Innkeepers Bruce Boyd and Wayde Cartwright have been innkeepers together for 5 years at The Lang House B&B in Chicago. The bed and breakfast offers five guest rooms with private baths in their Four Square Prairie Style 1919 Home, located a block from Lake Michigan.
What is the hardest part of working together day in and day out?
"As innkeepers in a busy B&B, it sometimes challenging to keep a smile 24/7. Guests always require a pleasant hospitable host, even at odd hours. You must find time during the course of the day for "me time" or "us time.".
What is the BEST part of working together day in and day out?
The idea that you are together in a warm welcoming atmosphere of a great B&B -most of the time. You have plenty of time for interaction as a couple and to really know each other.
How do you balance being on call all the time to guests and still stay together- what are your methods of "US' time?
We try to respect each other’s time. If a guests need arises and one of us is relaxing or catching up on personal matters, the other will automatically assist the guest in stride.".
One piece of advice to couples thinking of getting into the innkeeping profession and working together?
Be sure that you know at the start the commitment of time and energy, and the strengths and weaknesses of you as a couple. Make time for yourselves, and be able to get away from the B&B when needed, don’t put your relationship and life on hold; continue to grow your relationship as well as the business.
The Hartwell House Inn of Ogunquit, Maine
Innkeepers Charlene and Eric Taubert have owned their inn together for five years, http://hartwellhouseinn.com/
The inn is comprised of 16 uniquely appointed and individually decorated guest rooms and suites, which are spread across 2 houses. Located just one block from the breathtaking Marginal Way cliff-walk and all of the boutique shops and landmark restaurants of Perkins Cove - Ogunquit's working lobster boat harbor.
The Taubert’s share their advice:
“In a small business with such big responsibilities, the challenges of navigating around health issues, weddings, funerals, and similar can be monumental. It is of the utmost importance that you, as a couple, have a plan in place for how the business can/will run in the event that either one of you (or even both of you) need to address important issues in that parts of your life that aren't the Inn.”
“As simple as it sounds, the best part of working together and sharing this non-traditional lifestyle is actually being together all of the time. Couples who work together as innkeepers have the uncommon opportunity to create an endless number of lasting memories together.”
“Innkeeping, especially during the busy months, is a demanding lifestyle that requires major commitments and its own fair share of sacrifices. In the end, it's a job; you absolutely need to make time for the things that are important to you. Luckily, that can be accomplished through good hiring. Bring aboard a competent assistant - someone with a passion for the industry.”
Genius idea! “Keep your eye on the prize and plan something major for the off-season. Having an incredible vacation to look forward to with anticipation together can go a long way towards getting you through the challenges of the high months.”
We believe that there's nothing you can say or do to slow down a couple that has a dream -- but this is a profession where many couples have made expensive mistakes by not fully understanding the nature of the journey they were about to embark upon.
There are entire markets built around selling books and 'Aspiring Innkeeper' seminars to help prepare couples for the Innkeeping lifestyle - but what many of those seeking to enter this industry could really benefit from is immersion in the actual experience of hospitality and Innkeeping. Pick one of your favorite B&B's and see if you can work a deal to pay the Innkeepers to spend a weekend during the busy season working alongside of them - not for a few hours, but for their entire workdays from start to finish. We guarantee that exercise will result in a few additional 'Aha' moments for you.
If it all still feels like a good fit - consider taking a seasonal job as an Innkeeping couple for an Inn owned by someone else. Once you've worked a couple of seasons together, you two will finally be in a place where you'll be able to make an informed decision about whether continuing along the Innkeeping path is the right choice for your relationship - and if you decide to purchase an Inn, you'll be doing it for all the right reasons.
INN SUCCESS
Innkeeping is a full on, 24/7 job. We asked AIHP members who work together how they manage it all. Here is some of their Sweatheart Advice! to survival!
Innkeepers Bruce Boyd
and Wayde Cartwright