Hi Guys,
Thanks for your help and the wonderful ideas. We are a guesthouse in the middle of Lisbon and our cooking capabilities are limited, so I think we have to choose full continental breakfast.
Most of our reviews are in Booking.com, and at the beginning the negative remarks where regarding the quantities which we have already solved. The funny think is that there wasn't a single guest that complained at the time, when we could have done something about it. In their place I would have complained a lot so they could fix it. What good does it do to make the complaint after I left?
We have positive remarks for the breakfast but we want to improve and provide the best service possible, special when clients are paying full price which is not happening now, that's why we pay so much attention to the negative ones.
We do have a problem with the noise, because apart from the fact there are a few neighbors who like to party and we already have the police on speed dial, we also need to improve the sound isolation from the wooden windows. We are taking care of that now and we hope to improve the sleep quality in the bedrooms, otherwise we will start to include hear plugs.
Thanks again for all your help, we definitely are going to adopt a few of them.
What breakfast to serve in a B&B?
Ana Leamaro
www.SweetLisbon.com
www.SweetLisbon.com
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agreed, ian & irene. my village is pestered during odd night times by low flying planes. i spent 50k (!) 7 years ago on isolation, since then i sleep well, before i only had a non-interrupted sleep of max 5 hours. in high season i always tell guests to keep the windows closed (and supply fans and earplugs...)
if cooking aleamaro, is a problem: continental breakfast is absolutely fine for most guests. i don't cook for breakfast, except for the odd omelet.
guests NEVER complain in your face. people leaving my B&B without greeting, or even a handshake, it DOES happen, once in a while. even this morning! my guests (3 males) opened the front door which i heard, so i went into the hall to say goodbye... afterwards i DID understand their hopefully unnoticed leave: they left me a disaster area, as in: you walk into a room and think you're in a local pub after closing, where smoking (...) is still allowed and the guests drank gallons of beer.
okay police on speed dial, do they react on 'speed'? are you still able to talk to those partying neighbours or have you given up? i grew up in amsterdam, knowing about 'city noise', my B&B is in a quiet residential area, but once 4 older guests came down to complain 'about the noise', of a garden party nextdoor (i was told about) in full summer. i took no offence myself... and asked the neighbours to get the music down a bit, as promised. which they did, immediately. but 25 people or so in a garden, talking...
sometimes guests have to be literally spelled out in advance, that 'lisbon is a wonderful old city, bustling and alive, people live outdoors weather permitting, in the evenings, it's part of the vibes of a city in southern europe. come and take part in it, we will do our utmost to give you the best we can give, as hosts, of the atmosphere, but our neighbourhood is not a quiet retreat in the countryside.'
writing this, the planes passed over here, with less than 3 mins in between...
if cooking aleamaro, is a problem: continental breakfast is absolutely fine for most guests. i don't cook for breakfast, except for the odd omelet.
guests NEVER complain in your face. people leaving my B&B without greeting, or even a handshake, it DOES happen, once in a while. even this morning! my guests (3 males) opened the front door which i heard, so i went into the hall to say goodbye... afterwards i DID understand their hopefully unnoticed leave: they left me a disaster area, as in: you walk into a room and think you're in a local pub after closing, where smoking (...) is still allowed and the guests drank gallons of beer.
okay police on speed dial, do they react on 'speed'? are you still able to talk to those partying neighbours or have you given up? i grew up in amsterdam, knowing about 'city noise', my B&B is in a quiet residential area, but once 4 older guests came down to complain 'about the noise', of a garden party nextdoor (i was told about) in full summer. i took no offence myself... and asked the neighbours to get the music down a bit, as promised. which they did, immediately. but 25 people or so in a garden, talking...
sometimes guests have to be literally spelled out in advance, that 'lisbon is a wonderful old city, bustling and alive, people live outdoors weather permitting, in the evenings, it's part of the vibes of a city in southern europe. come and take part in it, we will do our utmost to give you the best we can give, as hosts, of the atmosphere, but our neighbourhood is not a quiet retreat in the countryside.'
writing this, the planes passed over here, with less than 3 mins in between...
