Live off site

[user 26]

i only stayed once in a place that had no overnight staff ... never again. during the night, there was a problem and i had to go out to the front desk to find the number to call and then wait for someone to come help me. i didn't want to wait in my pj's, so i went back to my room and got dressed. i was very unhappy and nervous. i have to add that i was not TOLD ahead of time no one would be there. i was travelling alone, and i seemed to be the only guest in the place. not cool.
as an innkeeper, guests have wanted help n.o.w. and were anxious just having to wait for me to come help them from inside the building. just saying.

 

[Morticia]

i only stayed once in a place that had no overnight staff ... never again. during the night, there was a problem and i had to go out to the front desk to find the number to call and then wait for someone to come help me. i didn't want to wait in my pj's, so i went back to my room and got dressed. i was very unhappy and nervous. i have to add that i was not TOLD ahead of time no one would be there. i was travelling alone, and i seemed to be the only guest in the place. not cool.
as an innkeeper, guests have wanted help n.o.w. and were anxious just having to wait for me to come help them from inside the building. just saying..

We are almost always here. If we step out we leave the phone number prominently displayed INSIDE (but not outside). If guests lock themselves out, they're out of luck until we get back.
Now, the ONE time I went out when I was here by myself, it was 9 PM and I went out to walk the dog. The power went out! No lights and the fire alarm system is going nuts. I got home and found guests pounding on my door trying to 'wake me.' I had to find my way around by using someone else's cell phone until I got to my flashlight and then turn off the fire alarm.
The dog is running around because she hates the alarm. Oy! The guests are all awake and running around. Oy!
If I had gone 'home?' No way they could have even seen there was a phone number to call.
We stayed at a place where the 'on call' innkeeper was 45 minutes away. I didn't know that until we got to our room (she was already gone for the night) and we found a sign stating to call if we needed anything. I still didn't know until morning she was 45 minutes away.

 

[EmptyNest]

I think you have heard it before...my take...innkeepers need to live on site. Maybe they can be in a separate house...but preferably in the same one. I have stayed at places where there was no one there at night...never given a number to call or anything. Did not like it at all. Of course you said you would be there when you had guests..but...as others have said...there is much more to it than that. Live on site or wait to do it until you can.

 

[sixstones]

I can't tell you how much I greatly appreciate everyone's input!! You are an amazing bunch Definitely much food for thought here. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

 

[white pine]

Welcome from another aspiring! Just a newbie myself, but I think it would take more time to run than you plan on. Also, if you have only 4 rooms, and are rarely(?) booked more than that in the busy season, can this cash flow for you? Please check your numbers carefully, most small businesses fail within three years due to lack of cash flow.

 

[birdwatcher]

Innkeeping is a 24/7 job and to say that it may not be, well thats up to whomever is doing it. If you do not offer breakfast the next morning you're not a B & B in my eyes.
I do believe that you need to live on-site I don't think I could do it if I where that far away, and also check the profit of the Inn if they are don't get mid-week guests the profit margin totally deminishes-and you would still have to pay for all utilities and stuff even if you don't have guests. It takes most of the day after breakfast to get the Inn back in order if you should have a full house and if you have guests arriving that afternoon depending on your check-in times you have to be ready to greet them with a smile, clean set of clothes, and cookies or whatever you serve and be ready for more than one guest at the same time checking in plus giving them the tour and telling them whats around and don't forget the $$ taking. It takes time or it did for me to make sure that my guests felt comfortable plus I liked to BS with them while they have a drink of tea or lemonaid and then take them to thier rooms and show them around the Inn. Having a B & B is a really personal thing and we try to get to know our guests when they arrive, but alot of this is done at breakfast too we've had guests sitting at the table till check out time sometimes...and then it was scramble to get things done for the next arrival...an innkeper's job IS NOT DULL!
I was there I know what it takes to run not one Inn but two houses and it takes ALOT MORE than the previous owner told us and to boot we had to start all over cause they wheren't the best Innkeepers. It takes alot of devotion, lack of sleep, always on the go and continuous LAUNDRY AND CLEANING and of course being there when guests are there. Many a night was up till 12PM and gotten up at 5AM for breakfast and had to stay up again to clean room or get a call for a reservation or do marketing...there is alot of work to be a good Innkeeper and its also a "love" thing, its not just a job its a calling and if you have to devote yourself 100% to it unless you are just doing it on the fly and you don't need the income.
If you are contemplating buying the Inn I would talk to the neighboors. Don't want to scare you into not buying it, but 45 minutes is a long way to be from your guests.

 

[Emily Spiers]

My first question to you would be this: if all goes NOT according to plan (stay only weekends, live at home weekdays), can you live with that?
Whatever the worst case scenario is, can you live with that? If yes, then take another step closer to the dream. If not, well, that answers your question.
The risk is only worth taking if the end result is something you can't live without.

 

[swirt]

My first question to you would be this: if all goes NOT according to plan (stay only weekends, live at home weekdays), can you live with that?
Whatever the worst case scenario is, can you live with that? If yes, then take another step closer to the dream. If not, well, that answers your question.
The risk is only worth taking if the end result is something you can't live without..

My first question to you would be this: if all goes NOT according to plan (stay only weekends, live at home weekdays), can you live with that?
Whatever the worst case scenario is, can you live with that? If yes, then take another step closer to the dream. If not, well, that answers your question.
Right on Emily. Well said.

 

[Joey Camb]

One of my neighbours does this as she has two tenage kids and a husband and they were alll basically (ie all 4 of them) were living in one room at the B&B so they bought a house 5 mins walk away before they went mad. She makes her guests give her an estimated arrival time and then ring when they are 10 mins away so she can run round. Its not ideal because when she is waiting in the kids are at home alone. Plus guests don't like it if there is no one there if something happens. As our next door neighbour runs hers on a remote system and her trip adviser is full of "we turned up waited 10-15 mins for someone to let us in etc". Plus I am not keen on it just in case something happens ie a guest falls down the stairs or anything.