Friends & Family

[rrh]

We are into our 3rd week of actual operation of the inn and I have to offer a piece of advice to aspirings: Make sure your family and friends know that you are going to be operating a business and life with you will not be as it has been in the past.
Lay out the rules - at ours, no kids under 10 means our nephews and nieces too - sorry siblings, we'll just have to plan our visits differently.
Sorry Mom - that we can't come spend the weekends in the summer even though you did all that remodeling to accomodate everybody.
Friends - we cannot talk ONLY to you at breakfast and you are not really being helpful with your efforts to help us clean and wash so you can chat with us. - I'm thinking we will tell f&fs that we will be able to sit down with them about 2:00 and that they should get out and enjoy the surroundings until then....

 

[Morticia]

This is probably the hardest adaptation F&F will have to make! We've had familial disasters here. Thankfully, friends understand and they don't try to get in for free or to monopolize our time. We tell them what you did, get out and enjoy the day and we'll catch up with you when the rooms are clean. Then we set a time for dinner as well.

 

[NW BB]

Yes, this is a difficult one for friends and family. Good for you for being upfront with your F&Fs. When we bought our inn 8 years ago, we moved out of state and had no family or friends in our new area, so any time we saw our F&Fs they came to us. Before we moved, we made a blanket statement to all friends and family "If you stay in the inn, you pay, if you stay in our small twin bed or sofa in our separate innkeepers house, it's free". Boy, was that difficult! And yes, we really did make our family pay. Even though we bought a turn key, those first few years as we were building our business was difficult. Over the years we've definitely loosened up on charging, but still, if they come during our busy season, they need to pay. It's a tough one to not feel guilty about. We always pay to take them to a really nice dinner where we can get away from the inn and enjoy one on one time.
My suggestion to aspirings is that you make it clear to your F&Fs whatever your policy is before you open your doors, and to treat all your F&F equally. By charging one and not the other, you can create problems you don't need.

 

[JunieBJones (JBJ)]

I disagree NWBB. Of course depends on each situation, but I would NEVER charge my Grandmother who will not be around much longer to stay in one of my rooms! Sheesh in fact I was so proud to have her come out and visit and see what I have here. Her mother ran a boarding house during the Great Depresion and it made her so proud of me and I need that! (She is not that much of an encourager - to put it nicely)
I would never charge anyone I love to stay here. No matter what the LAWS are for allowing rooms for personal use vs business use (I know this topic will come up next).
I do not have many close relatives - and when we bought a few far and wide heard who were very interested in the Civil War - but we never heard from them. I would give them a BOGO or something. Still a good deal.
Now my Mother and Grandmother came out when we were fully booked and I actually had to put them up at a friends house. They totally understood.
Life is too short - love em while you have em. (Or send em to a motel 6 if you don't like em) LOL!

 

[Copperhead]

Good thing to start off on the right foot here. It is hard to tell those you hold so dear to your heart that things are not going to be the same. They will understand.
All of our families - both sides, are out of state. We were fortunate to have the layout where we have a family guest room, this is not the norm and shouldn't be. Remember that every space NOT rentable is overhead. So I am not recommending this at all. We had a limit of how many guest rooms we could have, and thus this room was left and it has worked out to our benefit.

 

[NW BB]

I disagree NWBB. Of course depends on each situation, but I would NEVER charge my Grandmother who will not be around much longer to stay in one of my rooms! Sheesh in fact I was so proud to have her come out and visit and see what I have here. Her mother ran a boarding house during the Great Depresion and it made her so proud of me and I need that! (She is not that much of an encourager - to put it nicely)
I would never charge anyone I love to stay here. No matter what the LAWS are for allowing rooms for personal use vs business use (I know this topic will come up next).
I do not have many close relatives - and when we bought a few far and wide heard who were very interested in the Civil War - but we never heard from them. I would give them a BOGO or something. Still a good deal.
Now my Mother and Grandmother came out when we were fully booked and I actually had to put them up at a friends house. They totally understood.
Life is too short - love em while you have em. (Or send em to a motel 6 if you don't like em) LOL!.

Grandma could have stayed in my house. I've also payed for family to stay at a motel nearby when we've been full. We also gave a family discount. Now that we are established and doing well, we are much more flexible. But in those early years we needed all the income we could get. Our family wanted to get out of the heat of FL in the summer and enjoy the beautiful summer weather we have here. That's our peak season and back then could not afford taking 1 or 2 rooms off the books for a week when it would have been rented every night.
We all have different ways we want to go about it, but really, the most important is what each innkeeper decides is best for themselves. I think the OPs point is a good one. As an aspiring innkeeper you need to think about how you are going to handle it when you get your own place.

