New Inn design: Fireplaces, gas or real wood burning?

[Barliman]

Okay, so at first I thought small gas fireplace was the only way to go in each suite of our new design. But if ambiance, cozyness, authenticity are what I'm selling....maybe wood is the better choice? Our room rates will be high (just over $200 per night) so maybe the "real thing" would be expected? In spite of the extra work, hassel, etc. What do you think?

 

[scrambled_eggs]

I'd rather have a gas and just be able to flick on the switch. I stayed at a B & B that had a wood fireplace. It was nice looking but I did have a hard time sleeping. There was a smoke smell the entire night that made it difficult for me to sleep and I woke up numerious times. Now as an innkeeper I would only want the guests dealing with flipping on a switch to light the fire and not building the fire themselves. Some guests don't know how to build a fire and they might smoke the place up or they might go and get more wood than needed and stuff the fireplace full and cause a chimeny fire which I know happened here once before. I have a wood burning in the common room which I take care of and it is a lot of work to clean it out and the ashes always get all over the furniture so I have to re-dust everything after I am done.

 

[Innkeeper To Go]

Gas. You'll still get the ambiance - without the pollution.
And at over $200 a night, I'm guessing your guests just want a fire that starts up right away - not one they need to build, worry about opening the damper, blah blah blah.
Remote controlled fireplaces are great - or just a convenient location for the on/off near the bed.
And remember. Guests are looking for the real thing but they're also looking for pampering and push-button ease. At $200 a night, they probably want a wee bit less rustic and a bit more ease.
Go green. And forget the wood fireplace. We've got plenty of soot in the atmosphere already, thank you very much.

 

[swirt]

Go with gas over wood. People who have no experience with wood often are STUPID with wood.. too much, not enough, wrong setting on the damper...want it burning but don't want to be there for the entire time it is burning ...the list is nearly endless.

 

[Morticia]

Guests really think they want the whole cozy fire thing until they fill the room with smoke. Personally, I would like a real fireplace, but I know how to work a fireplace.
Go with the gas but get really nice looking fireplaces.

 

[Hangfive]

Guests really think they want the whole cozy fire thing until they fill the room with smoke. Personally, I would like a real fireplace, but I know how to work a fireplace.
Go with the gas but get really nice looking fireplaces..

Definitely go with gas.
Guests can be stupid with gas too. I happend to walk by a room with an open door this past weekend and noticed the guy down on his knees messing with the controls to the fireplace in his room. He said the remote wasn't working...it worked fine, he was trying to turn off the pilot.

 

[The Farmers Daughter]

Okay, so at first I thought small gas fireplace was the only way to go in each suite of our new design. But if ambiance, cozyness, authenticity are what I'm selling....maybe wood is the better choice? Our room rates will be high (just over $200 per night) so maybe the "real thing" would be expected? In spite of the extra work, hassel, etc. What do you think?

Speaking from experience....just get over the idea of wood. It sounds like a nice idea initially, but don't be fooled. When you consider the expense of seasoned hardwood, the mess and the fact that the great majority of guests are not fireplace saavy, you will be glad that you chose propane. All the ambiance without the mess. Plus you will find it adjustable and non smoking. The new inserts are quite convincing too. Most of my guests cant tell the difference. More peace of mind to me, anyway.

 

[gillumhouse]

Go gas. Real wood and they will burn your house down. Few people have fireplaces at home. Wood for those fireplaces is expensive (we had a wood fireplace with a gas starter so our pyromaniac would have a safe place to play with fire when we were not camping. They had that thing so hot they melted the gas starter tube off AND melted a grate - and this was with us there sort of watching what was happening. Our pyro is now a law-abiding cop. She was fascinated by fire as a kid.). We were always on the look-out for dead trees and watched where the power company was trimming to get the wood. In the 1980s in the burbs of Chicago, wood was $50 a face cord.

 

[Innkeeper To Go]

Go gas. Real wood and they will burn your house down. Few people have fireplaces at home. Wood for those fireplaces is expensive (we had a wood fireplace with a gas starter so our pyromaniac would have a safe place to play with fire when we were not camping. They had that thing so hot they melted the gas starter tube off AND melted a grate - and this was with us there sort of watching what was happening. Our pyro is now a law-abiding cop. She was fascinated by fire as a kid.). We were always on the look-out for dead trees and watched where the power company was trimming to get the wood. In the 1980s in the burbs of Chicago, wood was $50 a face cord..

Real wood and they will burn your house down
A very good point indeed!
And once that soot gets on their hands - and it will - it gets on the linens, the furniture, and everything else.

 

[Copperhead]

If you do place a real fireplace in the common area be sure you have some way of protecting it from your guests ever helping hands. I remember reading a post on this forum (hope I am remembering it correctly) where a guest decided to start a fire in the common area fireplace but did not check to make sure the flue was open.

