On working in a guest house

August 2009 I started a 6 month contract as Assistant Business Manager at the Amarin Inn, a guest house in Bangkok near Khao San Road, the (in)famous backpacker area of the country. The business was struggling to bring in guests and I hoped my experience as the target demographic of the business, coupled with some common sense, would be able to change things.

It was a very interesting experience, and I learned a huge amount; not just about creating a website, managing booking agents and promotions, but also handling irate guests, Belgian holocaust deniers and people who describe themselves to you as being "affluent, and a different class to most people". 

It was also rather frustrating - because I didn't actually own the hotel and the specifics of my work permit were rigorously defined, a lot of basic changes that I repeatedly implored for execution, but couldn't do myself, were ignored. The biggest thing was the alley leading from the street to the hotel - quite shabby, off-putting concrete (nothing to do with us, just the fact that Thai's don't seem to care about how the outside of their properties look) - was a feature constantly criticised in reviews. In the end I almost picked up the paintbrush myself and painted it, because such a simple change would have made a huge difference.

Then there was the service provided to guests at the Amarin Inn. The basic idea of free internet was great, and provided a nice incentive (once properly sign-posted) for guests to leave online reviews, which were a key contributor to the increase in profit I brought. But the execution was weak - the computer was poorly positioned and the night staff and Skyping guest ended up uncomfortably close in the evenings. Another example - As you can see from the photo above, there was a fridge outside, but a) it was locked in the evenings because it was outside, so the staff had to go and open it for the guest, and b) the vast majority of guests, especially male, drank alcohol and enjoy trying Thai beers, yet none were available.

I had many similar ideas that could have improved both income and guest experiences with a little investment, but unfortunately they could not be implemented. I loved the whole experience and I'd love to take what I've learned and open a guest house of my own one day.