Innkeeper Couple Salary Question

[ServingSouthernComfort]

There is really no way to answer that. I depends, is the answer. How many rooms? How much work will you do (everything from cleaning the rooms to all maintenance or will you have staff?) What is the occupancy rate?
Do you think you should get the same amount if you have a 10 room inn vs a 5 room inn? You might be surprised at the answer, wherein the 10 room inn will have more staff, and less labor for yourselves to do.
The real question is "How much are they willing to pay?" .

"The real question is "How much are they willing to pay?" Love, love, love this answer! So help me know how to get this information. They have asked us what we think is a fair salary....I HATE that interview question. I would so appreciate your suggestions.
.

"The real question is "How much are they willing to pay?" Love, love, love this answer! So help me know how to get this information. They have asked us what we think is a fair salary....I HATE that interview question. I would so appreciate your suggestions.

You need more info from them. What do they expect you to do while running the inn? What are the gross receipts for the inn? You can get a fair idea of what the AREA does by getting the lodging tax data from the state for that town and then figuring out how many rooms are in that town and what the ADR is. (Sometimes the state website will also break that down for you.)
Do they presently have an innkeeper/couple? Why is that innkeeper leaving? How many innkeepers have they gone thru? (Might give you an idea of wht they are like to work for.) How is the inn perceived in the town? Will you have difficulty getting anyone to work with you because they've been burned by the owners/previous innkeepers?
.

OK...now this is what I was hoping for =) I guess I just needed to ask the right questions of y'all.
So, your reply answers some questions for us and again lets us know we are on a good path and are using good intuitive thought in problem solving this a bit oursleves.
We have a job description, so we have gotten that far with this.
But, we have hesitated to ask about gross receipts or net profits - in some ways it almost feels like we would be nosing into their business - which is kind of silly because that is exactly what they are asking us to do =) So this is good to know that it is reasonable for us to need and want that information.
"You can get a fair idea of what the AREA does by getting the lodging tax data from the state for that town and then figuring out how many rooms are in that town and what the ADR is. (Sometimes the state website will also break that down for you.)" THIS IS GREAT INFORMATION! THANK YOU! You have given me some great stuff to get the answers from them that we need and want in order to give them answer to their question - "what do you think is fair?"
They have never had an innkeeper - they bought the 5 br inn for a family vacation place 10+ years ago, done all kinds of work including an addition of a lodge/cabin. They have been up and running as a inn for 6 yrs. They have done a ton of work and have invited us up (they will pay) for 6 days to see the inn and them in action, and to get a feel for the area. They have SAID that they have very good working relationships with vendors in the area and good working relationship with the town. (I guess we will find out). They need an innkeeper because they now have two children and THAT isn't working so well =) They want to turn the "operation" of it over to innkeepers.

 

[JBloggs]

I would never question why prev innkeepers have left a business, you won't get a straight answer. That is the $100,000 question. People will never say "Because so and so was a butt-head." Maybe they were lazy? Maybe they wanted more money? Who knows.
I would never be so bold as to ask that anyway, there goes your chance at the job. It is none of our business.
You won't ever know if someone is difficult until you work with them, in any job. And besides, some of my best mates are the most difficult people! Some who are hard nosed and call a spade a spade when others argue and call it a shovel! People talk about them behind their backs and I love the fact that they are straight shooters, I can respect them and work harder for them! (Whereas the rest gather round the water cooler to moan and gripe - metaphorically or literally. Speaking of non innkeeping jobs). So take them as you find them, and how they treat you is what matters, in any relationship.

 

[Alibi Ike]

There is really no way to answer that. I depends, is the answer. How many rooms? How much work will you do (everything from cleaning the rooms to all maintenance or will you have staff?) What is the occupancy rate?
Do you think you should get the same amount if you have a 10 room inn vs a 5 room inn? You might be surprised at the answer, wherein the 10 room inn will have more staff, and less labor for yourselves to do.
The real question is "How much are they willing to pay?" .

"The real question is "How much are they willing to pay?" Love, love, love this answer! So help me know how to get this information. They have asked us what we think is a fair salary....I HATE that interview question. I would so appreciate your suggestions.
.

"The real question is "How much are they willing to pay?" Love, love, love this answer! So help me know how to get this information. They have asked us what we think is a fair salary....I HATE that interview question. I would so appreciate your suggestions.

You need more info from them. What do they expect you to do while running the inn? What are the gross receipts for the inn? You can get a fair idea of what the AREA does by getting the lodging tax data from the state for that town and then figuring out how many rooms are in that town and what the ADR is. (Sometimes the state website will also break that down for you.)
Do they presently have an innkeeper/couple? Why is that innkeeper leaving? How many innkeepers have they gone thru? (Might give you an idea of wht they are like to work for.) How is the inn perceived in the town? Will you have difficulty getting anyone to work with you because they've been burned by the owners/previous innkeepers?
.

OK...now this is what I was hoping for =) I guess I just needed to ask the right questions of y'all.
So, your reply answers some questions for us and again lets us know we are on a good path and are using good intuitive thought in problem solving this a bit oursleves.
We have a job description, so we have gotten that far with this.
But, we have hesitated to ask about gross receipts or net profits - in some ways it almost feels like we would be nosing into their business - which is kind of silly because that is exactly what they are asking us to do =) So this is good to know that it is reasonable for us to need and want that information.
"You can get a fair idea of what the AREA does by getting the lodging tax data from the state for that town and then figuring out how many rooms are in that town and what the ADR is. (Sometimes the state website will also break that down for you.)" THIS IS GREAT INFORMATION! THANK YOU! You have given me some great stuff to get the answers from them that we need and want in order to give them answer to their question - "what do you think is fair?"
They have never had an innkeeper - they bought the 5 br inn for a family vacation place 10+ years ago, done all kinds of work including an addition of a lodge/cabin. They have been up and running as a inn for 6 yrs. They have done a ton of work and have invited us up (they will pay) for 6 days to see the inn and them in action, and to get a feel for the area. They have SAID that they have very good working relationships with vendors in the area and good working relationship with the town. (I guess we will find out). They need an innkeeper because they now have two children and THAT isn't working so well =) They want to turn the "operation" of it over to innkeepers.
.

OK...now this is what I was hoping for =) I guess I just needed to ask the right questions of y'all.

Yeah, we're really good at answering questions but horrible at mind-reading. Without knowing what you know and what you don't know we can't really answer. Most of my answers are based on what turned up as issues from other hired innkeepers.

 

[ServingSouthernComfort]

I am saying this off the top of my head as I have no figures for you - however, I doubt if there IS an average. it would depend on the size of the property, duties expected, occupancy, location, etc. So many variables. It would also depend on what the innkeepers expect to receive as a "living wage" for their needs/wants. 2-man operation or staff, yard work or none......

