Top Bed and Breakfast Myths

"RULE 1: ALL guests must report for breakfast at 6:00 AM SHARP.! Fingernails and shoes will be inspected before coffee."

Do Bed and Breakfasts have strange rules or a curfew? Not by my experience. Sometimes an innkeeper might post a note that is meant to help a guest figure out a light switch or in a rural situation, might warn visitors against throwing too much stuff down the loo. Since both guest bedrooms and the guesthouse' front door are inevitably locked at night, guests are always given keys or codes to come and go as they like. Maybe the idea of a curfew dates back to the guest's own family home or college dorm. The notion certainly doesn't gibe with any B & B that I have seen.

Yes, a Bed and Breakfast may also be the personal home of the innkeeper. Unless the property was purpose-built of concrete, it is certainly very nice if a guest shows consideration and respect for others when coming in late at night. My experience is that guests very quickly take their cue from the ambience that a Bed and Breakfast conveys. If it's an older home, they do usually speak quietly when in the hallways at night and keep the television to a decent volume. On the other hand, if the B & B has a party room, a pool or hot tub for guests' use, well then, relax and enjoy the amenities.

Most Bed and Breakfasts do everything possible to respect a guest's privacy. It's natural as B & B's are often marketed as "romantic getaways". Hint. Hint. Do not worry, the bed has been tested and will NOT squeak. Chances are that the quality of mattresses, pillows, duvets and linens will be top-notch. Toiletries too.

And speaking of amenities - most modern inns/guest-houses/bed and breakfasts offer a bundle of goodies such as free parking and free WIFI, delicious homebaking and of course, an unusually good breakast that would be expensive ad-ons in many hotels.

But will it be clean? Frankly, some people should look under their own beds for dustballs. The vast majority of bed and breakfasts are sole-proprietorships, where the BOSS inspects regularly, takes a hands-on approach to the business and demonstrates pride in his/her B & B home. Would you invite guests over without applying the shine and polish?

And lastly, there is the myth that you will be forced meet people and talk to them. Maybe this one has some truth to it. But you can choose to read a paper at breakfast or just chat with your other half. No pressure. Maybe listen to the flow of conversation and add your two cents after the second coffee. When was the last time that you really enjoyed a free-wheeling and open-minded conversation with new acquaintances or made a genuine, new friend in a hotel? It happens round our breakfast table all the time.

Bed & Breakfast - Nestled Coziness?

"Nestled" is defined as drawn or pressed close to someone or something for, or as if for affection or protection, from Middle English to make a nest.

Bed and breakfasts walk a fine line between cloying sweetness and old-fashioned comfort. They don't always get it right. Have you ever read a bed and breakfast ad that doesn't have something nestled somewhere?! This no doubt accounts for one of the great B & B Myths, a fear most accutely felt by the male half of the species, that staying in a Bed and Breakfast is going to be like a weekend at Grandma's. You know, like back when you were 14 and Grandma seemed ancient and had nothing to offer you but ancient humbug candy. Worse - her house seemed cramped, doily, kitschy and smelled of mothballs!

Personally, I swore from the get-go that Nelson House was not going to be dressed up as Grandma's House. Let's take a breath and realize that an innkeeper is usually a professional businessperson living very much in the 21st century too. Sometimes, we just get carried away with painting a picture of relaxation, of slowing down just a bit, of stopping to smell the roses and the fresh-brewed coffee.

I was lucky enough to live in The Netherlands for two years and the Dutch have a word called "gezellig". As I tried to learn the language, I was told that the quick translation in English would be "cozy". However, English lacks a single word that captures ALL of the Dutch meaning. I think that innkeepers and bed and breakfasts are striving for that true meaning of gezellig. We are trying to create a space, an atmosphere or ambiance, something that exists in the company of others, which is friendly, fun, pleasant, cozy, and sociable. Now that's nothing to be afraid of - is it?

Valentines home-baked by Briana and photographed by Matthew at the B & B. The chocolate hearts melted in your mouth....

2010 Olympics - one year to go!

A photo of Vancouver's 2010 Olympics Clock ticking down.

