Hello again!!!
How many rooms are considered necessary to make a profit in the B&B business....several of the "How to be an innkeeper" books I've read have recommended 5 ...but I spoke with someone in the business today who insisted that under 10 rooms is a not worth the effort. We don't see how we can afford a place with 10 rooms and 10 baths!!!
regards, aasta
how many rooms
The answer really is how long is a piece of string.
You have to consider costs of outlay, where you are going to have guests all year and every day through out or will you cater for only the high season etc etc.
If there was a min or max then businesses could not function at all.
You have to consider costs of outlay, where you are going to have guests all year and every day through out or will you cater for only the high season etc etc.
If there was a min or max then businesses could not function at all.
Never try to out-stubborn your guests.
As casasantoestevo has stated it is not an easy question to answer..Location is the thing you need to get right first. We have 3 rooms but because our season is a short one, we can not live off the B&B we need another income. You must also take into account its going to take a couple of years to get up and running , don’t expect to open your doors and be booked solid.
Opening all year round you must also take into account the costs of doing so, more so if you are depending on passing trade , then all rooms have to be ready and heated for example
Most of the books I read at the time said to make a living you needed 5 rooms with an all year round occupancy level, having said that I know someone who gets by on 3 rooms , however they are fully booked for 4 months of the year with an average 10 nights full occupancy for the other months
Also do not under estimate just how knackered you will become , we do evening meals as well and in high season I work 18 hours a day. People laugh and say that cant be but they don’t have a clue
Opening all year round you must also take into account the costs of doing so, more so if you are depending on passing trade , then all rooms have to be ready and heated for example
Most of the books I read at the time said to make a living you needed 5 rooms with an all year round occupancy level, having said that I know someone who gets by on 3 rooms , however they are fully booked for 4 months of the year with an average 10 nights full occupancy for the other months
Also do not under estimate just how knackered you will become , we do evening meals as well and in high season I work 18 hours a day. People laugh and say that cant be but they don’t have a clue
Nessie
Well said, we totally agree.Also do not under estimate just how knackered you will become , we do evening meals as well and in high season I work 18 hours a day. People laugh and say that cant be but they don’t have a clue
At the moment we are working hard doing things like website, maintenance and other all the odds and ends we have not had time to do in high season.
Never try to out-stubborn your guests.
We have six rooms, open from March to November. Huge competition with 6000 hotel beds in the area and we are out of the way.
We make a reasonable living out of it but no money to invest in any larger projects.
We could not make a living with less rooms but we have a mid price for local standards and very high costs so margin is tight.
The problem with too many rooms is that you need personnel and that's where your profit goes. That's the balance.
If you have other funds, take it easy and only do 2-3 rooms.
We make a reasonable living out of it but no money to invest in any larger projects.
We could not make a living with less rooms but we have a mid price for local standards and very high costs so margin is tight.
The problem with too many rooms is that you need personnel and that's where your profit goes. That's the balance.
If you have other funds, take it easy and only do 2-3 rooms.
We have four rooms plus a personal studio which we use for overflow, particularly in july/august. We had 100% occupancy in these two months with 78% june and sept. Last year we turned over 24k which is definetly enough to live on.
We can run the business ourselves on 4 rooms (plus the studio) but would need help if we had more. Depends on what you are offering.
If you do room only then you can manage more rooms but if you offer breakfast this will take up a good part of your morning. Evening meals also take up your time with afternoon preparation, serving and clearing up.
Decide how much work you are able to do that will still enable you to be a good host. Hard to keep smiling when you are worn out.
We can run the business ourselves on 4 rooms (plus the studio) but would need help if we had more. Depends on what you are offering.
If you do room only then you can manage more rooms but if you offer breakfast this will take up a good part of your morning. Evening meals also take up your time with afternoon preparation, serving and clearing up.
Decide how much work you are able to do that will still enable you to be a good host. Hard to keep smiling when you are worn out.