HI! and thank you for your reply. I have kind of looked out there on the Internet and found that you are right - lots of variables can determine the salary. I've seen a median salary of $41,000. But the variables make me wonder if this figure is a total of the living quarters + monetary, or if that is in addition to, or if that is the salary per person ion a team - or the total overall salary for the team. I don't see many job ads that say: "Compensation includes $41,000 + living quarter and utilities." They usually say something like, "Salary + living quarters...." So that leaves me with little to go on, ya know? Thanks anyways.
.

I've seen a median salary of $41,000.

i started up and ran an 8 room b&b 2005-2009 from start to finish when it was put on the market. the place was a neglected and closed 'wreck' when i got there and all it had was the reputation of being a dump to go along with it and potential. if someone had offered me even 1/2 that salary at the time, i'd have stayed on.
my background?
degress in business management, years of office and business management, accounting, supervising staff, etc.
at the b&b, i had to learn it all. attended one innkeeping course and came to the folks at this forum who gave me a wealth of information, suggestions and support. then i jumped in.
i did it all from obtaining construction permits to hiring contractors, supervising construction, pulling out and disposing of broken toilets, getting rid of rodents and insects, getting licensed, getting an approved sign, building a website, joining associations, finding out how to attract guests, buying groceries, supplies and furnishings, decorating and scrounging for used furnishings to fit out the rooms and common areas, finding and negotiating contracts with vendors. finding (and trying to keep) some housekeeping and lawn mowing help, cleaning rooms including toilets, planning, cooking, serving and cleaning up after breakfasts, marketing, advertising, reservations, dealing with middle of the night guest issues, bargaining with an adult son to live in the place - be my handyman and help out in the middle of the night.
you name it i did it. over and over again.
running an eight room place is like keeping your own little house in pristine condition at all times multiplied by eight and having a continuous stream of houseguests who are rough with the windows, furnishings and appliances. one toilet clogs or the gizmo breaks ... you get it fixed and something comes loose in the next room ... all the time. it's part of the business.
i was exhausted and tied to the place. trial and error. again and again. i made very little money and should have fought for more, much more, but i entered it during a crisis in my life and i did the best i could under the circumstances so i have no regrets. there was a lot i loved about the job - playing hostess and meeting new people all the time. i hear of places that are turn key or looking for a live in innkeeper with a nice bedroom and staff and my eyes glaze over ...
a team of two has to be better than solo. the more 'stuff' already permitted, grandfathered and in place the better.
good luck!
.

I don't think I understand anything you have said here, but thank you for your reply.
I have not stated anywhere whether or not I think $41,000 is a good salary or a low salary...it is just what is reported as the median average pay on the US Bureau of Labor and Statistics website. In the catagory it kind of lumps up innkeepers, hotel managers, B&B managers or innkeepers - so that is a wide scope and so I am not so sure it is very accurate; hence, I came here to ask the question.
.

well, i am confused.
i don't know if this post is in reponse to my post or not. if you are saying to me that you don't think you understand anything i have said here .... why? i was telling you everything i did all day long, every single day ... and for all that i did i was telling you my pay was very, very low. and that if i'd been offered half the amount in your post, wherever the amount was quoted from, i'd have stayed on til the place sold.
i have heard of compensation that far exceeded mine for less work, both physical and deskwork, so the range is huge.
.

I'm sorry, Seashanty...I re-read your post this morning and didn't seem to come away bewildered, as I did last evening when I couldn't quite connect the dots. I thought maybe you had misunderstood the $41,000 figure, my view of it one way or another, and how that figure was come to. Also, I am still not accustomed to "text-speak" - I know it is a perfectly acceptable way of communicating today, but word the abbreviations, no caps, and often no punctuation that is common to text-speak makes it harder for me to accurately judge something that is written. I am sorry if I offended you.
I appreciate your desire to help.

 

[EmptyNest]

I still think you are putting the cart before the horse here. You have NO innkeeping experience. Why would someone hire you??? You should do some internship or volunteer to help a B & B...whatever...just taking an aspiring class isn't going to cut it either. As a retired innkeeper, I would never even consider anyone working for me who had no experience in running a B & B. I don't care how much other experience you have .....sorry.
I have warned innkeepers who did run a B & B about taking a position..that sounded "too good to be true" and guess what..they are leaving their position shortly.

 

[birdwatcher]

There is really no way to answer that. I depends, is the answer. How many rooms? How much work will you do (everything from cleaning the rooms to all maintenance or will you have staff?) What is the occupancy rate?
Do you think you should get the same amount if you have a 10 room inn vs a 5 room inn? You might be surprised at the answer, wherein the 10 room inn will have more staff, and less labor for yourselves to do.
The real question is "How much are they willing to pay?" .

"The real question is "How much are they willing to pay?" Love, love, love this answer! So help me know how to get this information. They have asked us what we think is a fair salary....I HATE that interview question. I would so appreciate your suggestions.
.

Ok-every time we got asked that question we always always replied "thats always negotiable in that it depends on the duties of the position"...that way its back in their court-you can ALWAYS say yes to that salary or NO depending on what you are willing to do for it. But like I've said before-if you are worth it say you are worth it.
If they are willing for you to go to the inn and see what they do-then that is a good thing. Remember that you will have your living expenses taken care of and you won't really have any bills such as utilities-we have saved $$ because the only bills we truly have are just our mortgage, car insurance, food and incidentals-we are planning to save more at the other Inn in November cause we got a raise and its a smaller inn-just some ideas as to why its not a high paying job.

 

[Joey Camb]

I still think you are putting the cart before the horse here. You have NO innkeeping experience. Why would someone hire you??? You should do some internship or volunteer to help a B & B...whatever...just taking an aspiring class isn't going to cut it either. As a retired innkeeper, I would never even consider anyone working for me who had no experience in running a B & B. I don't care how much other experience you have .....sorry.
I have warned innkeepers who did run a B & B about taking a position..that sounded "too good to be true" and guess what..they are leaving their position shortly..

I would agree but in a softer way - you expect an owner to hand over their baby which is worth a ton of money and is probably their pension or equivalent to that without experience do you see our point? Also innkeeping is very different to any other job as it is literally 24hours you never go home. It is all about stamina, knowing how to pace yourself and looking after yourself as well. I would take someone on to work for me but not unsupervised ie here are the keys best of luck! Depends what the deal is whether you are on your own from the start, some kind of hand over, experienced staff there are a million factors! i would strongly recommend work experience paid or voluntary as even if you are managing staff rather than doing jill of all trades you have to understand every aspect of running the place and how to do it if someone rings in sick.

