We Asked:
David Letterman is not the only one who can write "top ten" lists! Give us your top ten reasons why you love (or hate) being an innkeeper.
Top Ten Reasons I like being an Innkeeper:
10. With 23 rooms, an 80-seat restaurant, a 40-seat pub, hallways, interior and exterior public areas, signage, and walkways, I've made a fortune by purchasing stock in a light bulb manufacturing company.
9. I've learned many useful life skills, like the fine art of plunging a clogged toilet without flooding the guests' bathroom.
8. I've learned how to graciously accept the fact that it really is my fault that it is raining on a wedding day or when the guests have pre-purchased non-refundable ski lift tickets.
7. I've learned the difference between "wine" and "whine" and how the former helps one deal with guests and staff who do the latter.
6. As an innkeeper I have gathered a lifetime of great stories, like the time a "big city" guest had us running inside and out with flashlights at 4 a.m., looking for a broken water pipe, when what he actually heard was the small brook 200 yards from his window.
5. A day off. Can't remember when I last had one, but I'm fairly certain I enjoyed it.
4. I've learned that people can be really stupid. By the end of the 10-day winter holiday surrounding Presidents Day, when I've had less then four hours of sleep for 10straight nights, plus incredibly busy days, that really stupid person might be me.
3. I find it very flattering when our guests enjoy our pillows, blankets, hangers, and artwork so much that they feel the need to take them home with them.
2. I love the occasional guest or staff member who doesn't expect me to drop everything I'm doing to take care of his/her needs.
And my #1 favorite reason for being an innkeeper is that one guest. You know the one. I'm sure he or she has stayed with you too. The guest who always makes you smile. Who appreciates everything you do for him/her. The guest who you reluctantly let check out, and truly mean it when you say "I hope you'll come back and stay with us again soon."
Brenda Jackson, Tucker Hill Inn & Restaurant, Waitsfield, VT
Top Ten Reasons I love being an Innkeeper:
1. I get to meet the most awesome people.
2. I love people and have so many opportunities to express that love.
3. I enjoy watching people unwind, relax and mellow each day they are with us.
4. Sometimes I feel I was born to serve people, so innkeeping makes me feel personally fulfilled.
5. I had a restaurant (now that was a hate thing).....and the only part of that business that I really enjoyed...was serving people, talking with people and giving them a wonderful experience.
6. I can't tell you what reading the comments in our guest books does for me emotionally. I turn to mush, not really believing it could have been that great an experience.
7. I love to cook simple, normal breakfast food and I have no place to put the accolades I get for that.
8. It blows me away that people just want to sit and chat for hours...I listen to their stories and tell mine.
9. To feel their gratitude because I waited up late and welcomed them to the inn after traffic problems, endless drives, airport delays, snow storms, etc., etc., .....what a blessing that is to me.
10. I still can't believe (after five years of innkeeping) I can make a living doing something that is so much fun! I am one happy innkeeper!
Philip Ellen Wolff, Village Victorian Bed & Breakfast, Morrisville, VT
Top Ten Reasons I love being an Innkeeper:
10. No more corporate travel for me!
9. I get to try out lots of great new recipes on unsuspecting "victims."
8. The flowers I plant are tax deductible!
7. I can go wild with decorating!
6. My old house gets lots of use.
5. I can attend lots of weddings/receptions and I don't have to buy a gift.
4. I learn so much from all my guests (without taking night classes.)
3. I can travel vicariously through my guests.
2. Chatting with other innkeepers on the Internet.
1. Meeting lots of wonderful people!
Dee Fegan, Pheasant Field B&B, Carlisle, PA
Top Ten Reasons I love being an Innkeeper:
1. Waking up to sunrises and enjoying spectacular sunsets almost every day.
2. Enjoying the quiet (of guest-less days!)
3. Being in a resort and taking advantage of perfect skiing conditions at the drop of a hat (had we realized, we would have started years earlier.)
4. Sharing a snowshoe walk with wildlife right outside your door.
5. Not having to go to the gym because shoveling and log-splitting keeps me in shape.
6. Having fun being 'creative' with food.
7. Lasting friendships with guests who return year after year.
8. Being your own boss.
9. Tax deductions for business in the home ...a big plus in such a spectacular location.
10. Top reason: Waking up to another 'ho-hum' day in paradise!
Susan Callahan, Bear Paw Inn, Winter Park, CO
Top Ten Reasons I love being an Innkeeper:
1. Being a stay-at-home mom, and being my own boss.
2. Having our guests bless our lives … when they write in our journal, that is special. You never know how may you touch someone's life.
3. Showing off our little piece of frontier history and cottage garden. I love it when they say,"wow!" when they peek through the front door window.
4. Exchanging stories with the interesting people we meet.
5. Making someone's stay really special. Helping to build relationships, bringing couples much needed time away, and reducing stress.
6. Having fun with guests who are on a surprise getaway. Through their husbands' planning, these wives enjoy a special birthday or anniversary night in a beautiful historic place with their love. The roses, cheesecake and card are all a part of our romance package and I feel like Santa's elf (giggle).
7. Decorating and gardening is even more fun when the costs are tax-deductible ... wish I knew about this perk sooner!
8. Having my own little antique cottage. We have birds & bunnies that visit … Watching the sunset with the guests …
9. Front porch visiting …
10. Playing "tea party." Guess I never really grew up!
Michelle Doss, Miss Lissia's Plantation, Water Valley, TX
Top Ten Reasons I love being an Innkeeper:
1. Meeting really nice and interesting people, some of whom are now become longtime friends … who keep coming back.
2. Listening to my guests talk about their lives and interests and learning from them, and vice versa.
3. Cooking hearty breakfasts and often receiving comments such as "I won't need lunch now." or "I won't eat again today."
4. Relating the history of the area where I live.
5. Having guests play with my dogs, who love both the attention and also the leftovers.
6. Hearing guests say that my B&B and its location are beautiful.
7. Reading the many wonderful comments in my guest book.
8. Receiving thoughtful remembrances from many guests.
9. Taking photos of my guests with their digital cameras.
10. Hearing my guests say, "You really made us feel at home."
Ellen O'Neill, The Grubstake B&B, Buchanan, VA
From the April 2004 issue of the Innkeeper News
Sarah Stotts
Marketing
BedandBreakfast.com
Inns.com
RezOvation
Sarah.Stotts@BedandBreakfast.com