subject: Adding to the Romance - Breakfast in Bed [print this page] Introduction Introduction
Helping couples celebrate an anniversary or a romantic getaway can be one of the most satisfying aspects of innkeeping. Not only do you create memories that will never be forgotten, you can also reap a tidy profit at the same time by creating a romantic package offering extra goodies like gourmet breakfast in bed and selections from the list below. By allowing the partner booking the getaway the option to pamper their partner and themselves, you can realize an incremental profit by marking up over cost each additional product or service in the package.
The guiding principles of a romantic breakfast are: cozy, carefree, and luxurious. Lower lights, place bouquets around the room, scatter petals between the sheets and put on some slow jazz. Bed linens should be absolutely heavenlysoft sheets and fluffy pillows. Breakfast should be served on your most beautiful plates. It's also a good idea to have a thermal carafe and glass pitcher handy so guests don't have to leave their rooms for coffee and other beverage refills.
Create the Perfect Breakfast Tray
The trays are large. I set each one as if I was setting a table. I include a glass, a little jug of cream, a tiny breadbasket, and an individual saltcellar and pepper mill. If I possibly can, I put the first course and the dessert into little individual pots or ramekins. I have a collection of various china lids in assorted sizes with which I cover the first course (eggs cocotte, a mini-souffl, an individual egg casserole) and the breakfast "dessert" (crme caramel, fruit compote). The dishes I own tend to dictate the food I serve.
I like using lids on food not only because they keep it warm, but because the hidden always seems more tempting to me, just as the wrapped present is for a child. I get a definite thrill lifting the lid off a pot on a friend's stove, expecting some delicious bubbling nectar underneath.
For a breakfast or coffee tray, I like to use a small tray and make a nest of material in it, using some remnant or even just an old fashioned linen tea towel. Into the nest I arrange the china and a piece of hot coffee cake or a croissant, closely packednestling.
2. Mimosas, Bloody Marys, or champagne (if your permit allows).
3. Romantic board games.
4. Chocolate. With so many choices in chocolate, from white to milk to dark to filled, all you need to know is your guest's preference.
5. Romantic roses are perfect for any occasion.
6. Heart-shaped pancakes using heart-shaped cookie cutters.
7. Providing a book of romantic poems.
8. Create a coupon book full of special treats. Some suggestions are back massages, foot rubs, and a special dinner.
9. A breakfast parfait, chocolate dipped strawberries, or edible flowers.
10. Bubble bath, extravagant lotion and a loofah or back brush.
Conclusion
Finally, a marketing tip: Take a picture of the happy couple beside your inn's sign and send it to them right after they check out. You can be sure that they will forward it to all their friends with glowing reports about the magnificent and romantic inn they just enjoyed.