 

[ServingSouthernComfort]

There is really no way to answer that. I depends, is the answer. How many rooms? How much work will you do (everything from cleaning the rooms to all maintenance or will you have staff?) What is the occupancy rate?
Do you think you should get the same amount if you have a 10 room inn vs a 5 room inn? You might be surprised at the answer, wherein the 10 room inn will have more staff, and less labor for yourselves to do.
The real question is "How much are they willing to pay?" .

"The real question is "How much are they willing to pay?" Love, love, love this answer! So help me know how to get this information. They have asked us what we think is a fair salary....I HATE that interview question. I would so appreciate your suggestions.
.

Ok-every time we got asked that question we always always replied "thats always negotiable in that it depends on the duties of the position"...that way its back in their court-you can ALWAYS say yes to that salary or NO depending on what you are willing to do for it. But like I've said before-if you are worth it say you are worth it.
If they are willing for you to go to the inn and see what they do-then that is a good thing. Remember that you will have your living expenses taken care of and you won't really have any bills such as utilities-we have saved $$ because the only bills we truly have are just our mortgage, car insurance, food and incidentals-we are planning to save more at the other Inn in November cause we got a raise and its a smaller inn-just some ideas as to why its not a high paying job.
.

Yeah - I kinda said "Well...just how much are you willing to pay an innkeeper for the work you are asking?" We agreed to put some more thought into it and the next time we talk we are going to revisit this topic.
We really feel like getting to work together doing something we both have passion for is worth a little. Our plans are not to get RICH (not that we would run from RICH, but....) but we do want to make what we can make - we both have servants hearts and enjoy hard work. I am not saying we want to work hard ALL the time - just that we don't mind getting our hands dirty using elbow grease and get a lot energy from serving others to go on.
So...would you advise we wait til after we take a look at the inn and spend time with the owners there before we talk further about the compensation?
Thank you for your transparency.

 

[ServingSouthernComfort]

I am saying this off the top of my head as I have no figures for you - however, I doubt if there IS an average. it would depend on the size of the property, duties expected, occupancy, location, etc. So many variables. It would also depend on what the innkeepers expect to receive as a "living wage" for their needs/wants. 2-man operation or staff, yard work or none......

HI! and thank you for your reply. I have kind of looked out there on the Internet and found that you are right - lots of variables can determine the salary. I've seen a median salary of $41,000. But the variables make me wonder if this figure is a total of the living quarters + monetary, or if that is in addition to, or if that is the salary per person ion a team - or the total overall salary for the team. I don't see many job ads that say: "Compensation includes $41,000 + living quarter and utilities." They usually say something like, "Salary + living quarters...." So that leaves me with little to go on, ya know? Thanks anyways.
.

I've seen a median salary of $41,000.

i started up and ran an 8 room b&b 2005-2009 from start to finish when it was put on the market. the place was a neglected and closed 'wreck' when i got there and all it had was the reputation of being a dump to go along with it and potential. if someone had offered me even 1/2 that salary at the time, i'd have stayed on.
my background?
degress in business management, years of office and business management, accounting, supervising staff, etc.
at the b&b, i had to learn it all. attended one innkeeping course and came to the folks at this forum who gave me a wealth of information, suggestions and support. then i jumped in.
i did it all from obtaining construction permits to hiring contractors, supervising construction, pulling out and disposing of broken toilets, getting rid of rodents and insects, getting licensed, getting an approved sign, building a website, joining associations, finding out how to attract guests, buying groceries, supplies and furnishings, decorating and scrounging for used furnishings to fit out the rooms and common areas, finding and negotiating contracts with vendors. finding (and trying to keep) some housekeeping and lawn mowing help, cleaning rooms including toilets, planning, cooking, serving and cleaning up after breakfasts, marketing, advertising, reservations, dealing with middle of the night guest issues, bargaining with an adult son to live in the place - be my handyman and help out in the middle of the night.
you name it i did it. over and over again.
running an eight room place is like keeping your own little house in pristine condition at all times multiplied by eight and having a continuous stream of houseguests who are rough with the windows, furnishings and appliances. one toilet clogs or the gizmo breaks ... you get it fixed and something comes loose in the next room ... all the time. it's part of the business.
i was exhausted and tied to the place. trial and error. again and again. i made very little money and should have fought for more, much more, but i entered it during a crisis in my life and i did the best i could under the circumstances so i have no regrets. there was a lot i loved about the job - playing hostess and meeting new people all the time. i hear of places that are turn key or looking for a live in innkeeper with a nice bedroom and staff and my eyes glaze over ...
a team of two has to be better than solo. the more 'stuff' already permitted, grandfathered and in place the better.
good luck!
.

I don't think I understand anything you have said here, but thank you for your reply.
I have not stated anywhere whether or not I think $41,000 is a good salary or a low salary...it is just what is reported as the median average pay on the US Bureau of Labor and Statistics website. In the catagory it kind of lumps up innkeepers, hotel managers, B&B managers or innkeepers - so that is a wide scope and so I am not so sure it is very accurate; hence, I came here to ask the question.
.

I don't think I understand anything you have said here, but thank you for your reply.
I have not stated anywhere whether or not I think $41,000 is a good salary or a low salary...it is just what is reported as the median average pay on the US Bureau of Labor and Statistics website. In the catagory it kind of lumps up innkeepers, hotel managers, B&B managers or innkeepers - so that is a wide scope and so I am not so sure it is very accurate; hence, I came here to ask the question.

We have a guest who manages a boutique hotel in NYC. He is definitely skewing the $41k to the much higher side. Much higher. 6 figures. So, if that number takes into account hotel managers, you're looking at people who are making 6 figures to manage very posh hotels lumped in with the folks at the desk at Motel 6. And the rest of us fall somewhere in between.
So, again, before you can throw out a number, you need to know who the clientele at the inn are. Are you dealing with folks who expect perfection or are they casual travelers? The higher the guest expectations, the higher your salary should be. If you are on call 24x7 for the kinds of expectations these guests will have, you need to be compensated.
Will you be expected to walk their dogs, have their car serviced, laundry? You've got to know what you'll be handling to know what the job is worth to the owners to have it done properly.
.

Exactly what I was thinking about the 41,000 - exactly. I have seen jobs on working couples offering over 1K soooo I figure that that is the high end. I DON'T think we are 1K kind of innkeepers nor do we particurally want to be. And we certainly draw the line at bathing our guests LOLOL ~kidding~

 

[birdwatcher]

There is really no way to answer that. I depends, is the answer. How many rooms? How much work will you do (everything from cleaning the rooms to all maintenance or will you have staff?) What is the occupancy rate?
Do you think you should get the same amount if you have a 10 room inn vs a 5 room inn? You might be surprised at the answer, wherein the 10 room inn will have more staff, and less labor for yourselves to do.
The real question is "How much are they willing to pay?" .

