Big Island Bed and Breakfasts

The first impression formed about a bed and breakfast home happens the minute your guest sees your inn and walks up to your front door.
The next impression occurs in the first 30 seconds when they are greeted.

Each owner has his or her own unique strengths and assets that can serve as a strong marketing feature. You must determine what these are and how you can best use them. Since your home is the first attraction for most guests, make sure that it gives a good impression in all areas.

Entrance

Imagine you’re a guest coming to your bed and breakfast for the first time. Examine the guest entrance.

What mood does it set?
Is it inviting?
Is there a sign?
Is the walkway clear and safe?
Is there a porch light?
Is it clear whether you should ring the bell or just walk in?
Is the yard well kept and nicely landscaped?
The entrance provides the first gracious welcome to guests.

If not, things get started the wrong way and it may be difficult to change your guest’s opinion.
Bedrooms

Take an objective look at your guest bedrooms. Again, put yourself in the guest’s shoes.

Is this a room a guest will enjoy?
Is the paint and/or wallpaper in good condition?
Is the mattress comfortable?
Will it provide good support?
Is there adequate closet space?
Is there a chair for reading and relaxing? It will save wear and tear on the mattress.
Is there a desk or a place to write letters?
Is there proper lighting for reading and writing?
Is there a full length mirror available for dressing?
Have you provided a night light and smoke detector in each room as a safety feature?
Think about the bed linens. Be sure that you have an adequate supply. Double or triple sets of everything for each room: sheets, towels, blankets, etc., come in very handy to help you manage your time in changing the room for the next guest. Or, in case damage occurs to a bedspread, rather than having to replace the whole set, you have a spare to use.

Are sheets of high quality fabric?
Are they fresh or worn?
Do you have adequate blankets?
Are pillows fresh and fluffy?
Can you provide a selection of pillows to suit guests’ needs?
A guest room doesn’t have to look or cost as much as if it came from the pages of home magazine, but it should be comfortable, and well kept. Expensive furnishings or special redecorating is not always needed. A new coat of paint and a few new linens may be all that is required. The room should reflect individual creativity.

Cleanliness

Probably the most important thing to impress your guests is the cleanliness of your home — their bedroom and bathroom.

Are there cobwebs in the corners or behind the furniture?
Is dust collecting under the bed?
Furniture should be polished and dust-free.
Drawers and closets should be free for guests’ belongings.
A scented lining in drawers adds a nice touch as well. Do be aware however, that some guests may have allergies or breathing disorders. If you fill your rooms with potpourri, candles and other types of scents, you may have some very sick and unhappy guests.
A towel rack in each room may also be appreciated, especially if guests are sharing a bathroom.
Are the curtains and draperies clean, framing shining windows?
The initial outlay for opening a bed and breakfast need not be high. Perhaps a spotless room and a bit of refurbishing is all that’s needed. If redecorating is called for, it can be done in stages as time and money permit. If you plan on redecorating, consider keeping a filing system with ideas, swatches of fabric, carpeting, wallpaper, and paint chips that can help you make selections in the future.

Redecorating and refurbishing is an on-going task in all good bed and breakfast homes. It often is also a tax deduction; so keep meticulous records.

Ingenuity can be key to guestroom comfort. To expand limited closed space, a chest of drawers can be added, or attractive shelving with hooks can be mounted on a wall.

A inexpensive round wooden table can become a nightstand or writing area.
Coordinated curtains, draperies, bed covers, pillows and tablecloths and shower curtains can be easily made from decorator sheets.
Live plants, flowers — real or silk — add a nice touch.
You should provide extra hangers, blankets or pillows for your guests.
A luggage rack will save wear and tear on your bed coverings and mattress.
Consider providing a bed tray for guests.
A pitcher of water and glasses on a tray is often appreciated.
Some hosts provide a small decanter of liqueur for a nightcap. (Be sure to check your state’s laws and any local regulations in regard to providing alcoholic beverages.)

Buying a bed and breakfast is a big commitment, usually much bigger than buying your home. It’s not something that should be taken lightly, and it would be difficult to over-prepare for this purchase. Among the many things you need to consider, these may be the five most important.

Can You Afford It?
You’ll probably have to come up with a bigger down payment — in percentage terms as well as real dollars — for a bed and breakfast than you would for a home. Depending on the size of the inn you purchase, your mortgage payment also could be higher. You might have to save for a long time to be ready for the purchase.

Are You Innkeeper Material?

Innkeepers are special people. They have to deal with all sorts of guests, both good and bad. Sometimes rude guests will arrive very late at night — and you’ll still have to get up early to prepare breakfast with a smile.

Can you do that?

Can Your Family Handle It?

Running a bed and breakfast is not a one-person job. And even if it was, your family would be affected — particularly if you have children living at home. Be sure your family is ready for the new responsibilities, and if you live in the inn be sure to have a guest-free space so you can all unwind.

