Bed & Breakfast Start-up Decisions

As you plan for the start-up of your bed and breakfast, there are some decisions you will need to make in order for the experience to be both profitable for you and enjoyable for your guests. Do not take these decisions lightly. Taking care of these items before a situation occurs can save you money,worry and grief in the long run.

House Rules

House rules are the rules you want your guests to follow. You will want to establish these ground rules before receiving your first guests. Guests will need to be made aware of your decisions before staying at your bed and breakfast in order to avoid possible conflicts.

1. Will smoking be permitted? You may want to keep smoking limited to certain areas in or around your home or simply say "no smoking is permitted."

2. Will you allow social drinking? Some people enjoy a cocktail before dinner and may bring a bottle with them. Some hosts offer wine or other liquor to their guests. You may not sell alcoholic drinks in your bed and breakfast. This would require a special liquor license. You must also consider the fact that if by chance an accident did occur and the guest says your served him the liquor, you can be held liable. Check on your state's dram laws.If you prefer that no alcoholic drinks be consumed in your home, say so to your guests.

3. Will you accept children? Will you only allow certain ages? More bed and breakfasts are accepting children, but that decision is up to you. You may enjoy children, but will your other guests. Who will your guests be? Will you target groups that want to be around children or not? Make sure that this rule is made clear to potential guests in your brochure and advertising.

4. How do you feel about guests bringing other people into your home? May guests take others to their room? Is there a public area that can be used? You may want to set a specific time after which only guests may be in your home.

5. Will you allow guests to bring their pets? Do you have pets of your own? Be sure to inform all concerned parties about your policy. Non-pet owners may object, or you may have a guest who is highly allergic to certain animals. If you do allow animals, where will they stay? Inside? Outside? Restricted areas of the house? Remember, if you have a dog that protects your home by nipping at strangers, it could mean a lawsuit someday.

6. Will you permit guests to use your phone? Perhaps you will allow only local calls. You may suggest that all long distance calls be done with a phone calling card or charge an extra fee for any long distance calls. Will you provide a phone in each guest room? This may be an asset if you are trying to attract business travelers. Let your guests know the policy in advance to avoid problems.

7. Will you allow guests to use your kitchen or laundry facilities? Do you want strangers roaming around in your kitchen or laundry when you are not there? Will you allow limited access when it is convenient for other family members? Do you want others cooking on the premises? Perhaps you can provide a separate small refrigerator or ice maker in a public area where guests may store items and be able to help themselves to ice and beverages at their convenience.

It is important to make your rules and expectations very clear to your guests. This can be done verbally when booking a guest or upon their arrival. The use of written "house rules" posted tastefully in each guest room in another method some hosts use. Any limitations set should be used on all publicity and advertising materials.

Try to look at your home objectively. Are your furnishings in good condition? What type of beds do your rooms have? Twin, double, queen, king, waterbed etc.? Is there enough closet space? Before you open your home to guests, try spending a night in each room as if your were a guest. As a homeowner, one often becomes immune to the street noises or a bright security light in the back yard. Perhaps the hourly chimes of your grandfather clock in the hallway will keep some guests awake at night.

Find out if the beds sag? It may be time to purchase a new mattress and box springs. Are pillows in good condition? What type of pillows are there? Some guests are very allergic to down ones. Is there adequate light in the bedroom both for dressing and reading? Is the floor cold when one gets out of the bed? Do you need to get out the oil can for some of the squeaky doors? You get the idea. All of these things can mean the difference between a satisfied and dissatisfied guest.

The definite trend in more and more bed and breakfast homes is to provide a private bath with each room. Guest now expect them. You may not be able to provide a private bath for each room. In many cases a guest will not object to this providing you have made adequate arrangements for sharing of a bathroom. But, how will you and your family feel about sharing a bathroom with strangers? You will be losing some privacy in your own home and may even have to wait in line at some time.

Are you willing to do this? When a bath is shared, you must be concerned about keeping clean and presentable for guests. How will you make it easier for everyone to cooperate in keeping the bathroom clean for the next person?

Special care must be taken to assure that bathrooms are scrupulously clean before, during and after a guest's stay. A small basket of cleaning supplies in a convenient location may help others realize that they need to keep the bathroom in good condition for others. A "clever" sign can be hung in the bathroom as a reminder to the slow pokes. Make sure that any reading material is kept in other rooms.

How will you deal with security in your bed and breakfast? Some hosts will give guests a key at no cost. Others will charge a "key fee" of $5 or $10 which is refunded when the guest returns the key.

For your own security, you may give the guest a key for their room and a regular front door lock and not to the dead bolt security lock. Other hosts give guests a key to their room and then set specific hours that the front door is kept locked.

A bed and breakfast traditionally provides a comfortable night's lodging and a good breakfast in a private home. Guests choose this type of accommodations because they enjoy the personal contact that a bed and breakfast host gives to their guests. Hosting a bed and breakfast often brings many new friendships and guest who will return again and again. However, before you start your business, take a long hard look at yourself and your lifestyle. It may seem like a glamorous and interesting opportunity, but it is also one which will require many long hours and lots of hard work.