"The real question is "How much are they willing to pay?" Love, love, love this answer! So help me know how to get this information. They have asked us what we think is a fair salary....I HATE that interview question. I would so appreciate your suggestions.
.

Ok-every time we got asked that question we always always replied "thats always negotiable in that it depends on the duties of the position"...that way its back in their court-you can ALWAYS say yes to that salary or NO depending on what you are willing to do for it. But like I've said before-if you are worth it say you are worth it.
If they are willing for you to go to the inn and see what they do-then that is a good thing. Remember that you will have your living expenses taken care of and you won't really have any bills such as utilities-we have saved $$ because the only bills we truly have are just our mortgage, car insurance, food and incidentals-we are planning to save more at the other Inn in November cause we got a raise and its a smaller inn-just some ideas as to why its not a high paying job.
.

Yeah - I kinda said "Well...just how much are you willing to pay an innkeeper for the work you are asking?" We agreed to put some more thought into it and the next time we talk we are going to revisit this topic.
We really feel like getting to work together doing something we both have passion for is worth a little. Our plans are not to get RICH (not that we would run from RICH, but....) but we do want to make what we can make - we both have servants hearts and enjoy hard work. I am not saying we want to work hard ALL the time - just that we don't mind getting our hands dirty using elbow grease and get a lot energy from serving others to go on.
So...would you advise we wait til after we take a look at the inn and spend time with the owners there before we talk further about the compensation?
Thank you for your transparency.
.

I would definantely wait until you take a look at the Inn and spend time with them and how they do the job and how they want you to do it .Also are they close by or far away? Will they be more "hands on" or just come visit to see what is happening once in a while? What are your quarters like? Are they gong to pay for some of the relocation expenses? Do you have to bring furniture? Is the bed you will be sleeping in comfortable---and on and on.
The boss here were we are is far away-that has its plusses and minuses. The new boss is not too far from the Inn but we spoke to the Innkeeper that is leaving (retiring) and he said that they are mostly "hands off" meaning that they will give us the "what we have authority" to do and what we don't. This is also a question you may ask-what EXACTLY will you have authority to do since they want you both to take over the job.
So don't make a hasty decision and make sure you look around the area too not only the Inn-make sure that you want to live there. The owners are smart to have you come and see how they run the business-that is a good thing always!
Go with an open mind and if they are open to suggestions that will make your jobs better-Are they open to your suggestions or advise. Once you get there write down what you are thinking each of you about the place cause with all that will be going on you forget "what" it is you were thinking at any given point. Don't be afraid to carry a note pad-there will be so many things that will come up in your mind. My husband and I always sat down and wrote the questions that we wanted to ask before we even spoke to a potential employer. We wrote down the answers so that we can talk about not only about the position and the employer but what each of us thought of the answers...that way we knew what each of of thought-you are a team- always remember that and portray that towards the employer. Dont be afraid to ask them, its better you know now than starting there and doing the wrong thing.
We came here and pretty much had to learn everything for ourselves which leaves too many variables out there. As soon as I could I took a three ring binder and put all the pertinent information in it in case we had to get an innsitter here or if we had to train another innkeeper. They should have ALL the information about the Inn in one binder-ie: their contact number, insurance info, emergency info, passwords, names of contractors and such-just an example but that will make your job easier if you knew were everything is... if they dont suggest that they do this BEFORE you start or take the position.

 

[Samster]

Southern-We are a husband and wife team that owned a B & B for four years and circumstances some beyond our control and some of our control we had to close the business. We liked what we were doing so we diligently searched for Innkeeping positions and it took us many interviews and letters and e-mails but we did land one and out of kind of desperation because the job market was low and because we could do the job we took it. In retrospect we had no idea what kind of boss we would have because the boss was an absentee owner that micromanaged the staff that managed to stay here. In short, we decided two months into the job to start searching for another position-this was a year ago.
We do have another position that we are going to in November and it seems like a good partnership, although we really won't know until we get there; we asked questions and we are satisfied with the salary. There are many types of B & B's and most do include innkeeper's quarters which is included in your salary, but like Alibi mentioned there are too many variables to say that there is a salary that can be made at every Inn and it also depends on what you will be doing. I can tell you this-if you were to be hired as "management" instead of an "innkeeper" which will be jack and jill of all trades-that Inn would be making alot of revenue to pay the management, lawn service, housekeepers, cooks etc all year long. Keep in mind that being innkeepets is a 24/7 job, its not a 9-5 job and as someone else mentioned-you should consider going to some seminars and such. We were baptized by fire meaning we went and we owned one and actually learned alot, now being hired by an Inn we learned different things.
If you want more info dont hesitate to e-mail me. Good luck.

Thank you, Birdwatcher, for your kind reply and for the encouragement. We really want to do this. We have talked about it and been reading about it for years. We have done some homework around this, talked to people who know a little about the business. My husband has computer reservations systems experience from leisure and corporate travel. So - we feel like if someone is willing to give us an opportunity - we really would like to give it all we have and see if this is for us. And in fact, we are in the interviewing process with a wonderful couple who seem to be interested in taking some business savvy, customer service focused, aspiring innkeepers and teach them the ropes. I hope the situation is not as some of the others have suggested and that they simply want to take advantage of us. We hope not. But, I guess if we take no risks then we don't have the chance to experience the blessing that may be available to us in this. So we are stepping out in Faith.
The potentials have asked what we think would be a fair salary - hence the question to you all about salary. I so appreciate your warm invitation to email you for more information. Blessings!
.

Treat this like any position and be sure that a lot of the details are spelled out:

1. Get a job description in writing - including specifics about your responsibilites, owner responsibilites, contractor's responsibilities; also, vacation time, sick time, health insurance, back-up plan for sick or injured innkeepers, etc.
2. Get the salary and hours in writing - I have known of innkeepers that have not been paid because business was slow; or their hours were cut; OR their hours were increased and they had to do more as other contractors were let go but they were not paid any additional wages.
3. Make sure that the inn you're working for has some kind of procedures manual - there's nothing worse than to get to a position and find that everything has changed and you have to figure out what to do.
4. Make sure that you know the "chain of command" for decision making - in other words, what exactly are you empowered to do? To hire? To buy?
5. What about your innkeeper quarters? - what is included? Can you make any changes? Can you make it more like your own place

These are just a few things off the top of my head.
You asked such a broad brush question about salary that's really impossible to answer. It really does depend on region of the country, type of inn (does it have a restaurant, shop, do they do events/weddings?), inn size of actual property, number of rooms, occupancy, and scope of responsibilities. It could well be that you would be paid more if you supervise other employees, but maybe not if the owner still has the final word.
There's really nothing like an internship or OJT at a B&B/inn to see if this is really the job for you before you jump into a contract with an owner.

