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Everyone knows Booking.Com. Anyone who starts a Bed & Breakfast can hardly ignore the platform. Because a large number of our current guests still use this booking site, we have to deal with the high commission costs. But at least it will get us known by a large public. Some of whom will become regulars. And when they become a regular, they usually will no…

As I feed one sheet after another to the laminator, I run my eyes over the words. Our new ‘swimming pool manual’, which has been compiled by an officially recognized company, consists of no less than twenty-six pages. In addition to the specifications of our swimming pool and the pump, the manual for its maintenance and various provisions that must be taken…

A year ago, all three of us obtained our Manipulador de Alimentos certificate online (the Spanish version of the so-called Food Hygiene certificate). One of the many requirements that a Bed & Breakfast owner in Spain must meet and (in retrospect) one of the few things that we clearly had in mind well before opening. Because although I once ran the entire Valencian decree…

‘Leading Quality Assurance’ (LQA) Standards are a set of criteria and guidelines used to assess and guarantee the quality of luxury hotels and their restaurants. When all employees follow the prescribed guidelines, the affiliated hotels can not only guarantee consistency in their services, but also meet the expectations of their guests. Although I have always found…

On her way back to her room, one of the guests suddenly stops. She turns around abruptly. I’m just about to clear the table after breakfast, when she asks me very kindly: “Would you like us to help you clear the table?” I look at her in surprise. “No of course not!” I almost don’t know what to say. I’m happy that the guests feel at home, but showing them the way to the kitchen with a pile…

Television programs such as ‘A New Life in the Sun’ and ‘No Going Back’ have been extremely popular for years. The more that goes wrong, the better. Viewers, who are not even thinking about exchanging ‘our’ wet, cold country for sunny Spain (or any other country), find new confirmation in every episode. “See! It’s all falling apart, yet again.” Others who, unlike the first group…

As my sister gets behind the wheel, I place my hands against the back of the old green car. The neighbor, who has tied both cars together with a rope, is already sitting in the other car. Since going uphill is not an option, there is no other choice than to pull the old wreck in the direction of Benissivà. In reverse – because unfortunately the other car does not have a tow bar.

Taking over an existing Bed & Breakfast or building one from scratch? Every now and then I receive a message from people who would love to exchange rainy Holland for sunny Spain. For many, running a Bed & Breakfast seems like the ideal way to take this (often exciting but scary) step. And I completely understand that. After all, we did it ourselves too. But how do you start?

It has now been more than four months since we were first introduced on Spanje Vandaag. Both of my sisters were working in Switzerland at the time and it was (mainly) up to me to put the Bed & Breakfast on the map. And although I have had to say “no” for a number of weekends because we were already fully booked on a certain day, we are still far from where we want to be.

When I walk into the kitchen in the morning, the rest is already sipping on their coffees. While I make a cup myself, I put both phones on the table. Since we run a Bed & Breakfast, I do my utmost to always be available. That means I’m constantly dragging both my personal phone and my work phone from room to room. Annoying? Sometimes. Especially because I like to switch…