Five ways to be the greatest inn guest

Guests arrive as strangers and leave as friendsd at DINE innsEveryone loves to be loved, especially travelers.  Humans seek approval and conversely, the most powerful punishment comes from shame.  Thus, we at Distinctive Inns of New England (DINE) are here to tell inngoers how to be number-one on every innkeepers’ list.  Enjoy a getaway to any of the 12 Distinctive Inns of New England and you’ll arrive the first time as strangers and leave as friends…we hope.  Inns and B&Bs are different than corporately owned hotels.  The innkeepers are on-site and totally invested in not only the success of their property but in the comfort of their guests.  Unlike New England hotels, motels and even vacation rentals and Airbnb properties, innkeepers will take the time to get to plan your day, make your reservations and even in some cases, become friends, especially when you take the time to get to know them.  Like any business owner, innkeepers wish for great customers, and 99-percent of the time, the DINE innkeepers will tell you about all their great guests who’ve become friends.

So how do you go about befriending an innkeeper?  It starts by being a great guest.  Here are five tips on how to be a great inn guest.

Check in between 4pm and 6pm

Inns and B&Bs are traditionally smaller than hotels and motels, especially in New England.  The Distinctive Inns of New England have anywhere from eight to twenty or so rooms.  This means that on any given day, a number of those rooms are turning over between guests.  It generally takes anywhere from two to four hours to turn-over a room from one guest to the next, depending upon how the room was left.  Thus, if guests check-in early, it’s likely that the room may not be ready.  One innkeeper recently lamented that a guest tried to check in at 9:00am on a day when all the rooms at the inn were turning over from one guest to the next.  If you arrive during the inn’s stated check-in time, not only will your room be ready, but the innkeeper will be too – ready to greet you with a smile.

Destroy it? Divulge!

toasting at Distinctive Inns of New EnglandDINE innkeepers understand that mistakes happen from time to time.  Wine gets spilled, artwork gets knocked off walls, and antiques are broken.  They don’t look forward to losses, but they’re far more understanding of mishaps if they are told about them by the guest when the incident occurs.  Stains can be removed far easier if they’re attended to immediately, and often broken items can be fixed with no “down-time” if the innkeeper knows about it.  Understandably good guests feel badly about casualties, yet whether it’s at an inn or anywhere else, a little repentance goes a long way when it comes to understanding mistakes.  Great guests will tell their innkeepers when something is broken or ruined.  Even small items like makeup on towels or sheets or hair dye smudged pillow cases should be reported.  The innkeeper will be far more sympathetic if you tell them rather than discovering it themselves. 

Share food preferences upfront

One of the many great things about DINE innkeepers is that they are well versed in dietary preferences. Special orders don’t upset us…especially if they are disclosed up front.  Vegan? Vegetarian?  Low-fat? Lactose intolerant? Those are all easy for innkeepers, who are anxious to prepare a breakfast or meal that will please you.  However, as small independently owned businesses, inns often don’t maintain kitchens stocked for every diet.  Innkeepers will plan and sometimes prepare breakfasts the day before, so they’ll always ask upfront if there are any dietary restrictions.  Let the innkeeper know prior to breakfast if you have food allergies or preferences, not when they’re putting the plate down in front of you.   Just as any one hosting you, innkeepers are more than willing to “wing it” when a guest sends back a breakfast item due to a non-disclosed food preference, but they won’t feel good about wasting the food they initially served you. Will you?

Gratuities are graciously accepted

Unless otherwise stated, all inns and B&Bs will be grateful for gratuities.  Generally, these are left in rooms and distributed to the inn staff.  Just as you might tip anyone that serves you, inns and B&Bs are grateful for any gratuities that guests want to offer.  Sometimes innkeepers are asked what is appropriate, and that tip is up to you, but trust that all gratuities are gratefully accepted and most often split among the housekeeping or inn staff.

Quiet pleasePrivacy Sign at Captain's House Inn

DINE inns are among the most popular destinations for New England romantic getaways.  Generally, inns are chosen by couples seeking time away for a romantic escape.  They like to leave the kids behind and enjoy quiet and romantic moments together.  Those travelers seeking to party hardy all night long or enjoy loud music might want to choose a vacation rental.  No, you won’t find quiet hours or other restrictions at DINE inns, but you will find your fellow inn guests or neighboring room inhabitants giving you the dirty stare at breakfast if you keep them up all night long. And yes, they will tell the innkeeper.

Much of this advice applies not only to DINE inns, but to all travel experiences in general.  Bottom line: You’ll make friends in high places by being a considerate traveler. And isn’t one of the best parts of travel the friends that you make along the way?

Learn more about the 12 Distinctive Inns of New England by clicking below on links that will take you directly to each of their websites where your next innkeeper friendship will begin.

In Massachusetts:  Harbor Light Inn in Marblehead, Gateways Inn & Restaurant in Lenox, Deerfield Inn in Historic Deerfield and Captain’s House Inn in Chatham on Cape Cod.

In Rhode Island: Cliffside Inn in Newport

In Connecticut: Inn at Harbor Hill Marina in Niantic

In Maine:  Captain Jefferds Inn in Kennebunkport & Camden Maine Stay Inn in Camden.

In New Hampshire:  Manor on Golden Pond in Holderness & Chesterfield Inn in West Chesterfield

In Vermont:  Rabbit Hill Inn in Lower Waterford & Grafton Inn in Grafton