. We just had dinner in Buenos Aires with guests who had stayed with us in Hawaii just three weeks prior. By the way, Buenos Aires is a very inexpensive place to visit these days. Other guests look forward to the idea that their innkeeper hosts would want to look them up when they are passing through their home town. ETC.
I can't say with certainty that we will make our goal of 60 days this year, but we are going to try our best.

I am going to preface this by saying that I am not an innkeeper.
However, 60 days off seems very reasonable to me. If you were working a "regular" job, you'd have 52 weeks with 2 days off per year. 60 days off is only slightly more than 1/2 that. Whatever works for you is what works for you
.

Aloha Samster,
I can't imagine how you do that. We have four suites and a room manager who handles all the rooms. We are responsible for the rest. We did it all for the first year and a half but we knew that we had to have help, and that's with two of us as full time innkeepers.
I know that the bills have to be paid, but here is what we do.
We built a business plan that gives us 60 days of travel each year.At first blush, that seems like a lot, but when you consider the extra hours we put in without realizing it, it is actually a bit conservative. I have already blocked off time in June for the next getaway. This isn't luxury, this is essential!
This is a busy time in Hawaii, but we just returned from a 2 week vacation to Buenos Aires. We were busy until we departed and we are busy upon our return, but once we blocked off time for vacation, we stuck to it. we had a great time and came back refreshed and ready to go.
Whenever a day or two go unbooked during a normally busy time, we block them off. Often, as those days grow near and we have passed up opportunities to book them, we begin to look forward to a gauranteed break. It can even motivate us to work more beforehand.
One other thought about traveling is that we instantly have things in common with many of our guests, who seem happy to hear that we have been to the same places. We just had dinner in Buenos Aires with guests who had stayed with us in Hawaii just three weeks prior. By the way, Buenos Aires is a very inexpensive place to visit these days. Other guests look forward to the idea that their innkeeper hosts would want to look them up when they are passing through their home town. ETC.
I can't say with certainty that we will make our goal of 60 days this year, but we are going to try our best.

I am going to preface this by saying that I am not an innkeeper.
However, 60 days off seems very reasonable to me. If you were working a "regular" job, you'd have 52 weeks with 2 days off per year. 60 days off is only slightly more than 1/2 that. Whatever works for you is what works for you

Huh? How is 14 days (2 weeks) vacation equal to 60 (2 months/8 weeks)?
.

Huh? How is 14 days vacation equal to 60 (2 months)?
I think she meant the 52 weekends were equal to 104 days off, not how much paid vacation someone might get working for a company. THAT'S the one I have a tough time with when guests say, 'Wow, a whole month off, must be nice.' I might say, 'Yeah, I would rather have every weekend off instead, but this is all we can work out in this business.'

 

[Penelope]

Aloha Samster,
I can't imagine how you do that. We have four suites and a room manager who handles all the rooms. We are responsible for the rest. We did it all for the first year and a half but we knew that we had to have help, and that's with two of us as full time innkeepers.
I know that the bills have to be paid, but here is what we do.
We built a business plan that gives us 60 days of travel each year.At first blush, that seems like a lot, but when you consider the extra hours we put in without realizing it, it is actually a bit conservative. I have already blocked off time in June for the next getaway. This isn't luxury, this is essential!
This is a busy time in Hawaii, but we just returned from a 2 week vacation to Buenos Aires. We were busy until we departed and we are busy upon our return, but once we blocked off time for vacation, we stuck to it. we had a great time and came back refreshed and ready to go.
Whenever a day or two go unbooked during a normally busy time, we block them off. Often, as those days grow near and we have passed up opportunities to book them, we begin to look forward to a gauranteed break. It can even motivate us to work more beforehand.
One other thought about traveling is that we instantly have things in common with many of our guests, who seem happy to hear that we have been to the same places. We just had dinner in Buenos Aires with guests who had stayed with us in Hawaii just three weeks prior. By the way, Buenos Aires is a very inexpensive place to visit these days. Other guests look forward to the idea that their innkeeper hosts would want to look them up when they are passing through their home town. ETC.
I can't say with certainty that we will make our goal of 60 days this year, but we are going to try our best..

Aloha Samster,
I can't imagine how you do that. We have four suites and a room manager who handles all the rooms. We are responsible for the rest. We did it all for the first year and a half but we knew that we had to have help, and that's with two of us as full time innkeepers.
I know that the bills have to be paid, but here is what we do.
We built a business plan that gives us 60 days of travel each year.At first blush, that seems like a lot, but when you consider the extra hours we put in without realizing it, it is actually a bit conservative. I have already blocked off time in June for the next getaway. This isn't luxury, this is essential!
This is a busy time in Hawaii, but we just returned from a 2 week vacation to Buenos Aires. We were busy until we departed and we are busy upon our return, but once we blocked off time for vacation, we stuck to it. we had a great time and came back refreshed and ready to go.
Whenever a day or two go unbooked during a normally busy time, we block them off. Often, as those days grow near and we have passed up opportunities to book them, we begin to look forward to a gauranteed break. It can even motivate us to work more beforehand.
One other thought about traveling is that we instantly have things in common with many of our guests, who seem happy to hear that we have been to the same places. We just had dinner in Buenos Aires with guests who had stayed with us in Hawaii just three weeks prior. By the way, Buenos Aires is a very inexpensive place to visit these days. Other guests look forward to the idea that their innkeeper hosts would want to look them up when they are passing through their home town. ETC.
I can't say with certainty that we will make our goal of 60 days this year, but we are going to try our best.

I am going to preface this by saying that I am not an innkeeper.
However, 60 days off seems very reasonable to me. If you were working a "regular" job, you'd have 52 weeks with 2 days off per year. 60 days off is only slightly more than 1/2 that. Whatever works for you is what works for you
.

Aloha Samster,
I can't imagine how you do that. We have four suites and a room manager who handles all the rooms. We are responsible for the rest. We did it all for the first year and a half but we knew that we had to have help, and that's with two of us as full time innkeepers.
I know that the bills have to be paid, but here is what we do.
We built a business plan that gives us 60 days of travel each year.At first blush, that seems like a lot, but when you consider the extra hours we put in without realizing it, it is actually a bit conservative. I have already blocked off time in June for the next getaway. This isn't luxury, this is essential!
This is a busy time in Hawaii, but we just returned from a 2 week vacation to Buenos Aires. We were busy until we departed and we are busy upon our return, but once we blocked off time for vacation, we stuck to it. we had a great time and came back refreshed and ready to go.
Whenever a day or two go unbooked during a normally busy time, we block them off. Often, as those days grow near and we have passed up opportunities to book them, we begin to look forward to a gauranteed break. It can even motivate us to work more beforehand.
One other thought about traveling is that we instantly have things in common with many of our guests, who seem happy to hear that we have been to the same places. We just had dinner in Buenos Aires with guests who had stayed with us in Hawaii just three weeks prior. By the way, Buenos Aires is a very inexpensive place to visit these days. Other guests look forward to the idea that their innkeeper hosts would want to look them up when they are passing through their home town. ETC.
I can't say with certainty that we will make our goal of 60 days this year, but we are going to try our best.

I am going to preface this by saying that I am not an innkeeper.
However, 60 days off seems very reasonable to me. If you were working a "regular" job, you'd have 52 weeks with 2 days off per year. 60 days off is only slightly more than 1/2 that. Whatever works for you is what works for you

Huh? How is 14 days (2 weeks) vacation equal to 60 (2 months/8 weeks)?
.

I said 52 weeks of 2 days off per year: Sat/Sun. That's 104 days. Which is a lot more than the 60 days off knkbnb takes.

 

[JunieBJones (JBJ)]

Aloha Samster,
I can't imagine how you do that. We have four suites and a room manager who handles all the rooms. We are responsible for the rest. We did it all for the first year and a half but we knew that we had to have help, and that's with two of us as full time innkeepers.
I know that the bills have to be paid, but here is what we do.
We built a business plan that gives us 60 days of travel each year.At first blush, that seems like a lot, but when you consider the extra hours we put in without realizing it, it is actually a bit conservative. I have already blocked off time in June for the next getaway. This isn't luxury, this is essential!
This is a busy time in Hawaii, but we just returned from a 2 week vacation to Buenos Aires. We were busy until we departed and we are busy upon our return, but once we blocked off time for vacation, we stuck to it. we had a great time and came back refreshed and ready to go.
Whenever a day or two go unbooked during a normally busy time, we block them off. Often, as those days grow near and we have passed up opportunities to book them, we begin to look forward to a gauranteed break. It can even motivate us to work more beforehand.
One other thought about traveling is that we instantly have things in common with many of our guests, who seem happy to hear that we have been to the same places. We just had dinner in Buenos Aires with guests who had stayed with us in Hawaii just three weeks prior. By the way, Buenos Aires is a very inexpensive place to visit these days. Other guests look forward to the idea that their innkeeper hosts would want to look them up when they are passing through their home town. ETC.
I can't say with certainty that we will make our goal of 60 days this year, but we are going to try our best..

