December Horidays

Never a dull moment when running a bnb!

Today was one of our same-day guest changeovers, something I dread when my regular staff are on leave. Even when they're here, it's all hands on deck when we have messy guests!
Picture beach sand in every nook and cranny, chips on the floor and couches, wet towels on the beds, a sinkful of dirty dishes, the odd broken glass.🫣 Funny how everyone owns up to a broken glass on departure as of it's a punishable offence😅
Thank heavens there are very few high maintenance guests like that the rest of the year.
It's as if some people go a little crazy when December comes around!

Thankfully we have fabulous guests 90% of the time!

But, changeovers bring mountains of bedlinen, couch throws, cushion covers, and towels.
Add rainy days and a tumble dryer that gave up the ghost as chaos peaked, and the mountain starts to tower above everything! I think you get the picture.

Today was one of the crazy days but thankfully I have a reliable friend who offers her services during December horidays.

Then the fabulous guests - I'm often humbled by the kind guests who give me a gift on departure. The latest was Orchids, and some delicious nibbles.
Lovely people who enjoyed our magical Lily's Cottage so much, that they were reluctant to leave.
I'm super blessed meeting such wonderful people - the Grandpa is recovering from a stroke, and looked way more relaxed when they departed. He told me how well he rested in the cottage.

The other side of the coin

Then we had guests frantically calling me on Christmas day - they needed accommodation in a hurry.
Thankfully I had a cancelation for a dodgy booking and could accommodate them.
They were escaping from what they called a horiday!

Their cousin owns a number of apartments and all were booked except one that still needs some TLC. They were offered free accommodation by the cousin but were told cousin would have to send a cleaning team as it gad been empty for six months and he had contractors using it temporarily.

Well, the apartment was not cleaned when they arrived, and the doorlock wasn't working, so it was open.
The place smelt damp, mold on some of the walls, each room only had one grubby curtain drop, so anyone could see inside - note this is on a busy beachfront.
The guest nearly fell through the couch as he sat down, a big hole laid hidden under the upholstery.
The bedroom window could not open, so his wife tried sleeping in the livingroom; she's asthmatic and gets claustrophobic! She did not sleep a wink as the street sounds reverberated into the room.
No fan to be seen anywhere, and it's high summer here, hot and humid!
The fridge was full of moldy food.
The bathroom was no better - no shower head, only a pipe sticking out the wall!
They arrived looking like they'd been stranded on a desert island, and were over the moon to be back in the studio unit of Lily's Cottage.

So, this little bnb has become a safe haven and escape for many, and although I've now decided to put the house on the market mid 2025, I will continue to enjoy the job of hosting guests from near and far, some offloading mental baggage and recharging while here, ready to face the challenges of life!

Happy Holidays everyone, hope yours doesn't turn into horidays🫣