 

[user 26]

I am saying this off the top of my head as I have no figures for you - however, I doubt if there IS an average. it would depend on the size of the property, duties expected, occupancy, location, etc. So many variables. It would also depend on what the innkeepers expect to receive as a "living wage" for their needs/wants. 2-man operation or staff, yard work or none......

HI! and thank you for your reply. I have kind of looked out there on the Internet and found that you are right - lots of variables can determine the salary. I've seen a median salary of $41,000. But the variables make me wonder if this figure is a total of the living quarters + monetary, or if that is in addition to, or if that is the salary per person ion a team - or the total overall salary for the team. I don't see many job ads that say: "Compensation includes $41,000 + living quarter and utilities." They usually say something like, "Salary + living quarters...." So that leaves me with little to go on, ya know? Thanks anyways.
.

I've seen a median salary of $41,000.

i started up and ran an 8 room b&b 2005-2009 from start to finish when it was put on the market. the place was a neglected and closed 'wreck' when i got there and all it had was the reputation of being a dump to go along with it and potential. if someone had offered me even 1/2 that salary at the time, i'd have stayed on.
my background?
degress in business management, years of office and business management, accounting, supervising staff, etc.
at the b&b, i had to learn it all. attended one innkeeping course and came to the folks at this forum who gave me a wealth of information, suggestions and support. then i jumped in.
i did it all from obtaining construction permits to hiring contractors, supervising construction, pulling out and disposing of broken toilets, getting rid of rodents and insects, getting licensed, getting an approved sign, building a website, joining associations, finding out how to attract guests, buying groceries, supplies and furnishings, decorating and scrounging for used furnishings to fit out the rooms and common areas, finding and negotiating contracts with vendors. finding (and trying to keep) some housekeeping and lawn mowing help, cleaning rooms including toilets, planning, cooking, serving and cleaning up after breakfasts, marketing, advertising, reservations, dealing with middle of the night guest issues, bargaining with an adult son to live in the place - be my handyman and help out in the middle of the night.
you name it i did it. over and over again.
running an eight room place is like keeping your own little house in pristine condition at all times multiplied by eight and having a continuous stream of houseguests who are rough with the windows, furnishings and appliances. one toilet clogs or the gizmo breaks ... you get it fixed and something comes loose in the next room ... all the time. it's part of the business.
i was exhausted and tied to the place. trial and error. again and again. i made very little money and should have fought for more, much more, but i entered it during a crisis in my life and i did the best i could under the circumstances so i have no regrets. there was a lot i loved about the job - playing hostess and meeting new people all the time. i hear of places that are turn key or looking for a live in innkeeper with a nice bedroom and staff and my eyes glaze over ...
a team of two has to be better than solo. the more 'stuff' already permitted, grandfathered and in place the better.
good luck!
.

I don't think I understand anything you have said here, but thank you for your reply.
I have not stated anywhere whether or not I think $41,000 is a good salary or a low salary...it is just what is reported as the median average pay on the US Bureau of Labor and Statistics website. In the catagory it kind of lumps up innkeepers, hotel managers, B&B managers or innkeepers - so that is a wide scope and so I am not so sure it is very accurate; hence, I came here to ask the question.
.

well, i am confused.
i don't know if this post is in reponse to my post or not. if you are saying to me that you don't think you understand anything i have said here .... why? i was telling you everything i did all day long, every single day ... and for all that i did i was telling you my pay was very, very low. and that if i'd been offered half the amount in your post, wherever the amount was quoted from, i'd have stayed on til the place sold.
i have heard of compensation that far exceeded mine for less work, both physical and deskwork, so the range is huge.
.

I'm sorry, Seashanty...I re-read your post this morning and didn't seem to come away bewildered, as I did last evening when I couldn't quite connect the dots. I thought maybe you had misunderstood the $41,000 figure, my view of it one way or another, and how that figure was come to. Also, I am still not accustomed to "text-speak" - I know it is a perfectly acceptable way of communicating today, but word the abbreviations, no caps, and often no punctuation that is common to text-speak makes it harder for me to accurately judge something that is written. I am sorry if I offended you.
I appreciate your desire to help.
.

Sorry Comfort. I'll try to use caps. It's funny, I never text. EVER.
I got in the habit of not using capital letters in my personal emails ~ partly because I was typing and proofreading all day (that was my job - editing and proofreading) and partly because my Shift key was sticking.
I still tend to use a lot of dashes .......... but I do try to put in punctuation and I don't use text abbreviations.
I would ask others if my style makes me hard to understand, but I don't want to hijack a thread and make it all about me.

 

[Samster]

I am saying this off the top of my head as I have no figures for you - however, I doubt if there IS an average. it would depend on the size of the property, duties expected, occupancy, location, etc. So many variables. It would also depend on what the innkeepers expect to receive as a "living wage" for their needs/wants. 2-man operation or staff, yard work or none......

HI! and thank you for your reply. I have kind of looked out there on the Internet and found that you are right - lots of variables can determine the salary. I've seen a median salary of $41,000. But the variables make me wonder if this figure is a total of the living quarters + monetary, or if that is in addition to, or if that is the salary per person ion a team - or the total overall salary for the team. I don't see many job ads that say: "Compensation includes $41,000 + living quarter and utilities." They usually say something like, "Salary + living quarters...." So that leaves me with little to go on, ya know? Thanks anyways.
.

I've seen a median salary of $41,000.

i started up and ran an 8 room b&b 2005-2009 from start to finish when it was put on the market. the place was a neglected and closed 'wreck' when i got there and all it had was the reputation of being a dump to go along with it and potential. if someone had offered me even 1/2 that salary at the time, i'd have stayed on.
my background?
degress in business management, years of office and business management, accounting, supervising staff, etc.
at the b&b, i had to learn it all. attended one innkeeping course and came to the folks at this forum who gave me a wealth of information, suggestions and support. then i jumped in.
i did it all from obtaining construction permits to hiring contractors, supervising construction, pulling out and disposing of broken toilets, getting rid of rodents and insects, getting licensed, getting an approved sign, building a website, joining associations, finding out how to attract guests, buying groceries, supplies and furnishings, decorating and scrounging for used furnishings to fit out the rooms and common areas, finding and negotiating contracts with vendors. finding (and trying to keep) some housekeeping and lawn mowing help, cleaning rooms including toilets, planning, cooking, serving and cleaning up after breakfasts, marketing, advertising, reservations, dealing with middle of the night guest issues, bargaining with an adult son to live in the place - be my handyman and help out in the middle of the night.
you name it i did it. over and over again.
running an eight room place is like keeping your own little house in pristine condition at all times multiplied by eight and having a continuous stream of houseguests who are rough with the windows, furnishings and appliances. one toilet clogs or the gizmo breaks ... you get it fixed and something comes loose in the next room ... all the time. it's part of the business.
i was exhausted and tied to the place. trial and error. again and again. i made very little money and should have fought for more, much more, but i entered it during a crisis in my life and i did the best i could under the circumstances so i have no regrets. there was a lot i loved about the job - playing hostess and meeting new people all the time. i hear of places that are turn key or looking for a live in innkeeper with a nice bedroom and staff and my eyes glaze over ...
a team of two has to be better than solo. the more 'stuff' already permitted, grandfathered and in place the better.
good luck!
.