 

[Morticia]

I disagree NWBB. Of course depends on each situation, but I would NEVER charge my Grandmother who will not be around much longer to stay in one of my rooms! Sheesh in fact I was so proud to have her come out and visit and see what I have here. Her mother ran a boarding house during the Great Depresion and it made her so proud of me and I need that! (She is not that much of an encourager - to put it nicely)
I would never charge anyone I love to stay here. No matter what the LAWS are for allowing rooms for personal use vs business use (I know this topic will come up next).
I do not have many close relatives - and when we bought a few far and wide heard who were very interested in the Civil War - but we never heard from them. I would give them a BOGO or something. Still a good deal.
Now my Mother and Grandmother came out when we were fully booked and I actually had to put them up at a friends house. They totally understood.
Life is too short - love em while you have em. (Or send em to a motel 6 if you don't like em) LOL!.

Grandma could have stayed in my house. I've also payed for family to stay at a motel nearby when we've been full. We also gave a family discount. Now that we are established and doing well, we are much more flexible. But in those early years we needed all the income we could get. Our family wanted to get out of the heat of FL in the summer and enjoy the beautiful summer weather we have here. That's our peak season and back then could not afford taking 1 or 2 rooms off the books for a week when it would have been rented every night.
We all have different ways we want to go about it, but really, the most important is what each innkeeper decides is best for themselves. I think the OPs point is a good one. As an aspiring innkeeper you need to think about how you are going to handle it when you get your own place.
.

We've been lucky...between us we have 9 brothers & sisters and none of them have wanted to come in season. And only my brother has ever been here to stay. Once I had to put him up elsewhere because we were just too busy to have family 'in the house' while we are working. (ONE bathroom for 6 people doesn't work when 2 of them need to 'go to work'.)
I let him pay for the lodging elsewhere and he's never let me forget it.
Daughter stayed elsewhere as well as we were too busy to have her and g-kid here. We paid for that. I mean we paid for the room, not we 'paid' for that in the other sense!
Other daughter stayed here and g-son threw a fit and I threw them out. That's when things get ugly.

 

[MTLLodge]

I disagree NWBB. Of course depends on each situation, but I would NEVER charge my Grandmother who will not be around much longer to stay in one of my rooms! Sheesh in fact I was so proud to have her come out and visit and see what I have here. Her mother ran a boarding house during the Great Depresion and it made her so proud of me and I need that! (She is not that much of an encourager - to put it nicely)
I would never charge anyone I love to stay here. No matter what the LAWS are for allowing rooms for personal use vs business use (I know this topic will come up next).
I do not have many close relatives - and when we bought a few far and wide heard who were very interested in the Civil War - but we never heard from them. I would give them a BOGO or something. Still a good deal.
Now my Mother and Grandmother came out when we were fully booked and I actually had to put them up at a friends house. They totally understood.
Life is too short - love em while you have em. (Or send em to a motel 6 if you don't like em) LOL!.

Life is too short - love em while you have em. (Or send em to a motel 6 if you don't like em) LOL!

That is too funny!

 

[egoodell]

You could always explain to family that if they stay in any guest room the IRS will not let you use that room for a business write off for one year.
I'm told the way they catch you on an audit is to say, "What a nice place! I bet your family likes to stay here all the time."
That's why my walk out basement is not part of my B&B, nor is my loft apartment upstairs. I can easily show them where family stays when they air mattress bed in either area.
Riki

 

[gillumhouse]

Oldest son was put up in the local motel with his family the first night of one visit because we were full and we paid for the room. Since then a couple of our kids prefer to stay at hotels rather than here. One is coming in March and her excuse is they want the pool for the girls. DH says great! Works for him. Shen found out her sister is coming in May to work on the house so she has also asked about projects. Yeehaa!
When family or VERY special friends come, I add $1 per night to my revenue stream so I have charged for the room. It is my understanding we have to charge for the room, we are not being told how much to charge.
I am having a harder time now having empty rooms when family comes. As a start-up I had more empty than full rooms. Now I have to block off when they are coming.

