What do B&B Innkeepers do for vacation?

[Kristin Schneider]

Just wondering as I research the B&B business and think about entering if you get to take vacations and how you schedule them. Do you close the B&B? would you be interested in a trusted service that could run your B&B for a week while you vacation or go to a niece's wedding etc. Life happens.

 

[Generic]

Close. Can't trust anyone to do things to my level of satisfaction. There are already a lot of innsitters out there.

 

[gillumhouse]

I close. Himself would never allow anyone to invade the OQ (and I would not foist that on anyone). We (HE) is too decrepit to do more than a day trip so I use conferences as my vacations. WE are the dreaded ones in our family as in who is going to get stuck taking care of the last one standing. Too small to pay an innsitter.

 

[Silverspoon]

Close. Can't trust anyone to do things to my level of satisfaction. There are already a lot of innsitters out there..

Close. I would not trust someone else to run the place. And I would not relax knowing that there may be problems.

 

[Flower]

Close. Can't trust anyone to do things to my level of satisfaction. There are already a lot of innsitters out there..

Close shop. Never use innkeepers to expensive for one thing. Also another kind of personality in the mix. Much easyer to close shop then nothing to worry about. I can really have a holiday.

 

[Breakfast Diva]

We do a combo of both, depending on the time of year we're taking off. This year it's during our slow season so we're closing. In the spring, it will be a hired person, but she's local and I can train to my satisfaction. We also have 2 pro innsitters that we can use but you have to schedule them way in advance, sometimes more than a year. It's because they're so good and we really can relax when we've hired them.

 

[Aussie Innkeeper]

We also do both. Depends on the time of year and other factors. But, if I need to go somewhere or have plans mid-week for a day or two, and I know well enough in advance, then I'll just close. For example, we're planning to take daughter on some college visits in January, so we'll just close. Last October, though, we hired innsitters while we were away in St. Thomas for a week. Also hired sitters for 4 days in July when I had to travel to pick up daughter from camp and hubby was working.
We are fortunate to have several wonderful innsitters that we can call on when we need them. Very dependable and trustworthy!

 

[Hillbilly]

I'm trying to figure this out. I guess I should start by asking you a question. "What's a Vacation?"

 

[Morticia]

Close. I have no idea where an innsitter would sleep! Plus, we're off the beaten track and it's too far to get someone in here at a reasonable price. And how do you possibly hand over your business to a complete stranger?

 

[happykeeper]

We close. We travel. House sitter that has almost nothing to do.

 

[scrambled_eggs]

Close….can't trust anyone either….looking forward to a 15 day cruise this coming winter.

 

[Ice]

I'm trying to figure this out. I guess I should start by asking you a question. "What's a Vacation?".

I'm trying to figure this out. I guess I should start by asking you a question. "What's a Vacation?"

It's when you head north east and visit another Innkeeper! Would love to have you!

 

[Breakfast Diva]

Close. I have no idea where an innsitter would sleep! Plus, we're off the beaten track and it's too far to get someone in here at a reasonable price. And how do you possibly hand over your business to a complete stranger?.

An innsitter would sleep in your bedroom. They're used to OQs being less than stellar.

 

[Morticia]

Close. I have no idea where an innsitter would sleep! Plus, we're off the beaten track and it's too far to get someone in here at a reasonable price. And how do you possibly hand over your business to a complete stranger?.

An innsitter would sleep in your bedroom. They're used to OQs being less than stellar.
.

An innsitter would sleep in your bedroom. They're used to OQs being less than stellar.

I just find that too awkward.

 

[undersea]

Origonal post was an ad

 

[gillumhouse]

I'm trying to figure this out. I guess I should start by asking you a question. "What's a Vacation?".

I'm trying to figure this out. I guess I should start by asking you a question. "What's a Vacation?"

It's when you head north east and visit another Innkeeper! Would love to have you!
.

Ditto to what Innkeep said and I have room for the family.....

 

[GoodScout]

We are so lucky. We didn't take a vacation for the first 18 months. Then we closed to go visit family for Thanksgiving. This spring, we went on a 15th Anniversary vacation for 2 weeks. Our head housekeeper volunteered to inn sit for us, staying in one of the rooms and caring for our two dogs. What a blessing! She did a great job. And no, you can't have her!

 

[Cortijo El Sarmiento]

We have started 11/2 years ago and until know did not think about vacations. Now we do and we are planning a week off. I was wondering about taking somebody who would run the B&B while we are away. There is a very good and trustworthy service for that here. But I wonder if the costs/Benefits would make sense?

 

[Breakfast Diva]

We have started 11/2 years ago and until know did not think about vacations. Now we do and we are planning a week off. I was wondering about taking somebody who would run the B&B while we are away. There is a very good and trustworthy service for that here. But I wonder if the costs/Benefits would make sense?.

That would depend on what your predicted occupancy is for the dates you take off and how many rooms you have. What I'm used to is to basically pay an innsitter the equivalent of one of our suites per day. So if we expect to have 50% occupancy for those dates, it makes it worth it. We tend to use an innsitter in our shoulder seasons. I don't like to leave during our peak season because too many things & PITAS happen then. I need to be here to put out any fires.
Some innsitters will also do a sliding scale. $X for 1 room, $XX for two rooms, etc. They will start with a base pay for 0 rooms, then add on for each room booked.

 

[user 26]

Origonal post was an ad.

It's still a valid question - and there is no link to a proposed service so I don't mind answering.
I hired innsitters twice - both times the occupancy was deliberately light as my innsitters were not confident about having eight rooms booked. Both times they did a great job and it was totally worth it - rooms avg'd $150 per night, four rooms were booked both times, 3 nights each time. One surprised me by taking a walkin for two rooms on her last night. Financially it was a definite plus.
It was especially good having that live voice answering the phone throughout the day for 'lost' guests etc. The reservation system was automated and both sitters were a little shaky about taking future reservations, but would have been more comfortable if they'd returned to sit again or had more experience with it.
It's great to have a relationship with an innsitter that hopefully can be available in case of an emergency - I had an unexpected death in the family. This was the third time needing an innsitter. I blocked out all unreserved rooms and called the 'sitter' thank goodness one was available. If I couldn't have found someone I'd have been scrambling to find other accomodations for people, cancelling people, refunding deposits, etc, and I was in no state to be doing that.

Origonal post was an ad