Aloha Samster,
I can't imagine how you do that. We have four suites and a room manager who handles all the rooms. We are responsible for the rest. We did it all for the first year and a half but we knew that we had to have help, and that's with two of us as full time innkeepers.
I know that the bills have to be paid, but here is what we do.
We built a business plan that gives us 60 days of travel each year.At first blush, that seems like a lot, but when you consider the extra hours we put in without realizing it, it is actually a bit conservative. I have already blocked off time in June for the next getaway. This isn't luxury, this is essential!
This is a busy time in Hawaii, but we just returned from a 2 week vacation to Buenos Aires. We were busy until we departed and we are busy upon our return, but once we blocked off time for vacation, we stuck to it. we had a great time and came back refreshed and ready to go.
Whenever a day or two go unbooked during a normally busy time, we block them off. Often, as those days grow near and we have passed up opportunities to book them, we begin to look forward to a gauranteed break. It can even motivate us to work more beforehand.
One other thought about traveling is that we instantly have things in common with many of our guests, who seem happy to hear that we have been to the same places. We just had dinner in Buenos Aires with guests who had stayed with us in Hawaii just three weeks prior. By the way, Buenos Aires is a very inexpensive place to visit these days. Other guests look forward to the idea that their innkeeper hosts would want to look them up when they are passing through their home town. ETC.
I can't say with certainty that we will make our goal of 60 days this year, but we are going to try our best.

I am going to preface this by saying that I am not an innkeeper.
However, 60 days off seems very reasonable to me. If you were working a "regular" job, you'd have 52 weeks with 2 days off per year. 60 days off is only slightly more than 1/2 that. Whatever works for you is what works for you
.

Aloha Samster,
I can't imagine how you do that. We have four suites and a room manager who handles all the rooms. We are responsible for the rest. We did it all for the first year and a half but we knew that we had to have help, and that's with two of us as full time innkeepers.
I know that the bills have to be paid, but here is what we do.
We built a business plan that gives us 60 days of travel each year.At first blush, that seems like a lot, but when you consider the extra hours we put in without realizing it, it is actually a bit conservative. I have already blocked off time in June for the next getaway. This isn't luxury, this is essential!
This is a busy time in Hawaii, but we just returned from a 2 week vacation to Buenos Aires. We were busy until we departed and we are busy upon our return, but once we blocked off time for vacation, we stuck to it. we had a great time and came back refreshed and ready to go.
Whenever a day or two go unbooked during a normally busy time, we block them off. Often, as those days grow near and we have passed up opportunities to book them, we begin to look forward to a gauranteed break. It can even motivate us to work more beforehand.
One other thought about traveling is that we instantly have things in common with many of our guests, who seem happy to hear that we have been to the same places. We just had dinner in Buenos Aires with guests who had stayed with us in Hawaii just three weeks prior. By the way, Buenos Aires is a very inexpensive place to visit these days. Other guests look forward to the idea that their innkeeper hosts would want to look them up when they are passing through their home town. ETC.
I can't say with certainty that we will make our goal of 60 days this year, but we are going to try our best.

I am going to preface this by saying that I am not an innkeeper.
However, 60 days off seems very reasonable to me. If you were working a "regular" job, you'd have 52 weeks with 2 days off per year. 60 days off is only slightly more than 1/2 that. Whatever works for you is what works for you

Huh? How is 14 days (2 weeks) vacation equal to 60 (2 months/8 weeks)?
.

I said 52 weeks of 2 days off per year: Sat/Sun. That's 104 days. Which is a lot more than the 60 days off knkbnb takes.
.

I said 52 weeks of 2 days off per year: Sat/Sun. That's 104 days. Which is a lot more than the 60 days off knkbnb takes.

Oh I see. Of course totally disagree. Taking 60 days or even 3 weeks solid to travel and relax and recoup vs a weekend when you work at life at home is another animal altogether. Working non innkeeping jobs weekends were spent mowing lawns, repairing things, typically a couple weekends a year if it was a long weekend you got to enjoy them. A Vacation vs a weekend are totally different.

 

[springlady]

We have tried a couple of things to give ourselves a break. The first few years we were innkeepers (it's been 8 years), we did little getaways, not major trips. Building the business and not a lot of money to spend on major trips made it tough to get away. Then we had the "brilliant" idea of buying a used truck for the business which we needed anyway, then pay it off and buy a shiny new super duper truck camper. Since we had moved to this new location when we bought the inn, there was a lot of new territory to see. Hey, with a camper we could throw the dog in it and take a few days here and there when we had a lull in the business mid week. Great idea, right?????
Yeah, you've guessed it...now it's 5 years later, the camper is paid for and we've used it exactly 4 times. And never more than 3 or 4 days at a time! What a waste. It does come in handy though when we're full and family comes to visit! It's amazingly comfortable and has everything you need it in.
A few years ago we started taking a big out of the country vacation once a year. I found it was the only way I could disconnect myself from the B&B. Usually our vacations are only 10-14 days, but what a difference it makes both physically and mentally. This year we'll be doing a tropical vacation in May (lay on the beach and do nothing), then in October we've vowed to get in the camper and do a week or so. If this happens, it will be the first time we've actually taken 2 trips in one year. We'll see if that actually happens.
Whatever you do, you MUST give yourselves a break. With the recession going on there are some amazing travel deals out there. Take advantage of a getaway and you will be doing not only yourself a favor, but in the end it will help you be a better innkeeper..

It seems to me that you guys could build quite a "time share" agreement among yourselves.
Unless it turns out like my vacations when I had the store - I'd go to little shopping towns and network or seek out new inventory, come home feeling like I'd worked all week.

 

[Samster]

Aloha Samster,
I can't imagine how you do that. We have four suites and a room manager who handles all the rooms. We are responsible for the rest. We did it all for the first year and a half but we knew that we had to have help, and that's with two of us as full time innkeepers.
I know that the bills have to be paid, but here is what we do.
We built a business plan that gives us 60 days of travel each year.At first blush, that seems like a lot, but when you consider the extra hours we put in without realizing it, it is actually a bit conservative. I have already blocked off time in June for the next getaway. This isn't luxury, this is essential!
This is a busy time in Hawaii, but we just returned from a 2 week vacation to Buenos Aires. We were busy until we departed and we are busy upon our return, but once we blocked off time for vacation, we stuck to it. we had a great time and came back refreshed and ready to go.
Whenever a day or two go unbooked during a normally busy time, we block them off. Often, as those days grow near and we have passed up opportunities to book them, we begin to look forward to a gauranteed break. It can even motivate us to work more beforehand.
One other thought about traveling is that we instantly have things in common with many of our guests, who seem happy to hear that we have been to the same places. We just had dinner in Buenos Aires with guests who had stayed with us in Hawaii just three weeks prior. By the way, Buenos Aires is a very inexpensive place to visit these days. Other guests look forward to the idea that their innkeeper hosts would want to look them up when they are passing through their home town. ETC.
I can't say with certainty that we will make our goal of 60 days this year, but we are going to try our best..

I am envious. We went away for 2 days in Jan. We'll go for another 2-3 days coming up here to visit daughter #1, then a couple of days to see daughter #2. But 60 days for travel? Wow! We take 30 days to work on the inn!
Are you closed while you're traveling?
.

Aloha Bree,
Yes, we close because we are a niche operation focused on Hawaiian Cultural Arts, so it would'nt be easy to do it with innsitters.
I am sure our style wouldn't fit every situation. I was feeling some empathy for Samster's plight and wanted to share how we are dealing with the, "always on" issue.
I was just thinking that I see a lot of innkeepers talking about the need to give themselves time off and this is how we do that. When we did our initial research way back when, we noticed one very big elephant in the living room. Innkeepers who don't take planned vacations in reasonable amounts end up burnt out by year five or six.
.

Aloha Bree,
Yes, we close because we are a niche operation focused on Hawaiian Cultural Arts, so it would'nt be easy to do it with innsitters.
I am sure our style wouldn't fit every situation. I was feeling some empathy for Samster's plight and wanted to share how we are dealing with the, "always on" issue.
I was just thinking that I see a lot of innkeepers talking about the need to give themselves time off and this is how we do that. When we did our initial research way back when, we noticed one very big elephant in the living room. Innkeepers who don't take planned vacations in reasonable amounts end up burnt out by year five or six.

ABSOLUTELY!
We take a full week in June - no matter what, and a full week in January - no matter what. Jan we don't lose any business going away. June - we need to be able to enjoy our summer and what we have not too far away. But we still schedule days off during super busy streaks - it is a must. The other innkeeper here works 60+ hours a week outside the B&B. Plus we have kids. So between the 2 of us in spring/summer/fall things begin to fall apart.
He feels neglected which in turn makes me mad as I am exhausted. If you can hire someone do it.
.

