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So is it a luxury room or not?

10/21/2015

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I sometimes have to remind myself that I cannot please all people all the time. Recently I made the mistake of upgrading guests who had booked one of our Standard rooms to a room which I consider a Superior room. The Standard room of their choice faces west and currently looks down onto a hub of activity  because of the renovation to our Annex ( which is thankfully on schedule and should be finished in less than 2 weeks.) So I thought I was doing them a favour by giving them a free upgrade to our Room 1 which faces towards the garden. Apparently, the guest walked into the room and exclaimed in disbelief that surely this could not be considered a luxury room.
Which has me confused. The guest who stayed in Room 1 the night before them wrote in our guest book: "thank you for a wonderful stay - incredible attention to detail". The last TripAdvisor review was from a guest who stayed in Room 1 and reads: "My husband and I stayed at Philda and Desmond Benkenstein's wonderful B&B for three nights. What a find! Breakfasts were outstanding, room more than comfortable and the hosting fantastic! There was an equal measure of privacy and the excellent company which made us feel very much at home. Desmond's garden has been lovingly cared for and attracts a variety of bird-life. The attention to detail in the house is meticulous: I loved the silver coffee pots, decorative antique books, and modern bathroom; my husband enjoyed attention from Juno the dog. We can't recommend this establishment enough ... and look forward to another visit in the not-too-distant future!"


Luxury is relative I suppose. Desmond and I have stayed in some pretty luxurious hotel rooms - but then not at B&B rates. We have also stayed at B&B's where we have experienced luxuries far greater than those offered by most 5 star hotels.

If we let the guest stay in the Standard room that they paid for they would not have been tempted to pass criticism - or would they have complained that our Standard rooms could not possibly be Standard: mohair throws, top quality bedding and mattress, flat screen Samsung television, DVD player, coffee/tea making facility, microwave,safe, heaters, ceiling fan, ironing board and iron, heated towel rail,original art, Oriental carpets...
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    ​© 2025 All Rights Reserved Philda Benkenstein | Fairview Homestead

    My life in words


    My book Guesthouse Life was published by Naledi in May 2024. For years I have been documenting our stories. The real stories, not just the pretty perfect social media pictures. The ups and downs. Memories, anecdotes, sad stories, happy stories - all of it.
    ​
    ​The book is stocked by selected Exclusive Books, Wordsworth and Bargain Books branches. This is the ISBN number: ISBN978-1-991256-73-7 Alternatively, you can order from Naledi or Amazon using the links: https://naledi.co.za/product/guesthouse-life or from Amazon using the link https://amzn.to/3Aq42MV. 

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​© 2025 All Rights Reserved Philda Benkenstein | Fairview Homestead
  • Home
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  • Guesthouse Life | Blog