Friday 23rd October
I’ve had such a good run of lovely guests and everything has been running so smoothly for quite a while that I should have known I was due for several things to go wrong! One client has called me every two weeks to change the dates of her stay. She booked nine nights then reduce it to five nights, and then changed the booking from two people to one, and this week she changed it to three nights for three people! When I explained I was unable to offer this option, she cancelled the entire booking. I was annoyed because I could have rented the room out oodles of times to people ringing up for the past two weeks as it’s a very popular time.
In addition to this, I’ve had phone calls at 1 am and 3.20am asking for a room straightaway!
I am not the only one that has had a few hiccups these past few days. I had a call from another B&B asking if I had a solution to the mascara that someone had left on the new set of fluffy white towels that had only been washed once. I recommended Napisan as a last resort, it does get most things out. Another friend was having a moan that the two girls she had were using hairdryers in the hallway at 11.30pm each night which woke up the baby, who then didn’t go back to sleep until 2 am – and nor for that matter did anyone else in the house. Sometimes everything comes at once and when you least expect or need it!
On another note, for the first time in 23 years, I had to open the door to clients with my hair in foils. They were late getting here and Chris who was going to look after them was having his hair cut. I just opened the door with a big smile and made a joke of it. They were very nice about it but the main priority for them was not me in my foils looking like a mad woman but dropping off the luggage and to be recommended a nice restaurant that was showing the Bayern Munich vs Fulham match on Sky. I rang my favourite local Italian, booked them in and asked them to put their TV on. The guests came back fed but not so happy as the German team lost.
I took delivery of the smoked salmon yesterday and served it at breakfast with a selection of continental bread. Tomorrow I’m going to make creamy scrambled eggs with the smoked salmon and my own dill sauce. We have helped book tickets to the Harry Potter Experience and Browns Hotel for afternoon tea this week as well as make reservations for guests in the local restaurants. Some guests come with a chock-a-block itinerary others with no plans what so ever and they rely on us to help them get the most out of their time in London. Which of course we are very happy to do.
My lovely new cushions and throws arrived this week, and it was nice to put the final touches to the rooms, making them look cosy for the winter months. I spotted a Hare cushion (I love all things ‘hare’) and I couldn’t resist. It’s currently taking pride of place in my Ralph Lauren Hudson chair, bought on Ebay many years ago from Lord Brown who have such amazing things.