I think that is what makes it particularly tough on you & I and others in our situation - the "second innkeeper" having another job that demands more than 40+ hours of work outside of the B&B!
I don't know how you do it with kids too! My hat is totally off to you!
We definitely need to take time off here & there

 

[JunieBJones (JBJ)]

Aloha Samster,
I can't imagine how you do that. We have four suites and a room manager who handles all the rooms. We are responsible for the rest. We did it all for the first year and a half but we knew that we had to have help, and that's with two of us as full time innkeepers.
I know that the bills have to be paid, but here is what we do.
We built a business plan that gives us 60 days of travel each year.At first blush, that seems like a lot, but when you consider the extra hours we put in without realizing it, it is actually a bit conservative. I have already blocked off time in June for the next getaway. This isn't luxury, this is essential!
This is a busy time in Hawaii, but we just returned from a 2 week vacation to Buenos Aires. We were busy until we departed and we are busy upon our return, but once we blocked off time for vacation, we stuck to it. we had a great time and came back refreshed and ready to go.
Whenever a day or two go unbooked during a normally busy time, we block them off. Often, as those days grow near and we have passed up opportunities to book them, we begin to look forward to a gauranteed break. It can even motivate us to work more beforehand.
One other thought about traveling is that we instantly have things in common with many of our guests, who seem happy to hear that we have been to the same places. We just had dinner in Buenos Aires with guests who had stayed with us in Hawaii just three weeks prior. By the way, Buenos Aires is a very inexpensive place to visit these days. Other guests look forward to the idea that their innkeeper hosts would want to look them up when they are passing through their home town. ETC.
I can't say with certainty that we will make our goal of 60 days this year, but we are going to try our best..

I am envious. We went away for 2 days in Jan. We'll go for another 2-3 days coming up here to visit daughter #1, then a couple of days to see daughter #2. But 60 days for travel? Wow! We take 30 days to work on the inn!
Are you closed while you're traveling?
.

Aloha Bree,
Yes, we close because we are a niche operation focused on Hawaiian Cultural Arts, so it would'nt be easy to do it with innsitters.
I am sure our style wouldn't fit every situation. I was feeling some empathy for Samster's plight and wanted to share how we are dealing with the, "always on" issue.
I was just thinking that I see a lot of innkeepers talking about the need to give themselves time off and this is how we do that. When we did our initial research way back when, we noticed one very big elephant in the living room. Innkeepers who don't take planned vacations in reasonable amounts end up burnt out by year five or six.
.

Aloha Bree,
Yes, we close because we are a niche operation focused on Hawaiian Cultural Arts, so it would'nt be easy to do it with innsitters.
I am sure our style wouldn't fit every situation. I was feeling some empathy for Samster's plight and wanted to share how we are dealing with the, "always on" issue.
I was just thinking that I see a lot of innkeepers talking about the need to give themselves time off and this is how we do that. When we did our initial research way back when, we noticed one very big elephant in the living room. Innkeepers who don't take planned vacations in reasonable amounts end up burnt out by year five or six.

ABSOLUTELY!
We take a full week in June - no matter what, and a full week in January - no matter what. Jan we don't lose any business going away. June - we need to be able to enjoy our summer and what we have not too far away. But we still schedule days off during super busy streaks - it is a must. The other innkeeper here works 60+ hours a week outside the B&B. Plus we have kids. So between the 2 of us in spring/summer/fall things begin to fall apart.
He feels neglected which in turn makes me mad as I am exhausted. If you can hire someone do it.
.

I think that is what makes it particularly tough on you & I and others in our situation - the "second innkeeper" having another job that demands more than 40+ hours of work outside of the B&B!
I don't know how you do it with kids too! My hat is totally off to you!
We definitely need to take time off here & there
.

I think that is what makes it particularly tough on you & I and others in our situation - the "second innkeeper" having another job that demands more than 40+ hours of work outside of the B&B!
I don't know how you do it with kids too! My hat is totally off to you!
We definitely need to take time off here & there

The time off needs to be away from the B&B. In busy times, if I block off a day Dh assumes I was here having a party. No, I was cleaning rooms, doing laundry from sun up to beyond sundown, so I had no guests but was still working feverishly. So IF you block it off be sure to take a walk along the river or something fun for yourself. (Easier said than done!!)
Remember one of my fav quotes:
[COLOR= rgb(0, 0, 128)]Learn to say "no." It will be of more use to you than to be able to read Latin. -- Charles H. Spurgeon[/COLOR]

 

[Samster]

Aloha Samster,
I can't imagine how you do that. We have four suites and a room manager who handles all the rooms. We are responsible for the rest. We did it all for the first year and a half but we knew that we had to have help, and that's with two of us as full time innkeepers.
I know that the bills have to be paid, but here is what we do.
We built a business plan that gives us 60 days of travel each year.At first blush, that seems like a lot, but when you consider the extra hours we put in without realizing it, it is actually a bit conservative. I have already blocked off time in June for the next getaway. This isn't luxury, this is essential!
This is a busy time in Hawaii, but we just returned from a 2 week vacation to Buenos Aires. We were busy until we departed and we are busy upon our return, but once we blocked off time for vacation, we stuck to it. we had a great time and came back refreshed and ready to go.
Whenever a day or two go unbooked during a normally busy time, we block them off. Often, as those days grow near and we have passed up opportunities to book them, we begin to look forward to a gauranteed break. It can even motivate us to work more beforehand.
One other thought about traveling is that we instantly have things in common with many of our guests, who seem happy to hear that we have been to the same places. We just had dinner in Buenos Aires with guests who had stayed with us in Hawaii just three weeks prior. By the way, Buenos Aires is a very inexpensive place to visit these days. Other guests look forward to the idea that their innkeeper hosts would want to look them up when they are passing through their home town. ETC.
I can't say with certainty that we will make our goal of 60 days this year, but we are going to try our best..

I am envious. We went away for 2 days in Jan. We'll go for another 2-3 days coming up here to visit daughter #1, then a couple of days to see daughter #2. But 60 days for travel? Wow! We take 30 days to work on the inn!
Are you closed while you're traveling?
.

Aloha Bree,
Yes, we close because we are a niche operation focused on Hawaiian Cultural Arts, so it would'nt be easy to do it with innsitters.
I am sure our style wouldn't fit every situation. I was feeling some empathy for Samster's plight and wanted to share how we are dealing with the, "always on" issue.
I was just thinking that I see a lot of innkeepers talking about the need to give themselves time off and this is how we do that. When we did our initial research way back when, we noticed one very big elephant in the living room. Innkeepers who don't take planned vacations in reasonable amounts end up burnt out by year five or six.
.

Aloha Bree,
Yes, we close because we are a niche operation focused on Hawaiian Cultural Arts, so it would'nt be easy to do it with innsitters.
I am sure our style wouldn't fit every situation. I was feeling some empathy for Samster's plight and wanted to share how we are dealing with the, "always on" issue.
I was just thinking that I see a lot of innkeepers talking about the need to give themselves time off and this is how we do that. When we did our initial research way back when, we noticed one very big elephant in the living room. Innkeepers who don't take planned vacations in reasonable amounts end up burnt out by year five or six.

ABSOLUTELY!
We take a full week in June - no matter what, and a full week in January - no matter what. Jan we don't lose any business going away. June - we need to be able to enjoy our summer and what we have not too far away. But we still schedule days off during super busy streaks - it is a must. The other innkeeper here works 60+ hours a week outside the B&B. Plus we have kids. So between the 2 of us in spring/summer/fall things begin to fall apart.
He feels neglected which in turn makes me mad as I am exhausted. If you can hire someone do it.
.

I think that is what makes it particularly tough on you & I and others in our situation - the "second innkeeper" having another job that demands more than 40+ hours of work outside of the B&B!
I don't know how you do it with kids too! My hat is totally off to you!
We definitely need to take time off here & there
.

I think that is what makes it particularly tough on you & I and others in our situation - the "second innkeeper" having another job that demands more than 40+ hours of work outside of the B&B!
I don't know how you do it with kids too! My hat is totally off to you!
We definitely need to take time off here & there

The time off needs to be away from the B&B. In busy times, if I block off a day Dh assumes I was here having a party. No, I was cleaning rooms, doing laundry from sun up to beyond sundown, so I had no guests but was still working feverishly. So IF you block it off be sure to take a walk along the river or something fun for yourself. (Easier said than done!!)
Remember one of my fav quotes:
[COLOR= rgb(0, 0, 128)]Learn to say "no." It will be of more use to you than to be able to read Latin. -- Charles H. Spurgeon[/COLOR]
.

haha! Yep, that is one of my favorite quotes too...didn't know who to attribute it to, though. Yep, this morning has been a cacophony of ringing phones & faxes....all the volunteer stuff, not business.

I tend to work rather than eat bon-bons or take a walk when I block days off....

 

[happykeeper]

Aloha Samster,
I can't imagine how you do that. We have four suites and a room manager who handles all the rooms. We are responsible for the rest. We did it all for the first year and a half but we knew that we had to have help, and that's with two of us as full time innkeepers.
I know that the bills have to be paid, but here is what we do.
We built a business plan that gives us 60 days of travel each year.At first blush, that seems like a lot, but when you consider the extra hours we put in without realizing it, it is actually a bit conservative. I have already blocked off time in June for the next getaway. This isn't luxury, this is essential!
This is a busy time in Hawaii, but we just returned from a 2 week vacation to Buenos Aires. We were busy until we departed and we are busy upon our return, but once we blocked off time for vacation, we stuck to it. we had a great time and came back refreshed and ready to go.
Whenever a day or two go unbooked during a normally busy time, we block them off. Often, as those days grow near and we have passed up opportunities to book them, we begin to look forward to a gauranteed break. It can even motivate us to work more beforehand.
One other thought about traveling is that we instantly have things in common with many of our guests, who seem happy to hear that we have been to the same places. We just had dinner in Buenos Aires with guests who had stayed with us in Hawaii just three weeks prior. By the way, Buenos Aires is a very inexpensive place to visit these days. Other guests look forward to the idea that their innkeeper hosts would want to look them up when they are passing through their home town. ETC.
I can't say with certainty that we will make our goal of 60 days this year, but we are going to try our best..

