BEDS!!!

[Sashabel]

We have just returned from a 2 week gite holiday which we cut short by 2 days because we just couldn't stand another night in the lumpy, hard bed. We go on 2 or 3 gite holidays a year and always seem to have the same problem.

This latest gite was beautifully equipped and very tastefully decorated and the holiday would have been perfect had it note been for the aches and pains suffered after each nights sleep.

Gites are getting better and better with satellite TV, internet access, dishwashers etc., but the quality of the beds never seems to improve. Why???

[Gardengirl]

What a pity - hope you told them why you were leaving early and wouldn't be back! I suffer from back problems, and always make a point of asking about the beds before booking. We've almost always had pretty comfortable beds, but not so with pillows - and this applies to some hotels too!

[Nimportequoi]

I would have said something if I were you. I only supply top quality mattresses in my gîtes and would definitely complain if I stayed somewhere with cheap mattresses that I could count the springs through. Same goes for pillows. If I wouldn't be happy to sleep in the bed, it doesn't go in the gites. Guests now expect standards as good as if not better than they have in their own house. And most want kingsize and not standard doubles.

[Thebiga]

The thing is with beds etc is that you cannot please everyone. Some like a hard bed some like a soft one.

We have replaced some mattresses with some good quality ones that are mostly made from bamboo fibre that stay cool which is nice, Now to me they feel hard but guests have said how nice they were. We have pocket sprung ourselves but far to much money to put them in every gite but the sponge ones are to soft (not lumpy) but don't last.

I think you have to put in what you can afford of a good quality but as I said you will not please everyone.

[Nimportequoi]

[quote user="Thebiga"]I think you have to put in what you can afford of a good quality but as I said you will not please everyone.[/quote]

Yes, it is difficult to please everyone, but I think people who don't put in or can't afford to put in good quality mattresses shouldn't be in the accommodation business in the first place.

[Thebiga]

N'importequoi

I think that all people probably put in what they can afford. Not everyone can afford pool heating 'I wish we could' not everyone can afford to have internet access in every property. Not everyone can afford a dishwasher in every property. The list could go on couldn't it.

Just because someone cannot put in a top quality mattress in every property it does not mean they should not be in the accomodation business as you think so.

As we cannot afford every little thing that people would like you can certainly buy us out if you like. Got a spare £500,000 or should that be £499,999 as I think we have one foam mattress!

[Nimportequoi]

I'll shut up on the subject, as I clearly haven't got a clue about what makes a successful gite business [:)]

[Thebiga]

I take it you must have a successful gite business already then. You must be one of the lucky ones who are in the best spot and get wall to wall bookings every year, Unlike the other half in France that try to make it a living but money doesn't always stretch and have to go back to the uk.

All the best for the season then.

[cooperlola]

I worked in the hotel trade years ago.  One of the things our managers were expected to do was to sleep in the hotel bedrooms on  a regular basis to see what the customers had to put up with.  Not a lot to ask that gite owners do the same in their properties in the quiet season, then they'd know if their beds were comfortable etc.  Although matresses are a pretty personal thing, as has been said, surely nobody would sleep well on a lumpy one as the o/p was expected to?

[Thebiga]

Exactly, People should not have to put up with lumpy old beds. But as you said matresses are a personal thing and what is good for one will not be good for someone else. We recently bought 2 that are made from bamboo fibre and were not cheap and they stay cooler than a normal matress.

I found them to be hard but people loved them but I could not have slept on it but I never can sleep well unless its my own bed. Funny thing people and what they get used to.

[Nimportequoi]

[quote user="Thebiga"]I take it you must have a successful gite business already then. You must be one of the lucky ones who are in the best spot and get wall to wall bookings every year, Unlike the other half in France that try to make it a living but money doesn't always stretch and have to go back to the uk.

All the best for the season then.[/quote]

Thanks for the sarcastic good wishes. Maybe I'm just 'lucky' but I also think the reason that my bookings are good and that I get so many repeats and recommendations is because I offer what people want on holiday. And that includes very comfortable beds, as well as a heated pool, dishwasher, satellite TV, internet access etc.

[Thebiga]

I never said we did not have comfortable beds as we do 'Never had a complaint' Have a diswasher in 2 of the properties so getting to it slowly. Satellite tv in all properties 'English & French' so apart from the heated pool which nearly got done I don't think we are far away from what you provide really. Having 5 plus properties it takes time to get all of them to the same spec thats why we charge different prices per property. We also get repeat bookings but not everyone wants to go back to the same place every year, I certainly don't do that when we get a chance as I like to see what other places offer me.

This year for the first tyime we are offering wi-fi internet but anyone who does can leave themselves open to all sorts of problems with illegal downloads etc so this maybe short lived.

We are not in the best tourist area or close to the beach so perhaps our customers are limited. But it would have taken a lot more money to be in a better spot than we had so here we are.

Of course we came here for a new life and lifestyle and to help with my illness and also to get away from the uk and what it offered us. Also a lot of the brits I'm afraid even though some are nice that we have to stay here I would trade many for the french we get, Anytime.

Also I find with all these forums that so many people are willing to back bite and b*tch and make some people feel very unwelcome indeed. Some people are so willing to do this perhaps its why we left the uk as its full of them. So many that have everything and are very material people and have to have all the gadgets etc and the money. Where we are just happy to get by on enough that we can survive on which at the moment is hard but we are a happy family. I don't think the french we get certainly are not material people and its probably why we get on with them so well and would gladly trade some of our brit customers for more french. Each year we get more french which is great.

I don't know how many properties you have and perhaps its more than we do but have you ever tried to kit out five plus gites to a massive spec if you have then you have deeper pockets than we do. I'm just happy staying out of a wheelchair for as long as possible and living the nice but simple life.