National media are checking the excitement level today. 365 days from now, the world will gather in Vancouver for the 2010 Winter Games. This is the third time that Canada has hosted an Olympiad - Montreal in 1976, Calgary in 1988 and now Vancouver's turn in the spotlight is rapidly approaching!

ALL of the sports venues are ready. World Cup Alpine Ski races and bobsledding have already been help up at Whistler. The Four Continents Figure Skating competition was held here in town just last weekend. The reports on facilities and organization have all been great. Canadian athletes are glad to get a leg-up by being able to use the competition venues over the next year. In fact, the Four Continents' men's gold medal winner was a Canadian whiz kid, named Patrick Chan. If you love figure skating, remember that name. He just turned 19!

The City of Vancouver is responsible for construction of the Olympic Village. The developer has suffered due to the worldwide credit crunch and city taxpayers are now on the hook for a gigantic bank loan, sufficient to ensure that the Village is completed on time, this November. Nevertheless, there are 14 cranes on the site working day and night. After the party, the waterfront, eco-friendly properties will be sold off as high-end condos. So - City Hall says "Don't worry!"

The Vancouver Olympic Organizing Committee(VANOC) released the design of the torch and torchbearer's uniforms today. You can expect to see what look like space aliens running from one side of Canada to the other with a whalebone. But I do like the Olympics colour scheme - all natural green, ice blue and white. The colours capture Vancouver and Whistler, just as red and gold reflected Beijing.

Vanoc and some (jealous) media in other cities are scolding Vancouverites to get with the booster spirit. We are such a laidback bunch here. Sooo... west coast. It takes a lot to get us excited but I think that the goosebumps are on the rise. Our metro population is extremely cosmopolitan. I am sure that it is our immigrant and first-generation Canadians who are most interested in having the world come to call. In the end, good down-home Canadian hospitality is sure to kick in. I can believe VANOC's predictions that the streets of downtown will be filled by up to 250,000 celebrants EVERY night of the Games. We are getting ready. Rain or shine. Here they come!

Coming soon...to a vacation near you!

So, suddenly everybody’s got a deal for you! It’s a special offer, a sale, a discounted, lowest price. Well, maybe it’s the same old malarkey, designed to help their budget, not yours?

In a world full of financial woe, one Bed and Breakfast stands alone. Nelson House B & B offers you bang for the buck, not frou-frou dressed up as luxury; our first-name attention not a load of anonymous staff; home-cooking and baking, not the buffet line; answers to your questions, not a referral to the concierge. And here we are downtown - right where you want to be.

True hospitality, once experienced, will leave you with the warm and fuzzy knowledge that you picked the best accommodation in Vancouver. Just give us a call. Let’s get that vacation started!

Vancouver in 3D !!!

Well I am back from 2 & a half weeks of Mexican bliss. Yes, I did practice responsible home ownership in Vallarta and painted the entire condo, etc, etc. Somehow, under the tropic sun and with the sound of the waves as background music, the home fix-it projects were easier than usual. Now, it's back to the northern beauty.

Vancouver sure is looking good. I would not want to knock anyone else's hometown but as I listened to the airport announcements for flights leaving Puerto Vallarta, there was not a single destination that could compare to Vancouver. A few sounded downright freezing, boring and depressing places to have to fly home to. I count my blessings. As I tiptoed into the Bed & Breakfast well past midnight to pick up Ozzie, our sweetheart Cairn Terrier, it was apparent that beloved dog and business had been very well cared for in my absence.

It's one of the great fears of parents, pet owners and us self-employed folk that things will go wrong the minute we absent ourselves. Little by little, I am learning that it ain't necessarily so. If you can surround yourself with the right people, responsible & intelligent, and exercise the right planning & preparation, it appears that both the dog and the B & B business have lives of their own! Thank you Team Nelson House! Thank you Matthew and Briana!

Vancouver sure has a lot of a life in it these days. Spring is already budding beautifully. Recession or not, the B & B is busy and people obviously want to come see what all the buzz is about. Vancouver has Olympic facilities to finish and mega projects underway - a harbourside convention centre with the world's largest green, living roof, a new LRT transit line from downtown to the airport & beyond, and a vastly improved mountain highway to Whistler. This year's Cultural Oympiad program, leading up to the Feb. 2010 Games, offers a stunning 122 first-calibre arts events and hundreds of performances. If you want to see one city in North America, that is actively bettering itself, this is the place to be.