Aloha Samster,
I can't imagine how you do that. We have four suites and a room manager who handles all the rooms. We are responsible for the rest. We did it all for the first year and a half but we knew that we had to have help, and that's with two of us as full time innkeepers.
I know that the bills have to be paid, but here is what we do.
We built a business plan that gives us 60 days of travel each year.At first blush, that seems like a lot, but when you consider the extra hours we put in without realizing it, it is actually a bit conservative. I have already blocked off time in June for the next getaway. This isn't luxury, this is essential!
This is a busy time in Hawaii, but we just returned from a 2 week vacation to Buenos Aires. We were busy until we departed and we are busy upon our return, but once we blocked off time for vacation, we stuck to it. we had a great time and came back refreshed and ready to go.
Whenever a day or two go unbooked during a normally busy time, we block them off. Often, as those days grow near and we have passed up opportunities to book them, we begin to look forward to a gauranteed break. It can even motivate us to work more beforehand.
One other thought about traveling is that we instantly have things in common with many of our guests, who seem happy to hear that we have been to the same places. We just had dinner in Buenos Aires with guests who had stayed with us in Hawaii just three weeks prior. By the way, Buenos Aires is a very inexpensive place to visit these days. Other guests look forward to the idea that their innkeeper hosts would want to look them up when they are passing through their home town. ETC.
I can't say with certainty that we will make our goal of 60 days this year, but we are going to try our best.

I am going to preface this by saying that I am not an innkeeper.
However, 60 days off seems very reasonable to me. If you were working a "regular" job, you'd have 52 weeks with 2 days off per year. 60 days off is only slightly more than 1/2 that. Whatever works for you is what works for you
.

Aloha Samster,
I can't imagine how you do that. We have four suites and a room manager who handles all the rooms. We are responsible for the rest. We did it all for the first year and a half but we knew that we had to have help, and that's with two of us as full time innkeepers.
I know that the bills have to be paid, but here is what we do.
We built a business plan that gives us 60 days of travel each year.At first blush, that seems like a lot, but when you consider the extra hours we put in without realizing it, it is actually a bit conservative. I have already blocked off time in June for the next getaway. This isn't luxury, this is essential!
This is a busy time in Hawaii, but we just returned from a 2 week vacation to Buenos Aires. We were busy until we departed and we are busy upon our return, but once we blocked off time for vacation, we stuck to it. we had a great time and came back refreshed and ready to go.
Whenever a day or two go unbooked during a normally busy time, we block them off. Often, as those days grow near and we have passed up opportunities to book them, we begin to look forward to a gauranteed break. It can even motivate us to work more beforehand.
One other thought about traveling is that we instantly have things in common with many of our guests, who seem happy to hear that we have been to the same places. We just had dinner in Buenos Aires with guests who had stayed with us in Hawaii just three weeks prior. By the way, Buenos Aires is a very inexpensive place to visit these days. Other guests look forward to the idea that their innkeeper hosts would want to look them up when they are passing through their home town. ETC.
I can't say with certainty that we will make our goal of 60 days this year, but we are going to try our best.

I am going to preface this by saying that I am not an innkeeper.
However, 60 days off seems very reasonable to me. If you were working a "regular" job, you'd have 52 weeks with 2 days off per year. 60 days off is only slightly more than 1/2 that. Whatever works for you is what works for you

Huh? How is 14 days (2 weeks) vacation equal to 60 (2 months/8 weeks)?
.

I said 52 weeks of 2 days off per year: Sat/Sun. That's 104 days. Which is a lot more than the 60 days off knkbnb takes.
.

I understood what you meant- but 60 days of travel does not include days we are off (no guests) but at home. Those are your typical days when you are doing the chores, having friends over for a dinnner, or going to the nephews school fundraiser- etc. I have never sat down to add the two together.
I think you are working on apples and oranges. I wouldn't go back to "workin' for the man" unless I had no other choice. I remember what a typical weekend was like. Too Short!

 

[Copperhead]

Hi Samster,
Coming in late here as I have been too busy to post. I have 5 rooms, but no 2 room suites and I am tired when I have to do a full change over in a day...I have gotten into a routine that works well for me but know it is different for everyone of us for different reasons. But no matter what, you will be tired when you are through....I have not found the magical potion or spell for that yet.
Yes, spring has sprung in the south and the people are flocking down here to take in the beautiful weather and flowers. Our azaleas are in full bloom...Picture taken from my office window.

I know that your azaleas are not quite there yet, in the next couple of weeks though your area will be showing signs of colorful blooms. With the beautiful C. Gardens not far from you, I am sure you are going to be busy as a bee in the coming weeks. I hope you will forget that we are in a recession!

 

[birdwatcher]

Aloha Samster,
I can't imagine how you do that. We have four suites and a room manager who handles all the rooms. We are responsible for the rest. We did it all for the first year and a half but we knew that we had to have help, and that's with two of us as full time innkeepers.
I know that the bills have to be paid, but here is what we do.
We built a business plan that gives us 60 days of travel each year.At first blush, that seems like a lot, but when you consider the extra hours we put in without realizing it, it is actually a bit conservative. I have already blocked off time in June for the next getaway. This isn't luxury, this is essential!
This is a busy time in Hawaii, but we just returned from a 2 week vacation to Buenos Aires. We were busy until we departed and we are busy upon our return, but once we blocked off time for vacation, we stuck to it. we had a great time and came back refreshed and ready to go.
Whenever a day or two go unbooked during a normally busy time, we block them off. Often, as those days grow near and we have passed up opportunities to book them, we begin to look forward to a gauranteed break. It can even motivate us to work more beforehand.
One other thought about traveling is that we instantly have things in common with many of our guests, who seem happy to hear that we have been to the same places. We just had dinner in Buenos Aires with guests who had stayed with us in Hawaii just three weeks prior. By the way, Buenos Aires is a very inexpensive place to visit these days. Other guests look forward to the idea that their innkeeper hosts would want to look them up when they are passing through their home town. ETC.
I can't say with certainty that we will make our goal of 60 days this year, but we are going to try our best..

Aloha Samster,
I can't imagine how you do that. We have four suites and a room manager who handles all the rooms. We are responsible for the rest. We did it all for the first year and a half but we knew that we had to have help, and that's with two of us as full time innkeepers.
I know that the bills have to be paid, but here is what we do.
We built a business plan that gives us 60 days of travel each year.At first blush, that seems like a lot, but when you consider the extra hours we put in without realizing it, it is actually a bit conservative. I have already blocked off time in June for the next getaway. This isn't luxury, this is essential!
This is a busy time in Hawaii, but we just returned from a 2 week vacation to Buenos Aires. We were busy until we departed and we are busy upon our return, but once we blocked off time for vacation, we stuck to it. we had a great time and came back refreshed and ready to go.
Whenever a day or two go unbooked during a normally busy time, we block them off. Often, as those days grow near and we have passed up opportunities to book them, we begin to look forward to a gauranteed break. It can even motivate us to work more beforehand.
One other thought about traveling is that we instantly have things in common with many of our guests, who seem happy to hear that we have been to the same places. We just had dinner in Buenos Aires with guests who had stayed with us in Hawaii just three weeks prior. By the way, Buenos Aires is a very inexpensive place to visit these days. Other guests look forward to the idea that their innkeeper hosts would want to look them up when they are passing through their home town. ETC.
I can't say with certainty that we will make our goal of 60 days this year, but we are going to try our best.

I am going to preface this by saying that I am not an innkeeper.
However, 60 days off seems very reasonable to me. If you were working a "regular" job, you'd have 52 weeks with 2 days off per year. 60 days off is only slightly more than 1/2 that. Whatever works for you is what works for you
.

Aloha Samster,
I can't imagine how you do that. We have four suites and a room manager who handles all the rooms. We are responsible for the rest. We did it all for the first year and a half but we knew that we had to have help, and that's with two of us as full time innkeepers.
I know that the bills have to be paid, but here is what we do.
We built a business plan that gives us 60 days of travel each year.At first blush, that seems like a lot, but when you consider the extra hours we put in without realizing it, it is actually a bit conservative. I have already blocked off time in June for the next getaway. This isn't luxury, this is essential!
This is a busy time in Hawaii, but we just returned from a 2 week vacation to Buenos Aires. We were busy until we departed and we are busy upon our return, but once we blocked off time for vacation, we stuck to it. we had a great time and came back refreshed and ready to go.
Whenever a day or two go unbooked during a normally busy time, we block them off. Often, as those days grow near and we have passed up opportunities to book them, we begin to look forward to a gauranteed break. It can even motivate us to work more beforehand.
One other thought about traveling is that we instantly have things in common with many of our guests, who seem happy to hear that we have been to the same places. We just had dinner in Buenos Aires with guests who had stayed with us in Hawaii just three weeks prior. By the way, Buenos Aires is a very inexpensive place to visit these days. Other guests look forward to the idea that their innkeeper hosts would want to look them up when they are passing through their home town. ETC.
I can't say with certainty that we will make our goal of 60 days this year, but we are going to try our best.