 

[sgoulding]

I don't have an inn yet and I appreciate all of the advice on this topic. I certainly don't plan to allow F&F to book rooms that I probably will be able to sell during peak times, plus I hope to have a guest room in my personal quarters. About charging, however, one idea I've been toying with but haven't come up with a "policy" on is this: "If you've bothered to come visit me when I didn't have a B&B then I won't charge you. If, after 10 years of me having moved far from you, you suddenly decide it's worth it to come (usually) all the way across the country to see me at my B&B, then we'll have to see how busy we are, and here is my policy on that...." Thoughts?

 

[JunieBJones (JBJ)]

I don't have an inn yet and I appreciate all of the advice on this topic. I certainly don't plan to allow F&F to book rooms that I probably will be able to sell during peak times, plus I hope to have a guest room in my personal quarters. About charging, however, one idea I've been toying with but haven't come up with a "policy" on is this: "If you've bothered to come visit me when I didn't have a B&B then I won't charge you. If, after 10 years of me having moved far from you, you suddenly decide it's worth it to come (usually) all the way across the country to see me at my B&B, then we'll have to see how busy we are, and here is my policy on that...." Thoughts?.

I don't have an inn yet and I appreciate all of the advice on this topic. I certainly don't plan to allow F&F to book rooms that I probably will be able to sell during peak times, plus I hope to have a guest room in my personal quarters. About charging, however, one idea I've been toying with but haven't come up with a "policy" on is this: "If you've bothered to come visit me when I didn't have a B&B then I won't charge you. If, after 10 years of me having moved far from you, you suddenly decide it's worth it to come (usually) all the way across the country to see me at my B&B, then we'll have to see how busy we are, and here is my policy on that...." Thoughts?

I like it!
When we lived in the NW we had two rooms set up for F&F and they rarely were used. I actually sat down and figured out the square footage COST per room and thought, what the! I could put every relative up at a luxury B&B every visit and save a ton of money!
The thing is, having a spare room in the owner's quarters is not what they want, they want to stay in a B&B!
The part I really enjoy is that MOST of these relatives (and there haven't been many at all, I will add) have never ever been to a B&B, so I WANT to impress them! I want them to see WHY people pay to stay here.
Why? Because they just don't get it. My own father says "Why would someone pay that sort of money, it's just a bed." ARGHHHH!!!!! He is the worst, and he sees what we do and what we give. His idea of lodging is a roadside motel enroute somewhere, a moto-lodge noless, nothing is worth more than $50 to him. UGH! I am still in the brain-washing, ahem, re-educating phase with my Dad.

 

[sgoulding]

I don't have an inn yet and I appreciate all of the advice on this topic. I certainly don't plan to allow F&F to book rooms that I probably will be able to sell during peak times, plus I hope to have a guest room in my personal quarters. About charging, however, one idea I've been toying with but haven't come up with a "policy" on is this: "If you've bothered to come visit me when I didn't have a B&B then I won't charge you. If, after 10 years of me having moved far from you, you suddenly decide it's worth it to come (usually) all the way across the country to see me at my B&B, then we'll have to see how busy we are, and here is my policy on that...." Thoughts?.

I don't have an inn yet and I appreciate all of the advice on this topic. I certainly don't plan to allow F&F to book rooms that I probably will be able to sell during peak times, plus I hope to have a guest room in my personal quarters. About charging, however, one idea I've been toying with but haven't come up with a "policy" on is this: "If you've bothered to come visit me when I didn't have a B&B then I won't charge you. If, after 10 years of me having moved far from you, you suddenly decide it's worth it to come (usually) all the way across the country to see me at my B&B, then we'll have to see how busy we are, and here is my policy on that...." Thoughts?

I like it!
When we lived in the NW we had two rooms set up for F&F and they rarely were used. I actually sat down and figured out the square footage COST per room and thought, what the! I could put every relative up at a luxury B&B every visit and save a ton of money!
The thing is, having a spare room in the owner's quarters is not what they want, they want to stay in a B&B!
The part I really enjoy is that MOST of these relatives (and there haven't been many at all, I will add) have never ever been to a B&B, so I WANT to impress them! I want them to see WHY people pay to stay here.
Why? Because they just don't get it. My own father says "Why would someone pay that sort of money, it's just a bed." ARGHHHH!!!!! He is the worst, and he sees what we do and what we give. His idea of lodging is a roadside motel enroute somewhere, a moto-lodge noless, nothing is worth more than $50 to him. UGH! I am still in the brain-washing, ahem, re-educating phase with my Dad.

