Escape from the Chateau

This past three weeks we have been busy at work over in France.  Helping out with the start of the gite renovations (Peter) and chambermaiding (me).

I have complete admiration of anyone who runs a bed and breakfast/small hotel, especially with a young family.  It is relentless.  We knew Beck and Tim worked hard long days but usually we are outside working on the grounds and don't actually appreciate what they do.

So this is an average day at Chateau de la Ruche

Starting around 6:30am, up and shower, check boys are up, dressed, had their breakfast and got all their school stuff ready.

Lay up breakfast tables and prepare breakfasts.  Depending on the requested breakfast time will determine whether Tim does a bakery run before or during the school run

Serve and then clear breakfast.

Start the washing machine and dryer - the sound track to their life

Once guests have checked out or gone out for the day - rooms.  If its a check out then strip and remake bed, clean and restock room - flowers, candles, tea/coffee/biscuits (homemade).  Change towels and clean bathrooms.  If staying then make bed and clean bathroom.  Sheets and towels changed every second day depending on length of stay.  Towels and bathrobes are laundered inhouse bedding goes to the laundry in Le Mans

Vacuum public areas and check, replace candles and flowers - by this time it lunchtime.  Admin is done whilst eating lunch or any meal, as is menu planning and shopping lists

After lunch its maybe time for restocking the homemade granola, biscuits and chocolates, or a trip to the supermarket, or a drive into Le Mans to drop off/collect laundry. Maybe guest desserts are prepared. All before check in which is 4pm.  Its great when guests give you an ETA as it means you aren't hanging around and get more done.  Boys have to be collected from school at 4:40.

Guests arrive, family dinner and homework is done.  Bedtime clashes with the start of guest dinner (drinks 7:30 dinner 8:00) so a lot of time is spent dashing up and down the stairs, whilst serving drinks and preparing starters, making sure teeth are cleaned and stories read.

Dinner is served, Beck cooks, Tim serves and this goes on til well past 10pm, its rare that they get to bed much before 11:30

And in all this they still have to put away the shopping, fold and iron washing, put away laundry, spend time with the children, eat, keep a social media presence, answer zillions of emails, smile and chat to the guests and more importantly try and carry on with renovations.  Then there is the garden and the veg garden.......  and then making the homemade jams and chutneys that are served at breakfast or with the cheese course.  And of course just general maintenance, it just goes on

The filming with Channel 4 - Escape to the Chateau DIY (currently rerunning on More4 at lunchtime) new series due in October...... They have one night off a week - Wednesday as this is the day the boys are off school though they go to Wednesday club - but still they will have check in, turn down service and lock up, so not really a night off.

Oh and then there is the shop which needs to be kept stocked too

I'm sure they do loads more and this list could and should be added too but I can tell you after three weeks I felt like I was on a treadmill and I had none of the responsibility of ensuring people have a good time.  The reviews tell you they do.  The round of applause for a wonderful dinner was heart warming.  The guests that constantly tell us we should be "so proud of what they have achieved" - we are.  I feel like they are ducks - calm on the top and paddling like hell underneath.  Tempers fray.  But at the end they have achieved so much in the last 2 years.  They could cut corners but they won't.  Its the attention to detail that the guests love but these all take so much time.

The gite is coming along - still so much to do and with the Chateau so busy with guests, retreats, an elopement and such, there will be little time for them to work on it now until November.  But its watertight. The beams and ties sorted. Velux and dormer windows in.  The next job is to remove the existing floor and change the levels.  The new Fosse (sceptic tank) needs to happen, electrics, the list goes on …. Peter has been in his element - I think...… he's certainly been very dirty!

We are now home for a rest but they carry on until November when they go into winter weekends only.  I think they have leant a lot this year and hopefully can make some changes to give themselves some much needed time off for them and the boys.

What I will say is this is not a job for the faint hearted or anyone without the help of family (especially if you have young children) and friends.  Living the dream??  Instagram and Facebook would make you think so but it is HARD work and at the end of the day you won't make a fortune but you will be living in an amazing property ………. one day.

Good luck to you all, love you lots, it will be worth it. xxxx