Family Considerations

Is This the Right Location?
Do the market research. Why do people come to visit this area? Are they seasonal travelers or year-round? How many other bed and breakfasts are located nearby? Are they always full or often empty? What will make your inn stand out? These are very important questions, and the answers will help determine how successful your inn might be.

What Are Your Expectations?

Do you want to make a living solely from the B&B or is it an extra source of income? If you don’t have a partner working outside the inn, as a general rule you should have at least eight guest rooms available. Make sure you go over projected income thoroughly — and have a decent amount of cash in reserve — before jumping in with both feet.

Your Guide to Bed & Breakfasts.

Stay up to date!
Becoming an innkeeper is a dream that many people share. But it’s not simple to run a bed and breakfast, and you should do your homework thoroughly before welcoming your first guest. These books all provide useful insights into what it takes to operate a successful B&B.
1. So - You Want to Be an Innkeeper
Packed with insider information on how to start, operate and promote a successful inn, this book is a must-have for aspiring bed and breakfast innkeepers. Illustrations, charts and worksheets are mixed in with the 300-plus pages of tips and advice. A seminal, comprehensive work written by the people who founded the Professional Association of Innkeepers International.

2. How to Open and Operate a Bed and Breakfast
Suggestions from professional innkeepers are sprinkled liberally throughout this book. Also included are anecdotes, charts, worksheets, and more. Author Jan Stankus served as director of the Traveler’s Information Exchange for 10 years.

3. Complete Idiot’s Guide to Running a Bed and Breakfast
This guide is written in the familiar “complete idiot” format, so if you like that kind of layout consider picking it up. Author Park Davis graduated from the Culinary Institute of America and operates Benchmark Inn & Central, a bed and breakfast in Provincetown, Massachusetts.

4. Start and Run a Profitable Bed and Breakfast
Authors Monica and Richard Taylor, who admit they were “blissfully unaware” of the problems they would encounter while running a bed and breakfast, draw on their personal experience to write this guide. They cover the good and the bad.

5. How to Start and Operate Your Own Bed and Breakfast
This book is heavy on practical tips, but a little lighter on the business angle. Author Martha Watson Murphy ran Murphy’s Bed and Breakfast in Narragansett, Rhode Island, and taught an innkeeping class at Brown University.

It’s almost impossible to describe the typical person who operates a bed and breakfast.
They come from all walks of life, from professionals to laborers. Artists, craftsman, farmers, insurance agents, teachers and anyone else you can think of have opened and run successful B&Bs. Singles, couples and families have all been involved.

Their reasons for opening a bed and breakfast? Just as varied.

Perhaps children have grown and moved away and there are empty rooms in a large home. Some people just have more rooms than they need. Widowed or divorced people have opened B&Bs.

While they are run for a source of income, most people do not depend on them solely for their livelihood. People retired from other professions — such as professionals or farmers — who have a separate primary source of income often operate bed and breakfasts.

All successful bed and breakfasts have one thing in common: owners who like people!

They also like to entertain people in their homes. Many of these owners also have skills they want to use, such as cooking, to please their guests. Others may have historically significant homes they want to share with others. Anyone seriously thinking about opening a bed and breakfast must like people and be able to deal with all types of people. This is a people business! You must also be willing to sacrifice a big part of your personal life since guests will be living with you.

Many skills are needed to run a successful bed and breakfast. Do you have what it takes?

Before spending a lot of time and money, use this personal assessment survey to help determine if you and your partner (if you have one) have the skills needed.

Answer honestly by writing yes or no to each statement below. (Remember, this survey is for you — if you’re not completely honest with your answers, it won’t do you any good!)

Complete the survey for both yourself and for your partner. Have your partner do the same. (So you both fill out the survey twice.)

Personal Assessment Survey

I enjoy getting up early and preparing meals.
I’m highly organized and manage my time well.
I’m self-motivated and a self-starter.
I can do several tasks at one time.
I enjoy entertaining.
I find it easy to get along with most people.
I’m tolerant and patient.
I can handle conflict without alienation.
I work well under pressure.
I can work long hours and face a variety of interruptions.
I learn from mistakes and make changes as needed.
I keep my home neat and clean at all times.
I enjoy performing home maintenance.
I’m cheerful.
I enjoy interior decorating and remodeling.
I enjoy gardening and landscaping.
I have a regular income.
I communicate well on the phone.
I write well and regularly.
I’m persistent.
I consider myself a risk-taker.
I have a high energy level.
I enjoy serving others.
I consider myself flexible.
I have a good business sense.
I can handle the business end of a B&B.
I handle emergencies well.
Compare your answers with your partner’s. What are your strengths and weaknesses? Did any of your answers — or your partner’s answers — surprise you?
Now identify, in writing, your strengths and weaknesses. If you plan to become an innkeeper, your strengths should outweigh your weaknesses and you need to determine ways to compensate for the weak areas.