The BnB Host - How to set up your Dream BnB: Part 3

Planning a bnb is paramount to the success of meeting the requirements of potential guests who would want to book at your establishment after checking your facilities and photos online.

Today I will be looking at the exciting stage of reservations and guest resources.

I will never forget our first booking; it was a young German gentleman who booked a short vacation with us and arrived on Christmas day of 2015 with his family; yep quite a day to check-in but that was what suited their schedule - a good lesson as we realised that from there on, our needs would take second place! Of course one can always block out certain dates, but we were keen to start so took what came along, and we did not regret it!

What a wonderful introduction to guests as they were a lovely family; his mother and I hit it off right away, both having the same interests. She had to be dragged down to the cottage by her son when they got back from the day's outing as we had long chats in passing.

It is vital to keep the balance between being friendly and not being intrusive – some guests do not like communicating much but others love interacting.

A quick look at what I’ve covered so far:

PART ONE:

VIABILITY & DEMAND FOR SHORT TERM ACCOMMODATION
Researching the need for a bnb is the most important first step as your area may already be flooded with bnb’s.

LEGALITIES
Check whether you need to be registered with local authorities/ tourism bodies.

PART TWO:

FACILITIES - Take a hard look at your property as a whole.

MARKETING - A vital facet of running your bnb, never stop marketing.

Now for the exciting phase when you're ready to open up your bnb to guests; be prepared for a new world right on your doorstep as people from all over the world book at your establishment. You're bound to meet the nicest people; did I ever say that travellers usually are wonderfully interesting people. There are some nasties too but we've been spared so far!

RESERVATIONS

• Tariffs – setting the correct tariffs will determine the number of successful bookings. Check online what other establishments in your area are charging; taking facilities, standards & services into consideration. Guests must feel they are getting value for their money, but at the same time ensure that your rates are not too low either, or you will be making a loss and attract the wrong type of guests.

• Network – visit one or two local guesthouses and invite them to yours. This is great during peak season, as prospective guests always ask for referrals when your establishment is fully booked. We in turn get referrals from them, so everyone benefits from our informal referral program. Naturally you will only refer guests if you are happy with what you see or read in online reviews. Network with travel agencies and tourism bodies, they can also be a very good source for reservations.

• Payment System – do not accept cash payments as this can be a security risk. Speak to various banks to see which type of credit card payment machines/ devices would suit your budget or requirements. EFT payments are acceptable. Nowadays we make use of a company called Nightsbridge who offer a secure payment system.

• Booking Calendar – vitally important to keep this up to date online. One can link calendars on some sites, but Nightsbridge does this job for us, keeping our booking calendars up to date across all the online booking sites we are listed on. This is the best decision we ever made as their fee is really affordable.
  Keep your own hard copy and always have it on you; pencil in the bookings that are on hold, ink in once they have confirmed by paying a deposit.

• Terms & Conditions – There are many good examples online, and will cover deposit payments, cancellations and no-shows.

Deposits – set a clear date and time for deposit to be paid for booking to be confirmed. Your terms & conditions will state if this is refundable. Balance of payment should be payable on arrival, again be prepared for all kinds of excuses if you do not have credit card facilities.

Cancellations – This can be disheartening, but do not let this get you down and do not let your disappointment show. The reasons however vary from genuine to some weird stories!
Do not neglect this section as there are many pitfalls; choose a more lenient policy in the beginning just to get into the market, but later on you can set a firmer cancellation policy to avoid last minute cancellations.

No Shows – some establishments will charge the full booking value. One can also claim this from your insurance.

Number of guests –Set a clear policy that you will charge for extra guests should the number of guests be exceeded. This happens at times, so be prepared! We turn a blind eye if it is sporting events, as we understand the cost involved with this if a young sportsman has been selected for an event and does not have sponsorship.

• Online booking sites – I have covered this under Marketing in Part 2 so take a peek at that again.
  List your establishment with as many reputable sites as possible.

• Keep calendar, tariffs, facilities and photos up to date.

• Check-in – set clear check-in and check-out times. Ask your guests for their expected time of arrival.

• Important to get as much information about your guest beforehand; address, contact number, email address. Cell phone numbers are vital in case you need to contact them during an emergency situation.
  

GUEST RESOURCES

• Guest Register – Indemnity at top of page (there are many examples online) Information required: Check-in date, Full Name, Permanent Address, Home Telephone number, Cell Phone number, Nationality, Id or Passport number, Car Reg Number, Signature. This is vital for insurance purposes, if they become ill or if they leave without settling the bill (known as bilking). Further, there is the possibility of you harbouring fugitives, it unfortunately has happened to some establishments!

• Guest Book – it is nice to read what your guests have to say about their experience at your establishment, makes for nice memories, also good to know where you can improve. Write down the names of everyone in the party and where they come from; nice to know when they return one day.
  

• Guest Information File – Welcome message, Emergency numbers, Rules & Regulations, Services & Facilities, Miscellaneous Information such as Laundry costs, Breakages Costs, Menu (if you serve meals), Places to visit, Local Restaurants & Take-away contact numbers.

• Tourism brochures – obtainable from your local tourism organisations free of charge if you're a registered establishment.
  

• Local Restaurant/ take away menus – if you’re a self-catering establishment, guests often do not want to cook so be sure to advise them on best restaurants or take aways in your area.

• Toiletries – Offer Shampoo, soaps, hand lotions, hand wash, tissues; eco-friendly options like refillable bottles not the sample plastic bottles.

• Coffee & tea making supplies – many bnb's offer welcome starter packs with sachets, but it's more eco-friendly and convenient for your guests if you provide pretty canisters filled with sugar, sweeteners, a sealed pack of tea, a sealed bottle of coffee as well as creamer so they have sufficient supplies for the duration of their stay.
  When they leave, move the half empty containers to your own kitchen & replace with sealed containers.
  The cost is small and it is a nice touch for your guests.

• Magazines – diverse and up to date copies.

• Books – offer a selection of good books from your personal library or buy from second hand stores, both fiction and non-fiction.
  

• Newspapers – leave a copy of the local newspaper in your reception area.

You're now almost ready to open up your BnB, Part four will cover:

GUEST PREPARATION

MAINTENANCE

ADMINISTRATION

INSURANCE

The three monkeys - yes we have real monkeys trouping through our garden early mornings and late afternoon.

Original Content by @lizelle
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