Best Host/Hostessing Tips - Remember you don't get a second chance to make a first impression.

Here are a number of suggestions which you may find useful in the course of your dealings with guests. Hopefully you'll find a few ideas that you can use or adapt to suit your own circumstances and premises. Remember that we are in the 'hospitality' business and not the catering business. The quality of our hospitality will impact on our success. That's the difference between B&Bs/Guesthouses -v- Hotels. We are providing the hospitality of our family homes, often providing similar facilities to hotels. Our guests make a concious decision to stay in our premises because they want the friendly family atmosphere and homeliness of our houses.

• Provide a warm and friendly welcome into a warm house. Don't be mean with the heating. It doesn't pay off in the long run.
• Accompany your guests to their rooms and explain what facilities are available to them. Offer assistance with their luggage.
• Offer refreshments tea/coffee/soft drinks with something to eat. Small Cakes/Biscuits. Try and avoid offering instant coffee as it's not very appealing to most avid coffee drinkers. Fresh ground coffee is every bit as easy to make as tea and ultimately creates a much more favourable impression.
• A brochure containing local events, area maps, activities, restaurants, mass-times, pubs, music, items of interest etc. should be available in each room for your guests to peruse. A breakfast menu would also give them something to be looking forward to for the following morning.
• Offer to go over the brochure with them and avail of the opportunity to impress them with your local knowledge of what there is to do around the place.
• Show them the dining room and any other areas of your premises that they may access.
• If your guests are interested in eating out why not supply them with sample menus provided by the local restaurants. Why not offer to drop them into town. You could also provide them with the telephone numbers of taxis/hackneys. Some restaurants may also have supplied you with special offer tokens for your guests.
• Room facilities can include, T.Vs, hairdryers, trouser presses, Radio Alarm Clocks, electric blankets, extra blankets, fresh drinking water, Tea/Coffee, Biscuits, Sweets, Tissues, Makeup removal pads, magazines. If installing T. V.'s you can arrange a central switch to cut off aerial reception, just in case someone decides to turn on a cowboys and indians film in the early hours of the morning. Alternatively T.Vs now be bought whereby you can limit the maximum volume output.
• Offer to give guests an alarm call in the morning.
• Why not have some courtesy umbrellas or lightweight rainmacs available in the event of inclement weather. Reflective armbands are often appreciated when guests are walking home.
• Breakfasts should be a feast of local produce. Local free range eggs, meats, cheeses, butter, yoghurts, fruits, preserves, breads, etc.
• Offer to advise your guests on their planned itinerary, pointing out a few places of interest on their way. They might also like you to phone for their next accommodation. A handy way of making another contact in the business.
• Have a well stocked 'forgotten accessories kit' available. Items can include disposable combs, razors, toothbrushes, toothpaste, sunburn lotion, hangover remedies, etc.
• It's impossible to get return business from guests whom you don't have in the first place. So when you do get them in, keep in mind that even if these don't come back, they may have friends or relations whose journeys could take them in your direction.