I am going to preface this by saying that I am not an innkeeper.
However, 60 days off seems very reasonable to me. If you were working a "regular" job, you'd have 52 weeks with 2 days off per year. 60 days off is only slightly more than 1/2 that. Whatever works for you is what works for you

Huh? How is 14 days (2 weeks) vacation equal to 60 (2 months/8 weeks)?
.

Wow, I feel and completely understand eacd and every one of you. We are not open in the winter but I am practically on my own during the season which starts in April. We have 6 rooms and as someone mentioned, I like it better when its all at once such as when the guest house gets reserved all at once.
How lucky are you to have a full house, wish that would happen to us more often although its CRAZY when you are full and then have guests arriving the next day. I feel you, I know that I don't get enough sleep, and I just have to breath and when I have one free day...I TAKE IT.
Sleep is a wonderful thing and naps...that is the thing to do. I am now in the process of getting ready for the season and spring cleaning...YAY!
I do love this job and sometimes it hairy and crazy but as April gets closer I get so EXCITED! that we are opening once again.

 

[Willowpondgj]

Samster - I'm really sorry .... it's a rude awakening and yes - it's tough.
Paperwork - HAH
Making ends meet - HAH HAH
IMVHO 6 rooms are too much for one person. I do 4 rooms by myself with a degree of sanity, however the regulars on this forum know that I have my breakdowns and will spend two days sobbing for no particular reason at the end of the season.
NOW don't get me wrong, I love love love what I do and have a tremendous amount of pride in it. Here's one thought that has helped me. When I get seriously pissed off or am doing something I really don't want to do I remember the daily, rewardless, slog of corporate. I did things that I hated on a daily / hourly basis but I did them because that was my JOB. The inherent rewards of what I do now are extraordinary ....
HOWEVER I go back to my original thought ..... 6 rooms by yourself are too much. Don't forget, ideally you're in here for the long haul which means taking on too much initially to get "the show on the road" but not not so much that you can't cope. It isn't a sign of weakness, it's an understanding of what any sane person can deal with..

IMVHO 6 rooms are too much for one person. I do 4 rooms by myself with a degree of sanity, however the regulars on this forum know that I have my breakdowns and will spend two days sobbing for no particular reason at the end of the season.

I agree... I have four rooms, and dh is a lot of help. I can't imagine six by myself, especially when some of them are suites.
The first innkeeper I ever talked to about innkeeping had six but only rented four as it was too much for her and her [grown, special needs, but able to help] daughter to do more.

NOW don't get me wrong, I love love love what I do and have a tremendous amount of pride in it. Here's one thought that has helped me. When I get seriously pissed off or am doing something I really don't want to do I remember the daily, rewardless, slog of corporate. I did things that I hated on a daily / hourly basis but I did them because that was my JOB. The inherent rewards of what I do now are extraordinary ....

I just read a fabulous book by Malcolm Gladwell (actually, all three of his books are fabulous) called "Outliers." A major theme that keeps recurring is the importance of meaningful work... work that is creative, autonomous, and produces a visible result. It's a grind to run this place, but it's my grind, done my way, and when things go well, people are pleased and the business grows. How could I want it any other way?
=)
Kk.
.

I haven't read a book in over 2 years! I don't know how you have the time. I also watch very little TV. Sigh....
I am multi-tasking now - eating lunch and checking in here
.

The only reason I have read a book, is because it's the last thing I do before going to bed every night. I try to read just one chapter before bed. Depending on the amount of physical pain I am in at the end of the day, this is sometimes the only way I can unwind enough to actually fall asleep.
I can totally relate to your feelings here, Samster. While I am looking forward to a busy season, I am dreading the exhaustion factor and the pain. I spent 2 months in PT after last summer. I am thinking of scheduling in a yoga class into my daily routine, to help keep up with the physical demands of innkeeping. It's sounds pathetic, I'm in my 30's, but innkeeping kicks butt! We are making a point to schedule routine days off, because I know I just can't do what we did last year. 180 days without a break. Not healthy. Being new, still in panic "are we gonna make it?" mode, you take everything you can and do everything you can.
Uugghh! Hang in there. I'll call you for a good cry in mid-June!

 

[Samster]

Samster - I'm really sorry .... it's a rude awakening and yes - it's tough.
Paperwork - HAH
Making ends meet - HAH HAH
IMVHO 6 rooms are too much for one person. I do 4 rooms by myself with a degree of sanity, however the regulars on this forum know that I have my breakdowns and will spend two days sobbing for no particular reason at the end of the season.
NOW don't get me wrong, I love love love what I do and have a tremendous amount of pride in it. Here's one thought that has helped me. When I get seriously pissed off or am doing something I really don't want to do I remember the daily, rewardless, slog of corporate. I did things that I hated on a daily / hourly basis but I did them because that was my JOB. The inherent rewards of what I do now are extraordinary ....
HOWEVER I go back to my original thought ..... 6 rooms by yourself are too much. Don't forget, ideally you're in here for the long haul which means taking on too much initially to get "the show on the road" but not not so much that you can't cope. It isn't a sign of weakness, it's an understanding of what any sane person can deal with..

IMVHO 6 rooms are too much for one person. I do 4 rooms by myself with a degree of sanity, however the regulars on this forum know that I have my breakdowns and will spend two days sobbing for no particular reason at the end of the season.

I agree... I have four rooms, and dh is a lot of help. I can't imagine six by myself, especially when some of them are suites.
The first innkeeper I ever talked to about innkeeping had six but only rented four as it was too much for her and her [grown, special needs, but able to help] daughter to do more.

NOW don't get me wrong, I love love love what I do and have a tremendous amount of pride in it. Here's one thought that has helped me. When I get seriously pissed off or am doing something I really don't want to do I remember the daily, rewardless, slog of corporate. I did things that I hated on a daily / hourly basis but I did them because that was my JOB. The inherent rewards of what I do now are extraordinary ....

I just read a fabulous book by Malcolm Gladwell (actually, all three of his books are fabulous) called "Outliers." A major theme that keeps recurring is the importance of meaningful work... work that is creative, autonomous, and produces a visible result. It's a grind to run this place, but it's my grind, done my way, and when things go well, people are pleased and the business grows. How could I want it any other way?
=)
Kk.
.

I haven't read a book in over 2 years! I don't know how you have the time. I also watch very little TV. Sigh....
I am multi-tasking now - eating lunch and checking in here
.

The only reason I have read a book, is because it's the last thing I do before going to bed every night. I try to read just one chapter before bed. Depending on the amount of physical pain I am in at the end of the day, this is sometimes the only way I can unwind enough to actually fall asleep.
I can totally relate to your feelings here, Samster. While I am looking forward to a busy season, I am dreading the exhaustion factor and the pain. I spent 2 months in PT after last summer. I am thinking of scheduling in a yoga class into my daily routine, to help keep up with the physical demands of innkeeping. It's sounds pathetic, I'm in my 30's, but innkeeping kicks butt! We are making a point to schedule routine days off, because I know I just can't do what we did last year. 180 days without a break. Not healthy. Being new, still in panic "are we gonna make it?" mode, you take everything you can and do everything you can.
Uugghh! Hang in there. I'll call you for a good cry in mid-June!

.

I'm better now after some down time & we've blocked some days out to get to some Spring maintenance - porch painting and yard work. Had guests last night & next ones check in Sunday night.
I actually took a 2 hour "rest" this afternoon - no nap, but put my feet up while doing computer work

 

[scrambled_eggs]

Samster - I'm really sorry .... it's a rude awakening and yes - it's tough.
Paperwork - HAH
Making ends meet - HAH HAH
IMVHO 6 rooms are too much for one person. I do 4 rooms by myself with a degree of sanity, however the regulars on this forum know that I have my breakdowns and will spend two days sobbing for no particular reason at the end of the season.
NOW don't get me wrong, I love love love what I do and have a tremendous amount of pride in it. Here's one thought that has helped me. When I get seriously pissed off or am doing something I really don't want to do I remember the daily, rewardless, slog of corporate. I did things that I hated on a daily / hourly basis but I did them because that was my JOB. The inherent rewards of what I do now are extraordinary ....
HOWEVER I go back to my original thought ..... 6 rooms by yourself are too much. Don't forget, ideally you're in here for the long haul which means taking on too much initially to get "the show on the road" but not not so much that you can't cope. It isn't a sign of weakness, it's an understanding of what any sane person can deal with..

IMVHO 6 rooms are too much for one person. I do 4 rooms by myself with a degree of sanity, however the regulars on this forum know that I have my breakdowns and will spend two days sobbing for no particular reason at the end of the season.

I agree... I have four rooms, and dh is a lot of help. I can't imagine six by myself, especially when some of them are suites.
The first innkeeper I ever talked to about innkeeping had six but only rented four as it was too much for her and her [grown, special needs, but able to help] daughter to do more.

NOW don't get me wrong, I love love love what I do and have a tremendous amount of pride in it. Here's one thought that has helped me. When I get seriously pissed off or am doing something I really don't want to do I remember the daily, rewardless, slog of corporate. I did things that I hated on a daily / hourly basis but I did them because that was my JOB. The inherent rewards of what I do now are extraordinary ....

I just read a fabulous book by Malcolm Gladwell (actually, all three of his books are fabulous) called "Outliers." A major theme that keeps recurring is the importance of meaningful work... work that is creative, autonomous, and produces a visible result. It's a grind to run this place, but it's my grind, done my way, and when things go well, people are pleased and the business grows. How could I want it any other way?
=)
Kk.
.

