What a summer…

What a summer we had! After we were allowed to open again (mandatory closure due to Corona by the Safety Region in Zeeland) it was from 0 to 100 within 2 weeks. We were completely full in one go. Very nice, but also a very steep learning curve. Summer is almost over and we can list a few things we have learned in the meantime:

  • There is no way to determine whether guests will come for breakfast sooner or later, one day everyone is there at 8:30 and the next day they only arrive around a quarter past 9 / 9:30. Certainly due to the one and a half meter measure, it is therefore difficult to estimate whether we can place all guests at the same table when they come, but fortunately this problem has hardly occurred.
  • When guests come for breakfast for the first time, 90% opt for a classic bread breakfast, the day after they often opt for the homemade granola breakfast and this is secretly becoming a little favorite.
  • Boys like to leave their underpants behind; whether it is tucked in the bed or in a bedside table; we have already found a striking number (territorial drive?)
  • We are still not used to the fact that everyone knows our name and that we are therefore addressed with; “Say Oscar …” or “Hello Wyona”. We often know our own guests by face, but guests of the surrounding holiday homes also know who we are….and most of the time we don’t.
  • Because each stay with us has its own entrance on the outside, we have had to make few adjustments with regard to the corona measures. We have closed the corridor that runs through the shed, but nobody really notices this. Very nice!
  • 99 out of 100 guests are happy because they are on vacation / a night away and that is great to work with/for!
  • Sometimes you forget that there are guests, so if you are cleaning and singing out loud…. They can hear this. Luckily they could appreciate this … more because it made them know that I was having a good time than that it was beautifully sung (because it wasn’t that I can tell you)
  • Although it is sometimes a bit difficult for us to have Vesper (3.5) and Logan (1.5) around us, guests only like to see it. So when we don’t have babysitter, they just are around us and the guests.
  • As serving diner is a new service at the Hofstede, guests are sometimes a bit cautious in terms of expectations and it is very nice to see how Oscar dishes are appreciated! Guests are surprised in a good way!
  • It’s fun! It is hard and a lot of work, especially on the days that we also serve dinner, but above all it is a lot of fun! We have not regretted for a moment that we changed course and chose this. Without a doubt we would do it again.
  • And last but not least and we have said this before; we are so happy with our families! Without them we really would not have made it this summer. Thank you again and again!

The real high season is over after this weekend, but the coming weeks we will (fortunately) still be busy enough to have guests and then we will make time to see what we can fine-tune and adjust to make it even better for the become guests to stay with us.

Small steps, but steps forward! And the sign “fully booked”? That can be put away during the week and that is completely fine..