Whether you rent a house...
...a hotel room on the beach...
...or a condo with a view...
...it would be great if you would think about following a few suggestions or what I like to call Vacation Renter Etiquette.
A huge chunk of my work involves managing properties for landlords who live out of state. As a result; I am weekly exposed to the more base and disgraceful side of our species. And also as a result; I would like to make a few requests of the Myrtle Beach vacation renting public:
1. Arriving Before Check-In Time is Obnoxious!
Unless you get the "go-ahead" from an owner; it is annoying to those of us preparing your place when you arrive early. If you get in town before check-in, then it might be a good time to grab a bite to eat, or get some groceries (you're going to stand in line @ Wal-mart forever anyway), or cruise Ocean Blvd. or take a ride on the Sky Wheel or go sit and stare at the ocean or buy some tacky souvenirs...or something.
This applies mostly to those of you who receive a key in the mail to a condo or house or a code to gain entrance.
There are a whole host of reasons as to why you shouldn't enter the premises until your check-in time. I don't feel it necessary to go through each point, but will name a few.
Years ago I used to travel across the country quite a bit. After a grueling 12 or more hour day of driving; I was ready to get horizontal. I knew what my check-in time was and I planned my activities accordingly. If I was especially anxious to sleep; I might call ahead and see if the room was ready, but common sense always whispered in my ear to remind me that "my" hotel room wasn't the only room that was being made ready. I needed to give the house cleaners time to do their work. I didn't want them cutting corners because they were in a rush to get me in early.
Likewise here at the Beach.
Your room or condo or house is not the only one that is being made ready. Many of us take care of at least a couple of places on any given Saturday during the Summer months. From the time people check out at 10 or 11, until the time new guests arrive at 3, we are working our fannies off running around at top speed to make things all nicey-nicey. When you attempt to arrive early or come in to drop off your stuff...it totally disrupts our mojo and slows the whole entire process down.
Speaking from my own personal experience: I get in a groove and I enter a zone which has me totally fixated on watching the clock and monitoring my progress. Every minute counts in this line of work.
Last Saturday, I entered a condo and found on the kitchen counter a large travel bag with baby diapers, battery chargers, a camera and other miscellaneous items. I put it aside figuring that it had been left behind and that I'd have to mail it back to the owners. I hadn't been in the condo but 30 minutes and I heard someone try to enter. It was 1:30 and the new folks were trying to get in. I told them they could get in at 3:00 and I think I might have rolled me eyes when I closed the door.
It was involuntary. I swear.
I saw that these early arrivers went out to their truck in the extreme heat...to wait. They had children. Children young enough to wear diapers. I have to tell you that it does something to you psychologically when you know a family is sitting with their children, in the heat...waiting !
That sort of situation causes me to move at top speed, but not in a good way...not in a controlled way, but I start to feel, instead, like I'm just flailing about.
I kept going to the windows to see if they were still there...and they were. Sitting in the heat. Waiting.
I became frustrated and annoyed at these people for not planning their time better and for not at least taking their children up to one of the pools at the resort to get them out of the heat and humidity.
I was done at 3 pm and left. I went up to the 3rd Floor of the Resort and began doing some repairs to another condo which I manage. Around 4 pm I received a call from the renters on the 1st Floor asking if I'd seen a bag with diapers, etc. I acknowledged finding it and brought it down to them. Apparently they tried entering around 12:30 and saw that the place had not been cleaned yet and left the bag behind.
Of course it hadn't been cleaned yet!
It was 12:30 !!
Check in time is 3:00!
Had I left the Resort and gone home after cleaning that first floor condo... then I would have had to make a return trip...waiting in the traffic on 544 heading East all because this family arrived earlier than their check in time. Can I blame them? Hell no.
I'd want to get a jump start on my vacay were I in their flip-flops...
...but the fact remains: check-in time is 3 p.m.
I find many things and sometimes very nice things, which are left behind by renters...money, ipods, jewelry, sex vibrators, clothing, suitcases and travel bags filled with goodies.
I would hate to see the new renters blamed for taking the valuables that the out-going renters left behind. And if you arrive early, then you become a suspect.
Please don't put yourself in that position because people do leave behind very expensive items now and then in their rush to hit the road and beat the traffic. If there is proof that you've entered before your time, and things are missing, then you might be implicated.
Trust me; it's not worth the aggravation.
If it was a hotel, then you would have to ask at the desk if you could get in early and you'd have to wait to be handed a key. At that point, you'd know that the room was ready to receive you and your belongings.
When you arrive in town with a key or a code to a condo or house and you try to get in before check in; you are only creating a delay because there is a pace which is broken and time which is consumed unnecessarily.
Am I preaching at those of you who are guilty of arriving-before-check-in?
No.
I mostly write this with a very lighthearted lilt, but there is an undertone of annoyance as well and that may be what you're picking up on. I write this for no other reason than to inform.
I must admit though, that it does get tiring week after week to have to remind adults of their check-in time and then hope they go away and don't return until at least 3 o'clock.
Now, I'm one of those sucker types. I have trouble informing people that they have to wait when they've just traveled a long way and most of the time I relent and at least allow them to bring in their bags and food. But... it's a huge time waster and actually delays their ability to gain entrance on time.
Check-in time is Check-in time and trips should be planned accordingly.
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