How important is an elevator?

[Morticia]

She was speaking about older guests and how she is noticing they are increasingly less agile than they used to be. Mort stated,
"And those 40-50 year olds are in rough shape. Knees and hips are shot. They don't want stairs."
No one else here is calling 40-50 year olds rough shape with knees and hips shot. If a guest can't make it up the stairs then they probably can't make it from their car to the front door either. Unless you are opening a senior center, I wouldn't add an elevator to the inn. This forum is good for many things, and one thing for sure is that you will have every opinion under the sun, so button up and be prepared to read all sorts of ideas and opinions that are not necessarily status quo. I certainly wouldn't call a 40 year old an older guest. My daughter may, but I wouldn't..

40-50 year olds certainly are not older guests. They just act that way. That's our experience. 70-80 year old guests haul their own suitcases. 40-50 year olds write reviews that say no one carried their suitcases and the stairs were too steep.

 

[Jcam]

She was speaking about older guests and how she is noticing they are increasingly less agile than they used to be. Mort stated,
"And those 40-50 year olds are in rough shape. Knees and hips are shot. They don't want stairs."
No one else here is calling 40-50 year olds rough shape with knees and hips shot. If a guest can't make it up the stairs then they probably can't make it from their car to the front door either. Unless you are opening a senior center, I wouldn't add an elevator to the inn. This forum is good for many things, and one thing for sure is that you will have every opinion under the sun, so button up and be prepared to read all sorts of ideas and opinions that are not necessarily status quo. I certainly wouldn't call a 40 year old an older guest. My daughter may, but I wouldn't..

40-50 year olds certainly are not older guests. They just act that way. That's our experience. 70-80 year old guests haul their own suitcases. 40-50 year olds write reviews that say no one carried their suitcases and the stairs were too steep.
.

Mine you offer them ground floor and to carry their bags - they say there would prefer X room - then won't let you carry their bags and then complain

 

[Morticia]

She was speaking about older guests and how she is noticing they are increasingly less agile than they used to be. Mort stated,
"And those 40-50 year olds are in rough shape. Knees and hips are shot. They don't want stairs."
No one else here is calling 40-50 year olds rough shape with knees and hips shot. If a guest can't make it up the stairs then they probably can't make it from their car to the front door either. Unless you are opening a senior center, I wouldn't add an elevator to the inn. This forum is good for many things, and one thing for sure is that you will have every opinion under the sun, so button up and be prepared to read all sorts of ideas and opinions that are not necessarily status quo. I certainly wouldn't call a 40 year old an older guest. My daughter may, but I wouldn't..

40-50 year olds certainly are not older guests. They just act that way. That's our experience. 70-80 year old guests haul their own suitcases. 40-50 year olds write reviews that say no one carried their suitcases and the stairs were too steep.
.

Mine you offer them ground floor and to carry their bags - they say there would prefer X room - then won't let you carry their bags and then complain
.

Mine you offer them ground floor and to carry their bags - they say there would prefer X room - then won't let you carry their bags and then complain

Happens all the time. I'm particularly affronted by the ones who act like we put the stairs in the day before they arrived just to annoy them.

 

[Tom]

We have 3 floors, with main entrance and main activity level on floor 2: Five guest rooms: 3 below, 1 above, 1 on main floor. We installed an elevator capable of carrying a standard electric wheelchair (950 lbs). Cost about $30K for the three stops, including construction, electrical, and equipment.
Best investment we made. We know it has brought us business from inquiries made at booking, and we find a lot of guests with creaky joints are pleased to discover it here. We move furniture, luggage, laundry. Saves the stairwell walls.
A residential installation has way simpler rules than commercial. No inspections, no insurance add-on. Maintenance is about $600 over 6-years.
If you want accessibility, there are other design needs: 36" doors, no front steps, etc. We all get creaky. Plan ahead.

 

[Lee2014]

What does your contractor say (assuming you've got that far with renovations)? I am confused about why there is an elevator shaft containing a staircase. So construction was begun and stopped? I can't begin to imagine installing an elevator - was it for a physically challenged person?.

I have wondered if a previous owner was handicapped or ran an adult daycare or home nursing facility here. All of the hallways are 5.5' wide and the doorways are extra wide and most of the bathrooms and showers are wheelchair accessible. There is a central oxygen system built into the house as well. I had never heard of such a thing -- but O2 "outlets" are in all of the common rooms and several of the bedrooms. The O2 tubing runs through the walls and goes to an area in the garage where an O2 tank can be hooked in.
.

I have wondered if a previous owner was handicapped or ran an adult daycare or home nursing facility here. All of the hallways are 5.5' wide and the doorways are extra wide and most of the bathrooms and showers are wheelchair accessible. There is a central oxygen system built into the house as well. I had never heard of such a thing -- but O2 "outlets" are in all of the common rooms and several of the bedrooms. The O2 tubing runs through the walls and goes to an area in the garage where an O2 tank can be hooked in.

Your DH is a doctor, right? And your home sounds ADA equip or almost? Maybe you should put that elevator back in and cater to people having medical needs or on the older side...... Just a thought, maybe look into it. Hire nursing students to be maids! One of a kind B&B!
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I can see the website now:
Bed, Breakast, and knee (or hip!) replacements. Hate the idea of a hospital stay? Move in with your surgeon today!

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I can see the website now:
Bed, Breakast, and knee (or hip!) replacements. Hate the idea of a hospital stay? Move in with your surgeon today!

They claim that you want to stand out and be unique! Give me a listing of B&Bs that offer this service to their guests!