Your Hostess
Barbara Jameson

In the hospitality business, lodgings referred to as “short-term” (B&Bs, guest houses, etc.) are and have been an unregulated gamble for travelers. You never really know what you’re going to get, and your health and safety are largely a matter of honesty and responsibility on the part of the host, and trust on the part of the guest. Although the “rules” for some short-term accommodations might include asking that visitors please remake the bed with fresh linens, there is no guarantee that the sheets haven’t simply been smoothed over and the comforter fluffed up so it looks nice.

So, with your comfort and well-being in mind, we would like to assure you that we adhere to the following standards and procedures:

• Smoke detector, safety light and fire extinguisher are stationed in the guest suite (which, actually, is a requirement of our insurance company).
• Bed linens and towels are washed with detergent at the hottest possible water temperature; mattress covers and pillow protectors are laundered on a regular basis.
• Sheets and pillow cases are ironed, and the bed is freshly made before your arrival.
• After the departure of every guest–even the “one-nighters”–the accommodations are dusted and vacuumed, and all bathroom fixtures and accoutrements are sanitized and disinfected.
• Our carpets are professionally steam cleaned, and we contract with a licensed “pest control” guy to keep away the creepy-crawlies.
• Walkways are de-iced in winter, and the air-conditioners are serviced regularly with coolant added as needed.

Assurances such as these entail business costs for any host, a fact you might consider when you find a “great deal” online for a room billed at $40 a night. Other factors you might consider are: Does the family dog have fleas? What about the water, especially in rural areas: Does it come from a slimy cistern or shallow well? As to those so-called “self-catered” accommodations: Do you really want to do housework on your vacation? And who was that Papa Bear who slept in the bed the night before you did?

You know . . . just sayin’.