I don't think I understand anything you have said here, but thank you for your reply.
I have not stated anywhere whether or not I think $41,000 is a good salary or a low salary...it is just what is reported as the median average pay on the US Bureau of Labor and Statistics website. In the catagory it kind of lumps up innkeepers, hotel managers, B&B managers or innkeepers - so that is a wide scope and so I am not so sure it is very accurate; hence, I came here to ask the question.
.

well, i am confused.
i don't know if this post is in reponse to my post or not. if you are saying to me that you don't think you understand anything i have said here .... why? i was telling you everything i did all day long, every single day ... and for all that i did i was telling you my pay was very, very low. and that if i'd been offered half the amount in your post, wherever the amount was quoted from, i'd have stayed on til the place sold.
i have heard of compensation that far exceeded mine for less work, both physical and deskwork, so the range is huge.
.

I'm sorry, Seashanty...I re-read your post this morning and didn't seem to come away bewildered, as I did last evening when I couldn't quite connect the dots. I thought maybe you had misunderstood the $41,000 figure, my view of it one way or another, and how that figure was come to. Also, I am still not accustomed to "text-speak" - I know it is a perfectly acceptable way of communicating today, but word the abbreviations, no caps, and often no punctuation that is common to text-speak makes it harder for me to accurately judge something that is written. I am sorry if I offended you.
I appreciate your desire to help.
.

Sorry Comfort. I'll try to use caps. It's funny, I never text. EVER.
I got in the habit of not using capital letters in my personal emails ~ partly because I was typing and proofreading all day (that was my job - editing and proofreading) and partly because my Shift key was sticking.
I still tend to use a lot of dashes .......... but I do try to put in punctuation and I don't use text abbreviations.
I would ask others if my style makes me hard to understand, but I don't want to hijack a thread and make it all about me.
.

Hijacking waring aside...
SS, you are so cute! For me, I imagine the way you post might be similar to your speaking style. And I like it! I've never had any problem understanding your posts. But I've been on this forum just a little while........

 

[ServingSouthernComfort]

Southern-We are a husband and wife team that owned a B & B for four years and circumstances some beyond our control and some of our control we had to close the business. We liked what we were doing so we diligently searched for Innkeeping positions and it took us many interviews and letters and e-mails but we did land one and out of kind of desperation because the job market was low and because we could do the job we took it. In retrospect we had no idea what kind of boss we would have because the boss was an absentee owner that micromanaged the staff that managed to stay here. In short, we decided two months into the job to start searching for another position-this was a year ago.
We do have another position that we are going to in November and it seems like a good partnership, although we really won't know until we get there; we asked questions and we are satisfied with the salary. There are many types of B & B's and most do include innkeeper's quarters which is included in your salary, but like Alibi mentioned there are too many variables to say that there is a salary that can be made at every Inn and it also depends on what you will be doing. I can tell you this-if you were to be hired as "management" instead of an "innkeeper" which will be jack and jill of all trades-that Inn would be making alot of revenue to pay the management, lawn service, housekeepers, cooks etc all year long. Keep in mind that being innkeepets is a 24/7 job, its not a 9-5 job and as someone else mentioned-you should consider going to some seminars and such. We were baptized by fire meaning we went and we owned one and actually learned alot, now being hired by an Inn we learned different things.
If you want more info dont hesitate to e-mail me. Good luck.

Thank you, Birdwatcher, for your kind reply and for the encouragement. We really want to do this. We have talked about it and been reading about it for years. We have done some homework around this, talked to people who know a little about the business. My husband has computer reservations systems experience from leisure and corporate travel. So - we feel like if someone is willing to give us an opportunity - we really would like to give it all we have and see if this is for us. And in fact, we are in the interviewing process with a wonderful couple who seem to be interested in taking some business savvy, customer service focused, aspiring innkeepers and teach them the ropes. I hope the situation is not as some of the others have suggested and that they simply want to take advantage of us. We hope not. But, I guess if we take no risks then we don't have the chance to experience the blessing that may be available to us in this. So we are stepping out in Faith.
The potentials have asked what we think would be a fair salary - hence the question to you all about salary. I so appreciate your warm invitation to email you for more information. Blessings!
.

Treat this like any position and be sure that a lot of the details are spelled out:

1. Get a job description in writing - including specifics about your responsibilites, owner responsibilites, contractor's responsibilities; also, vacation time, sick time, health insurance, back-up plan for sick or injured innkeepers, etc.
2. Get the salary and hours in writing - I have known of innkeepers that have not been paid because business was slow; or their hours were cut; OR their hours were increased and they had to do more as other contractors were let go but they were not paid any additional wages.
3. Make sure that the inn you're working for has some kind of procedures manual - there's nothing worse than to get to a position and find that everything has changed and you have to figure out what to do.
4. Make sure that you know the "chain of command" for decision making - in other words, what exactly are you empowered to do? To hire? To buy?
5. What about your innkeeper quarters? - what is included? Can you make any changes? Can you make it more like your own place

These are just a few things off the top of my head.
You asked such a broad brush question about salary that's really impossible to answer. It really does depend on region of the country, type of inn (does it have a restaurant, shop, do they do events/weddings?), inn size of actual property, number of rooms, occupancy, and scope of responsibilities. It could well be that you would be paid more if you supervise other employees, but maybe not if the owner still has the final word.
There's really nothing like an internship or OJT at a B&B/inn to see if this is really the job for you before you jump into a contract with an owner.
.

I cannot even begin to tell you all how much Donald and I are appreciating your candor! We've not been around here long and weren't really sure how much info to provide in asking this question about salary. But clearly we also had not considered some of the variables you are mentioning in considering what a salary should/would be. You have provided a wealth of information. Thank you for the time you invested in answering the question.

 

[ServingSouthernComfort]

I still think you are putting the cart before the horse here. You have NO innkeeping experience. Why would someone hire you??? You should do some internship or volunteer to help a B & B...whatever...just taking an aspiring class isn't going to cut it either. As a retired innkeeper, I would never even consider anyone working for me who had no experience in running a B & B. I don't care how much other experience you have .....sorry.
I have warned innkeepers who did run a B & B about taking a position..that sounded "too good to be true" and guess what..they are leaving their position shortly..

Blessings Catlady...thank you for taking time to reply.

