Does Innkeeping Fit Your Lifestyle? (Homebound)

We love to travel. Sometimes aspiring innkeepers ask me what's one of the downsides of the innkeeping life. For me, I miss traveling as much as I used to.

In the beginning of my innkeeping career, we couldn't afford to take the time off. We had plenty of time in our slow season and could shut down, but frankly, the funds weren't there. A few years later after we had increased our occupancy, we had the money, but not the time! Aarrgghh!!

We decided that we needed to make it a priority to get away once a year for a substantial vacation. It's way too easy to fall into the trap of getting homebound and feeling resentful that you're tied to your business. Another reason to get away is to be able to reconnect with your partner/spouse as a couple and not just innkeepers. Living and working together 24 hours a day sometimes is a challenge.

We love what we do and we love the interactions and opportunities to make our guests' experiences memorable, but we sure do like to break away once a year for a fabulous vacation. Frankly, when I'm exhausted in our busy season, planning and thinking about our vacation helps me get through the fatigue of the summer.

Everyone is different, but for me, I really need to take my vacations in far away places. Like most innkeepers, I'm somewhat a perfectionist and find it difficult to let go. By taking my vacation out of the country, it allows me to really let go and relax. When I'm so far away from my "baby", I just have to have faith that things are going smoothly back home. Another reason to leave the country is I also love to experience different cultures, foods and people.


It's important to think about how your lifestyle will change when buying a bed and breakfast. We've definitely been able to make it work for us and feel the sacrifices are worth it.

Oh, by the way, the photo at the top was our 2009 vacation in the Dominican Republic and the bottom pictures was our 2008 vacation in Germany. I wonder where we'll end up this year!