What To Do And How To Price...

[Generic]

We are trying to decide what to do with two rooms:

Let's call them room "Suite" (A & B). So Room Suite has a door with a private lock. But A & B each have a door with a private lock

A: King Bed, Single Day Bed. Two armchairs with coffee table. One long desk with two seating chairs.
B: Queen Bed. Vanity.

Suite has a DETACHED bathroom in 2 parts, a WC & a bathroom with shower and bath.

When sold as Suite, the bathroom it's private. but detached (and we have private locks on those doors, so you can lock them and no one else can get in.
When sold as A & B, the bathroom is shared. But people love that it's is two parts so that someone showering doesn't interfere with going to the toilet (and there is a sink for handwashing).

Under COVID rules (which end at the end of March, here), we sold just A as detached private bath and kept B closed, unless someone specifically asked for both together.

But now that COVID rules are ending, we aren't sure what to do.

Price:
A - $140 (2 people) or $160 (3 people)
B - $120 (2 people)
Suite - $240 (4 people) or $260 (5 people)

Do we sell it as A for 2 for $140 or as Suite for 2 for $200, with $20 extra per person. Or for 2 as just A, but $50 extra per person and they get B. Or do we keep it closed and sell it just as A? We just aren't sure what to do.

The problem we have is a limitation with the software. RK can only let us sell it as Suite or as A and B. So, it can't be sold as both at the same time, locking out one or the other.

Any opinions? Questions? Suggestions? should I add a couch in A? Remove the daybed?

 

[TheBeachHouse]

Because we would never want to share a bathroom with strangers when we travel, we converted the two rooms that shared a bath to a suite. We sell it as a bedroom with sitting room, but allow an extra person if requested. The sofa is a pullout. We charge for the third person.

 

[gillumhouse]

I have it as Items for Sale in RK for either of my queens to be a Private Bath and that adds $15 to the charges. I then go in and block the other room. Worked nicely this week when a politician booked 2 rooms (king and 1 of the queens) as a with private bath. When he arrived he had TWO staffers - so I went in and removed the $15 and added the full rack for the extra room. It was sweet!

 

[gillumhouse]

Because we would never want to share a bathroom with strangers when we travel, we converted the two rooms that shared a bath to a suite. We sell it as a bedroom with sitting room, but allow an extra person if requested. The sofa is a pullout. We charge for the third person.

Back in the day when I traveled, I booked the shared bath because it saved enough to pay for a meal on the trip. I never encountered a problem. The only thing not encountered when traveling re shared is the shower. Rest areas and other restrooms are shared.

My shared bathroom has always had a deadbolt lock - and I have the ONLY keys to it. If they throw the deadbolt, no one can walk in on them. That was all I had the first 10 years I was open - and we did fairly well. Once I was able to create the ensuite, I really did well. But I still get folks wanting the budget rooms - sometimes folks traveling together, sometimes not.

 

[InnDeep]

We have a similar situation with two bedrooms on our third floor. One room has a king, the other has a queen and twin - they share a sitting room & large detached bathroom with shower, claw foot tub & double sink & toilet. Our previous owners rented them separately. Many issues and concerns about sharing the bathroom even pre-Covid.

I had my misgivings about renting them as a suite, assuming folks would balk at the price. However, I renovated them with a bit of redecorating, added a few amenities, and a daybed to the sitting room - so the Suite now sleeps 6 total (plus charge a $25 child/$35 adult for anyone on the daybed) and rent it as a “Family Friendly Suite” for $300 plus yield management adjustments in our high season. Marketed it to families and for “girlfriend getaways” in room description etc.

Have had enormous response - 47% booked for this year so far (and it’s just February!). So I say keep as a suite and keep the daybed. I don’t think anyone is going back to shared bathrooms - after Covid. But that’s just my hunch. Also sounds like reservation system contortions otherwise.

Edit to add: I might have kept them as budget rooms except that I do have another “budget room” downstairs however where the bathroom is private but outside the door of the room (with a lock). That one is enough of a “plague room” as it is . Not up for having any more room situations like that life is too short!

 

[Generic]

Well, just to give people an idea of the large room, I made a generic floor plan. The windows aren't right, some of the exact dimensions aren't either. It's a king bed and a daybed. The chairs sit against the radiator with the coffee table and the TV above it. The desk is in the space of the windows, which is open to not just the sides, but with a skylight. So the curtains draw to enclose it with the two chairs for sleeping. In the corner, that's a built in armoire.

Any ideas? Furniture layout? Should I start to price this as a suite always? Or just sell this room and the other as an "add-on" they can have?

 

[gillumhouse]

Why not just price it as an expensive suite and see how it rents. How can always back-pedal if it is a bust for reservations. I found early on that people were deflated if I "gave them a deal" - they wanted to be able to feel they were in the elite. (Look at all the people who book at the Waldorf (or the Greenbrier) just so they can say they stayed there.)

 

[TheBeachHouse]

Third option, change the queen to a sitting room and make it a suite that way. Perhaps a queen sized pullout so a luxurious suite for two, or a great bargain for four.

Another idea. Put the king bed in the second room. For the “parents” or “hosts.” Queen sofa and daybed in the big room for sitting room, or bunk room for the extra people.

My vote is for making it an add on. One room, sleeps three $150. Two bedroom suite with shared bat, sleeps five $240. Much less than buying two rooms and much more than you selling only one. Win/ win.

 

[InnDeep]

Exactly. This would be similar to our set up and people love it and r booking it like crazy.

 

[Generic]

The room with a queen... can really only fit a queen. I'm not even sure if we could put in a wall bed instead. It's tight. The king room is very large. Definitely can't fit a sofa bed.

The daybed can actually open to a short king (2 inches short). We just never sell it that way anymore. That room is REALLY large, it's like 19 feet long by 15 feet wide. The thing is working around the built-in armoire and the radiator.

Which is why I have the daybed and two chairs and table all in the large room.

 

[Lee2014]

Can you go from one room to the other without going into the hall? If so, see about turning the small bedroom into a bathroom. And the bathroom now becomes a closet. (or laundry drop) etc. If you can do this, you can use the toilet, sink etc that you already have to save. Just a thought.