Our Members Speak Out

You were asked: What's the silliest question you've ever been asked by a guest? 

“Guest: ‘I only want to come to Brenham when the bluebonnets are at their peak of blooming, so what day will that be?’ (I recommended a direct query to Mother Nature!!)” – Marilynn Wrigley, Wrigley House Bed and Breakfast, Brenham, TX

"Although we've had many silly ones, one of our guests asked if she could have a TV in her room. I said there was a TV in all the rooms. 'Not in mine,' she responded. I said yes there is 'behind the two louvered doors in your room.' No, she responded - not in my room. I had to go up to her room and open the doors and show her the TV. – Judy Armstrong, McGee's Inn, Ottawa, ON

“To go on a date with a guest the day after his girlfriend rejected his proposal!” – Mary Jane Kindred, Sand Castle Inn, South Haven, MI

“There are many to laugh at, but here are two:
1. Was if they received breakfast at our bed and breakfast.
2. We really should have toothpicks at the breakfast table … I thought it was funny.” – Steve and Jennifer Dunn, The Franklin Victorian Bed & Breakfast, Sparta, WI

“We are in the migration path for doves here in the Texas Hill Country. They arrive about March and depart in September or October. They nest in our lovely pecan trees and each morning, they coo and bill to each other and the sound is lovely. 99.99% of our guests are enchanted and indeed, even have asked us if the sounds are from a recording/speaker we might have hidden on our grounds and where could they purchase such a ‘nature CD’?

“One guest called us in the afternoon and asked us if there was any way we could quiet the birds down. She said they were driving her crazy in the mornings! I told her there were earplugs in the bedside tables, but she insisted that we ‘do something’ about those ‘%$#@ birds.’ I asked her what she suggested, and she responded with, ‘A shotgun blast might work!’ I told her that the birds have first right to Mother Nature's habitat and we would never do such a thing; therefore, she might need to locate the earplugs we provide. She then asked, ‘Are you some kind of PETA fanatic or something?’

“Needless to say, the birds continued welcoming the mornings, and she will probably not be returning. And that is as it should be on both counts.” – Katie and Skip Wentworth, 2 Wee Cottages Bed & Breakfast, Fredericksburg, TX

More green ideas:

“Thanks to Tucson's sunny climate, we are able to use solar energy to heat our water. Towels are reused, and guests are assigned distinctive napkin rings so they can reuse napkins also. I have a Brita filter for guests who distrust water straight from the tap. (I think bottled water is one of the biggest scams going!) We recycle trash but, I confess, use way too many plastic bags. (I'm always losing the matching tops to plastic storage containers, so use the cheap plastic bags (easier to handle than cling wrap) to cover stored leftovers and to shield plates of food on tables or countertops from nibbles by my cat! However, I have bought a sturdy Trader Joe's grocery bag, plan to buy several more and try to remember to use them. I reuse paper and plastic grocery bags: for trash, to carry wet swimsuits from my fitness club, and to pick-up for my and my guests' dogs.

“We do our best to accommodate guests with chemical sensitivities: all-tile floors and only area rugs, chlorine filter in one bathroom, all cotton and stainless steel cookware available when needed, dye- and fragrance-free laundry detergent always used, and vinegar, water and baking soda used for cleaning when guests with known allergies are coming. My attitude toward the "organic" craze parallels that regarding bottled water, but I do most of my baking from scratch. I email detailed guest information letters and use the reverse sides of the pages of the gobbledygook my printer periodically churns out. Newspapers are ordered for weekends only; news available online on a guest-use computer. When possible, I take my guests for an early morning hike to a scenic canyon unknown to tourists and on a guided bird walk at a local sanctuary.” – Sharon Arkin, Bed and Bagels of Tucson, Tucson, AZ

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