2019 Rhythm On The River Series

There are so many wonderful things happening throughout the summer in Grand Rapids, OH!  Among our favorite events is The Rhythm on the River Concert Series.  Every show is a different genre so you are certain to find at least one performance (if not all of them) that is sure to please.

At The Grand Kerr House, we love starting Concert Sunday with a leisurely breakfast on the front porch (Bob makes the best omelettes!), walking into town afterwards to do a little window shopping (OK, sometimes I do a lot of real shopping), grabbing a late lunch at one of the many fine Grand Rapids restaurants, meandering along the towpath (with the beautiful river views), then grabbing our chairs and settling in for the show.  What a perfect Summer Sunday!

The event is held by the Wright Pavilion on the towpath along the Maumee River.  Concerts begin at 4:00 p.m. and are FREE and open to the public.  Be sure to bring a chair or blanket, maybe even a picnic snack, then relax and enjoy the show.

In the event of inclement weather, events are moved to the Old Fire Station on Main Street.

This year's schedule is:

Unclouded Day
Vocal and Instrumental Ensemble
Presenting Sacred and Patriotic Music
4:00 p.m., Sunday, June 9, 2019
 
Bliss
Acoustic Rock/Folk
4:00 p.m., Sunday, June 23, 2019
 
Glass City Steel
Toledo School for the Arts
Steel Drum Ensemble
4:00 p.m., Sunday, June 30, 2019
 
New Moon
Blues on Guitar, Harmonica, Bass and Drums
4:00 p.m., Sunday, July 14, 2019
 
At Sundown
Paul Keller Trio
Jazz on Piano, Bass, Clarinet and Vocals
4:00 p.m., Sunday, July 28, 2019
 
North Coast Big Band
Jazz~Swing Music~Big Band Sound
Director:  Gary Keller
4:00 p.m., Sunday, August 25, 2019
 
Ol’ Creek Road
Folk Band Playing Bluegrass, Gospel, Americana, 1970’s Tunes
4:00 p.m., Sunday, September 15, 2019
 
Otsego Swing Choir and Otsego Marching Band
4:00 p.m., Sunday, October 6, 2019
Local High School Organizations
Directors:  Brien Sewell and Rich Dubler

Reservation Options for B&B Owners

Today I am thinking about the many Reservation Services that are available to B&B Owners.  Options range from a desk calendar with pencil (never ink!) to simple on-line services to sophisticated, sometimes complicated, integrated systems.

We started out with more, went down to less, and still question what we really need.  Even though our website allows potential guests to book on-line through the site, I have found that the majority of our guests still like to pick up the phone (to get additional information about our B&B and maybe to find out if we sound like nice people) before making their reservations.

Personally, when I am making travel reservations, I like having access to an on-line calendar where I can see if rooms are available and what the pricing is.  I enjoy comparative shopping before committing.  Then I will call and make the reservation if that is an option.

What are some of the services that reservation systems can provide to the B&B Owners -

1.  Allows you to indicate what rooms are available and what are not so that searchers know right away if there is room at the inn - you can block out rooms that are not available for things like repairs, family and friends visiting, and your own availability.

2.  Sends out confirmation emails to people making reservations

3.  Provides Data Collection including occupancy rates, busiest days, most booked room, taxes and fees collected and more.

3.  Collection of payments for depositing to to your bank.

4.  Provides a history of guest information

5.  Can track what rooms need cleaning (nice if you have outside cleaning service that has access to your calendar and comes in as needed)

6.  Links your calendar to other reservation providers including booking.com, airbandb and expedia.

Of course, everything comes with a price.  Our reservation provider has several levels of service at different pricing

A.  Basic for $20 per month
B.  Essential for $75 per month
C.  Professional for $85 per month

And you get what you pay for!  All the bells and whistles can be nice.  However, as my cousin, who has a very successful B&B, has pointed out - fees can really cut into your profit when you are a small business owner.  How many rooms do you have to rent to pay your service providers (they can eat up your profit).

So when choosing which reservation system is best for you, think about how much time you have to manage your bookings and what is your potential house guest looking for.  I am not a full-time B&B Manager. I work Monday through Friday at my other job.  I am not available to answer the phone 24/7.   The majority of people making reservations today start out with an internet search before making that call or clicking that Make a Reservation button.  Your Reservation System needs to work for you and your guests.

I would opt for a calendar and pencil if I could but I know I would be losing bookings (and possibly my mind) if I did.  Since I don't pay the systems to do it all for me, I have to be responsible to make sure that all calendars on the internet are kept current (double bookings are no fun for anyone),  I need to take the time to send confirmation emails and invoices to people within 24 hours of making their reservation (or they will anxiously call too late at night to confirm) and I have to remember what I love about being a B&B Owner including managing the reservations that contributes to the overall Guest Satisfaction which is what it is all about.