.

I hear ya, Junie B (if I may call you that). My parents once slept in my loft while I slept on the floor (first apartment in Washington DC), so my family isn't too formal. But if we get the property we are hoping to get, we will have the spare room anyway -- it will double as an office and/or exercise room for us, so it wouldn't be too "extra." I'm going to keep thinking on this, but I agree that it is an important issue to address before it comes up. I'm not too worried that I will be a pushover, however, and I've been lucky to have many friends say that of course they plan to pay (okay, so I've also had quite a few volunteer to be "test guests" as well). I came across a very good example here in WA of a B&B whose F&F policy is to have an F&F special rate, charged only if the room would have otherwise been sold. I think that is a solid plan, shows that you mean business, and is fair all around.

 

[JunieBJones (JBJ)]

I don't have an inn yet and I appreciate all of the advice on this topic. I certainly don't plan to allow F&F to book rooms that I probably will be able to sell during peak times, plus I hope to have a guest room in my personal quarters. About charging, however, one idea I've been toying with but haven't come up with a "policy" on is this: "If you've bothered to come visit me when I didn't have a B&B then I won't charge you. If, after 10 years of me having moved far from you, you suddenly decide it's worth it to come (usually) all the way across the country to see me at my B&B, then we'll have to see how busy we are, and here is my policy on that...." Thoughts?.

I don't have an inn yet and I appreciate all of the advice on this topic. I certainly don't plan to allow F&F to book rooms that I probably will be able to sell during peak times, plus I hope to have a guest room in my personal quarters. About charging, however, one idea I've been toying with but haven't come up with a "policy" on is this: "If you've bothered to come visit me when I didn't have a B&B then I won't charge you. If, after 10 years of me having moved far from you, you suddenly decide it's worth it to come (usually) all the way across the country to see me at my B&B, then we'll have to see how busy we are, and here is my policy on that...." Thoughts?

I like it!
When we lived in the NW we had two rooms set up for F&F and they rarely were used. I actually sat down and figured out the square footage COST per room and thought, what the! I could put every relative up at a luxury B&B every visit and save a ton of money!
The thing is, having a spare room in the owner's quarters is not what they want, they want to stay in a B&B!
The part I really enjoy is that MOST of these relatives (and there haven't been many at all, I will add) have never ever been to a B&B, so I WANT to impress them! I want them to see WHY people pay to stay here.
Why? Because they just don't get it. My own father says "Why would someone pay that sort of money, it's just a bed." ARGHHHH!!!!! He is the worst, and he sees what we do and what we give. His idea of lodging is a roadside motel enroute somewhere, a moto-lodge noless, nothing is worth more than $50 to him. UGH! I am still in the brain-washing, ahem, re-educating phase with my Dad.

.

I hear ya, Junie B (if I may call you that). My parents once slept in my loft while I slept on the floor (first apartment in Washington DC), so my family isn't too formal. But if we get the property we are hoping to get, we will have the spare room anyway -- it will double as an office and/or exercise room for us, so it wouldn't be too "extra." I'm going to keep thinking on this, but I agree that it is an important issue to address before it comes up. I'm not too worried that I will be a pushover, however, and I've been lucky to have many friends say that of course they plan to pay (okay, so I've also had quite a few volunteer to be "test guests" as well). I came across a very good example here in WA of a B&B whose F&F policy is to have an F&F special rate, charged only if the room would have otherwise been sold. I think that is a solid plan, shows that you mean business, and is fair all around.
.

I hear ya, Junie B (if I may call you that). My parents once slept in my loft while I slept on the floor (first apartment in Washington DC), so my family isn't too formal. But if we get the property we are hoping to get, we will have the spare room anyway -- it will double as an office and/or exercise room for us, so it wouldn't be too "extra." I'm going to keep thinking on this, but I agree that it is an important issue to address before it comes up. I'm not too worried that I will be a pushover, however, and I've been lucky to have many friends say that of course they plan to pay (okay, so I've also had quite a few volunteer to be "test guests" as well). I came across a very good example here in WA of a B&B whose F&F policy is to have an F&F special rate, charged only if the room would have otherwise been sold. I think that is a solid plan, shows that you mean business, and is fair all around.

