If I had a dollar for every time a guest told me that I have her dream job, I could retire and spend the rest of my days sipping Chianti and eating too much pasta on a remote island off the coast of Sicily. I suppose that to the outsider’s eye, my job is pretty cushy. They see me working the breakfast room chatting easily about restaurants and beaches with people from all over the world. They see the gorgeous property where I have the great fortune to live, and the lavish displays of tea cakes and pastries that emerge from my kitchen day in and day out. What they don’t see is everything that goes into running, what I aim to be a seamless operation. So, in answer to the question, “what is it really like?” I will attempt through this blog to bring you behind the scenes and let you decide if my job is, indeed, your dream.
I remember years ago posing this very question to the owner of an inn where I was staying. My question was met with a patronizing chuckle and an extremely negative description of the innkeeping profession. In hindsight, I can understand his reaction. Imagine several times a week people telling you that they want your career and you know they probably have no concept of exactly how hard your daily life is. Nobody really knows what is involved in innkeeping until they do it – I know I didn’t. So, it’s tempting to share with aspiring innkeepers the story about the overflowing toilet you dealt with the night before or the last minute cancellation that is unlikely to fill. But despite all that, I love my job and wouldn’t trade it for anything. I certainly wouldn’t talk anyone out of leaving a secure job to pursue their dream, but perhaps following this blog for awhile will shed some light on what it’s really like.
I should mention, before continuing, that I cannot in good faith bare all in this blog. Perhaps someday I will publish an anonymous book with all the sordid details of certain guests’ visits. And to be honest, 95% of the guests we host are very pleasant and we would welcome back time and time again. The 5% who fuel our comical repertoire of dinner party conversation, I’ll save for a more appropriate venue.
In the meantime, this blog will share our background, our smart moves and not so smart moves, and our day to day anecdotes which make our jobs both fun and trying. I am happy to answer any questions you may have along the way, so please feel free to comment. In addition to the dialogue on this blog, about.com has a wealth of information for aspiring innkeepers on their site.
