Biker B&B

[Efes123]

As some of you know, me & the missus will be buggering off to live in Italy in the next few months. One of the ideas we have is to open a B&B aimed specifically at bikers. So far, our ideas run along the lines of:

Secure indoor parking
separate secure Kit room
Workshop area available
Guidance on good riding routes

The property will be a 3 bedroom house in Umbria, about midway between Florence & Rome (both about 80 to 90 miles away). So we're prolly looking at a max of 2 bikes, or 4 people.

So, ideas, suggestions, criticisms welcome. Would you use something like this?
____________________
Honda Goldwing GL 1000 Current love
Honda VT500 ED - SOLD
Projects Suzuki GS125 Done, then stolen - Kawasaki GPX750R SOLD - Honda VF750S SOLD

[CaNsA]

[P.]

Exactly who I thought of first!

Definitely have a check through his thread, I'd definitely end up staying there. Let me know when you are up and running, I fancy a run to pizzaland

[Efes123]

I couldn't possibly ignore any advice coming from the BCF collective.

[_Iain_]

[pepperami]

Noooooo! dont go! well at least not until we`ve been to Felixstowe and had a bag of chips
____________________
I am the sum total of my own existence, what went before makes me who I am now!

[Efes123]

[Ali in Austria]

Feel free to ignore this then

We did exactly the same in Austria in April 2010. Neither my wife or I had any previous experience in the hospitality trades.

The first thing you need to do is research. I can only comment on Austria but the following have a big impact.

We are limited to 10 declared beds (not bedrooms) otherwise we need a Hoteliers Diploma. If we had previous experience in the UK we could possibly have got this waived. We can only provide Breakfast and a Bar for our guests. Other meals are a no, no which is a godsend.

The costs involved in running a B&B need to be explored in full. Tax, Tourism taxes (of which we have several), commercial rates, advertising fees both with the local Tourism Office and further afield can make a big hole in any income. Insurance and health cover are very expensive. We couldn't afford to employ staff even if we wanted to due to costs imposed on employers.

Our property, although larger, only has 5 Double Bedrooms we can use for guests. It is not big enough to rely on as a sole income. Fortunately we have pensions from our previous occupations.

Therein lies the next problem. Do you have income coming in from the UK? Do you still own property in the UK (It may restrict a purchase in a foreign country)? Will you live in Italy all year round etc. It will affect where you are classed as resident and therefore where you will be taxed. The agreement between the UK and Austria is that my Pension, coming from the public purse, is taxed in the UK where as my wife's Pension, coming from the private sector, is taxed in Austria. Austrian Taxes are significantly higher than the UK with no personal allowances as such. We are fortunate that having spent so much on the Guest Side of our house since we have been here, the Austrian Tax Man does not want to see records for at least 20 years. We are doing quite well and are actually in pocket tax wise, even with the extra tax on the wife's Pension.

Will you be looking to take over an existing B&B with a good customer base or starting from scratch? Change of Nationality may affect any existing customer base. We started from scratch.

How long is/are the season(s)? This is the main restriction on income. We chose a location where there is potential all year round and winter skiing and other activities are by far our biggest income source in respect of the B&B. Spring, summer and Autumn sees a mix of Bikers, Walkers, Climbers, MTB and Cyclists and General Tourism.

Do you speak the language? We are useless at German and what little we do know is hampered by the many dialects. We are fortunate that English has been compulsory in Austrian schools for many, many years and most are eager to practice their English. Being English has its positives and negatives. Some Germans move on as soon as they realise we are English but many more stay. The Austrians and Eastern Europeans love us.

English is not so common in Italy.

Who are you pitching your business at? The further you get from the UK then the less British Bikers you will see. We are probably a little to far for many Brits but many that do come seek us out.

You have to remember Bikers are welcome just about everywhere in mainland Europe and are recognised as a valuable source of income. So just providing facilities for Bikers will not make you unique.

Check out any potential planning issues on properties you consider. Our place is in an avalanche Red Zone and there are restrictions. We knew we could probably get planning permission for an additional garage for Bikers as an application had been tentatively approved a few years earlier. We did get out planning permission but may be it is an Austro/German Trait, we had to construct it like a WWII Bunker to meet Avalanche requirements and it wasn't cheap.