Yeah now your'e cookin' with gas! Have a rate posted on the website with the other rates!
Where are ya, in WA state? I ask as we lived in WA state and around here say DC for THIS Washington just so people don't get confused since I am now on the east coast. We have a couple innkeepers on the forum in WA state - Seattle, Skamokawa and on and off again from a few other parts of the state.
There is also an innkeeper in Missouri from WA State.

 

[sgoulding]

I don't have an inn yet and I appreciate all of the advice on this topic. I certainly don't plan to allow F&F to book rooms that I probably will be able to sell during peak times, plus I hope to have a guest room in my personal quarters. About charging, however, one idea I've been toying with but haven't come up with a "policy" on is this: "If you've bothered to come visit me when I didn't have a B&B then I won't charge you. If, after 10 years of me having moved far from you, you suddenly decide it's worth it to come (usually) all the way across the country to see me at my B&B, then we'll have to see how busy we are, and here is my policy on that...." Thoughts?.

I don't have an inn yet and I appreciate all of the advice on this topic. I certainly don't plan to allow F&F to book rooms that I probably will be able to sell during peak times, plus I hope to have a guest room in my personal quarters. About charging, however, one idea I've been toying with but haven't come up with a "policy" on is this: "If you've bothered to come visit me when I didn't have a B&B then I won't charge you. If, after 10 years of me having moved far from you, you suddenly decide it's worth it to come (usually) all the way across the country to see me at my B&B, then we'll have to see how busy we are, and here is my policy on that...." Thoughts?

I like it!
When we lived in the NW we had two rooms set up for F&F and they rarely were used. I actually sat down and figured out the square footage COST per room and thought, what the! I could put every relative up at a luxury B&B every visit and save a ton of money!
The thing is, having a spare room in the owner's quarters is not what they want, they want to stay in a B&B!
The part I really enjoy is that MOST of these relatives (and there haven't been many at all, I will add) have never ever been to a B&B, so I WANT to impress them! I want them to see WHY people pay to stay here.
Why? Because they just don't get it. My own father says "Why would someone pay that sort of money, it's just a bed." ARGHHHH!!!!! He is the worst, and he sees what we do and what we give. His idea of lodging is a roadside motel enroute somewhere, a moto-lodge noless, nothing is worth more than $50 to him. UGH! I am still in the brain-washing, ahem, re-educating phase with my Dad.

.

I hear ya, Junie B (if I may call you that). My parents once slept in my loft while I slept on the floor (first apartment in Washington DC), so my family isn't too formal. But if we get the property we are hoping to get, we will have the spare room anyway -- it will double as an office and/or exercise room for us, so it wouldn't be too "extra." I'm going to keep thinking on this, but I agree that it is an important issue to address before it comes up. I'm not too worried that I will be a pushover, however, and I've been lucky to have many friends say that of course they plan to pay (okay, so I've also had quite a few volunteer to be "test guests" as well). I came across a very good example here in WA of a B&B whose F&F policy is to have an F&F special rate, charged only if the room would have otherwise been sold. I think that is a solid plan, shows that you mean business, and is fair all around.
.

I hear ya, Junie B (if I may call you that). My parents once slept in my loft while I slept on the floor (first apartment in Washington DC), so my family isn't too formal. But if we get the property we are hoping to get, we will have the spare room anyway -- it will double as an office and/or exercise room for us, so it wouldn't be too "extra." I'm going to keep thinking on this, but I agree that it is an important issue to address before it comes up. I'm not too worried that I will be a pushover, however, and I've been lucky to have many friends say that of course they plan to pay (okay, so I've also had quite a few volunteer to be "test guests" as well). I came across a very good example here in WA of a B&B whose F&F policy is to have an F&F special rate, charged only if the room would have otherwise been sold. I think that is a solid plan, shows that you mean business, and is fair all around.

Yeah now your'e cookin' with gas! Have a rate posted on the website with the other rates!
Where are ya, in WA state? I ask as we lived in WA state and around here say DC for THIS Washington just so people don't get confused since I am now on the east coast. We have a couple innkeepers on the forum in WA state - Seattle, Skamokawa and on and off again from a few other parts of the state.
There is also an innkeeper in Missouri from WA State.

.