A Typical B&B Sunday Morning

I have heard so many guests say "I've always wanted to run a B&B!" and tell me "You are so lucky to have this wonderful place!".  I cannot tell you how many times I heard myself say those very words.  Owning a B&B has always been a dream of mine and I know I am very lucky to be here at this point in my life.  But did I really know what would be involved in maintaining an 8,000 square foot Historic Victorian Home and making sure that guests could enjoy my home without a care (complaint) during their stay.

I don't think anyone can really know what it is like to own and manage a B&B until they have experienced it themselves, however, I thought I would tell you about a typical Sunday morning here at The Grand Kerr House.

Before beginning, you need to know that I am not in this alone.  My husband, Bob, is in this with me 100% (maybe even 110%).  Through the past year together we have learned how to share the work and, most times, things run very smoothly.

This weekend we had four houseguests occupying two rooms - they were not traveling together but both groups were here enjoying a mother/daughter weekend.  Dawn & Hannah were  returning guests having been here a year ago and Allison & Lynne were first timers.

Breakfast is normally served from 8:00 to 10:00 am, though we have served breakfast as early as 5:00   am when requested.  This morning Allison & Lynne wanted to eat at 8:00 and Dawn & Hannah requested to eat at 8:30.   No dietary restrictions or special requests so we were serving what has become Bob's signature omelettes made to order.

The alarm went off at 6:00 am but I confess that it was probably closer to 6:30 before I got up.  I took a quick shower, got dressed and was ready to begin work at 7:00.  We live in the "Garden Apartment" of the house with a lot of stairs to climb.  First I climbed up to the second floor to pick up the snack tray that the guests left in the hall last night and then checked out the common bathroom space.  Lots of used towels and full waste baskets in there!  I took the tray downstairs and asked Bob if he had time to empty the trash and bring the linens down before starting breakfast and he immediately headed upstairs.  While Bob was tidying up the bathroom, I headed up to the first floor dining room to set the table for breakfast.  This is my favorite part of the morning, laying out the tablecloth and putting out the good china and silver.  I change out the dishes every day so guests who are staying multiple nights never see the same setting twice.  I like to think it makes walking into the dining room special every day.

While I have been setting the table, Bob has made the coffee and started preparing breakfast.  I always thought I would be the Head Cook at my B&B but I've become the Chief Bottle Washer.  It turns out that Bob is a great cook and he really loves doing it.  I load the towels into the washer and then join Bob in the kitchen.  Bob is preparing the fruit bowls and I fill the water and juice decanters then head back upstairs with them along with the pumpkin bread and butter.  Then I go back downstairs, get the fruit bowls, and take them upstairs to set out for the guests.

Yes, there are a lot of trips up and down the stairs - especially for someone like me who has had both knees replaced - but I tell myself that the exercise is good for me and its nice that the guests can't see our unavoidable kitchen mess.

At 8:00 Allison & Lynne arrive for breakfast.  I grab their made-to-order omelettes, hash browns and bacon and take breakfast up to the dining room.  The ladies and I chat a little about their visit but I sense that they did not come to TGKH for my company so I only stay a few minutes.  Back in the kitchen, Bob has started the second set of omelettes that are done just in time for Dawn & Hannah.

By 9:00 the guests are served and Bob and I sit down with our omelettes (the joy of owning a B&B, we have wonderful breakfasts too!) and play a game of Gin Rummy.

At 10:00 we can hear the guests getting up from the table and I go upstairs to see if they need anything else and collect their final payments.  Allison & Lynne leave.  Dawn & Hannah stay to chat. We once had a houseguest who was a former B&B owner who gave us some great advice:  "When guests want to chat, one of you should stay and talk while the other starts to clean up".  So I talked while Bob cleared the table and started the dishes (lucky me!).

By 11:00 all the guests have checked out, the dishes are dried and put away, and we are ready to strip beds and start laundry.  The rest of the day will be spent doing the bookkeeping and laundry, cleaning the house, working in the yard, and getting ready for the week ahead.

Still thinking the B&B Life is for you?  It may very well be - I know that bob and I love it!  We enjoy the guests, we love the house, and it's nice to have a job where the people you work with just want to relax and be pampered a little - who doesn't want that?

So if you really think this is what you want to do, why not come spend a weekend and walk in our shoes on a Sunday morning.  We would love to share our time with you!