Do owners provide towels?

[woolybananasbrother]

Cerise, you sound blissfully happy.

[tenniswitch]

[quote user="Cerise"]

I don't need TV in my rooms, I think I'm taking part in some surreal play.  I've got an elderly entomologist and his wife in one room, making a collection of dead bumblebees and beetles (honestly)!   In the attic are a lot(I think 5 but from the noise it could be 25) of vintage Spanish motocross riders.  They are shouting loudly in languages I don't understand.   For the past few days we have had a Canadian lady with Aspergers and her mad professor husband - perfectly pleasant but bonkers, walked round using ski poles all the time. One of my husband's Indian cousins has taken up residence in our spare room.  It is fête weekend in the village and I've turned away 5 sets of people today.  More motorcyclists (don't know what nationality - but reliably informed they don't speak French or English) tomorrow and on Monday it is all change for a family with 3 young kids, Mr & Mrs Rose Tinted Specs Househunters and Mr & Mrs Perfect Parisiens.  I'm changing towels at such a rate I just hurl them through the doors of the rooms and they land somewhere.  I don't care because I've got to hurtle back downstairs and concoct meals for a load of people who don't know what time they'll be here for meals and are vegetarian/allergic/fussy/pain in the backside.  I've forgotten to order the croissants for tomorrow morning and Martine at the bakery gets a bit vicious if you do that (do you think I can send Mr Cerise?) and tomorrow night I've got to go to the fireworks and stay up all night for the rock concert.

Why would we need TV in the rooms?  Real life so much more entertaining.[/quote]

I think that you are my new best friend.

Do you think that we could make this post mandatory reading for anyone contemplating the joys of running a chambre d'hotes (or gite or hotel, for that matter) in France?

[Quillan]

If you are thinking of running a B&B here in France DON'T LISTEN TO THESE PEOPLE they just don't know how to run one properly and they certainly have no idea what they are talking about.

Running a B&B is really very simple and all you have to do is collect the money.

Breakfast, throw a couple of slices of bread and a box of cereals on the table. The guests will clear away after themselves and put the plates in the dishwasher you just have to show them where it is.

Changing rooms takes about 10 minutes.

You don't have to do book keeping at all and you certainly don't pay any tax etc.

All you need to do is put a couple of signs at the top of the road and they will be queuing outside your gate to get in within minutes. It's like taking money from a blind man.

Plenty of time to visit the local bars, take lunch and chat with your mates (all the French speak perfect English by the way). Why not form a cricket club or join the one down the road. You can mix with the natives and play boules but they don't speak English, are an uneducated lot. Smelly too, always that feint smell of garlic, no best keep to your own. You can even go on holiday and leave them to it, just lock up your side of the house.

Evening meals, get some microwave ones from the cash and carry, the ones prepared on real china plates and then you can spend the evening eating and getting drunk with your guests. Frozen deserts from the supermarket, bit of smelly French cheese, 5 ltrs of cheap local wine from the 'man in the van' and they are as happy as Larry.

Towels, put a washer dryer in the hall and tell them if theirs are dirty to shove them in and collect them when they get back.

Sheets, get black ones (the nylon ones that feel like silk, the punters love them), change them every month or so, a quick skirt with Febreze works a treat.

I tell you what running a B&B is the easiest job in the world and if you are looking at coming to France for a great time, don't speak much French, don't like hard work but want to make say 40/50k a year then B&Bing is the thing for you.

I just don't understand why these B&B owners have to be so damned negative all the time, always whinging about something when they should be grateful for such a nice easy life, lazy b*ggers

[oscar]

[quote user="Quillan"]

Changing rooms takes about 10 minutes.

[/quote]

 

I hope you're having a laugh.  Changing rooms, to clean them thoroughly, takes a lot longer than ten minutes.  Showers need an absolute thorough clean so that there is no chance of any kind of bacteria lurking and passing on infections - if you have glass doors on the showers they need a good clean, hoover the rooms daily - including UNDER the bed, dust daily, wash bathroom floors, clean mirrors.  If you do a changeover in ten minutes that is one very VERY good reason not to stay at your place!!!!!!

[cassis]

[quote user="Quillan"]

If you are thinking of running a B&B here in France DON'T LISTEN TO THESE PEOPLE they just don't know how to run one properly and they certainly have no idea what they are talking about.

I just don't understand why these B&B owners have to be so damned negative all the time, always whinging about something when they should be grateful for such a nice easy life, lazy b*ggers

[/quote]

Whereas q knows it all!  You do make me laugh, q! [:D]

I think we (other owners) know enough about running a successful B&B - it's not rocket science, as you say.

Love to see a room properly changed and cleaned in 10 minutes, BTW.  Quick rub with a damp rag?   [:D]

NB All: The whole point is, owners like to let off a bit steam once in a while and this is a convenient place to do it.  It doesn't reflect the day-to-day business or how well guests are treated.   It would be remarkably naive to think it does.

Edit: Had a look at your webpage, #1 - what hubris, I must reply in kind.  [:D] I'd stack our guest comments against yours any day.  [:D] [:D] [:D]

LINK TO OWNER'S PAGE REMOVED

[Quillan]

All that time to clean a room good god man. Get a local or better still a Pole they will do it for a couple of Euros an hour while your down the pub and you pay them cash in hand.

Theres a lot of naive people out there [;-)] Never thought anyone was so stupid enough to believe my toungue in cheek post for a start but then I have met plenty of Brits who want to come and live here who think running a B&B is not to disimular to what I have have described.

