I swear, by the end of this post you’ll be feeling SO great about humans you’ll want to pass it along!
Oi! What a month this has been! We’ve all been challenged emotionally, some of you physically, and most of us financially. The uncertainty of just how bad or how long it will last have us all on edge and frankly, scared. That said, I can’t remember a time when I felt such overwhelming gratitude. Yes gratitude! (but I’ll get to that in a minute.)
For some context, our March occupancy went from 75% down to below 20% and we virtually have only a handful of stays scheduled for April and May. (Which is a blessing and a curse) Furthermore, the threat of the virus has our advanced summer bookings off by nearly 50% over same time last year and while we expect this to improve, there is no guarantee.
So, how are we dealing with this? I wish I could say that I have been calm and grace throughout but cannot. I have had more than a few panic attacks and lost my s**t more than once. Every time the phone rings I take a deep breath and brace myself to tell some other poor soul affected by this that we cannot refund them in full, and then I wait…
But here’s the thing, with only one exception every single one of you has been so kind, so understanding, and so incredibly gracious.
One example of this kindness came as one of our long-time guests sent us an email informing us that the event she was attending has been postponed. She had all four studios booked for a long-weekend; a stay worth $1000’s. Instead of demanding a credit or refund, she wrote “I also respect the impact this will have on small business. With that said, we are happy to forfeit our payment for the greater good.”
That statement, “we are happy to forfeit our payment for the greater good” knocked me off my feet. Let’s face it, we aren’t living in the most gracious times. So many seem so ready to assume the worst of everyone. Even when we do something selfless people receive it with skepticism. But not these last few weeks.
People have endured long lines without complaint and without taking it out on some poor cashier. Offers of help to those in need can be found in places one normally never finds kindness; the internet. And acts of goodness are suddenly in abundance.
So, to those of you who’ve braved the storm and kept your reservations, one-thousand times Thank You.
To those of you who have been navigating our response to COVID19 with us, Doug and I want to thank you for your graciousness in allowing us time to figure out how to stay financially solvent and do what was always in our hearts to do, which was to allow everyone to cancel and credit you in full. It’s been very difficult telling so many of you that we couldn’t do that but as time has gone on, we have been able to arrive at a solution for 99% of our affected guests that enables us to absorb the impact over time and we’ve issued $1000’s in credits to use for future stays. This wouldn’t have been possible without the space and time we needed to accurately assess our situation.
In closing, it is our sincere wish that all of you stay healthy, that the impact to your daily life is not too disrupted and that your personal financial situation is not adversely affected. Most of all we encourage you to not focus on the toilet paper shortages or the few people who are jerks. Take this time to enjoy a respite from the almost daily vitriol we’ve become accustomed to and just love one another.
Fondly,
Annie
We wish all of our fellow small business owners the same gracious response that all of you have shown us and that they all are able to weather this storm. Please consider supporting some of the small businesses that lift us up: Snack Attack, Pour Brothers, Avuncular Bobs, Plant to the Plate, Nicks Italian, Horse and Dragon, The Gold Leaf, Soul Squared Brewing, FunkWerks, Fish, Silver Grill, KuCha Tea, Daz Bogs, and our fellow small local hotel The Solarium, just to name a few. Feel free to comment below with YOUR favorite small business!
We’ve put together a list of way’s you can support your local small business during this time.