Inn Keeping looks like it may be fun but it sure looks like a lot of work. So what is it like? (Part 1)

The most common question we get from our guests is, “Inn Keeping looks like it may be fun but it sure looks like a lot of work. So what is it like?”

The short answer to the question–like any profession there is a balance. It’s not all dirty dishes, mountains of laundry, scrubbing, and maintenance as our photos may imply. There is a lot to be said about setting your own schedule in a beautiful place you call home, taking up residence in a small hotel, playing with your passion for cooking, and getting to meet and share a space with new and interesting people every day. So there is work and there is fun. A job with fun is not necessarily WORK!

Of course, there is something to do all of the time. The balance is not letting a pre-occupation of thinking everything must be done today, get to you. It is not like we have to leave our home for 8-10 hours and then return to do everything. Our usual 6 loads of laundry, three rooms with common rooms needing cleaning, fixing that broken thing, and attending to an unsightly mark on the wall would surely be a nightmare if they needed to be done at the end of hard day of the office. The Blue Door is our office and they are manageable with a little creativity.

All in a Day–Long before our first guests are down for breakfast we already have two loads of laundry (from the previous day!) in the machine. The email from overnight is getting answered. The table and kitchen are set for the menu of the day. Our guests arrive and breakfast is served from 7:00 -10:00 AM with the dishes cleared and washed shortly after. A little quiet time. Guests Check out. More email is read, more loads of laundry. Rooms are attended to. More Email, a little marketing and some R&R time (mixed with fixing that broken thing, more laundry, playing with Leopold, escaping to the sailboat, answering some reservation questions). Check-in–greet visit with more of our wonderful guests. Turn down rooms for the evening with special treat. Relax and enjoy some more guest conversation… There you have it...

Innkeeping is more about pacing throughout the day with high degrees of flexibility for the interruptions that are bound to happen. Any experienced innkeeper will say, if you like having a structure to your day this may not the job for you. What you plan for is rarely accomplished in the order hoped and often things that were supposed to be addressed in the future become the center of attention. A guest arrival time significantly altered, a broken gadget in the kitchen necessary for the day’s breakfast prep, a contractor saying today is the day to make the repair requested with guests checking in that evening are all in a day’s activity. They give the appearance of us never taking a break, or seamlessly taking things in stride as chaos reigns, as we go about making your stay with us special. We can assure you there is some breathing time.

Of course there is always more to it than just the few short paragraphs you have read so far and we do not want to take all of your time. So while we go about our daily tasks making stays special at the Blue Door we would like to give our loyal followers a small task. Your Task: 2011 brought us 403 checked in reservations. We would love to have you venture and post your guesses on any of the following  statistics. 

How close can you guess?

• Number of room nights served up
• Breakfasts Served
• Sheets Washed
• Cookies served at turndown

Post your guesses in the comments section and have fun in our online community.

We will report back with the numbers when “Inn Keeping looks like it may be fun but it sure looks like a lot of work. So what is it like? (Part 2)” hits the Blogwaves in two weeks.

2012 Blog Announcements

Hello! We hope this message finds you well and in good spirits. We continue to greet and re-greet so many gracious guests. We (and Leopold if you have not had the opportunity to meet our new little innkeeper) so appreciate the opportunities afforded us to get to know and serve you. Please let us share some news.

Our Goal for 2011 was to better share our Blue Door experience with expanded website information, enhanced Blog and Facebook business pages, and Twitter presence. We hope that you may have had opportunity to drop in to take a peek at our candid photos, recipes, travel tips, and personal content. In 2012 we want to put "You Our Guests in the Spotlight". We are introducing three new featured discussions:  Ask the Innkeepers, Local Eateries, and "Names in Lights". These will also be broadcasted to our Facebook and Twitter fans.

Send us your burning questions on Innkeeping or things about Baltimore (Our first post "So What is it Like" - will provide a behind the scenes look at some of our inn keeping tasks and statistics). Add your comments to our in depth local restaurant features. Submit some information that you may have shared in your in-room guest log with some photos from your visit. Share the links with your friends and put your "Name in Lights".

If you have not had opportunity to check our new stuff out, make sure to like us on our Facebook Page.

As always, thank you for choosing the Blue Door for your visit(s) to Baltimore and we look forward to serving you again!

A Special Discount From the Inkeeper in Training!

Hi, Leopold here!