We have a simple breakfast but of very good quality and are always complimented about. This year success for us has been the introduction of home made yogurt. We have six rooms and I did not think it was practical until I bought a simple 1 lt yogurt maker like this one http://myzerowaste.com/2008/06/making-yogurt/
I start the yogurt with UHT milk and greek yogurt and I get the most wonderful, creamy, thick fresh yogurt every morning. I refresh it with new greek yogurt every 2 weeks. Guests love it with a little fresh fruit and my homemade jams. I can't believe I waited so long for something so simple and good.
I start the yogurt with UHT milk and greek yogurt and I get the most wonderful, creamy, thick fresh yogurt every morning. I refresh it with new greek yogurt every 2 weeks. Guests love it with a little fresh fruit and my homemade jams. I can't believe I waited so long for something so simple and good.
Many years ago I went down the homemade yogurt path by filling a jar with full cream milk and two spoonfulls of live natural yogurt and leaving the jar on the terrace in the hot sun for several hours! It 'cooked' fine but was always a little acid in taste so gave up after some months!
All your breakfasts sound fine to me; I think the age of stale rolls and weak milky coffee has long gone. I see no reason to complain.
All your breakfasts sound fine to me; I think the age of stale rolls and weak milky coffee has long gone. I see no reason to complain.
What breakfast to serve in a B&B?
We all know you can't please everyone (unfortunately). We have all the full English ingredients on the cooked menu, and the veggie option includes potato rosti and LMc veggie sausage. Eggs cooked to guests' preference. Also have smoked salmon and scrambled eggs on toast or muffins (which is popular). Kippers too. Every so often we have a 'specials' board (omelette, eggs benedict). Especially if guests are staying a while and want to see something different on menu.
Cold items on sideboard (starters?) are fresh fruit-mainly bananas-, fresh fruit salad, natural and fruit yogs, granola, three cereals (cornflakes, branflakes, muesli) and my husband's fruit, yog and granola trifles (which are yummy and popular). Also jams, marmite, honey.
Also have gluten free cereal options, but only when guests request in advance. The meat sausages we use are gluten free anyway.
For guests from abroad (although I think 'when in Rome') we do like to offer crossaints/pastries too.
This sounds an awful lot to offer every morning but really it's not and we're in the kitchen from 7.00ish for 8.00. (my husband is the cook so he's there at 7.00, me around 7.20ish to put out juices, milks, spreads and sideboard items.
Hope this helps.
Cold items on sideboard (starters?) are fresh fruit-mainly bananas-, fresh fruit salad, natural and fruit yogs, granola, three cereals (cornflakes, branflakes, muesli) and my husband's fruit, yog and granola trifles (which are yummy and popular). Also jams, marmite, honey.
Also have gluten free cereal options, but only when guests request in advance. The meat sausages we use are gluten free anyway.
For guests from abroad (although I think 'when in Rome') we do like to offer crossaints/pastries too.
This sounds an awful lot to offer every morning but really it's not and we're in the kitchen from 7.00ish for 8.00. (my husband is the cook so he's there at 7.00, me around 7.20ish to put out juices, milks, spreads and sideboard items.
Hope this helps.
Tis Devon, glorious Devon
An old post but it was a good read.
Just thought I would add that for booking.com, the guest must add a negative comment. We have a few that say "Nothing!" but I do believe this forces people to think of something, even if trivial.
For example we have had:
"Jam was too sweet" (they are home made and 60% fruit)
"The croissants were too buttery"
"Only french bread was served" (we are in France)
Just thought I would add that for booking.com, the guest must add a negative comment. We have a few that say "Nothing!" but I do believe this forces people to think of something, even if trivial.
For example we have had:
"Jam was too sweet" (they are home made and 60% fruit)
"The croissants were too buttery"
"Only french bread was served" (we are in France)