Below are some quick answers to your most Frequently Asked Questions.
An Interim Innkeeper is a person or couple who has developed the knowledge, skills and experiences necessary to successfully operate a Bed & Breakfast, Country Inn, Boutique Hotel, or Family Resort during the absence of the owner-operator or resident innkeeper.
An Interim Innkeeper keeps abreast of new trends and practices through involvement in industry associations, training programs and seminars.
What Services do Interim Innkeepers Perform?
Interim Innkeepers perform similar duties that are part of the daily routine for owner-innkeepers themselves.
They may include:
- full or continental breakfast menu planning
- shopping, preparation
- service and clean-up
- guest hosting
- afternoon tea, snacks or evening wine & dessert service
- answering of telephones
- fax transmissions
- regular and email response
- check-in and check-out procedures
- daily inquiries and reservations
- bookkeeping
- banking and other financial responsibilities
- supervising room attendants or optional housekeeping
- pet, plant and garden care
- building security and maintenance
Interim Innkeepers provide full surrogate innkeeper service while you are away.
Who needs an Interim Innkeeper?
Unless you operate a very large inn and have capable and trusted employees who are trained to function as the innkeeper or owner, virtually every hospitality business has few effective options to assure their business can continue operating uninterrupted during their absence.
When to use an Interim Innkeeper?
Just as with any business or employment, every innkeeper needs to take personal time away from their operation. It may be for
- family outings or gatherings
- emergency medical leave
- meetings or conference
- regularly scheduled vacations or sabbaticals
When the day arrives to take that needed time off, the options are clear…….temporarily closing your inn and halting “business as usual” or retaining an Interim Innkeeper who will operate your business as if you were there yourself.
How can I justify the cost of an Interim Innkeeper ?
Simply put……..uninterrupted business flow.
Interim Innkeepers are trained and experienced to operate your inn as if you were there yourself.
You can be assured of an uninterrupted flow of guests while maintaining the continuity of your style of guest services, comfort and enjoyment as established by your inn.
Interim Innkeepers are also trained to handle all prospective guest contacts with promptness and professionalism, converting inquiries into reservations and immediate cash flow. While you are away, your business is operated smoothly, efficiently, and profitably as if you were there yourself.
……….”and there is not a better feeling than returning from a vacation and finding the Guest Diaries full of ‘praises’ and a stack of bank deposit slips from advanced reservations secure while we were away!”