Bet your not voted number 1 in your area on Trip Advisor [:D] [:D] [:D]

[Clair]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/travel/news/article4480195.ece

[cassis]

But, q - I thought your post was hilarious!  The funniest thing you've ever posted! 

I'm afraid I couldn't resist a comment when I saw the claim on your website front page about Trip Advisor - sorry!  [:D]

What sort of area are we talking about?  Ours is number one in the Pays de la Loire, i.e. all the departments of Vendée, Sarthe, Mayenne, Loire Atlantique, Maine-et-Loire.   Check out the links.  [:D]

EDIT:  Here's the proof!

[img]http://www.normandie-chambres.co.uk/misc/TripAdvisorNo1.jpg[/img]

[Quillan]

[quote user="cassis"]But, q - I thought your post was hilarious!  The funniest thing you've ever posted! 


I'm afraid I couldn't resist a comment when I saw the claim on your website front page about Trip Advisor - sorry!  [:D]

What sort of area are we talking about?  Is it like being voted number 1 out of 1? Check out the links.  [:D]

[/quote]

About 5sq K but as the saying goes if you have it flaunt it. It is after all about bums in beds at the end of the day.

I guess we are all under some strain this time of year, gite owners as well but it is what we decided to do for a living/hobby or whatever so I guess we shouldn't moan too much. I do find guests amazing especially those that proudly tell you they are house hunting because the UK is such a cr*p hole and that they are going to do B&B or a few Gites to get a bit of pocket money. I think there are a lot more easy ways of earning money than this business in fact there are probably a few thousand.

I always try to have a kip from 2 to 4 but whenever I do 'they' return and demand tea, coffee or if they can use the pool etc etc. They seem to think we have such an easy life running around picking up after them and servicing their every need 24/7. There are mornings you really just don't want to get up. Still it's what we chose to do so its head down and just get on with it I suppose.

Off to do a changeover now and with no neals tonight an early night hopefully BUT you just know its all in the mind and they will come back and ask for something or other and the early night will be out of the window as normal. Aaaahhhh happy days [;-)]

[Quillan]

Thats the changeover done........ Only joking...... [:D]

[Richard T]

[quote user="Quillan"] I do find guests amazing especially those that proudly tell you they are house hunting because the UK is such a cr*p hole and that they are going to do B&B or a few Gites to get a bit of pocket money. I think there are a lot more easy ways of earning money than this business in fact there are probably a few thousand.[/quote]

Two questions spring to mind:

1) If it's so difficult then what persuaded you to start a B&B business and why continue it?

2) Can you name just a few of those "few thousand" ways of earning money for the sort of (British) people who see running a B&B as an easy way to earn some pocket money?

Richard T

[mint]

[quote user="woolybananasbrother"]Cerise, you sound blissfully happy.[/quote]

And certainly, you don't seem to have to endure a dull moment.

As for Quillan and all you others, I'd no idea you moneyed gite owners were such an argumentative lot.  But, do keep it up so that the rest of us can be suitably entertained.

But, to be honest, you'd think none of you got paid for what you do.  Why, I had visitors who, less than half-way through a 10-day stay, decided to leave.

No account was taken for the fact that their room was nice and fresh with laundered (and ironed) white sheets, towels on the beds (as recommended by Jura), mosquito device plugged in, fan ready to go, discreet vase of flowers, plenty of clothes hangers, jug of cold water and best crystal glasses by the side of the beds, etc, etc. 

Temperature in the 30's, no problem, they could sit in the car after lunch in a suitably nice "typical" French resto and have a good nap while OH drove (and I navigated) to the next tourist attraction.  No worries for them of filling up the car, paying for the parking, finding a place to park come to that.

So easy when all they had to do was mention some place they thought you could easily drive to in one day, such as Paris, and they could take some nice pictures to show to all their friends back home.  Then when Paris was pointed out on a map to them in order to show them the impossibility of their request, there was disbelief and undeniable disappointment on their faces.

When the final insult came, of leaving early, because there wasn't enough to interest them, I wouldn't have minded running gites and being paid for doing so instead of having to suffer visitors who add insult to injury and leave you much poorer in pocket.

[Quillan]

Oddly enough I actually enjoy it becaue I like a challenge and building something, in this case a business. You could ask the same of the other B&B owners here who have said far worse than I now and in the past. [:D]

How about getting a white plastic patio chair and nipping over the border to Spain and hanging out on the side of the N9 [;-)]

[Cerise]

How about getting a white plastic patio chair and nipping over the border to Spain and hanging out on the side of the N9

Does anyone know the going rate?  It currently looks like a more attractive option than my next 3 hours of ironing.[6]

[Quillan]

[quote user="Cerise"]

How about getting a white plastic patio chair and nipping over the border to Spain and hanging out on the side of the N9

Does anyone know the going rate?  It currently looks like a more attractive option than my next 3 hours of ironing.[6]

[/quote]

Lend me a chair and I'll go find out.

Now there's a business opportunity, ironing. How about somebody coming round, collecting all our ironing and bringing it back after a few hours all nicely ironed?

[Wendy]

Don't you have a blanchisserie nearby? Quillan, how about Euroblanc at Toulouges...?

I gave up washing and ironing the sheets when I got to the 36th week stage of my last pregnancy - I could not longer sit close enough to the table [:)]