I haven't read a book in over 2 years! I don't know how you have the time. I also watch very little TV. Sigh....
I am multi-tasking now - eating lunch and checking in here
.

The only reason I have read a book, is because it's the last thing I do before going to bed every night. I try to read just one chapter before bed. Depending on the amount of physical pain I am in at the end of the day, this is sometimes the only way I can unwind enough to actually fall asleep.
I can totally relate to your feelings here, Samster. While I am looking forward to a busy season, I am dreading the exhaustion factor and the pain. I spent 2 months in PT after last summer. I am thinking of scheduling in a yoga class into my daily routine, to help keep up with the physical demands of innkeeping. It's sounds pathetic, I'm in my 30's, but innkeeping kicks butt! We are making a point to schedule routine days off, because I know I just can't do what we did last year. 180 days without a break. Not healthy. Being new, still in panic "are we gonna make it?" mode, you take everything you can and do everything you can.
Uugghh! Hang in there. I'll call you for a good cry in mid-June!

.

How many rooms do you have? I run a place with 4. I feel the same way as you. I worked 80 days in a row and probably and then had one day off and then I think I worked another 80 straight or something like that last year. I was pretty tired.

 

[Willowpondgj]

Samster - I'm really sorry .... it's a rude awakening and yes - it's tough.
Paperwork - HAH
Making ends meet - HAH HAH
IMVHO 6 rooms are too much for one person. I do 4 rooms by myself with a degree of sanity, however the regulars on this forum know that I have my breakdowns and will spend two days sobbing for no particular reason at the end of the season.
NOW don't get me wrong, I love love love what I do and have a tremendous amount of pride in it. Here's one thought that has helped me. When I get seriously pissed off or am doing something I really don't want to do I remember the daily, rewardless, slog of corporate. I did things that I hated on a daily / hourly basis but I did them because that was my JOB. The inherent rewards of what I do now are extraordinary ....
HOWEVER I go back to my original thought ..... 6 rooms by yourself are too much. Don't forget, ideally you're in here for the long haul which means taking on too much initially to get "the show on the road" but not not so much that you can't cope. It isn't a sign of weakness, it's an understanding of what any sane person can deal with..

IMVHO 6 rooms are too much for one person. I do 4 rooms by myself with a degree of sanity, however the regulars on this forum know that I have my breakdowns and will spend two days sobbing for no particular reason at the end of the season.

I agree... I have four rooms, and dh is a lot of help. I can't imagine six by myself, especially when some of them are suites.
The first innkeeper I ever talked to about innkeeping had six but only rented four as it was too much for her and her [grown, special needs, but able to help] daughter to do more.

NOW don't get me wrong, I love love love what I do and have a tremendous amount of pride in it. Here's one thought that has helped me. When I get seriously pissed off or am doing something I really don't want to do I remember the daily, rewardless, slog of corporate. I did things that I hated on a daily / hourly basis but I did them because that was my JOB. The inherent rewards of what I do now are extraordinary ....

I just read a fabulous book by Malcolm Gladwell (actually, all three of his books are fabulous) called "Outliers." A major theme that keeps recurring is the importance of meaningful work... work that is creative, autonomous, and produces a visible result. It's a grind to run this place, but it's my grind, done my way, and when things go well, people are pleased and the business grows. How could I want it any other way?
=)
Kk.
.

I haven't read a book in over 2 years! I don't know how you have the time. I also watch very little TV. Sigh....
I am multi-tasking now - eating lunch and checking in here
.

The only reason I have read a book, is because it's the last thing I do before going to bed every night. I try to read just one chapter before bed. Depending on the amount of physical pain I am in at the end of the day, this is sometimes the only way I can unwind enough to actually fall asleep.
I can totally relate to your feelings here, Samster. While I am looking forward to a busy season, I am dreading the exhaustion factor and the pain. I spent 2 months in PT after last summer. I am thinking of scheduling in a yoga class into my daily routine, to help keep up with the physical demands of innkeeping. It's sounds pathetic, I'm in my 30's, but innkeeping kicks butt! We are making a point to schedule routine days off, because I know I just can't do what we did last year. 180 days without a break. Not healthy. Being new, still in panic "are we gonna make it?" mode, you take everything you can and do everything you can.
Uugghh! Hang in there. I'll call you for a good cry in mid-June!

.

How many rooms do you have? I run a place with 4. I feel the same way as you. I worked 80 days in a row and probably and then had one day off and then I think I worked another 80 straight or something like that last year. I was pretty tired.
.

We have 3, but we can accommodate up to 10 in those three rooms (2 rooms can take up to 4), with one nighters, it can be 10 beds a day...Often the case with families and biking groups...And we do weddings...Wouldn't be so bad, but with 2 school age kids at home and chronic pain issues, it compounds the exhaustion factor. Having to keep a good front helps though, makes you psych yourself out of the wanting to crawl in a hole! WAAhhhhhh!

 

[Morticia]

Samster - I'm really sorry .... it's a rude awakening and yes - it's tough.
Paperwork - HAH
Making ends meet - HAH HAH
IMVHO 6 rooms are too much for one person. I do 4 rooms by myself with a degree of sanity, however the regulars on this forum know that I have my breakdowns and will spend two days sobbing for no particular reason at the end of the season.
NOW don't get me wrong, I love love love what I do and have a tremendous amount of pride in it. Here's one thought that has helped me. When I get seriously pissed off or am doing something I really don't want to do I remember the daily, rewardless, slog of corporate. I did things that I hated on a daily / hourly basis but I did them because that was my JOB. The inherent rewards of what I do now are extraordinary ....
HOWEVER I go back to my original thought ..... 6 rooms by yourself are too much. Don't forget, ideally you're in here for the long haul which means taking on too much initially to get "the show on the road" but not not so much that you can't cope. It isn't a sign of weakness, it's an understanding of what any sane person can deal with..

IMVHO 6 rooms are too much for one person. I do 4 rooms by myself with a degree of sanity, however the regulars on this forum know that I have my breakdowns and will spend two days sobbing for no particular reason at the end of the season.

I agree... I have four rooms, and dh is a lot of help. I can't imagine six by myself, especially when some of them are suites.
The first innkeeper I ever talked to about innkeeping had six but only rented four as it was too much for her and her [grown, special needs, but able to help] daughter to do more.

NOW don't get me wrong, I love love love what I do and have a tremendous amount of pride in it. Here's one thought that has helped me. When I get seriously pissed off or am doing something I really don't want to do I remember the daily, rewardless, slog of corporate. I did things that I hated on a daily / hourly basis but I did them because that was my JOB. The inherent rewards of what I do now are extraordinary ....

I just read a fabulous book by Malcolm Gladwell (actually, all three of his books are fabulous) called "Outliers." A major theme that keeps recurring is the importance of meaningful work... work that is creative, autonomous, and produces a visible result. It's a grind to run this place, but it's my grind, done my way, and when things go well, people are pleased and the business grows. How could I want it any other way?
=)
Kk.
.

I haven't read a book in over 2 years! I don't know how you have the time. I also watch very little TV. Sigh....
I am multi-tasking now - eating lunch and checking in here
.

The only reason I have read a book, is because it's the last thing I do before going to bed every night. I try to read just one chapter before bed. Depending on the amount of physical pain I am in at the end of the day, this is sometimes the only way I can unwind enough to actually fall asleep.
I can totally relate to your feelings here, Samster. While I am looking forward to a busy season, I am dreading the exhaustion factor and the pain. I spent 2 months in PT after last summer. I am thinking of scheduling in a yoga class into my daily routine, to help keep up with the physical demands of innkeeping. It's sounds pathetic, I'm in my 30's, but innkeeping kicks butt! We are making a point to schedule routine days off, because I know I just can't do what we did last year. 180 days without a break. Not healthy. Being new, still in panic "are we gonna make it?" mode, you take everything you can and do everything you can.
Uugghh! Hang in there. I'll call you for a good cry in mid-June!

.

How many rooms do you have? I run a place with 4. I feel the same way as you. I worked 80 days in a row and probably and then had one day off and then I think I worked another 80 straight or something like that last year. I was pretty tired.
.

We have 3, but we can accommodate up to 10 in those three rooms (2 rooms can take up to 4), with one nighters, it can be 10 beds a day...Often the case with families and biking groups...And we do weddings...Wouldn't be so bad, but with 2 school age kids at home and chronic pain issues, it compounds the exhaustion factor. Having to keep a good front helps though, makes you psych yourself out of the wanting to crawl in a hole! WAAhhhhhh!

.

Yikes! 10 beds in 3 rooms! That's a lot of manoeuvring! I have 11 beds in 7 rooms and that's plenty! We do the rooms in a sequence and when I get to the last room I pray they only used 1 of the beds. By that time, I'm beat and those mattresses weigh a ton.
Hubs usually gets into the rooms first. If they used two beds, he'll yell to me, 'They didn't like each other,' which is our code for couples who use both beds. That way I know how many sheet sets to bring with me.

