Behind Closed Doors. Memoires From a Lodge Owner.

By Susan O'Connor

My dream after working for many years in hospitality was to own and operate a boutique lodge.  Part of the criteria was location, but the main focus was to find a property with a 'Wow' factor.  

 

That dream became a reality and for seven years my partner Garth and I hosted hundreds of guests from all over the world.

 

Instead of purchasing an existing business, we bought a private family home that had the potential to transform into something special.  There were challenges along the way, but the result was worth every minute.

 

Each guest was unique, but they all had something in common, they were looking for the perfect getaway.  It was our goal to ensure they left feeling their experience exceeded expectations, and ultimately recommend us to their family and friends. 

 

The memoires are a collection of stories about guests, helpers and events that made an impression on us, good and bad.  I hope you enjoy the read.

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Susan O'Connor
• Release date: Apr 19, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224478781

Book preview

Chapter 1.

The dream becomes reality.

Who would have thought that running a lodge would be so entertaining? 

Working in hospitality most of my life, it was my dream to own and operate a boutique lodge. My partner agreed to living my dream on one condition, we live in a separate dwelling from the guests and retain our privacy.

After months of searching throughout New Zealand and across the ditch in Australia, we finally found what we considered to be the perfect property. We purchased what was a private family home on five acres, located on top of a ridge with amazing views over rolling hills, orchards, vineyards and beyond to the ocean.  

As we had a long settlement date, we made a point of staying in a few lodges or bed and breakfast in the area, to undergo a competitor analysis. 

I remember arriving just after dark on a Friday night, ringing the doorbell, only to be greeted by a gentleman stating you are half an hour late; no hello, welcome, nice to meet you etc. He then walked us around to the back of the house in the darkness, opened our entry door, turned on the lights; and turned to leave.

We asked for suggestions about where we could have dinner; he pointed to a folder on the coffee table and said, breakfast would be delivered to the door at 9 a.m. sharp and left.  

We looked at each other after his abrupt departure and commented he could use some lessons in customer service. The wife when delivering breakfasts the next morning was not much better. We got the impression they wouldn’t get many repeat visitors which was great for us, one less competitor to worry about.

We agreed then and there, the minute we weren’t enjoying hosting guests, we would move on.

It was an interesting exercise checking out the competition, by the time we were ready to decorate and furnish our guestrooms, we had a good idea of what we perceived would work. Teddy bears, crocheted doilies and knick knacks were a definite NO.  

We felt claustrophobic in one bed and breakfast because of the number of teddy bears that appeared to be watching us from every corner of the room; it felt like we were on the set of a scary movie.

We had a three-month settlement which seemed to take forever, finally the day of the big move arrived, and with the help of our families, the adventure began.

The moving truck slipping off the side of our very steep driveway was a sign of the times to come. Like vehicles, guests can be unpredictable, be prepared for anything and everything. On the upside, we did get to meet the neighbours sooner than anticipated, as we had to call on them for the use of their tractor to winch the truck back onto the driveway. 

We gave ourselves approximately eight weeks from taking possession until opening for business, in time for the high season. A big ask, but we work well under pressure.

Racing the clock was an understatement. The list was long and included the addition of an ensuite to one of the guestrooms, turning what was a linen closet into a visitor toilet, sound proofing and painting all three guestrooms, in addition to the general upkeep of five acres which included a variety of gardens. Days started early and finished late. 

I will never forget the day Garth had to install the plumbing and pipes for the visitor toilet. He was on the end of a petrol operated concrete cutter; my job was to run water using the hose on the concrete as he cut. It sounded easy in theory, but the result was messy, we were covered in bits of concrete as were the walls, whilst choking on petrol fumes in a confined space.

I’ll stick to painting walls any day.

Finalising a name for the lodge, then naming each of the three guestrooms was quite the production. Asking friends and family for suggestions, in hindsight, prolonged the process. The region was known as a wine district, so the guestrooms were named after varieties of wine.

Purchasing furnishings was time consuming, as we wanted furniture that suited the build of the house, an Australian Queenslander, with wrap around verandas, large windows, and French doors. None of the rooms had built in wardrobes; however, the people we purchased from were moving into a home with multiple wardrobes, so we were able to purchase two standalone wardrobes from them, the third took a while to find.

When shopping for linen, I wanted only the best quality, which comes with a big price tag. I also considered having our logo embroidered on the sheets and towels; however, the cost to do so was outrageous. I was told by other accommodation providers that guests love to steal monogrammed items, which also deterred me. 

It did not take long to figure out that purchasing the finest quality of linen seemed a waste of money. Hair dye, spray tans and massage oil ruined a considerable number of sheets and towels. The amount of linen I gifted to Hospice was absurd, after trying various methods of removing stains, to no avail.

The worst culprit was spray tans, not only did the tanning lotion ruin linen; should guests use the hot tub, the water instead of being crystal clear would be left orange or brown. We cursed those people whilst emptying and refilling the hot tub, which was costly both in time and money, especially during the dry summer months when having to pay for the water tank to be filled. Often it was bridal parties, as the girls favoured a tanned look.

I had spent the advertising budget predominantly on a well-known travel publication, which from my experience in the travel industry, was the most well-read publication by domestic travel agents. I had secured the front cover with our Grand Opening article and an image of the lodge.

Opening day rolled around, the rain bucketed down and along with it, my spirits. I remember sitting in my makeshift office located in the laundry room close to tears hoping the phone would ring or emails would appear in my inbox.

One phone call was all it took to turn my gloomy mood into a fist pump. A well-known inbound agent had seen our ad and was requesting rates for the upcoming season. By 5pm on opening day, we had secured bookings for the following four months. Yes!!!!!

When we first opened the lodge, I continued to work three days a week in the city as we knew it would take the best part of six months to get the business off the ground, with weekends being the busiest. The additional income became our cash flow. 

As the new kids in town, we sent out invites to local accommodation providers to join us on a Sunday afternoon, the least busy day of the week, giving them the opportunity to view the property and enjoy complimentary drinks