Room facilities

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ourinns
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Room facilities

Post by ourinns »

Any thoughts on what "facilities" should be in a room these days? I see that the DVD is a big issue, but what else?

Presumably we can take it as read that all rooms will have a bed, sheets, blanket/duvet/etc., but what about a reading light, clock/radion, TV, DVD, etc.? Towels, soap, shampoo too, but what about a bottle of water, biscuits, etc.?

Those cheapo DVD players originally prompted the question but then we sat down and thought about what "should" be in the rooms.

My list of possible things (probably not comprehensive), in broadly order of price runs to:

- brochures on local attractions;
- glasses; (or plastic cups?)
- reading light(s);
- clock/radio;
- guidebook on the region;
- hairdryer;
- kettle (plus hospitality tray);
- wireless internet;
- CD;
- TV;
- DVD;
- in room safe;
- satellite TV (just the freebies or Sky too?);
- home cinema (I think this is a bit over the top, but is it?);
- internet PC (also over the top for an individual room I think, but what about offering it in a common room?)

And for "consumables":

- soap/shampoos;
- toilietry things like a comb, etc.;
- toothpaste;
- bottle(s) of water;
- biscuits/tea/coffee (to go with the hospitality tray).

And in the middle ground, if you do go down the DVD route, what about supplying movies? I assume that you really shouldn't just nip and buy enough to create your own mini-movie rental place in that those in the shops are for personal use (on the other hand presumably you could buy the ex-rental ones and do that). Can an individual place buy "for rental" DVDs? Would it be better to organise a partnership with a local rental place?

Hadn't thought of the Americans missing CNN so perhaps satellite TV is a good choice. How is that done for a property? We're OK about installing one satellite tuner per room but for us that equates to about 150€ (£100) per room times five vs the 50€ times five for the DVD player option.

Any other things that we should consider? Is there a line to be drawn, and, if so, where?





Arnold
Christine Kenyon
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Post by Christine Kenyon »

Your list made me go "wow!" and wonder if my Yorkshire blood is coming to the fore and I'm being too stingy.

In our cottage we provide TV/video/DVD; some videos and DVDs; mini hi fi; loads of glasses (for the Greek house parties that seem to take place occasionally!); communal hot water bottles and good supply of blankets, extra pillows etc in the airing cupboard; kettle in the kitchen; some small bottles of shampoo and shower gel in the bathroom/shower room; loads of tourist info in the lounge; our 3 regional magazines - Cumbria, Cumbria Life and Lake District Life - and Lakeland Walker in the lounge; walking books and guide books on the area.

In the bedrooms we only provide one thing from your list of "extras" and that's a reading light!

Looks like we've drawn a very thin line :wink:
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ourinns
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Post by ourinns »

Don't feel so stingy... we're a really big B&B so each room is the equivalent of your house ie what you have in the cottage, we need to replicate in each room which makes for a big bill as everything needs multiplied by five.

People seem to be continually upping the ante but we seem to have arrived at an "interesting" point in that there are a fair number of B&Bs still running with a communal TV room whereas some others are making the jump from that to DVDs in each room.


Arnold
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Sue Dyer
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Post by Sue Dyer »

I must look stingy too Christine :) In the bedrooms we have reading lights, clock radios and a box of tissues on table (night stand for you U.S folk!).

I think I've mentioned before that my extensive collection of Tom Hanks videos are available for guest since I don't have a vcr at home anymore. There is a larger selection of course with a few kids ones and some childrens cassettes I picked up in Ikea in return for a charity donation. Oh, I got one of those classical CD packs which seems popular, that was a "send away and cancel if you don't want the series". We're always diciplined enough to remember to cancel so you can pick up some good freebies that way.

Probably depends on the area but we find our good selection of Ordinace Survey maps, both the very detailed for walking and larger scale for touring are appreciated by guests.

My friend Bob's cd's are also available too, you never know I may get a convert :)
Christine Kenyon
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Post by Christine Kenyon »

Thank you Arnold and Sue. I now feel more like Father Christmas than Scrooge! Sorry I didn't make the link to the B&B, Arnold - I should have done.

Certainly for a B&B your list makes more sense to me. Although personal internet access and home cinema is probably way above the norm!

One of our local B&Bs offers guest bathrobes and teddies with welcoming chocs which seem to go down well.

We do pretty much the same as you, Sue. Only it's Hugh Grant, not Tom Hanks!
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Ju
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Post by Ju »

Do you think it is worth putting shampoo etc in the bathrooms? Obviously for a B+B it is expected, but is it for a cottage / Gite?

We provide liquid hand soap in the bathrooms and kitchen, mainly because it is the one thing that I always forget when I got on holiday, and I end up washing my hands with shower gel.

If we do put some shampoo/shower gel in should it be one big bottle, or hotel style sachets?

Ju
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Sue Dyer
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Post by Sue Dyer »

I think shampoo is a matter of preference, I'd always use my own rather than any supplied. Maybe a larger bottle? People seem to "nick" sachets even if they don't use them. I always do when I'm in hotels :) (I'm saving them to give away on my next visit to Cuba)

I supply foam bath (no shower in the bathroom and not enough height to fit one sadly) that seems to go down at a fast rate.
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ourinns
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Post by ourinns »

I wouldn't be so sure about home cinema being completely over the top for much longer. The prices are now down to 99€ (ex the DVD player) with DVD players coming in under 40€ so I don't think that it will be terribly long before it becomes the norm with prices like that.

