Question on innkeeping

[Wanda805]

I wouldn't say people expect the owner to be onsite, but a lot of people expect an innkeeper to be onsite. That can be an assistant innkeeper or whatever title you want to give it. I travel alone a lot and don't want to stay at a place with no staff onsite at night. That's my preference. Regulations are in place about overnight staffing depending on your location and number of guest rooms.
As an innkeeper ... during the busy season ... booked solid every night ... there would be at least one issue come up with a guest in the middle of the night each week. Sometimes more. Examples that all happened between midnight and 6 a.m.: sick guest needed complete change of bed linens; toilet backed up and overflowing and guest did not know how to shut off the water supply; bathtub overflowing and leaking down from ceiling into room below; sick guest required an ambulance; guest decided to sit outside in the middle of the night and locked himself out of the place; a fight between one couple left one guest locked out, the other inside refusing to acknowledge the yelling and pounding, third guest thought there was an attempted breakin going on (got no sleep that night); NAKED guest stepped out onto the third floor deck / emergency stair and was locked out. That guy was hiding in the parking lot, hunkered down between the cars throwing rocks at the inn windows until he got my attention. Prize winner, that one!.

Oh boy! lol.. I hear what your saying . My husband and I would have someone stay for overnights and I would be there for breakfast.. This is something I always wanted to do, but my husband and I realize it's going to be hard.. So it's kinda disappointing. I guess we'll see.. thanks ladies

 

[JimBoone]

I wouldn't say people expect the owner to be onsite, but a lot of people expect an innkeeper to be onsite. That can be an assistant innkeeper or whatever title you want to give it. I travel alone a lot and don't want to stay at a place with no staff onsite at night. That's my preference. Regulations are in place about overnight staffing depending on your location and number of guest rooms.
As an innkeeper ... during the busy season ... booked solid every night ... there would be at least one issue come up with a guest in the middle of the night each week. Sometimes more. Examples that all happened between midnight and 6 a.m.: sick guest needed complete change of bed linens; toilet backed up and overflowing and guest did not know how to shut off the water supply; bathtub overflowing and leaking down from ceiling into room below; sick guest required an ambulance; guest decided to sit outside in the middle of the night and locked himself out of the place; a fight between one couple left one guest locked out, the other inside refusing to acknowledge the yelling and pounding, third guest thought there was an attempted breakin going on (got no sleep that night); NAKED guest stepped out onto the third floor deck / emergency stair and was locked out. That guy was hiding in the parking lot, hunkered down between the cars throwing rocks at the inn windows until he got my attention. Prize winner, that one!.

Oh boy! lol.. I hear what your saying . My husband and I would have someone stay for overnights and I would be there for breakfast.. This is something I always wanted to do, but my husband and I realize it's going to be hard.. So it's kinda disappointing. I guess we'll see.. thanks ladies
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We all have our own reasons for being in this sort of business, but for me one of the major benefits is that we live on the property, no getting up in the morning and having to drive to work, if I get tired well stop for a glass of tea or take a nap and finish my work later in the day, it is a good life.
If I had to drive from the next town to get here it would take away most of the fun, well for me anyway. Living here and enjoying the guests is what makes this special, if that doesn't have an appeal owning some long term rentals might be a simpler venture.

 

[Lea Ann]

We hired in innkeeper. She does the cooking and cleaning and lives onsite. We handle reservations and checking in guests. One of us (we have partners) goes over to the house and hangs out at breakfast. It works for us.

 

[user 26]

Wanda, you have to understand there are lots of different ways of running a b&b ... lots of different opinions and preferences and different regulations about onsite staff depending on how many guest rooms you have. But yes, a b&b is a lot of work. I don't think anyone who owns/runs an inn would tell you otherwise.
The more rooms you have, the more work there is to do. But more rooms also often means you hire staff to help.