 

[agoodman]

If your husband has computer reservations systems experience from leisure and corporate travel I would recommend looking at the major hotel companies - their corporate offices are ALWAYS looking for people in this area. IHG to name one http://www.ihgplc.com/index.asp?pageid=430
I used to do property management systems for them in both IT and in the PMO.
In addition, companies like Expedia, Travelocity etc are also always looking for people with that experience
I know this never answered your question about managing an Inn but thought I would throw in my suggestions anyway ....
From an Innkeeper that has practically worked 24/7 for 6 years, has a 60% repeat rate and about to give my Inn back to the bank. Sigh.

 

[ServingSouthernComfort]

If your husband has computer reservations systems experience from leisure and corporate travel I would recommend looking at the major hotel companies - their corporate offices are ALWAYS looking for people in this area. IHG to name one http://www.ihgplc.com/index.asp?pageid=430
I used to do property management systems for them in both IT and in the PMO.
In addition, companies like Expedia, Travelocity etc are also always looking for people with that experience
I know this never answered your question about managing an Inn but thought I would throw in my suggestions anyway ....
From an Innkeeper that has practically worked 24/7 for 6 years, has a 60% repeat rate and about to give my Inn back to the bank. Sigh..

Thanks Goodman for the info! Yeah, he is pretty familair with his options - he can do it for American Express, too. Did it for CWT for 11 years - Continental 2.
We've waited a long time to be in the place in our lives where we can try doing something we really want to do for a living - together. We're tired of corporate America.
We have a dream We are looking for specific opportunities in B&B's and Inns in specific locations that serve a specific demograph. We
Lots of people are choosing to leave their 9-5 jobs making decent money doing what they hate to go try something that satifies their passion. Others lost jobs in this recession and have decided to live on less and enjoy what makes them feel good - ie. a lawyer who is now a vet tech just becaue he loves animals and has always wanted to do it.
So that is where we are. We just want to try. And if we fail - we fail. We get up, clean the mud off our faces, and my husband can still go back to corporate - but for now we still have a dream....

 

[EmptyNest]

If your husband has computer reservations systems experience from leisure and corporate travel I would recommend looking at the major hotel companies - their corporate offices are ALWAYS looking for people in this area. IHG to name one http://www.ihgplc.com/index.asp?pageid=430
I used to do property management systems for them in both IT and in the PMO.
In addition, companies like Expedia, Travelocity etc are also always looking for people with that experience
I know this never answered your question about managing an Inn but thought I would throw in my suggestions anyway ....
From an Innkeeper that has practically worked 24/7 for 6 years, has a 60% repeat rate and about to give my Inn back to the bank. Sigh..

Thanks Goodman for the info! Yeah, he is pretty familair with his options - he can do it for American Express, too. Did it for CWT for 11 years - Continental 2.
We've waited a long time to be in the place in our lives where we can try doing something we really want to do for a living - together. We're tired of corporate America.
We have a dream We are looking for specific opportunities in B&B's and Inns in specific locations that serve a specific demograph. We
Lots of people are choosing to leave their 9-5 jobs making decent money doing what they hate to go try something that satifies their passion. Others lost jobs in this recession and have decided to live on less and enjoy what makes them feel good - ie. a lawyer who is now a vet tech just becaue he loves animals and has always wanted to do it.
So that is where we are. We just want to try. And if we fail - we fail. We get up, clean the mud off our faces, and my husband can still go back to corporate - but for now we still have a dream....
.

Nothing wrong with having a dream. And I do like your attitude. If it doesn't work...go to Plan B. Good luck.

 

[Samster]

Southern-We are a husband and wife team that owned a B & B for four years and circumstances some beyond our control and some of our control we had to close the business. We liked what we were doing so we diligently searched for Innkeeping positions and it took us many interviews and letters and e-mails but we did land one and out of kind of desperation because the job market was low and because we could do the job we took it. In retrospect we had no idea what kind of boss we would have because the boss was an absentee owner that micromanaged the staff that managed to stay here. In short, we decided two months into the job to start searching for another position-this was a year ago.
We do have another position that we are going to in November and it seems like a good partnership, although we really won't know until we get there; we asked questions and we are satisfied with the salary. There are many types of B & B's and most do include innkeeper's quarters which is included in your salary, but like Alibi mentioned there are too many variables to say that there is a salary that can be made at every Inn and it also depends on what you will be doing. I can tell you this-if you were to be hired as "management" instead of an "innkeeper" which will be jack and jill of all trades-that Inn would be making alot of revenue to pay the management, lawn service, housekeepers, cooks etc all year long. Keep in mind that being innkeepets is a 24/7 job, its not a 9-5 job and as someone else mentioned-you should consider going to some seminars and such. We were baptized by fire meaning we went and we owned one and actually learned alot, now being hired by an Inn we learned different things.
If you want more info dont hesitate to e-mail me. Good luck.

Thank you, Birdwatcher, for your kind reply and for the encouragement. We really want to do this. We have talked about it and been reading about it for years. We have done some homework around this, talked to people who know a little about the business. My husband has computer reservations systems experience from leisure and corporate travel. So - we feel like if someone is willing to give us an opportunity - we really would like to give it all we have and see if this is for us. And in fact, we are in the interviewing process with a wonderful couple who seem to be interested in taking some business savvy, customer service focused, aspiring innkeepers and teach them the ropes. I hope the situation is not as some of the others have suggested and that they simply want to take advantage of us. We hope not. But, I guess if we take no risks then we don't have the chance to experience the blessing that may be available to us in this. So we are stepping out in Faith.
The potentials have asked what we think would be a fair salary - hence the question to you all about salary. I so appreciate your warm invitation to email you for more information. Blessings!
.

Treat this like any position and be sure that a lot of the details are spelled out:

1. Get a job description in writing - including specifics about your responsibilites, owner responsibilites, contractor's responsibilities; also, vacation time, sick time, health insurance, back-up plan for sick or injured innkeepers, etc.
2. Get the salary and hours in writing - I have known of innkeepers that have not been paid because business was slow; or their hours were cut; OR their hours were increased and they had to do more as other contractors were let go but they were not paid any additional wages.
3. Make sure that the inn you're working for has some kind of procedures manual - there's nothing worse than to get to a position and find that everything has changed and you have to figure out what to do.
4. Make sure that you know the "chain of command" for decision making - in other words, what exactly are you empowered to do? To hire? To buy?
5. What about your innkeeper quarters? - what is included? Can you make any changes? Can you make it more like your own place

These are just a few things off the top of my head.
You asked such a broad brush question about salary that's really impossible to answer. It really does depend on region of the country, type of inn (does it have a restaurant, shop, do they do events/weddings?), inn size of actual property, number of rooms, occupancy, and scope of responsibilities. It could well be that you would be paid more if you supervise other employees, but maybe not if the owner still has the final word.
There's really nothing like an internship or OJT at a B&B/inn to see if this is really the job for you before you jump into a contract with an owner.
.

