We know that running your own B&B, Guest House or small hotel means that no two days are the same and we often hear of the most wonderful, wacky and heart-warming guest stories you have to tell.
So we decided to share some of the stories that we’ve heard from you each month:
“I am a dog friendly bed and breakfast but didn’t realise I was listed with one provider as pet friendly, until a pre-paid guest arrived at the door with a parrot on his shoulder. The parrot’s tail was as long as the man was tall. This was made worse by the fact that the gentleman’s Old Morris Minor had broken down en-route and he had also forgotten to charge his mobile phone which meant he arrived at midnight. The following morning I did need to point out that it wasn’t appropriate to bring the parrot into the dining room at breakfast time and the guest was not prepared to leave the parrot alone in his car; so he, the parrot I mean, spent the time perched on the washing line in the back garden out of sight from other guests.” Gill Jones – Amber House
“Despite having a secure area to store bicycles and have never had problem with customers vehicles. One customer wanted to keep his bike in the room with him” Steve Stonelake – The Downe Arms
“In the early days of our life as B&B owners we had a guest whose wife had returned early from the party they were at. The husband arrived much later by taxi and did not have a key to the room as she had taken it, but he did not want to ring the doorbell and get us out of bed. He threw stones up against the window of the room they were in, but could not rouse her, so spent the night in the garden under a tree!” Judy Keep – Tinkers Furze Bed and Breakfast
“My wife’s homemade Seville Orange marmalade is a hit with all our customers for breakfast. However, we had one couple from Thailand staying with us who plainly had never seen or experienced such a thing and they poked at it a bit nervously when they first sat down. Thai is not our first language and their English was somewhat limited, so we had a job explaining what it was and persuading them to try a teaspoon taste. Eventually they did and enjoyed it……spread thickly over their poached eggs.” Alex & Helen Travers – Applebloom Bed & Breakfast
“One morning at 7am the fire alarm went off. This is a very loud fire alarm which is fitted into every room and makes a piercing sound that is deafening. I was in the shower and ran to turn it off, presuming it was a false alarm, as it was a bit oversensitive at the time and I did not want to disturb the guests any further.. So I hurried down stairs wrapped in a towel with soap all over my hair.I checked the zone chart to see where the problem emanated from. However it was not the usual culprit but a zone that never gave trouble before. I tried to silence and reset the alarm but to no avail. I proceeded to tell the guests, who by now were making their way to the fire exits, to leave immediately as there seemed to be a real problem.
Before I proceeded to check the rooms one by one I noticed out of the corner of my eye that one lady guest was still sitting at the table in the dining room. Breakfast was not due until 8am and she did not follow the evacuation procedure. After repeated requests to leave I discovered she could only speak Italian. I inquired of the guests in a loud manner as to whether anyone spoke Italian. One woman did and went inside to ask the guest to evacuate. They spoke for a few moments and the interpreter began to laugh uncontrollably. I was taken aback by this as I take fire precautions very seriously. Then she proceeded to tell me that the lady thought it was 8am, having arrived from Italy the night before and had not adjusted her watch. As there was nobody around she saw a little red box with “In case of fire break glass” and thought it meant press for breakfast. So she smashed the glass. All I could do was laugh as did the other guests when they heard the story. Luckily I had the little glass sheaths to slip back in and stop the alarm.” Jack Turner – Avoca House
To read more of our customers stories or even submit your own tale click here and fill out the form at the bottom of the page.