The Springfield (Mo.) News-Leader has an interesting article about the other side of the idyllic existance that bed-and-breakfasts convey.
Co-owner Michaelene Stevens of the Dickey House, which is in the Route 66 town in Marshfield, Mo., were candid enough to tell the newspaper that running such a lodging business is a lot of hard work.
“They always look at you with their rose-colored glasses and say, ‘Oh, it must be so nice to sit here and chat with your guests every morning.’ And I think, ‘Yeah, but you forget I’ve been up for the past two hours cooking,’ ” Stevens says. […]
“The 24/7 nature of it was the biggest shocker,” says Michaelene Stevens. “You’re really tied to your guests. You miss birthday parties, Christmas, all kinds of things. And if you don’t, you turn rooms away, which is revenue.”
Then there’s the fact that innkeepers not only have to cook the breakfast, but they also have to look presentable as they serve it. And they can’t just serve a glob of scrambled eggs; the food has to look presentable too. Toilets have to be cleaned, rooms vacuumed, sheets washed, Web sites maintained. Once that’s done, owners have to be ready and smiling to welcome the next batch of guests.
But Stevens saw a bright side to the business, too.
Stevens agrees and mentioned, among others, an Irish man who stayed at the Dickey House as he explored Historic Route 66.
“It’s wonderful having these people drop into your life,” she says.
I used to think that running a bar would be great…until I started working in them. That is a LOT of work as well. And that doesn’t even include the various temptations.
My hats off to anyone running their own motel, restaurant or B&B. It takes a special kind of person. It’s a 24 hour a day job.