 

[JunieBJones (JBJ)]

Samster - I'm really sorry .... it's a rude awakening and yes - it's tough.
Paperwork - HAH
Making ends meet - HAH HAH
IMVHO 6 rooms are too much for one person. I do 4 rooms by myself with a degree of sanity, however the regulars on this forum know that I have my breakdowns and will spend two days sobbing for no particular reason at the end of the season.
NOW don't get me wrong, I love love love what I do and have a tremendous amount of pride in it. Here's one thought that has helped me. When I get seriously pissed off or am doing something I really don't want to do I remember the daily, rewardless, slog of corporate. I did things that I hated on a daily / hourly basis but I did them because that was my JOB. The inherent rewards of what I do now are extraordinary ....
HOWEVER I go back to my original thought ..... 6 rooms by yourself are too much. Don't forget, ideally you're in here for the long haul which means taking on too much initially to get "the show on the road" but not not so much that you can't cope. It isn't a sign of weakness, it's an understanding of what any sane person can deal with..

IMVHO 6 rooms are too much for one person. I do 4 rooms by myself with a degree of sanity, however the regulars on this forum know that I have my breakdowns and will spend two days sobbing for no particular reason at the end of the season.

I agree... I have four rooms, and dh is a lot of help. I can't imagine six by myself, especially when some of them are suites.
The first innkeeper I ever talked to about innkeeping had six but only rented four as it was too much for her and her [grown, special needs, but able to help] daughter to do more.

NOW don't get me wrong, I love love love what I do and have a tremendous amount of pride in it. Here's one thought that has helped me. When I get seriously pissed off or am doing something I really don't want to do I remember the daily, rewardless, slog of corporate. I did things that I hated on a daily / hourly basis but I did them because that was my JOB. The inherent rewards of what I do now are extraordinary ....

I just read a fabulous book by Malcolm Gladwell (actually, all three of his books are fabulous) called "Outliers." A major theme that keeps recurring is the importance of meaningful work... work that is creative, autonomous, and produces a visible result. It's a grind to run this place, but it's my grind, done my way, and when things go well, people are pleased and the business grows. How could I want it any other way?
=)
Kk.
.

I haven't read a book in over 2 years! I don't know how you have the time. I also watch very little TV. Sigh....
I am multi-tasking now - eating lunch and checking in here
.

The only reason I have read a book, is because it's the last thing I do before going to bed every night. I try to read just one chapter before bed. Depending on the amount of physical pain I am in at the end of the day, this is sometimes the only way I can unwind enough to actually fall asleep.
I can totally relate to your feelings here, Samster. While I am looking forward to a busy season, I am dreading the exhaustion factor and the pain. I spent 2 months in PT after last summer. I am thinking of scheduling in a yoga class into my daily routine, to help keep up with the physical demands of innkeeping. It's sounds pathetic, I'm in my 30's, but innkeeping kicks butt! We are making a point to schedule routine days off, because I know I just can't do what we did last year. 180 days without a break. Not healthy. Being new, still in panic "are we gonna make it?" mode, you take everything you can and do everything you can.
Uugghh! Hang in there. I'll call you for a good cry in mid-June!

.

How many rooms do you have? I run a place with 4. I feel the same way as you. I worked 80 days in a row and probably and then had one day off and then I think I worked another 80 straight or something like that last year. I was pretty tired.
.

We have 3, but we can accommodate up to 10 in those three rooms (2 rooms can take up to 4), with one nighters, it can be 10 beds a day...Often the case with families and biking groups...And we do weddings...Wouldn't be so bad, but with 2 school age kids at home and chronic pain issues, it compounds the exhaustion factor. Having to keep a good front helps though, makes you psych yourself out of the wanting to crawl in a hole! WAAhhhhhh!

.

Yikes! 10 beds in 3 rooms! That's a lot of manoeuvring! I have 11 beds in 7 rooms and that's plenty! We do the rooms in a sequence and when I get to the last room I pray they only used 1 of the beds. By that time, I'm beat and those mattresses weigh a ton.
Hubs usually gets into the rooms first. If they used two beds, he'll yell to me, 'They didn't like each other,' which is our code for couples who use both beds. That way I know how many sheet sets to bring with me.
.

Yikes! 10 beds in 3 rooms! That's a lot of manoeuvring! I have 11 beds in 7 rooms and that's plenty! We do the rooms in a sequence and when I get to the last room I pray they only used 1 of the beds. By that time, I'm beat and those mattresses weigh a ton.
Hubs usually gets into the rooms first. If they used two beds, he'll yell to me, 'They didn't like each other,' which is our code for couples who use both beds. That way I know how many sheet sets to bring with me.

Bree, maybe they liked each other VERY much.

 

[Morticia]

Samster - I'm really sorry .... it's a rude awakening and yes - it's tough.
Paperwork - HAH
Making ends meet - HAH HAH
IMVHO 6 rooms are too much for one person. I do 4 rooms by myself with a degree of sanity, however the regulars on this forum know that I have my breakdowns and will spend two days sobbing for no particular reason at the end of the season.
NOW don't get me wrong, I love love love what I do and have a tremendous amount of pride in it. Here's one thought that has helped me. When I get seriously pissed off or am doing something I really don't want to do I remember the daily, rewardless, slog of corporate. I did things that I hated on a daily / hourly basis but I did them because that was my JOB. The inherent rewards of what I do now are extraordinary ....
HOWEVER I go back to my original thought ..... 6 rooms by yourself are too much. Don't forget, ideally you're in here for the long haul which means taking on too much initially to get "the show on the road" but not not so much that you can't cope. It isn't a sign of weakness, it's an understanding of what any sane person can deal with..

IMVHO 6 rooms are too much for one person. I do 4 rooms by myself with a degree of sanity, however the regulars on this forum know that I have my breakdowns and will spend two days sobbing for no particular reason at the end of the season.

I agree... I have four rooms, and dh is a lot of help. I can't imagine six by myself, especially when some of them are suites.
The first innkeeper I ever talked to about innkeeping had six but only rented four as it was too much for her and her [grown, special needs, but able to help] daughter to do more.

NOW don't get me wrong, I love love love what I do and have a tremendous amount of pride in it. Here's one thought that has helped me. When I get seriously pissed off or am doing something I really don't want to do I remember the daily, rewardless, slog of corporate. I did things that I hated on a daily / hourly basis but I did them because that was my JOB. The inherent rewards of what I do now are extraordinary ....

I just read a fabulous book by Malcolm Gladwell (actually, all three of his books are fabulous) called "Outliers." A major theme that keeps recurring is the importance of meaningful work... work that is creative, autonomous, and produces a visible result. It's a grind to run this place, but it's my grind, done my way, and when things go well, people are pleased and the business grows. How could I want it any other way?
=)
Kk.
.

I haven't read a book in over 2 years! I don't know how you have the time. I also watch very little TV. Sigh....
I am multi-tasking now - eating lunch and checking in here
.

The only reason I have read a book, is because it's the last thing I do before going to bed every night. I try to read just one chapter before bed. Depending on the amount of physical pain I am in at the end of the day, this is sometimes the only way I can unwind enough to actually fall asleep.
I can totally relate to your feelings here, Samster. While I am looking forward to a busy season, I am dreading the exhaustion factor and the pain. I spent 2 months in PT after last summer. I am thinking of scheduling in a yoga class into my daily routine, to help keep up with the physical demands of innkeeping. It's sounds pathetic, I'm in my 30's, but innkeeping kicks butt! We are making a point to schedule routine days off, because I know I just can't do what we did last year. 180 days without a break. Not healthy. Being new, still in panic "are we gonna make it?" mode, you take everything you can and do everything you can.
Uugghh! Hang in there. I'll call you for a good cry in mid-June!

.

How many rooms do you have? I run a place with 4. I feel the same way as you. I worked 80 days in a row and probably and then had one day off and then I think I worked another 80 straight or something like that last year. I was pretty tired.
.

We have 3, but we can accommodate up to 10 in those three rooms (2 rooms can take up to 4), with one nighters, it can be 10 beds a day...Often the case with families and biking groups...And we do weddings...Wouldn't be so bad, but with 2 school age kids at home and chronic pain issues, it compounds the exhaustion factor. Having to keep a good front helps though, makes you psych yourself out of the wanting to crawl in a hole! WAAhhhhhh!

.

Yikes! 10 beds in 3 rooms! That's a lot of manoeuvring! I have 11 beds in 7 rooms and that's plenty! We do the rooms in a sequence and when I get to the last room I pray they only used 1 of the beds. By that time, I'm beat and those mattresses weigh a ton.
Hubs usually gets into the rooms first. If they used two beds, he'll yell to me, 'They didn't like each other,' which is our code for couples who use both beds. That way I know how many sheet sets to bring with me.
.

Yikes! 10 beds in 3 rooms! That's a lot of manoeuvring! I have 11 beds in 7 rooms and that's plenty! We do the rooms in a sequence and when I get to the last room I pray they only used 1 of the beds. By that time, I'm beat and those mattresses weigh a ton.
Hubs usually gets into the rooms first. If they used two beds, he'll yell to me, 'They didn't like each other,' which is our code for couples who use both beds. That way I know how many sheet sets to bring with me.

Bree, maybe they liked each other VERY much.

.

Yikes! 10 beds in 3 rooms! That's a lot of manoeuvring! I have 11 beds in 7 rooms and that's plenty! We do the rooms in a sequence and when I get to the last room I pray they only used 1 of the beds. By that time, I'm beat and those mattresses weigh a ton.
Hubs usually gets into the rooms first. If they used two beds, he'll yell to me, 'They didn't like each other,' which is our code for couples who use both beds. That way I know how many sheet sets to bring with me.