Many Austrian Pensions (B&B's) are a little like they used to be some years ago in the UK. You have a room, they see you at breakfast but expect you to be out all day and there is little interaction in the evening. We set out to be a bit different. We have a Guests TV and DVD Lounge and a honesty Bar. We encourage guests to be around the house, make ourselves available for providing information and in the case of Bikers especially, do routes on maps, popular makes of Sat Navs and help with other aspects of their tour. We do accompanied ride outs and try to avoid charging but a day out on the bike can soon swallow up any profit from the related accommodation income. On the basis that I like to ride anyway, I try to do at least one free one a week.

We have dedicated drying facilities with our Ski Boot Dryers being superb for Biking Boots and Gloves. We have a mini bus and do free shuttles for Bikers to local restaurants in the evenings. In really bad weather we have even done excursions out with them. You do have to be prepared to give up a lot of time for no additional reward other than reputation.

We have been successful in attracting other nationalities of Bikers including German and Austrian, who like our set up. Would it be a good move to pitch solely at Bikers during the biking season? For us, no.

How will you advertise? Relying on passing trade is not practical as there are so many places out there. In our area just about everyone does B&B. Advertising costs money. We have advertised on a few sites specialising in Biker Accommodation but as far as I am aware, we have only had 1 booking as a direct result.

To earn a reasonable sole income and have a good advertising budget we would need to be at least twice the size we are and be able to fill it during the season.

OK, our circumstances may be different in that we are semi retired and the B&B is really to keep us occupied as we feel we are too young to sit back on our laurels. We have extremely busy times during the year and also very quiet times although we are open all year. The beauty is we can choose to close for a break when we feel like it within reason. Finding time to do the things you want to do can be difficult.

This summer has been a bit wet so far to say the least and noticeably quieter. We had been toying with signing up with Booking.com for some time. Research had indicated that they can be a bit restrictive to the bigger hotels but for very small independents like us they were good for business. As long as you accept that they will take 12% of every booking that checks in there are no apparent hidden catches. We signed up a few days ago and have already had 4 significant bookings in the couple of days we have been live. Others we know using them experience on the whole short notice bookings rather than some time ahead.

This barely scratches the surface but we have seen ex pats come and go during our time here. Homesickness and poor research before embarking on the venture are the main reason they go.

This is our 5th Summer and soon to be 5th winter out here. Trip Advisor shows us as being the No1 B&B in Austria and while we are very mindful that there are better or more deserving places out there, it is a position decided by our guests so we must be doing something right.

We have even had Austrian B&B owners contact us to find out what they are doing wrong in not being able to attract reviews in the first place. The inherent problem appears to be a lack of interaction with their guests IMHO.

If you have any specific questions drop me a PM.

Oh, and if you do go for it, good luck but be prepared to become very popular with family and friends you didn't even know you had
____________________
A Petrol Head in The Alps
https://www.youtube.com/user/PensionHausMaria
https://facebook.com/pension.haus.maria

[Efes123]

[gavbriggs]

I would use something like that, I would suggest small lockable rooms to store bike and kit, kind of mini garages. I would also suggest a farm/small holding so you can accommodate campers too on the land and provide lockable areas/rooms for bike and kit for them.

An ideal setup would be a stable block with accommodation above so the bikes are below the owners. You could then have more customers at once increasing you revenue.

I know nothing if planning or safety so you would have to look into that.

I just wish I could afford a trip abroad on the bike!
____________________
Recent bikes: Varadero 125 - Mod 2 3/2/14 - Bandit 1200 SK4

[ocatoro]

was gonna say same as above. stable block would be best bet as a bike lockup...

other than that, i think you are going to struggle in italy. as you're off soon, i will presume you have been through the gazzillion miles of red tape involved in moving to italy and owning a property there as a foreigner. it doesn't end there though, you will find extra hurdles to jump all the time. italy hates putting money in the hands of foreigners.

2 guest rooms isn't enough.

your savings will not last half as long as you think they will.

your tefl won't support you comfortably.


sorry to say it, but i think you'll be back in the uk within 12 months. hope i'm wrong though, looks a beautiful spot and i wish you all the best there.
____________________
CBT - 17/09/12 * Theory - 23/10/12 * Mod1 - 05/03/13 * Mod2 - 25/03/13 * BOSH!
Current - None but shed project H100 (first bike )
Past - ER5, '93 ZZR600, '92 CB400 SF, ZZR600 (again), yellow Monster 620, Blackbird - black Monster 620ie - '96 ZZR600

[Efes123]

[Marmalade]

Every B&B/hotel place i've ever been in euroland has been biker friendly, locked my bike in their garage, done food especially and been happy to give advice without the 'biker hotel' premium price.