Even Google Earth is paying attention. Last week, Vancouver joined New York City as one of world's first cities to be mapped in 3D! Over 1400 buildings have been rendered in three-dimensional colour and detail and set against the spectacular ocean and mountain backdrop of downtown Vancouver. Even Nelson House B & B, our 3-story heritage home at 977 Broughton St., is accurately imaged with light blue walls and silver roof. We are in the extreme left hand lower corner of the downtown image below. If you have Google Earth installed, zoom down and check us out. If not, it's a free download. Fly like a bird over and between the buildings! Vancouver in 3D! It's remarkable computer imaging but nothing compared to the real thing.

Time keeps on slippin...

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico sometimes seems like one golden sunset after another. The sound of the waves is hypnotic and soothing. The tequila is fine and the flowers pack a fluorescent punch against a turquoise pool. In this state of Jalisco, folk commonly meet your gaze and surprise with a "Hola" to a stranger.

Visiting only once or twice a year, I notice the differences and the dissonances. Worldwide recession has slowed the luxury real estate flipping but has perhaps created an opportunity for regular buyers. 2008 seems to have been the year in PV when OXXO declared that "This year, we take Vallarta!" Suddenly the 7-11 lookalikes are on every corner. Also, there are more open offers of drugs and commercial sex - sometimes ALL on the same corner. Our little sleepy village is growing up.

Still, as I live-blog the sunset(pale apricot deepening rapidly towards fuschia), I forgive Vallarta it's little flaws. WOW - a sexy red cat's eye wink from the sun as it gleams over Yelapa and under a heavy-lidded cloud. Where else can I enjoy such a cool, retro 80's radio sound as NOVENTA PUNTA TRES with my "sundowner"? And then head out to dine on Imperial Prawns that can live up to the name. Maybe dance until dawn at Manana. A little shallow? I think not. It is Deep Vacation.

Puerto Vallarta - beauty, fun & sensuality

Sorry to be away from the keyboard so long but if there is anything more addictive than blogging, then it is vacation. We are staying in Alondra, our Puerto Vallarta getaway home. It is a one bedroom, ocean-view condo, overlooking Los Muertos Beach. And it IS for rent, when we are not in residence!

The last few days have been oddly split between taking care of business(renewing Mexican immigration documents, meeting the accountant, shopping) and partying like there is no tomorrow. Friends and other owners in this small building dined, danced and drank until past 4 AM the other night. We called it a meeting of the condo executive.

Having recovered from the meeting, we took in our very favourite drag queens in the whole world at The Dirty Bitches Show last night. I think that City Hall should give these girls a medal for representing PV. As an ensemble, the Bitches are a force to be reckoned with. Their whole is far greater than the sum of their parts(and they do have some very nice parts!). The fun of Diva, the beauty of Jacqueline and the sensuality of Angelica are just like this wonderful town. Long Live the Dirty Bitches!

Off to Vallarta!

Adiós a mis amigos. Vamos a nuestro lugar en Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Próximo - de la playa....

Keep the B & B dream alive - 5 tips for dodging Burnout!

If I've learned anything in 19 years of innkeeping, it's to be hospitable to the innkeeper. Here in the downtown, West End neighbourhood of Vancouver, there have never been more than half a dozen bed and breakfasts. Amongst my innkeeper colleagues, it was only a matter of a few years before my status changed from new kid on the block to the ancient innkeeper of the West End. I have since learned that this phenomenon is widely true across bed and breakfasting. There is rather horrendous burnout in what should be a very happy profession. Why? And how to avoid it?

1. Self-employment is a risk. Not everyone is cut out to handle that kind of uncertainty. It's easy, even a comfort, to gripe with your co-workers about the boss from hell and the inane company strictures, when you know that your salary will be deposited in your bank account every two weeks. Being an employee may be as boring as a clock but not knowing if you can pay the bills in two weeks can be an alarming wake up! Never open a bed and breakfast if you are fleeing the stress and headaches of a 9 to 5 routine. You could be trading that for a 24/7 nightmare. I would suggest that you are ONLY in a position to consider innkeeping if you have already succeeded as a dependable employee, a trusted co-worker, someone the company would be glad to rehire.

