Innkeeper interview #1
Corine van Dyk
Des Amis Guest House
PRETORIA, South Africa
When in your life did you decide to become an Innkeeper?
At the age of 50 and my husband 53.
Why did you choose to become an innkeeper?
The house spoke to me and we decided to start our Guest House.
Can you recommend a good book about becoming an innkeeper?
We do not have any good books how to become a Innkeeper.
How did you find your bed an breakfast?
We started from scratch. The location of the property is just right.
What is special or unique about your inn?
We service traditional dinners, typical South African Breakfasts, typical South African Hospitality and well known for our service and extra care without charging for it. Our location is a plus point.
What is the most rewarding part of the innkeeper job?
Meeting all the wonderful people. We experience other parts of the world through our guests, as it is to expensive for us to travel to the rest of the world. We became friends and our guests made wonderful friends from their own part of the world and elsewhere.
What is the hardest part of the innkeeper job?
To be adjustable. Some guest are just so accommodating and then you will find the odd one out that can be so difficult.
Is the Innkeeper job harder or easier then you first thought it would be?
No. Working with humans before starting the Guest House, we knew it was going to be a full time experience. We decided, when we feel the Guest House becomes a job, that day we will stop.
What advice would you give to an aspiring innkeeper?
Be a peoples person. Enjoy another persons company, even if the conversation is not relevant or boring. Go that extra mile. By doing all this, word of mouth marketing will be more valuable than any paid marketing.
