Signs, Signs, Everywhere a Sign....

[JunieBJones (JBJ)]

I think innkeepers should make furnishing and decoration decisions assuming guests are going to abuse them. You say that you expect guests to use the beautiful sofa as luggage stowage, but at the same time you won't tolerate it and think a sign would be appropriate or might do the trick in preventing them from using it.
My immediate thought is don't put a sign on or near the sofa. One of the biggest complaints of B&B guests (especially the newbies) is "too many signs." You don't want someone to walk into a room and see signs about what they cannot/should not do, unless it's 100% completely necessary. I think too often new B&B guests don't feel comfortable in an inn, because the innkeepers have used signs that make them uneasy...yet the B&B image we portray on our web sites is all about comfort and relaxation. The guest arrives and hears or sees a lot of "Do this...don't do this...etc." Even though the signs are for the "other" dummy guests, since the sign is out for all your guests to see, it could feel like you're putting the dunce cap on all of your guests.
Someone in our industry once said, "The vertical surfaces are for the innkeepers, and the horizontal surfaces are for the guests." Maybe Sandy Soule said that? That sums it up nicely. Expect guests to put a glass directly on a piece of wood rather than a coaster. Expect guests to lay on top of the comforter. Expect guests to put their rollerboards on top of the sofa, if there's a sofa in the room.
You seem pretty serious about not tolerating it, and I fear (based on how serious you seem) the reaction you might have towards a guest. What will you do if you go into a room and see a suitcase or other personal belongings on the sofa?.

I think innkeepers should make furnishing and decoration decisions assuming guests are going to abuse them. You say that you expect guests to use the beautiful sofa as luggage stowage, but at the same time you won't tolerate it and think a sign would be appropriate or might do the trick in preventing them from using it.
My immediate thought is don't put a sign on or near the sofa. One of the biggest complaints of B&B guests (especially the newbies) is "too many signs." You don't want someone to walk into a room and see signs about what they cannot/should not do, unless it's 100% completely necessary. I think too often new B&B guests don't feel comfortable in an inn, because the innkeepers have used signs that make them uneasy...yet the B&B image we portray on our web sites is all about comfort and relaxation. The guest arrives and hears or sees a lot of "Do this...don't do this...etc." Even though the signs are for the "other" dummy guests, since the sign is out for all your guests to see, it could feel like you're putting the dunce cap on all of your guests.
Someone in our industry once said, "The vertical surfaces are for the innkeepers, and the horizontal surfaces are for the guests." Maybe Sandy Soule said that? That sums it up nicely. Expect guests to put a glass directly on a piece of wood rather than a coaster. Expect guests to lay on top of the comforter. Expect guests to put their rollerboards on top of the sofa, if there's a sofa in the room.
You seem pretty serious about not tolerating it, and I fear (based on how serious you seem) the reaction you might have towards a guest. What will you do if you go into a room and see a suitcase or other personal belongings on the sofa?

A suitcase on the sofa would be moved. Simple. And like I tell people "If this were our family home or we have remodeled and renovated originally there would be no way to allow any guests here." Undies and tshirts and magazines can stay on the sofa.
I cannot have a B&B from Ikea. I think that would be good sometimes...however.
I have virtually NO SIGNAGE in our B&B, if that helps. Wait! I do have "Please use mugs or coffee cups for hot drinks" since a guest used a plastic cup from the water dispenser for boiling hot water.
I have a check in sheet in a plastic sleeve with tons of info and it is not a list of DO NOTS. I have a few helpful signs like a small Ring Bell for Host" stuck on the doorbell.
I don't have HOLD HANDLE DOWN when flushing or any of the 500 other signs I could use to make everyone feel like a moron. I won't put signs up about "unmentionables" as that turns people off.
I agree about too many little signs. 100%. I have stayed in B&B's with so many little signs stuck all over the place it was ridiculous. Turn off fan when leaving room. Don't leave wet towels on the bed. Turn off lights. Don't forget your room keys. Hold rail when going down stairs. DO not park in front. DO not park in rear. Do not park anywhere!

 

[JunieBJones (JBJ)]

I just moved this antique sofa into a guest room that badly needed it (Grey Swannie was in thisroom) and I am positive it will be used for luggage stowage instead of them using the floor or luggage rack or other furniture. It matches perfectly too. (Looked nice where it was but nice here as well)

 

[DaisyMae]

Added a sign to the front door asking guests to please not allow any cats sitting on the front porch into the house, after one guest helpfully let a big gray neighborhood cat in the living room and then knocked on our door letting us know she had let 'our' cat in. Ours stay inside and in our quarters - not on the front porch. Fortunately this was relatively tame cat who followed me outside with food. Not one of our ferals who let herself in our back door then proceeded to hang from the drapes and screens until we could get her outside again..

oh, we had that happen too. we have 1 kitty that stays in our quarters, sometimes guests will ask to see her but other than that she does not go around the inn & has never been outside.
we have a couple of neighborhoos cats that hang around in the summer. they are not strays & we do not feed them, i guess they just like us!?
anyway, one evening last summer, i went to the kitchen, after being in there a moment i heard a kitty meow & thought oh my gosh, she got out! but how!? then i saw him , he's nice but i shooed him outside in a quick way . all i could think of was, "Please tell me he did not pee inside anywhere!"
i hung a note on the door, like you, saying the cats outside do not belong to us.
the lady who let him in came to us later after she saw the sign & said she let him in because she thought he was ours. i said, well, at least he was only in here for a short time. she says, oh, no he's been in our room all day! he took a nap on the bed with us earlier..."

the other sign i hung up last summer, on front & back door, says, "please close door tightly behind you so bugs do not come inside"
i wanted to write a sign that said "close the

door!" i just can't understand the poeple that have 2 empty hands but just walk out & leave it open like it isn't even there to begin with. i think i may have griped about this before, sorry for the rerun.

 

[Morticia]

Added a sign to the front door asking guests to please not allow any cats sitting on the front porch into the house, after one guest helpfully let a big gray neighborhood cat in the living room and then knocked on our door letting us know she had let 'our' cat in. Ours stay inside and in our quarters - not on the front porch. Fortunately this was relatively tame cat who followed me outside with food. Not one of our ferals who let herself in our back door then proceeded to hang from the drapes and screens until we could get her outside again..

oh, we had that happen too. we have 1 kitty that stays in our quarters, sometimes guests will ask to see her but other than that she does not go around the inn & has never been outside.
we have a couple of neighborhoos cats that hang around in the summer. they are not strays & we do not feed them, i guess they just like us!?
anyway, one evening last summer, i went to the kitchen, after being in there a moment i heard a kitty meow & thought oh my gosh, she got out! but how!? then i saw him , he's nice but i shooed him outside in a quick way . all i could think of was, "Please tell me he did not pee inside anywhere!"
i hung a note on the door, like you, saying the cats outside do not belong to us.
the lady who let him in came to us later after she saw the sign & said she let him in because she thought he was ours. i said, well, at least he was only in here for a short time. she says, oh, no he's been in our room all day! he took a nap on the bed with us earlier..."

the other sign i hung up last summer, on front & back door, says, "please close door tightly behind you so bugs do not come inside"
i wanted to write a sign that said "close the

door!" i just can't understand the poeple that have 2 empty hands but just walk out & leave it open like it isn't even there to begin with. i think i may have griped about this before, sorry for the rerun.
.

If I thought it would help, I would get one of those pneumatic door closers. And you're right, 2 completely empty hands, sometimes 6 or 8 depending on how many exit or enter at the same time!