Hey thanks for the welcome. I've really got to get off of this forum today and keep plugging on my business plan. But anyway, I am in Seattle, and I am about to amend my signature on this forum to say that. It would be great to know immediately where folks are speaking from -- perhaps when I've been on the forum for more than a day I will post that as a new thread -- suggest everyone be more informative in their signatures. Anyway, I am in Seattle, WA now and will stay here as far as I can tell at this point. But we did live in DC for several years before we started moving west....Denver, then here. So where are you?

 

[Morticia]

I don't have an inn yet and I appreciate all of the advice on this topic. I certainly don't plan to allow F&F to book rooms that I probably will be able to sell during peak times, plus I hope to have a guest room in my personal quarters. About charging, however, one idea I've been toying with but haven't come up with a "policy" on is this: "If you've bothered to come visit me when I didn't have a B&B then I won't charge you. If, after 10 years of me having moved far from you, you suddenly decide it's worth it to come (usually) all the way across the country to see me at my B&B, then we'll have to see how busy we are, and here is my policy on that...." Thoughts?.

I don't have an inn yet and I appreciate all of the advice on this topic. I certainly don't plan to allow F&F to book rooms that I probably will be able to sell during peak times, plus I hope to have a guest room in my personal quarters. About charging, however, one idea I've been toying with but haven't come up with a "policy" on is this: "If you've bothered to come visit me when I didn't have a B&B then I won't charge you. If, after 10 years of me having moved far from you, you suddenly decide it's worth it to come (usually) all the way across the country to see me at my B&B, then we'll have to see how busy we are, and here is my policy on that...." Thoughts?

I like it!
When we lived in the NW we had two rooms set up for F&F and they rarely were used. I actually sat down and figured out the square footage COST per room and thought, what the! I could put every relative up at a luxury B&B every visit and save a ton of money!
The thing is, having a spare room in the owner's quarters is not what they want, they want to stay in a B&B!
The part I really enjoy is that MOST of these relatives (and there haven't been many at all, I will add) have never ever been to a B&B, so I WANT to impress them! I want them to see WHY people pay to stay here.
Why? Because they just don't get it. My own father says "Why would someone pay that sort of money, it's just a bed." ARGHHHH!!!!! He is the worst, and he sees what we do and what we give. His idea of lodging is a roadside motel enroute somewhere, a moto-lodge noless, nothing is worth more than $50 to him. UGH! I am still in the brain-washing, ahem, re-educating phase with my Dad.

.

I hear ya, Junie B (if I may call you that). My parents once slept in my loft while I slept on the floor (first apartment in Washington DC), so my family isn't too formal. But if we get the property we are hoping to get, we will have the spare room anyway -- it will double as an office and/or exercise room for us, so it wouldn't be too "extra." I'm going to keep thinking on this, but I agree that it is an important issue to address before it comes up. I'm not too worried that I will be a pushover, however, and I've been lucky to have many friends say that of course they plan to pay (okay, so I've also had quite a few volunteer to be "test guests" as well). I came across a very good example here in WA of a B&B whose F&F policy is to have an F&F special rate, charged only if the room would have otherwise been sold. I think that is a solid plan, shows that you mean business, and is fair all around.
.

I hear ya, Junie B (if I may call you that). My parents once slept in my loft while I slept on the floor (first apartment in Washington DC), so my family isn't too formal. But if we get the property we are hoping to get, we will have the spare room anyway -- it will double as an office and/or exercise room for us, so it wouldn't be too "extra." I'm going to keep thinking on this, but I agree that it is an important issue to address before it comes up. I'm not too worried that I will be a pushover, however, and I've been lucky to have many friends say that of course they plan to pay (okay, so I've also had quite a few volunteer to be "test guests" as well). I came across a very good example here in WA of a B&B whose F&F policy is to have an F&F special rate, charged only if the room would have otherwise been sold. I think that is a solid plan, shows that you mean business, and is fair all around.

Yeah now your'e cookin' with gas! Have a rate posted on the website with the other rates!
Where are ya, in WA state? I ask as we lived in WA state and around here say DC for THIS Washington just so people don't get confused since I am now on the east coast. We have a couple innkeepers on the forum in WA state - Seattle, Skamokawa and on and off again from a few other parts of the state.
There is also an innkeeper in Missouri from WA State.

.

