Monday, June 09, 2008

High Season?

I just had a potential guest request one night, “since our season has not started yet.” I shrug off such comments and explain we do not do one-nighters as a general rule, that the season at Chez Sven is not just July and August, the way it may be elsewhere. Preparing a room is hard work for the innkeeper. I do the job myself, but if I hired someone, the cost would be around $50/hour. It takes more than two hours to prepare the cottage, which is a total of four rooms. Amenities cost around $10. Organic breakfast for two runs $20 to $25. Then there is the wear and tear on the organic cotton sheets and towels to figure in, as well as electricity, and propane for the cottage. If one does not take the monetary aspect into consideration, there’s this important fact: tourists need more than one night to optimize a stay here. Wellfleet is the perfect spot to anchor oneself and discover Cape Cod. Guests often take a trip down to Provincetown, and another, in the opposite direction, to Chatham. Folks who chose June this year have enjoyed amazing weather, deserted beaches, free parking at town beach parking lots until the 21st, no waiting in lines at restaurants for dinner, reasonable traffic on Route 6. Three nights provide a change of rhythm and time to relax. Guests leave Chez Sven feeling refreshed. As innkeepers, we would not have it any other way.