 

[egoodell]

Go gas. Real wood and they will burn your house down. Few people have fireplaces at home. Wood for those fireplaces is expensive (we had a wood fireplace with a gas starter so our pyromaniac would have a safe place to play with fire when we were not camping. They had that thing so hot they melted the gas starter tube off AND melted a grate - and this was with us there sort of watching what was happening. Our pyro is now a law-abiding cop. She was fascinated by fire as a kid.). We were always on the look-out for dead trees and watched where the power company was trimming to get the wood. In the 1980s in the burbs of Chicago, wood was $50 a face cord..

Those here in Charlottesville are regretting the real fireplaces. They create dust all over the room and they hate the job of hauling in the wood. Plus, since we had an inn have a fire here that caused two deaths, I believe the County now has a law that the innkeepers must be at the inn 24/7 while there are guests. This means they can't even go out for dinner during the busy season.
Too dangerous. Too much work.
Riki

 

[YellowSocks]

Gas with a remote.
Aside from safety, wood is MESSY. We had a wood stove at our last house and dh loved to open the door and look at the fire... soot and smoke on the ceiling. And dirt and dust from the wood carried in. And dirt and dust on the furniture.
Last year I stayed in a fabulous cabin with a real fireplace... the innkeepers had the fire already laid out, all you had to do was light it. I went through a LOT of wood for just me, if my husband had been there it would have been even more! (He's a pyro.)
So, aside from safety there's the work aspect: hauling wood, setting up the fire, cleaning the grate, cleaning the dust, cleaning the soot... ugh. You'll have plenty of work already, save yourself while you still can.
=)
Kk.

 

[wendydk]

I stayed at an Inn in TN that had a real fireplace in the room. While we didn't use it, the smell of smoke was in the room, I smelled it as soon as we walked in.
I personally don't like the idea of gas either, unless you can put some kind of timer on it, so they don't fall asleep and let it run all night. If I were building a new Inn, I would go with even larger and fancier mantel electric fireplaces than the ones I have now. This one is the one I want for my next living room....

 

[JBloggs]

open flames and guests do not mix.

 

[sandynn]

open flames and guests do not mix..

i agree and I am not sure what the code it for real wood burning in bed rooms. I know with gas it has to be sealed in bed rooms (behind glass). I think that is international code.

 

[wendydk]

Here's a screaming ebay deal for someone in West Virginia that could pick up this gorgeous fireplace!
http://cgi.ebay.com/Pre-Owned-Beautiful-LARGE-Dimplex-Electric-Fireplace_W0QQitemZ260525215482QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item3ca8834efa

 

[JBloggs]

Here's a screaming ebay deal for someone in West Virginia that could pick up this gorgeous fireplace!
http://cgi.ebay.com/Pre-Owned-Beautiful-LARGE-Dimplex-Electric-Fireplace_W0QQitemZ260525215482QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item3ca8834efa.

Kathleeeeeeeeeeen
I have that same model in one of our rooms, same color wood mantle as well.

 

[gillumhouse]

Here's a screaming ebay deal for someone in West Virginia that could pick up this gorgeous fireplace!
http://cgi.ebay.com/Pre-Owned-Beautiful-LARGE-Dimplex-Electric-Fireplace_W0QQitemZ260525215482QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item3ca8834efa.

Thank you but I already have gorgeous mantles. All I need to do eventually is instal the guts of an electric fire. But my "boxes" are very narrow as they were gas fireplaces.
gas fireboxes are not deep and they had asbestos behind the gas pipe to protect from the hear. We encapsulated all the asbestos to make it safe (we were advised not to take it out) and in two rooms also sealed off the firebox. The third room has such a pretty grate/covering, that we left it alone - but the asbestos is not ever going to move! so it is safe also.
Summersville is about an hour and a half from me. Not tht far.

 

[wendydk]

Here's a screaming ebay deal for someone in West Virginia that could pick up this gorgeous fireplace!
http://cgi.ebay.com/Pre-Owned-Beautiful-LARGE-Dimplex-Electric-Fireplace_W0QQitemZ260525215482QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item3ca8834efa.

Thank you but I already have gorgeous mantles. All I need to do eventually is instal the guts of an electric fire. But my "boxes" are very narrow as they were gas fireplaces.
gas fireboxes are not deep and they had asbestos behind the gas pipe to protect from the hear. We encapsulated all the asbestos to make it safe (we were advised not to take it out) and in two rooms also sealed off the firebox. The third room has such a pretty grate/covering, that we left it alone - but the asbestos is not ever going to move! so it is safe also.
Summersville is about an hour and a half from me. Not tht far.
.

Thank you but I already have gorgeous mantles.

Buy it on the cheap and then resell it for four hundred on Craigslist!

 

[bbinnsitters]

Here's a screaming ebay deal for someone in West Virginia that could pick up this gorgeous fireplace!
http://cgi.ebay.com/Pre-Owned-Beautiful-LARGE-Dimplex-Electric-Fireplace_W0QQitemZ260525215482QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item3ca8834efa.

I am going to be in WV in Feb. - if anyone from WV - MI (and any state in between) wants me to pick it up I would do that. If the seller is ok with keeping it till then!