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Four in a Bed :: New Series (Part 4)


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Old 09-11-2016, 16:30
anyonefortennis
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This keeps on being used as a 'reason' to not return. I found three no's surprising, it was a traditional B&B in a great location.
Lovely place. They are all nasty game players.
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Old 09-11-2016, 16:55
Normandie
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Probably. Seems strange to have a minimum 2 night stay at a B&B.
It's become more common with the arrival of listing and booking sites that charge a commission on bookings made through their sites - in other words, if you're paying £50 for a room via booking .com, the owner will only be receiving 80-85% of that. A one-night direct booking isn't that profitable, taking into account costs of laundering, etc, or also in physical time - stripping and re-making room, thorough clean, as opposed to a 'light' clean if people are there for more than one night, etc).

So, as the likes of booking .com and others charging the owner as much as 15 or even 20% of the value of a booking, the owner can either put up their prices on the listing site to get back some of the commission or, in order to make the booking more profitable, have a minimum number of nights condition... which may not apply if a room is booked direct.
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Old 09-11-2016, 17:01
anyonefortennis
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It's become more common with the arrival of listing and booking sites that charge a commission on bookings made through their sites - in other words, if you're paying £50 for a room via booking .com, the owner will only be receiving 80-85% of that. A one-night direct booking isn't that profitable, taking into account costs of laundering, etc, or also in physical time - stripping and re-making room, thorough clean, as opposed to a 'light' clean if people are there for more than one night, etc).

So, as the likes of booking .com and others charging the owner as much as 15 or even 20% of the value of a booking, the owner can either put up their prices on the listing site to get back some of the commission or, in order to make the booking more profitable, have a minimum number of nights condition... which may not apply if a room is booked direct.
Good to know.
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Old 09-11-2016, 17:10
Shrike
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Hes cooked from a young age yet seemed ignorant to tofu?? very limited range then.
Tofu is the work of the devil though - never had a dish where I liked it.
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Old 09-11-2016, 17:16
Normandie
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I've not seen the episode being discussed (though I saw a bit of Monday's so I know who you're talking about) but the other thing that can drive a 2 or even 3 night minimum is location (if it's popular you'll get those multi-night stays) and the type of b&b / owner.

If an owner is a solo operator and the rooms are priced at a level that makes sending bedding and towels out to a laundry too expensive, the logistics of having enough bedding for, say, 3 double rooms which are let for 3 or 4 separate one-night stays in one week, are not practical.

In a week of one-nighters, you'd have, say, 9 - 12 full sets of bedding and towels to wash, dry and iron (plus spares in case of accidents). An solo operator (particularly if older) would find that level of work (to a high, no short and curlies visible, standard) very tiring. I'm not that old but in the early days I did have that sort of turnover and it is knackering - though I was also doing evening meals.
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Old 09-11-2016, 19:07
ewoodie
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I don't understand the comments about a family home. That's traditionally what a B&B is.
It wasn't a family home like that place last week. It was a small traditional seaside B&B. They asked about who he had chauffered. So he told them. For some reason, they seemed to have it in for him. His place was certainly no worse that that place yesterday run by the self-professed wackos. They might not like shared facilities but it's hard to magine they'd like a B&B in a rundown mill in a very rundown, rough-looking area with apathetic breakfast service either. Yet they fawned and toadied over the mill and it's hosts.
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Old 09-11-2016, 20:56
Shrike
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They did all seem very picky at Pebbles for some reason. The breakfast wasn't to their tastes, but then again none of them made any special requests. Mind you the telly positioning was bizzare and should be obviously wrong to anyone who thinks about how the room would be used.
The comments about not having their own space were odd too - when was the last time any fiab place was mentioned as having a guest lounge or suchlike?

I suppose it could've been edited out of context, but I found Joe's "clang" name dropping comment very snide, given Peter was only answering a direct question from Louise.
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Old 09-11-2016, 21:46
fiagomez
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Tofu is the work of the devil though - never had a dish where I liked it.
Haha!! I think the same!!
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Old 10-11-2016, 01:22
carriebaby
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Think 'the Mill' couple are a little jealous of him being slightly eccentric and getting a bit of attention. They thought they would be the star act.

Wouldn't like him cooking my breakfast with those dirty, nicotine stained hands, yuck!
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Old 10-11-2016, 05:15
VintageWhine
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They did all seem very picky at Pebbles for some reason. The breakfast wasn't to their tastes, but then again none of them made any special requests. Mind you the telly positioning was bizzare and should be obviously wrong to anyone who thinks about how the room would be used.
The comments about not having their own space were odd too - when was the last time any fiab place was mentioned as having a guest lounge or suchlike?

I suppose it could've been edited out of context, but I found Joe's "clang" name dropping comment very snide, given Peter was only answering a direct question from Louise.
I don't think they meant anything other than the fact that they were very conscious of the fact that they were in someone else's home (and bedroom). Traditional B&B maybe, but not something people have come to expect, nowadays.
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Old 10-11-2016, 07:45
Tommo781
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I don't think they meant anything other than the fact that they were very conscious of the fact that they were in someone else's home (and bedroom). Traditional B&B maybe, but not something people have come to expect, nowadays.
I live within 5 miles of the seaside. There are very, very few sizeable hotels, but quite a lot of small family hotels, and hundreds and hundreds of B&Bs. The B&Bs are full time businesses, and not at all like Meg and Andy's place last week which clearly was a family home where they let out the "spare rooms" even though they used them for their own stuff too.

