New Innkeepers in New England

[thunder3]

My wife and I just purchased an existing inn this past October after years of dreaming and scheming. With all our kids out of high school we figured it was time to take the plunge so we packed up and headed to Maine. We are full time and open year round and so far it has been a blast.

Been lurking here for a couple years gathering lots of great information. Thanks for having me.

Mark

 

[JimBoone]

Mark, glad you are here and enjoying your dream. We're an odd one with an 8-room motel, over 30 years now and still having fun. I was lucky and found this forum about 10 years ago.

 

[GoodScout]

Welcome aboard! We took the plunge 3 years after our last left for college!
Don't feel that as a newbie you don't have anything to contribute to the board. Your experiences are like ours, you may have some new ones we haven't run into before.
And don't forget: The only dumb questions are the ones you don't ask.

 

[TheBeachHouse]

Congratulations and best wishes! Welcome.

I have a five bedroom b&b on the coast in Massachusetts. Started open year round, but are currently May to October. We found that the stress of icy stairs and driveways and the expense of heating a big, antique house were not worth staying open. We are in year 10 now. It’s a great way to make a living!

 

[Momma Smurf]

We are in Southern Maine....

 

[gillumhouse]

Welcome. I am a 3-guestroom in Shinnston, West Virginia, I am a start-up that opened in 1996. I am open year-round. I live here so I might as well be. We have electric baseboard heaters in every room upstairs for winter & window A/C for summer - and the appropriate is only on when it will be occupied so in winter I only heat the downstairs where my quarters are. I am also City Clerk and involved in my City. I block off all my rooms when I am going out of town (tomorrow & Tuesday have been blocked for a month for a conference in our capital), Ask away - suggest one question at a time. Post often. We really are interested and want you to totally succeed.

 

[KellyU]

Welcome. What is your inn's style? Early American? cottage type?
And what was the biggest surprise so far?

 

[thunder3]

Welcome. What is your inn's style? Early American? cottage type?
And what was the biggest surprise so far?

We are early American with the original house built in 1832. Biggest surprise? Having a full house and running out of fuel oil at 2:30 A.M. in the middle of December. Needless to say that was a long night!

 

[TheBeachHouse]

We once had a power outage at 7:30 am! I ran to Duncan donuts for a couple chugs of coffee and he set out the muffins, fruit and yogurt.

 

[GoodScout]

Had the same happen. Since I have a gas stove, I ended up serving scrambled eggs cooked while I held a flashlight in my mouth! (I now have a headlamp for just such emergencies)

 

[TheBeachHouse]

I’ll see your headlamp and raise you. We now have a generator for such emergencies.

 

[Momma Smurf]

Dozens of battery-operated candles, propane lantern in kitchen, camp propane stove, stove top coffee percolator, have saved us several times over the past 17 years.