I cannot even begin to tell you all how much Donald and I are appreciating your candor! We've not been around here long and weren't really sure how much info to provide in asking this question about salary. But clearly we also had not considered some of the variables you are mentioning in considering what a salary should/would be. You have provided a wealth of information. Thank you for the time you invested in answering the question.
.

No problem.
Before I owned my own start-up B&B, I worked at a very large inn that also did weddings and events, as well as off-site catering. I went to work there to see if I really wanted to own an inn of my own. I was hired to be an assistant innkeeper. Never got a job description and was paid very little. Long story short, the inn provided no introduction to their particular place and had no procedures manual, no training whatsoever, and I was expected to do really any kind of job....from cleaning toilets and other housekeeping duties, to shopping and assisting with catering jobs for special events, to detailed computer work.
I worked there long enough to learn what I wanted to do (or not do) with my own place someday and how I would treat any employees, if I had them.

 

[ServingSouthernComfort]

Southern-We are a husband and wife team that owned a B & B for four years and circumstances some beyond our control and some of our control we had to close the business. We liked what we were doing so we diligently searched for Innkeeping positions and it took us many interviews and letters and e-mails but we did land one and out of kind of desperation because the job market was low and because we could do the job we took it. In retrospect we had no idea what kind of boss we would have because the boss was an absentee owner that micromanaged the staff that managed to stay here. In short, we decided two months into the job to start searching for another position-this was a year ago.
We do have another position that we are going to in November and it seems like a good partnership, although we really won't know until we get there; we asked questions and we are satisfied with the salary. There are many types of B & B's and most do include innkeeper's quarters which is included in your salary, but like Alibi mentioned there are too many variables to say that there is a salary that can be made at every Inn and it also depends on what you will be doing. I can tell you this-if you were to be hired as "management" instead of an "innkeeper" which will be jack and jill of all trades-that Inn would be making alot of revenue to pay the management, lawn service, housekeepers, cooks etc all year long. Keep in mind that being innkeepets is a 24/7 job, its not a 9-5 job and as someone else mentioned-you should consider going to some seminars and such. We were baptized by fire meaning we went and we owned one and actually learned alot, now being hired by an Inn we learned different things.
If you want more info dont hesitate to e-mail me. Good luck.

Thank you, Birdwatcher, for your kind reply and for the encouragement. We really want to do this. We have talked about it and been reading about it for years. We have done some homework around this, talked to people who know a little about the business. My husband has computer reservations systems experience from leisure and corporate travel. So - we feel like if someone is willing to give us an opportunity - we really would like to give it all we have and see if this is for us. And in fact, we are in the interviewing process with a wonderful couple who seem to be interested in taking some business savvy, customer service focused, aspiring innkeepers and teach them the ropes. I hope the situation is not as some of the others have suggested and that they simply want to take advantage of us. We hope not. But, I guess if we take no risks then we don't have the chance to experience the blessing that may be available to us in this. So we are stepping out in Faith.
The potentials have asked what we think would be a fair salary - hence the question to you all about salary. I so appreciate your warm invitation to email you for more information. Blessings!
.

Treat this like any position and be sure that a lot of the details are spelled out:

1. Get a job description in writing - including specifics about your responsibilites, owner responsibilites, contractor's responsibilities; also, vacation time, sick time, health insurance, back-up plan for sick or injured innkeepers, etc.
2. Get the salary and hours in writing - I have known of innkeepers that have not been paid because business was slow; or their hours were cut; OR their hours were increased and they had to do more as other contractors were let go but they were not paid any additional wages.
3. Make sure that the inn you're working for has some kind of procedures manual - there's nothing worse than to get to a position and find that everything has changed and you have to figure out what to do.
4. Make sure that you know the "chain of command" for decision making - in other words, what exactly are you empowered to do? To hire? To buy?
5. What about your innkeeper quarters? - what is included? Can you make any changes? Can you make it more like your own place

These are just a few things off the top of my head.
You asked such a broad brush question about salary that's really impossible to answer. It really does depend on region of the country, type of inn (does it have a restaurant, shop, do they do events/weddings?), inn size of actual property, number of rooms, occupancy, and scope of responsibilities. It could well be that you would be paid more if you supervise other employees, but maybe not if the owner still has the final word.
There's really nothing like an internship or OJT at a B&B/inn to see if this is really the job for you before you jump into a contract with an owner.
.

I cannot even begin to tell you all how much Donald and I are appreciating your candor! We've not been around here long and weren't really sure how much info to provide in asking this question about salary. But clearly we also had not considered some of the variables you are mentioning in considering what a salary should/would be. You have provided a wealth of information. Thank you for the time you invested in answering the question.
.

No problem.
Before I owned my own start-up B&B, I worked at a very large inn that also did weddings and events, as well as off-site catering. I went to work there to see if I really wanted to own an inn of my own. I was hired to be an assistant innkeeper. Never got a job description and was paid very little. Long story short, the inn provided no introduction to their particular place and had no procedures manual, no training whatsoever, and I was expected to do really any kind of job....from cleaning toilets and other housekeeping duties, to shopping and assisting with catering jobs for special events, to detailed computer work.
I worked there long enough to learn what I wanted to do (or not do) with my own place someday and how I would treat any employees, if I had them.
.

Hey Samster,
Like you, I think we have settled in our minds in advance to this search that this first stint will be a a huge learning experience and that if we enter into it with that in mind we may not as put off by the whole experience.
We are watching out for the "this seems too good to be true" signs - which from past interviews we have learned that those signs can be very cunning. It is easy to fall over into, "Oh my gosh! This is exactly what we thought would be PERFECT for us!" This may possibly be one of the most difficult interviewing processes either of us has ever experienced! Really. We both have hired and fired, been hired and laid off, but this is a whole new ball game. I think part of it is that clearly both sides of the picture are interviewing the other. The prospective is deciding if we fit - we are deciding if they/it fit. Lots of posturing - which I HATE. It is both exhilarating and exhausting!
The place we are considering and who is considering us right now is not a big EVENTS venue - and if it was, I don't think we would consider it. We know we are not ready to be wedding arrangers - we need to care for guests who are simply vacationing first. It can be used as a retreat for a church group or mens/womens group getaway weekend. Maybe a team summer vacation. But the grounds are not conducive to having a big wedding. No huge catering events could go on there for sure. So this is good for us.
We do have what I think is a healthy fear of getting in over our heads - although it seems this is where the cunning aspect of this interview can come in a fool us. We are trying to be as honest as we can be about our abilities.
Thanks again.