Bree, maybe they liked each other VERY much.

That's what my son says...

 

[Willowpondgj]

Samster - I'm really sorry .... it's a rude awakening and yes - it's tough.
Paperwork - HAH
Making ends meet - HAH HAH
IMVHO 6 rooms are too much for one person. I do 4 rooms by myself with a degree of sanity, however the regulars on this forum know that I have my breakdowns and will spend two days sobbing for no particular reason at the end of the season.
NOW don't get me wrong, I love love love what I do and have a tremendous amount of pride in it. Here's one thought that has helped me. When I get seriously pissed off or am doing something I really don't want to do I remember the daily, rewardless, slog of corporate. I did things that I hated on a daily / hourly basis but I did them because that was my JOB. The inherent rewards of what I do now are extraordinary ....
HOWEVER I go back to my original thought ..... 6 rooms by yourself are too much. Don't forget, ideally you're in here for the long haul which means taking on too much initially to get "the show on the road" but not not so much that you can't cope. It isn't a sign of weakness, it's an understanding of what any sane person can deal with..

IMVHO 6 rooms are too much for one person. I do 4 rooms by myself with a degree of sanity, however the regulars on this forum know that I have my breakdowns and will spend two days sobbing for no particular reason at the end of the season.

I agree... I have four rooms, and dh is a lot of help. I can't imagine six by myself, especially when some of them are suites.
The first innkeeper I ever talked to about innkeeping had six but only rented four as it was too much for her and her [grown, special needs, but able to help] daughter to do more.

NOW don't get me wrong, I love love love what I do and have a tremendous amount of pride in it. Here's one thought that has helped me. When I get seriously pissed off or am doing something I really don't want to do I remember the daily, rewardless, slog of corporate. I did things that I hated on a daily / hourly basis but I did them because that was my JOB. The inherent rewards of what I do now are extraordinary ....

I just read a fabulous book by Malcolm Gladwell (actually, all three of his books are fabulous) called "Outliers." A major theme that keeps recurring is the importance of meaningful work... work that is creative, autonomous, and produces a visible result. It's a grind to run this place, but it's my grind, done my way, and when things go well, people are pleased and the business grows. How could I want it any other way?
=)
Kk.
.

I haven't read a book in over 2 years! I don't know how you have the time. I also watch very little TV. Sigh....
I am multi-tasking now - eating lunch and checking in here
.

The only reason I have read a book, is because it's the last thing I do before going to bed every night. I try to read just one chapter before bed. Depending on the amount of physical pain I am in at the end of the day, this is sometimes the only way I can unwind enough to actually fall asleep.
I can totally relate to your feelings here, Samster. While I am looking forward to a busy season, I am dreading the exhaustion factor and the pain. I spent 2 months in PT after last summer. I am thinking of scheduling in a yoga class into my daily routine, to help keep up with the physical demands of innkeeping. It's sounds pathetic, I'm in my 30's, but innkeeping kicks butt! We are making a point to schedule routine days off, because I know I just can't do what we did last year. 180 days without a break. Not healthy. Being new, still in panic "are we gonna make it?" mode, you take everything you can and do everything you can.
Uugghh! Hang in there. I'll call you for a good cry in mid-June!

.

How many rooms do you have? I run a place with 4. I feel the same way as you. I worked 80 days in a row and probably and then had one day off and then I think I worked another 80 straight or something like that last year. I was pretty tired.
.

We have 3, but we can accommodate up to 10 in those three rooms (2 rooms can take up to 4), with one nighters, it can be 10 beds a day...Often the case with families and biking groups...And we do weddings...Wouldn't be so bad, but with 2 school age kids at home and chronic pain issues, it compounds the exhaustion factor. Having to keep a good front helps though, makes you psych yourself out of the wanting to crawl in a hole! WAAhhhhhh!

.

Yikes! 10 beds in 3 rooms! That's a lot of manoeuvring! I have 11 beds in 7 rooms and that's plenty! We do the rooms in a sequence and when I get to the last room I pray they only used 1 of the beds. By that time, I'm beat and those mattresses weigh a ton.
Hubs usually gets into the rooms first. If they used two beds, he'll yell to me, 'They didn't like each other,' which is our code for couples who use both beds. That way I know how many sheet sets to bring with me.
.

I miss-typed/spoke, it's only 7 beds, but can be ten persons. One room has a King and two built in bunks, the other big room has a King and a daybed with trundle...small room has a Queen. Top bunk is a beast to make up!

 

[Morticia]

Samster - I'm really sorry .... it's a rude awakening and yes - it's tough.
Paperwork - HAH
Making ends meet - HAH HAH
IMVHO 6 rooms are too much for one person. I do 4 rooms by myself with a degree of sanity, however the regulars on this forum know that I have my breakdowns and will spend two days sobbing for no particular reason at the end of the season.
NOW don't get me wrong, I love love love what I do and have a tremendous amount of pride in it. Here's one thought that has helped me. When I get seriously pissed off or am doing something I really don't want to do I remember the daily, rewardless, slog of corporate. I did things that I hated on a daily / hourly basis but I did them because that was my JOB. The inherent rewards of what I do now are extraordinary ....
HOWEVER I go back to my original thought ..... 6 rooms by yourself are too much. Don't forget, ideally you're in here for the long haul which means taking on too much initially to get "the show on the road" but not not so much that you can't cope. It isn't a sign of weakness, it's an understanding of what any sane person can deal with..

IMVHO 6 rooms are too much for one person. I do 4 rooms by myself with a degree of sanity, however the regulars on this forum know that I have my breakdowns and will spend two days sobbing for no particular reason at the end of the season.

I agree... I have four rooms, and dh is a lot of help. I can't imagine six by myself, especially when some of them are suites.
The first innkeeper I ever talked to about innkeeping had six but only rented four as it was too much for her and her [grown, special needs, but able to help] daughter to do more.

NOW don't get me wrong, I love love love what I do and have a tremendous amount of pride in it. Here's one thought that has helped me. When I get seriously pissed off or am doing something I really don't want to do I remember the daily, rewardless, slog of corporate. I did things that I hated on a daily / hourly basis but I did them because that was my JOB. The inherent rewards of what I do now are extraordinary ....

I just read a fabulous book by Malcolm Gladwell (actually, all three of his books are fabulous) called "Outliers." A major theme that keeps recurring is the importance of meaningful work... work that is creative, autonomous, and produces a visible result. It's a grind to run this place, but it's my grind, done my way, and when things go well, people are pleased and the business grows. How could I want it any other way?
=)
Kk.
.

I haven't read a book in over 2 years! I don't know how you have the time. I also watch very little TV. Sigh....
I am multi-tasking now - eating lunch and checking in here
.

The only reason I have read a book, is because it's the last thing I do before going to bed every night. I try to read just one chapter before bed. Depending on the amount of physical pain I am in at the end of the day, this is sometimes the only way I can unwind enough to actually fall asleep.
I can totally relate to your feelings here, Samster. While I am looking forward to a busy season, I am dreading the exhaustion factor and the pain. I spent 2 months in PT after last summer. I am thinking of scheduling in a yoga class into my daily routine, to help keep up with the physical demands of innkeeping. It's sounds pathetic, I'm in my 30's, but innkeeping kicks butt! We are making a point to schedule routine days off, because I know I just can't do what we did last year. 180 days without a break. Not healthy. Being new, still in panic "are we gonna make it?" mode, you take everything you can and do everything you can.
Uugghh! Hang in there. I'll call you for a good cry in mid-June!

.

How many rooms do you have? I run a place with 4. I feel the same way as you. I worked 80 days in a row and probably and then had one day off and then I think I worked another 80 straight or something like that last year. I was pretty tired.
.

We have 3, but we can accommodate up to 10 in those three rooms (2 rooms can take up to 4), with one nighters, it can be 10 beds a day...Often the case with families and biking groups...And we do weddings...Wouldn't be so bad, but with 2 school age kids at home and chronic pain issues, it compounds the exhaustion factor. Having to keep a good front helps though, makes you psych yourself out of the wanting to crawl in a hole! WAAhhhhhh!

.

Yikes! 10 beds in 3 rooms! That's a lot of manoeuvring! I have 11 beds in 7 rooms and that's plenty! We do the rooms in a sequence and when I get to the last room I pray they only used 1 of the beds. By that time, I'm beat and those mattresses weigh a ton.
Hubs usually gets into the rooms first. If they used two beds, he'll yell to me, 'They didn't like each other,' which is our code for couples who use both beds. That way I know how many sheet sets to bring with me.
.

I miss-typed/spoke, it's only 7 beds, but can be ten persons. One room has a King and two built in bunks, the other big room has a King and a daybed with trundle...small room has a Queen. Top bunk is a beast to make up!
.

I miss-typed/spoke, it's only 7 beds, but can be ten persons. One room has a King and two built in bunks, the other big room has a King and a daybed with trundle...small room has a Queen. Top bunk is a beast to make up!

I can't imagine doing the top bunk. Ugh! We can have 19 with our 11 beds. That's a lot of people! And then you have the ones that want to put 5-6 in ONE room. No thanks.