The COVID-19 pandemic caused governments to enforce travel restrictions especially overseas. And with social distancing, it has become incredibly hard to book a flight and travel. Airlines are offering services at a limited capacity. And people have become more vigilant against the virus. So, if they can help it, they won’t travel. This is why many of them have decided not to travel and opt for a staycation during the holidays.
You can welcome these guests to your bed and breakfast, a place where they can rest from work and all of their worries during the holidays. Here’s how you can make the experience more relaxing and fun for them.
Keep the Warm Atmosphere
If your bed and breakfast is located somewhere in the northern part of the country, then you might be dealing with snow. Although snow can lead to some fun activities, your guests would be seeking warmth for most of their trip. So be sure to call a professional for a snow removal in your area. This way, your guests can easily get to your establishment without having to deal first with icy roads and slippery sidewalks.
Then, when your guests arrive, make sure that your heating system is in full blast. The second they step into your lobby, they should be able to feel warmth and relief. They should be able to start relaxing right away.
For the rest of their stay, they should always feel warm and cozy. Always offer them mugs of hot chocolate. Keep the fireplaces in the lobby and in the rooms alive with roaring fires. Place cozy chairs and thick blankets near the fire as well. After they go out and explore the town, they’re going to need all of these things to feel warm again.
Keep the Christmas Spirit Alive
Apart from the warmth, your guests should also always feel the Christmas spirit. There are many ways to do this. One of them is, of course, putting up decorations around the place. Start with the Christmas tree. Put one up in the lobby where it can instantly greet your guests with the festivities. Go all out with your other decorations—garlands, twinkly lights, and other ornaments.
Another important thing is the music. Set the mood right with classic holiday songs playing lowly in the background.
Lastly, instantly cheer your guests by preparing small gifts for them. After all, what’s Christmas without gifts? They don’t have to be extravagant. They could just be a box of sweets. Candy cane would surely cheer the children up. Artisanal chocolates would do the same for the adults. You can also gift them with souvenirs made by the locals in the town. Or, if you want to do a bit of marketing as well, you can gift your guests with merchandise for your bed and breakfast.
Plan an Elaborate Christmas Feast
One of the reasons why people would opt for a staycation is the feast. They may not have the skills or the energy to cook the meal themselves. So they go to the experts to do it for them. So you can’t disappoint them by not offering Christmas meals.
You must have the Christmas staples: turkey, ham, pudding, and the like. Make them feel like they’re having a feast at home with their families. And be sure to offer plant-based alternatives as well. You might have guests who are vegetarian or vegan.
The beverages are also very important. Make sure that you stock up on bottles of wine and champagne. It would be good as well if you have a bartender who can always be there to prepare their cocktails. And, of course, never forget the eggnog. It’s the most festive drink they could ask for so you should always have some in stock.
Conduct Holiday-themed Activities
To really make your guests feel welcome, plan some activities that they could join in. If your bed and breakfast is in a snowy area, you can have a competition where the person or team who builds the best snowman wins a prize.
You can also do some activities around the town such as ice skating and sledding. And, as a form of touring, you can also offer carriage rides for them around town. Just make sure that your guests will always practice social distancing.
Before the pandemic, people would spend Christmas on ski trips in places such as Aspen. They would avoid the freezing weather by going to the beach in places such as Mexico. But now, they are staying put in their houses. If not, they are going on a staycation to get some time off from the city. Your bed and breakfast in the country is perfect for that.
