A place to stay

B&B establishments adjust to Stage 2 re-opening

When accommodation operators were permitted to open at Stage 2 of a phased re-opening due to the COVID-19 pandemic, for some it couldn’t come soon enough. With the lucrative high-season imminent, others were worried whether there would even be a season this year. Many operators opted for a slow, gradual re-opening, unsure whether visitors would still want to flock to Prince Edward County. With a list of safety protocols to implement and observe, individual establishments responded by adapting to a new normal in ways that function for them, all while keeping everyone safe.

Esther and David Little own and operate Wellington Willows Boutique Bed and Breakfast on Main Street, Wellington. While they decided to open their business once the Stage 2 re-opening permitted, they opted to take two weeks off to prepare, largely because of the short notice given by the province. “You can’t say today you can open if you are not prepared, plus there is a lot of other stuff you need to put in place to re-open during COVID,” says Esther. “It was a lot harder to source things, to look for masks and hand sanitizer and all of the things that were in high demand.” The attraction of a bed and breakfast establishment often means communal breakfasts form part of the unique experience, something physical distancing doesn’t allow for. Wellington Willows are able to seat guests outside for breakfast during the summer, all while complying with safety obligations, and they also have a sun porch that can be used. “At least when guests sit outside, they still chat, and we have the chairs spaced out six feet; you are distanced, but you can still chat with other people.”

(L-R): David and Esther Little are now welcoming guests at Wellington Willows Boutique Bed and Breakfast.

Wellington Willows, now in their fourth season, usually opens in May. “April is usually our busy period for taking bookings, and from January to April we were just taking cancellations.” The good news was many of the existing bookings made for July, August and September, many from repeat guests, were not cancelled. Esther says that once the province opened up, it was like a free for all. “Instead of April being the busiest month for taking bookings, June became our busiest month and it hasn’t stopped.” The Littles decided to operate at reduced capacity, using three rooms instead of four. They are largely fully booked for the summer, and while most of their clientele usually come from Ontario and Quebec, so far this summer visitors are mostly travelling from within Ontario. “We are just taking days off for our own sanity,” laughs Esther. She puts the demand down to people deciding not to fly anywhere and also being unsure of where to travel to, yet still being in need of a vacation.

“We toyed with the idea of closing for this year, but said let’s try it.” They are fortunate in that they don’t reside in the same house as their guests, instead occupying a separate building within the property. “So far, it’s going great and all the guests have been respectful of procedures,” says Esther, who is also asking guests to complete the local public health digital guestbook, a tool designed for contact tracing. She has mixed feelings about being open simply because it has been stressful, acknowledging it has been a lot more work this year. “But it’s good to be doing something,” she adds.

A few local accommodation providers opted not to open year. As owners and operators of Loyalist Landing Bed and Breakfast in Bloomfield since 2010, the decision not open this season was a hard one for Rob and Gillian Leek. The Leeks have their regular clients who come from all over Ontario and Quebec, including a few from the United States. “They come every year,” says Rob. “You get to know them and they become your friends; you go out for dinner, you get to know about their kids and you have a great time with them. When making the decision that was part of the rationale we had to deal with because we were not going to be having our favourite people coming this year if we decide to close, and that was hard to do.”

Both in their 70s, the Leeks were concerned about safety and had to weigh the risk. “We have children and grandchildren we enjoy and love and like to be with,” says Rob. He also talks about the amount of work it would take to maintain the level of sanitation that was required because it is just the two of them running the B&B. They also made the decision to bubble with daughters and family bringing them to the County from Toronto for the summer. “Even if we hadn’t had a family issue to consider, I suspect we would have just said let’s lie low for a year and come back stronger next year,” says Rob.

Gabriela Nedomova and Tom Atkinson have owned and operated Hadovka Lakeside Bed and Breakfast on Wellington’s Main Street for three years. For the safety of their guests and themselves, they opted not to open right away once the restrictions were lifted in June. “We stayed closed for another almost three weeks, until the beginning of the second week in July,” explains Gabi. They began with limited capacity, allowing only two to four people in a family bubble, rather than the usual six to eight. “We decided to start really slowly and we have decided not to take any walk-ins and we are also not advertising on any booking sites,” she says. Bookings are only being done over the phone so they can maintain some control. “We also now leave days between each booking,” says Gabi. “We are just taking it slowly to be safe; it’s actually quite nice because we are enjoying the summer, and not running around as much,” she says. “We just want our community and our guests to be safe; there is an older community here and we have to be responsible, it’s important.”