I would like to wish all of our new friends and fans a Happy New Year. As many of you know, I am the Innkeeper in Training at Blue Door on Baltimore. I have been improving my greeting skills for our guests checking-in and upon arriving back after a busy day out and about in Baltimore. Of course, since I am a cat and a bit closer to the ground sometimes, I truly do look up to all of our guests. Oh, and put your allergies aside. I am a Bengal, after all, and as close to hypo-allergenic as a cat can be.

I have been growing quickly into my paws and am now a full 9 months old. I am so looking forward to my very first birthday in March. I am only going to get one of those, I am told. If you met me earlier in the summer I was only measuring half of the 13 pounds at which I now tip on the scale. My mom calls me a big bruiser compared to the dear Miss Megan you may have had opportunity to meet on a past stay. That has not deterred our guests to threaten to pack me in their bag and take me home with them. I really like them, too…

As the Innkeeper in Training, I have the opportunity to make marketing suggestions to my parents, Roger and Cecelia. So, for our blog and facebook followers we have something special for you for in 2012, MY FIRST BIRTHDAY YEAR! We would like to propose a special final rate adjustment to your reservation request.

Type in my name “leopold” in the Promo Code for your online request or mention me on the phone and we will add my weight in dollars as a bottom line credit to your reservation at the time of booking! I am still growing so the discount may not stop at $13.00.

Hope to see you soon... and if you cannot visit as soon as you might like, please do post a comment. We love hearing from our past guests and blog readers! How have you liked the Blue Door on Baltimore Blog so far? Do you have any topics you would like to hear about that we haven't covered?

Oh, and don't forget to like us on Facebook!

Holiday House Tour Recap

The Better Baltimore Bed and Breakfast Association’s 2^nd Annual Holiday House Tour on December 4^th was a huge success! We wish to thank all of our guests for spending this special day with us. We received great exposure from the Baltimore Sun, WBAL TV, and assistance for our chosen charity, Moveable Feast. There were tons of couples and small groups totaling 160 in all who kicked-off the holiday season with our five participating inns with local food and wines. All reported having a wonderful time at our tour event which raised a $1500 donation toward the efforts of Movable Feast.

This year’s event highlighted what each of Baltimore B&B’s offer in our amenities and our neighborhoods. Our featured neighborhood Chef Sean Guy from Water for Chocolate with local Maryland wines from Elk Run. Turns out Elk Run offers a wine named the Red Door, fancy that. A perfect complement to our Blue Door!

Our menu was a great hit. We started with a tasting of Cold Friday Chardonnay with Grilled Tilapia gracing Parmesan Grits, accentuated with Cowboy Caviar, adding a finishing touch of our Blond Currant Biscotti’s. Then we stimulated the senses with Barbequed Pulled Pork on Jalapeno Cornbread merged with Maryland Merlot and then with Elk Run’s signature recipe, Sweet Katherine Sangria.  We think the biggest hit of the tour included a stop in our kitchen where Chef Sean and our able assistant Michelle were assembling the creations and offering holiday serving tips.

It was fun transforming our parlor and dining room into a culinary wonderland for the day. Rest assured all has been put back in place for the casually elegant breakfasts we offer every morning. Watch our blog for information on next year’s event. Consider planning a stay with us in early December of next year as three guests did this year to tour Baltimore before the busyness of the holiday season takes center stage.

All photos provided by John Kardys Photography.

2nd Annual Bed & Breakfast Holiday House Tour

'Tis the season! The B&B Holiday House Tour is this Sunday, December 4th! With the success of the original Holiday House Tour last year, we knew we wanted to work to bring you something bigger and better in 2011! As one stop on the tour, we will be decorating Blue Door in the most warm, welcoming and festive manner and bringing you a show-stopping menu. We are so excited to have you as our guest!

Oh, and did we mention that part of the proceeds will benefit Moveable Feast?!

The Blue Door Tour Menu features a Pair on Pair Tasting - Award winning wines from Maryland’s Elk Run Winery, Chef Sean Guy’s WOW FACTOR creations from Water for Chocolate, a Blue Door signature Breakfast Pastry, and special catering arrangements with Koopers Tavern in Fells Point await your visit. Experience the subtleties of Cold Friday Chardonnay with Grilled Tilapia gracing Parmesan Grits, accentuated with Cowboy Caviar, put a finishing touch on your Chardonnay with a Blond Currant Biscotti. Stimulate the senses with Barbequed Pulled Pork on Jalapeno Cornbread merged with Maryland Merlot and then with Elk Run’s signature recipe Sweet Katherine Sangria.  Step into our kitchen and get some holiday serving hints as Chef Sean assembles his creations.

For more information, visit the Better Baltimore Bed and Breakfasts website.