My first summer of running the B&B is almost a blur to me now, but one thing I do know is that some of the guests who came that first year are still coming now, 6 years later. I have made some real friends in this business, as I said in the Booking Hero video - it’s not just people through the door. I’ve had guests first come with their babies who are now in primary school, watched teenagers turn into adults, enjoyed hosting wedding parties and even honeymooners!
What better job could there be for someone who loves to travel? I have welcomed people into my home from all over the world, from Tasmania to Brazil, from China to South Africa. I haven’t been to these countries, and I would dearly love to be able to go, but at least I’ve had the pleasure of talking to people from there. I’ve met so many interesting people from so many different places I feel really lucky. Everyone has their stories, their lives, their amazing and varied experiences and I’ve had the pleasure of being a little part of that.
The funny thing was I hadn’t really stayed in many bed and breakfasts before, not as an adult anyway. As a young child I remember going year after year to a guest house in North Berwick, running along the wall to get pink or white ice cream and hunting for crabs in the rock pools. But those were the days before the package holiday, before everyone started flocking to the Spanish beaches. So I only really had my experience of hotel rooms when I was planning my bed and breakfast. That and numerous episodes of Channel 4’s Four in a Bed. Now you either love or hate that programme but I have my own story to tell about that!
Year on year I made small improvements to my rooms, I learned about thread count and changed my linens to at least 400, I thought of new ways to present my hospitality tray, I made more toiletries available so that really as long as you brought your own toothbrush you would have everything you might need in your bathroom. I changed the small TVs to 32” Smart televisions and put a fridge in the hallway for guests to use and to hold the little glass bottles of fresh milk I provide for hot drinks. If there’s one thing I can’t stand it’s those little capsules of UHT milk and sachets of Nescafe. I’ve now placed a microwave in the hall for guests convenience too and an ice machine is coming soon!
I’m sure everyone who runs a B&B feels like I do, for most of us we are sharing the homes we have tried to make as beautiful as we can for our guests, we like to talk, to socialise and to hear everyone’s personal story. Sometimes I have guests who take a look at my Guest Book and they can’t believe the countries I’ve had guests from. Scotland is a country which attracts visitors from all over the world, guests who come year after year to enjoy the warmest of Scottish welcomes, fabulous countryside and delicious food.