For me, I find somewhere with a room, at the right price and it's always been all good.
____________________
Nobby the Bastard: How yo tell the difference between the actual japanese and her just screaming because she's had live fish stuck up her arse? [url=https://www.nicks-shop.co.uk/bcf-goodies-15-c.aspGet BCF stickers and things here[/url] Reflective helmet stickers - Legal requirement in france - Clicky

[P.]

Do keep me updated on how you get on with this, if it is up and running by June next year I'll definitely head on over.

[Efes123]

[Itchy]

I would reflect what Marm says, each time I've been to Europe there have been a multitude of places which offer to lock the bike up in a garage and offer lots of comforts.

The Alps are great for this as ski hotels and chalets are often empty. My 2007 post on one of the last days I stayed in a ski hotel they weren't charging much.
____________________
Spain 2008France 2007Big one 2009 We all die. The goal isn't to live forever, the goal is to create something that will. In the end, your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it is worth watching.

[Kris]

Firstly, good luck.

Whilst I adore Italy and love the landscape and the food, trying to get anything done in a reasonable timescale seems to be difficult.

Once, whilst travelling South through Pila I broke down. Luckily we met an English couple that run a ski shop in the centre of town and by chance they happened to be in the bike shop when I was there one day. Even with him translating for me it took forever to sort; the Italians have a very different work ethic!

I also found Italy quite expensive, both in the North and South.
____________________
NSR125RR - ZXR750H1 - ZX9R E1 - GSF600S - GSF600SK3 - VFR400-NC30 - SV1000N - ST1100-R - CBR900RR-R - GSF1200SK5 - GSF600SK1 - VFR1200FA - GSXR1000K2 - ZZR1400 D8F
www.prisonplanet.com

[ocatoro]

[Efes123]

[dydey90]

Maybe if you had a word with the friendly gentleman who sits outside the local cafe, he might be able to grease the wheels of construction? He'll have a name like Salvador or Giovanni...
____________________
This post is probably not serious and shouldn't be taken literally.
Past: CBR125,ER6f NINJA 650, ZZR600 Current: VFR750

[Efes123]

[ocatoro]

hope it goes well for you. aside from the constant red tape to wipe your arse, it's a different world and a much better lifestyle than here.

if it wasn't for the mrs, i'd be moving in a flash and not looking back
____________________
CBT - 17/09/12 * Theory - 23/10/12 * Mod1 - 05/03/13 * Mod2 - 25/03/13 * BOSH!
Current - None but shed project H100 (first bike )
Past - ER5, '93 ZZR600, '92 CB400 SF, ZZR600 (again), yellow Monster 620, Blackbird - black Monster 620ie - '96 ZZR600

[staningrimsby]

I don't care what anybody says Efes123 if my test goes ok me and the missus are looking at going to Europe next year France, Belgium, Switzerland and into Italy and we would be more than glad to stay with an English couple for a few days, good luck to both of you I hope it goes well and good on you for trying something different.

Please keep us updated we both work at a school so have 6 weeks off in the summer and would love to stay with you
____________________
When you have removed the impossible the improbable however unlikely has to be the truth.
1986 Yamaha DT 80 >> 2009 Honda Varadero XL 125 >> 2003 Suzuki V-Strom 1000

[Ali in Austria]

From a personal point of view., we have and still do experience problems and expenses we were not expecting but we have overcome them. The trade off is a way of life that we love and hope to enjoy for many years to come.

Good luck and we hope it works out for you
____________________
A Petrol Head in The Alps
https://www.youtube.com/user/PensionHausMaria
https://facebook.com/pension.haus.maria

[covent.gardens]

I find it quite worrying you don't seem to care about pricing, margins, profit. You "might just let people pay what they think it's worth."? You should have a very clear idea of what you can charge by this point and should've already done some calcs to check viability.

Instead I'm getting "if it doesn't work out, at least it will have been a fun 12 months". Yeah, and you'll have blown thousands.