Happy Birthday Enid
Enjoy the spa
Helen
A bit of a moan
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Hells Bells
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- Location: French Alps
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and if you don't do it quickly there'll be loads of us turning up to join you!!! I'll bring my own sugar though 
www.thepetitmanoir.com
www.thepetitmanoir.com
Happy Birthday, Enid!
I know what you were going through.
When we first arrived on the Côte d'Azur we were inundated with visitors. After that first summer I was so exhausted that I decided to rent the ground floor: instead of providing accomodation for people AND cooking for them FOR FREE I now provide accomodation for people and DON'T cook for them - and they pay me! When friends want to stay only the real ones can: the others are told that we are unable to put people up, and we indicate an excellent b&b nearby. I still cook a bit for them, which is fine, they take us out for a meal, which is also fine - everybody is happy. (Including the b&b.)
I have one friend who tells visitors that, as she works, she can't cook after work so they have to provide the evening meal: they take her out or do the cooking. Smart lady.
I know what you were going through.
When we first arrived on the Côte d'Azur we were inundated with visitors. After that first summer I was so exhausted that I decided to rent the ground floor: instead of providing accomodation for people AND cooking for them FOR FREE I now provide accomodation for people and DON'T cook for them - and they pay me! When friends want to stay only the real ones can: the others are told that we are unable to put people up, and we indicate an excellent b&b nearby. I still cook a bit for them, which is fine, they take us out for a meal, which is also fine - everybody is happy. (Including the b&b.)
I have one friend who tells visitors that, as she works, she can't cook after work so they have to provide the evening meal: they take her out or do the cooking. Smart lady.
Best,
Alexia.
Alexia.
Thank you so much for my birthday wishes - it didn't go all that well I'm afraid. Kevin and I became really poorly over the last couple of days and we are now on a course of antibiotics and coughing for France!! As to our guests aka long term friends of mine - they continued to swan around expecting waiter service - finally Kevin flipped and said we were not well and they'd have to muck in -'you only had to ask' sed they - we thought we shouldn't have needed to ask but hey ho! Yesterday we had invited four friends from the village to dinner - I spent most of the day in bed - Kevin asked old friends for help preparing the meal which they grudgingly gave - making lots of asides about slave labour and missing the sun - he tried to keep his cool as it was my birthday. To top it all they moaned and groaned about the meal and were very rude to our local guests and Kevin had finally reached his limit and told them exactly how we felt. They all left at the crack of dawn without even leaving a note - obviously feeling that we were so mean and nasty to suggest that they were free loaders.
So be it - like all of you we have had to learn the hard way - but we have learned and we won't be offering free board and lodging again. It was good to be able to share with folks wot understand.
I did get to have a go in the spa yesterday though - luvverly - and you can all pop in to try it if you're passing! Kevin bought me an ipod too so not everything was spoiled!
Finally - sorry to have rambled so - any suggestions about charging clients for use of the sauna and spa? - we had an empty week last week but have guests again today.
So be it - like all of you we have had to learn the hard way - but we have learned and we won't be offering free board and lodging again. It was good to be able to share with folks wot understand.
I did get to have a go in the spa yesterday though - luvverly - and you can all pop in to try it if you're passing! Kevin bought me an ipod too so not everything was spoiled!
Finally - sorry to have rambled so - any suggestions about charging clients for use of the sauna and spa? - we had an empty week last week but have guests again today.
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Hells Bells
- Posts: 13173
- Joined: Sat Apr 30, 2005 8:42 am
- Location: French Alps
- Contact:
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Alan Knighting
- Posts: 4120
- Joined: Mon Oct 18, 2004 7:26 am
- Location: Monflanquin, Lot-et-Garonne, France
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Alan Knighting
- Posts: 4120
- Joined: Mon Oct 18, 2004 7:26 am
- Location: Monflanquin, Lot-et-Garonne, France
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Hells Bells
- Posts: 13173
- Joined: Sat Apr 30, 2005 8:42 am
- Location: French Alps
- Contact:
We have stayed in a couple of small French hotels in the Alps that had similar facilities. There was a small charge per person to book the spa/sauna, and a set time range (say 4pm-7.30pm) in which you could do so. Others have simply included the costs in the rental charge, but again opening hours were limited. We stayed in a troglodyte house in the Loire which had a private spa bathroom, fab. 
. It was during the 2003 heatwave, and we must have been one of the few families in France that didn't have trouble sleeping, the areas that were dug out of the rock were beautifully cool, we did have to move the kids to a sofabed in the lounge though, as their grenier room was muc too hot.
. It was during the 2003 heatwave, and we must have been one of the few families in France that didn't have trouble sleeping, the areas that were dug out of the rock were beautifully cool, we did have to move the kids to a sofabed in the lounge though, as their grenier room was muc too hot.They would have to book them but the hot tub is maintained at temperature so we'd just have to lift off the cover - the sauna takes 15 mins to reach temp and can be pre- programmed to start heating up up to 9 hours ahead. When we stayed in the coal hole gite with a sauna they charged £5 a go three years ago. We are on Tempo.Together sauna and spa we have worked out that even on red days full price they will cost €5.17 per hour - that's counting for use of the tub for an hour exposed to the open air and all the jets going - this really is top cost. We'd like to recoup our outlay too and there is water hygiene maintenance for the spa as for the pool. Kevin thinks we should charge €10 for each of them for an hour - I'm always guilty of undercharging and I was thinking of €7 - that's not per person - each of them can take up to 6 people.
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Alan Knighting
- Posts: 4120
- Joined: Mon Oct 18, 2004 7:26 am
- Location: Monflanquin, Lot-et-Garonne, France
We are happy with the rental prices at the moment as not all the exterior works that would make the place completely to our desired quality level are finished. We do think that we should be charging more for the use of the ' health suite' - forgot to say that it will have a few exercise machines in too when I have finished the decorating! We thought of having a single session rate qhite high and then offers for booking several over the week. We have also got a masseuse who is willing to come to the house.
Well...it looks like we've all had our share of 'freeloaders'! We have really great friends that have been to see us and 'muck-in' without using us like the local B&B. On the other hand we've had friends stay with us who 'uhhmed' and 'arrhed' when when we took them to the local supermarket (considering they were a family of 4 adults) two of which drank cerveza as though it was on tap!...well it does take allsorts to make a world, but it's only when you're in this situation you realise who you're real friends are.....and who you will willingly invite again!