Hey thanks for the welcome. I've really got to get off of this forum today and keep plugging on my business plan. But anyway, I am in Seattle, and I am about to amend my signature on this forum to say that. It would be great to know immediately where folks are speaking from -- perhaps when I've been on the forum for more than a day I will post that as a new thread -- suggest everyone be more informative in their signatures. Anyway, I am in Seattle, WA now and will stay here as far as I can tell at this point. But we did live in DC for several years before we started moving west....Denver, then here. So where are you?
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Hey thanks for the welcome. I've really got to get off of this forum today and keep plugging on my business plan. But anyway, I am in Seattle, and I am about to amend my signature on this forum to say that. It would be great to know immediately where folks are speaking from -- perhaps when I've been on the forum for more than a day I will post that as a new thread -- suggest everyone be more informative in their signatures. Anyway, I am in Seattle, WA now and will stay here as far as I can tell at this point. But we did live in DC for several years before we started moving west....Denver, then here. So where are you?

The reason many of us do not append any info about ourselves in our signatures will become very obvious after a couple of days...we want the anonymity so we can rant...

 

[Morticia]

I don't have an inn yet and I appreciate all of the advice on this topic. I certainly don't plan to allow F&F to book rooms that I probably will be able to sell during peak times, plus I hope to have a guest room in my personal quarters. About charging, however, one idea I've been toying with but haven't come up with a "policy" on is this: "If you've bothered to come visit me when I didn't have a B&B then I won't charge you. If, after 10 years of me having moved far from you, you suddenly decide it's worth it to come (usually) all the way across the country to see me at my B&B, then we'll have to see how busy we are, and here is my policy on that...." Thoughts?.

I don't have an inn yet and I appreciate all of the advice on this topic. I certainly don't plan to allow F&F to book rooms that I probably will be able to sell during peak times, plus I hope to have a guest room in my personal quarters. About charging, however, one idea I've been toying with but haven't come up with a "policy" on is this: "If you've bothered to come visit me when I didn't have a B&B then I won't charge you. If, after 10 years of me having moved far from you, you suddenly decide it's worth it to come (usually) all the way across the country to see me at my B&B, then we'll have to see how busy we are, and here is my policy on that...." Thoughts?

We heard that advice at innkeeping classes...if someone didn't have the time to visit you before you had a great place in the perfect vacation location, then they shouldn't expect to visit you for free now. All of my friends have paid to stay. My family gets the ugly spare room. Which I have to get renovated sometime this winter before anyone wants to come and visit again.

 

[JunieBJones (JBJ)]

I don't have an inn yet and I appreciate all of the advice on this topic. I certainly don't plan to allow F&F to book rooms that I probably will be able to sell during peak times, plus I hope to have a guest room in my personal quarters. About charging, however, one idea I've been toying with but haven't come up with a "policy" on is this: "If you've bothered to come visit me when I didn't have a B&B then I won't charge you. If, after 10 years of me having moved far from you, you suddenly decide it's worth it to come (usually) all the way across the country to see me at my B&B, then we'll have to see how busy we are, and here is my policy on that...." Thoughts?.

I don't have an inn yet and I appreciate all of the advice on this topic. I certainly don't plan to allow F&F to book rooms that I probably will be able to sell during peak times, plus I hope to have a guest room in my personal quarters. About charging, however, one idea I've been toying with but haven't come up with a "policy" on is this: "If you've bothered to come visit me when I didn't have a B&B then I won't charge you. If, after 10 years of me having moved far from you, you suddenly decide it's worth it to come (usually) all the way across the country to see me at my B&B, then we'll have to see how busy we are, and here is my policy on that...." Thoughts?

I like it!
When we lived in the NW we had two rooms set up for F&F and they rarely were used. I actually sat down and figured out the square footage COST per room and thought, what the! I could put every relative up at a luxury B&B every visit and save a ton of money!
The thing is, having a spare room in the owner's quarters is not what they want, they want to stay in a B&B!
The part I really enjoy is that MOST of these relatives (and there haven't been many at all, I will add) have never ever been to a B&B, so I WANT to impress them! I want them to see WHY people pay to stay here.
Why? Because they just don't get it. My own father says "Why would someone pay that sort of money, it's just a bed." ARGHHHH!!!!! He is the worst, and he sees what we do and what we give. His idea of lodging is a roadside motel enroute somewhere, a moto-lodge noless, nothing is worth more than $50 to him. UGH! I am still in the brain-washing, ahem, re-educating phase with my Dad.