2.Plan. Plan. Plan. There are great books, online advice, consultants to hire and local college courses to help you decide if innkeeping is really for you. For me, the definitive guide that asked me all the thought-provoking questions was a book called "So - You Want to be an Innkeeper" by Mary Davies. It is still out there, now in it's third revised edition. The point of planning is to look at finances, locale, zoning etc, but ONLY AFTER you have looked in the mirror. Do you have the disposition to be hospitable? Ask yourself: Am I a warm person? Am I neighbourly? Am I concerned for the well-being of others? Be honest. Much can be learned but some things have to come from the heart.

3. So if you have decided you like people, are you still going to like them inside your home? The greatest downfall that I have observed in innkeeping is an underestimation of one's own primal need for privacy. Even saints need some private time for solitude and reflection. How much do you need? Is the B & B schedule that you have planned conducive to meeting your own needs for rest and recuperation? Is the physical layout of the B & B able to provide you and your loved ones their own "space"? Privacy is often about the psychological separation of the different components of your life. Work and home are symbolic of many things to each person and juggling them both under the same roof can be more than some can manage.

4.Okay, so you are ready to invite the world. It's because your heritage home has now been beautifully restored to museum condition. The design work and decorating details have absorbed and delighted you for months. That is well and good but most guests don't want to vacation in a museum. After the renos are cleaned up and the fun of shopping for the perfect antique armoire fades, you will then have to face the prospect of visiting with your guests, meeting their needs as paying customers, cleaning, cooking, marketing and the thrill of grocery shopping. And did I say cleaning? Only so much can be delegated before you are running a hotel. A major reason for burnout is the dawning realization, that maybe you should have focused more narrowly to become a self-employed contractor or designer or decorator or florist or even that museum curator. Personally, I believe that there is enough variety and multitasking to innkeeping to keep the mind active and the body engaged. Beware if the homebody housekeeping has become a bore. Ultimately, the best antidote to the isolation of working from home is the guest who accepted your invitation, chose your establishment in a crowded marketplace, took a chance on your hospitality and decided to share his/her own time and conversation, wisdom and insight. Just be yourself. Meet your guest as an equal. Communication is two way and over a shared cup of coffee can be surprisingly rewarding.

5. These days, it takes only a mouse-click to find so many beautiful bed and breakfasts on the market that have a proven track record of producing a fat income. Ever wonder why they are for sale? If it wasn't for lack of security or planning or disposition or the love of the actual day to day work, it is probably because a couple decided to do it all together! In other words, the business succeeded just as the relationship failed. Constant togetherness, night and day proximity can bring a relationship into very sharp focus indeed. All too often, it is only one partner who is romanced by the dream of bed and breakfasting and the other goes along - but only to a point. My suggestion is that life partners would do better if they kept some separation in their careers. It gives them something to tell each other at the end of the day. But if you both really want to be full-time innkeepers, try to work out clearly defined areas of expertise and management where you don't trip over each other each and every minute. And remember, be hospitable to the innkeepers! Give yourselves a vacation too!

The List of Lists

OK now, all you other list lovers(would spellcheck make that "Lizst"?), I know you are out there. If you crave some post-holidays light and entertainment, be sure to check out the list of lists compiled by this self-described "narcissistic dilettante". I am convinced that he would make a wonderful breakfast conversationalist - say around 4 PM.

These are the best and worst and top tens, multiple lists of everything from advertising, architecture, art, autos, books( I think I am glad that bed & breakfasts missed the cut) and on it goes through business, comedy, comics, dance, design, dvd, fashion, education, film, food/drink, gadgets, games, ideas, media and be sure to explore the wonderfully eccentric miscellaneous, music, online, paranormal, people, photos, politics, religion, sports, science, sex, technology, theater, toys, travel, TV, videos, words/search.

Set aside the rest of the winter before clicking: The List of Lists:2008