One American site that we list with has a massive list of technology that you can tick you have: everything from the humble clock radio through to projection TVs. That's for their B&B options too!

I thought that soap & shampoo was expected in B&Bs too but apparently not from talking to some other places. We have a little gite too and basically do the same thing for them as for the B&B rooms with the only difference being that we normally stock their fridge with the mineral water rather than leaving it in every day.

I'm one of those that "nicks" all the little bottles as souvenirs too :) In practice, we've often found that people leave the unused bottles behind which drops the cost of providing them no end. One problem we've found is that the local Metro runs out of the soap completely at the start of the summer and doesn't really get it in again 'til well into September which caused us no end of hassle last year.


Arnold


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Christine Kenyon
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Post by Christine Kenyon »

Just to reply to the comments about shampoo ....

As a "woman of a certain age", I tend to receive lots of shampoos and smellies for Christmas and birthdays. These are gratefully received! As a result, in the bathroom at the cottage I have a basket with small bottles of shampoos, body lotions, foot stuff, etc that people can use if they want to or not. It seems to be go down well. In fact, if I ever win a raffle I have been known to choose the smellies over the bottle of wine for this reason. Sad or what?"!?!

Anyway, in a way it's not a specific shampoo offering, more a "pick and mix"!
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Sue Dyer
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Post by Sue Dyer »

Christine - what a great idea!! I think I could just about float a boat in the body lotion I've got.

I beg people for book/clothes vouchers, but no, they'd rather buy cosmetics etc you don't really need.... ah, well. at least someone will benefit from the stuff that won't sell on ebay :)
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enid
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Room facilities

Post by enid »

We have gites so that changes the requirements somewhat. There are lamps, clocks and tissues in the bedrooms. Obviously the gite has glasses that can be used for the bedrooms. We pur shampoo and soap in the shower room and in the main bedrooms which have a basin - I agree that I would rather use my own shampoo but it is always good to see it there as it shows thought on the part of the owner and if you have forgotten your own then it's there just in case. We have TV/DVD but not in the bedrooms and as we are avid film watchers ourselves we have a list of our DVDs that can be borrowed by our guests. We have a 24/7 tariff for our Interenet so this is available too.

We don't want to go much further with technology as we are trying to sell the get away from it all peacefulness of the site. We give a welcome pack and veg eggs from the garden during the week and that seems to be very much appreciated.
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ourinns
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Post by ourinns »

From what I've seen, there isn't a major difference in what you might get in a gite vs what you might get in a B&B room aside from the TV being smaller and some things such as home cinema being, to my mind, silly when there's only a relatively small room.

Where it is more difficult is that the B&Bs need to be much more careful in maintaining the quiet atmosphere as there's only a wall between the guests. That seems to be one of the factors which has ruled out TVs/radios/CDs for some people. We're luckly to have pretty substantial walls and a wide corridor so we can get away with such things.

I posted the same question on a more B&B-oriented forum and one thing that did come was that some people were worried that adding the "technology" would detract from the personal attention aspect of a B&B (and indeed gite) whereas others felt that without adding the "extras" we'd lose guests by falling behind the hotels. I think that working out a balance between retaining the personal attention aspect and yet offering the extras is pretty hard, well for me anyway.



Arnold
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enid
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Post by enid »

I think that folks who want tp stay in a hotel will and I really hope that our market isn't being compared to hotels. I thionk people choose B and Bs and holmiday cottages for the personal touch - I know we do but then my husband sees enough of hotels when he travels for work.

Also I think that what you provide needs to be in keeping with your accommodation - ours is a very rural location and that is what our clients seem to like. We haven't had any feedback asking for more stuff - indeed most people have avoided the DVD etc. They do like the table tennis and the baby foot as they can enjoy these together as a family and have a change from activities back at home.

Thanks for the tip about soaps at Metro - I'll stock up now!

Enid
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Alan Knighting
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Post by Alan Knighting »

Enid,

I think the best bet is not to make a personal judgement on whether or not visitors should have or will use individual facilities. I spread the net as far as I can by including as many facilities as I can afford and I leave it up to my visitors to choose for themselves which ones they use and don't use.

You can never tell before-hand what people will actually use. For instance, I am often asked about connection to the Internet by people who say it is essential. I am on broadband and have a wireless network which covers all my properties so I tell them to bring their wireless-enabled laptops with them and that I will enable them on the network during their stay. Only once has anyone asked to be enabled. On the other hand, my VHS library is extensively used by almost everyone.

Alan
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ourinns
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Post by ourinns »

Ah, but the B&B/gite market IS being compared with the hotel market. As you say, a considerable number of people are choosing the personal touch but on the other hand, you can't afford to get tooo far "behind" (and that's not the right word) the hotels.

For instance, if you look back 50 years a typical B&B wouldn't have had ensuite rooms whereas a typical hotel being built then probably would have had them. Nowaday's, I think you'd have trouble renting out a non-ensuite room.

Where you can come unstuck is that people expect totally individual attention from "the boss" all of the time and that's not realistic. One couple who just left felt that "we" weren't paying them enough attention. Although Wendy was very attentive to them, I was busy trying to get the internet going for another guest on their first day and sorting out satellite TV for a severely handicapped guest on their second day.

Re the internet, I suspect that by listing that you have the facilty, more people who "must" have it come to you. Like you, Alan, we don't get a lot of requests for it but we do get them.




Arnold
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