However, just like last night, the B&Bs are usually where the owner lives too. That is just what a seaside B&B usually is. Last night's B&B in Seaton was a normal, typical seaside B&B, and "people" who come to the resorts close to me expect exactly that when they book.
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Old 10-11-2016, 07:56
2shy2007
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Tofu is the work of the devil though - never had a dish where I liked it.
Oh I love the stuff, its all about what you do with it if he was an accomplished cook then he should have at least embraced their scrambles tofu. He was talking as if he had never heard of it, and demanded to know what he was eating.
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Old 10-11-2016, 10:40
anotherlongers
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I think this is yet another example of a person's B&B being destroyed by a vindictive production company. I imagine something has gone on behind the scenes, the production crew have taken a dislike to him, and so they've edited the programme to make the person look unpleasant. Very sad.
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Old 10-11-2016, 12:06
Shrike
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Oh I love the stuff, its all about what you do with it if he was an accomplished cook then he should have at least embraced their scrambles tofu. He was talking as if he had never heard of it, and demanded to know what he was eating.
I think he definitely got out the wrong side of bed, but Joe and Louise were being rather vague about what was in the vegan breakfast (wasn't it actually cooked by someone else?). So what else was in it apart from tofu? Herbs? Spices? there seemed to be green stuff - what was that?
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Old 10-11-2016, 15:23
ewoodie
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I live within 5 miles of the seaside. There are very, very few sizeable hotels, but quite a lot of small family hotels, and hundreds and hundreds of B&Bs. The B&Bs are full time businesses, and not at all like Meg and Andy's place last week which clearly was a family home where they let out the "spare rooms" even though they used them for their own stuff too.

However, just like last night, the B&Bs are usually where the owner lives too. That is just what a seaside B&B usually is. Last night's B&B in Seaton was a normal, typical seaside B&B, and "people" who come to the resorts close to me expect exactly that when they book.
This. ^^^ His place was exactly what to expect from a seaside B&B. Unlike that place in a rough-looking back street, run by wacky people which the others seemed far more willing to accept. I didn't mind the Mill at all. But for the purposes of comparing their criticism it's odd that the 'weird/dingy' one was ok and the other which was what one would expect of seaside B&B was lambasted.

I don't really mind the mill people but is stamping about in fancy dress, brightly coloured wigs, with various personalities and making a big show of it really a good enough excuse for others to accept anything they throw at them because they're different? It certainly seems to be the case. It's ok for them to show-off and make a big deal about it but it's not ok for someone to tell them about who he has chauffeured when asked about it?
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Old 10-11-2016, 15:31
Normandie
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Traditional B&B maybe, but not something people have come to expect, nowadays.
I'm not sure about that - with the success of Airbnb which mostly offers precisely a room in someone's house (with or without breakfast) it seems to increasingly be exactly what a lot of people want and expect. Though I know there are posters here who've said that they'd never choose to stay at a small b&b because it's too personal and not enough anonymity.
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Old 10-11-2016, 15:49
Tommo781
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I'm not sure about that - with the success of Airbnb which mostly offers exactly a room in someone's house (with or without breakfast) it seems to increasingly be exactly what a lot of people want and expect. Though I know there are posters here who've said that they'd never choose to stay at a small b&b because it's too personal and not enough anonymity.
I quite agree Normandie. I have a friend whose daughters regularly use Airbnb abroad, and have stayed in some very good, some not so good places. But they love the adventure of it all. I am one of the FMs who personally does not stay in B&Bs any more, but that has nothing to do with them being too personal or not anonymous enough. Due to medical issues I am better in a large hotel with staff, room service, taxis etc available 24/7. But I have absolutely nothing against B&Bs at all. As long as they do what it says on the tin, that's great.
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Old 10-11-2016, 16:00
anyonefortennis
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So Hilary is just the manager not the owner.
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Old 10-11-2016, 16:05
anyonefortennis
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£150 a night is far too expensive.
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Old 10-11-2016, 16:10
anyonefortennis
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Hilary is so fake and stuck up.
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Old 10-11-2016, 16:13
HumptyDumpy
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What's with the trolls this week? How do they manage not to scare away the guests? I know that you are not supposed to judge by appearances, but if those two greeted me at a hotel, I would expect cockroaches having a rave in my bed at night.
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Old 10-11-2016, 16:18
HumptyDumpy
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Why is Pete being so awkward?
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Old 10-11-2016, 16:19
anyonefortennis
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Why is Pete being so awkward?
Tit for tat. I agree with him about the toast though. You shouldn't have to cut and toast your own bread at a 5 star establishment. Especially at that price.
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Old 10-11-2016, 16:19
HumptyDumpy
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Breakfasts look very nice.
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Old 10-11-2016, 16:20
Johnr
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He does have a point about the toast!
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