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I hear ya, Junie B (if I may call you that). My parents once slept in my loft while I slept on the floor (first apartment in Washington DC), so my family isn't too formal. But if we get the property we are hoping to get, we will have the spare room anyway -- it will double as an office and/or exercise room for us, so it wouldn't be too "extra." I'm going to keep thinking on this, but I agree that it is an important issue to address before it comes up. I'm not too worried that I will be a pushover, however, and I've been lucky to have many friends say that of course they plan to pay (okay, so I've also had quite a few volunteer to be "test guests" as well). I came across a very good example here in WA of a B&B whose F&F policy is to have an F&F special rate, charged only if the room would have otherwise been sold. I think that is a solid plan, shows that you mean business, and is fair all around.
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I hear ya, Junie B (if I may call you that). My parents once slept in my loft while I slept on the floor (first apartment in Washington DC), so my family isn't too formal. But if we get the property we are hoping to get, we will have the spare room anyway -- it will double as an office and/or exercise room for us, so it wouldn't be too "extra." I'm going to keep thinking on this, but I agree that it is an important issue to address before it comes up. I'm not too worried that I will be a pushover, however, and I've been lucky to have many friends say that of course they plan to pay (okay, so I've also had quite a few volunteer to be "test guests" as well). I came across a very good example here in WA of a B&B whose F&F policy is to have an F&F special rate, charged only if the room would have otherwise been sold. I think that is a solid plan, shows that you mean business, and is fair all around.

Yeah now your'e cookin' with gas! Have a rate posted on the website with the other rates!
Where are ya, in WA state? I ask as we lived in WA state and around here say DC for THIS Washington just so people don't get confused since I am now on the east coast. We have a couple innkeepers on the forum in WA state - Seattle, Skamokawa and on and off again from a few other parts of the state.
There is also an innkeeper in Missouri from WA State.

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Hey thanks for the welcome. I've really got to get off of this forum today and keep plugging on my business plan. But anyway, I am in Seattle, and I am about to amend my signature on this forum to say that. It would be great to know immediately where folks are speaking from -- perhaps when I've been on the forum for more than a day I will post that as a new thread -- suggest everyone be more informative in their signatures. Anyway, I am in Seattle, WA now and will stay here as far as I can tell at this point. But we did live in DC for several years before we started moving west....Denver, then here. So where are you?
.

Hey thanks for the welcome. I've really got to get off of this forum today and keep plugging on my business plan. But anyway, I am in Seattle, and I am about to amend my signature on this forum to say that. It would be great to know immediately where folks are speaking from -- perhaps when I've been on the forum for more than a day I will post that as a new thread -- suggest everyone be more informative in their signatures. Anyway, I am in Seattle, WA now and will stay here as far as I can tell at this point. But we did live in DC for several years before we started moving west....Denver, then here. So where are you?

There is a reason they are not informative in their signatures. When you read some of the funny, awful, eye opening guest stories you will see why some prefer to remain anon.

We don't wish to get sued!

 

[sgirouard]

I don't have an inn yet and I appreciate all of the advice on this topic. I certainly don't plan to allow F&F to book rooms that I probably will be able to sell during peak times, plus I hope to have a guest room in my personal quarters. About charging, however, one idea I've been toying with but haven't come up with a "policy" on is this: "If you've bothered to come visit me when I didn't have a B&B then I won't charge you. If, after 10 years of me having moved far from you, you suddenly decide it's worth it to come (usually) all the way across the country to see me at my B&B, then we'll have to see how busy we are, and here is my policy on that...." Thoughts?.

"If you've bothered to come visit me when I didn't have a B&B then I won't charge you. If, after 10 years of me having moved far from you, you suddenly decide it's worth it to come (usually) all the way across the country to see me at my B&B, then we'll have to see how busy we are, and here is my policy on that...." Thoughts?

Hi Shelly - I'm an aspiring, too.
I think this is good sense.

My grandmother used to tell people that if they were too busy to come visit her while she was alive, don't bother coming to her funeral when she was gone.

 

[Proud Texan]

You could always explain to family that if they stay in any guest room the IRS will not let you use that room for a business write off for one year.
I'm told the way they catch you on an audit is to say, "What a nice place! I bet your family likes to stay here all the time."
That's why my walk out basement is not part of my B&B, nor is my loft apartment upstairs. I can easily show them where family stays when they air mattress bed in either area.
Riki.

You could always explain to family that if they stay in any guest room the IRS will not let you use that room for a business write off for one year.

WHAT?

Is this true or just something you say to your relatives to scare them off?