Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Guest Room Questions

[Elizabeth Magill (pastorlizm]

We have 34 households and 2 "hobby" rooms. These are places guests do
"hobbies".
(The zoning board didn't want us having a "hotel".)

We imagined we would do things like a knitting group in them during the
day, when unused by others, and set up a twin bed such that it could be
used as a couch, and put a futon on other room so that we could do that.
However, as best I can tell, no one ever has. (Often have massage
therapists using the space, however.)

We have a half bath near the guest rooms and an accessible bath with a
shower down the hall. I've never known why they aren't reversed.

The two guest rooms and one bath have a doorway marking that space as
separate.

The rooms are a little longer than two twins or the double bed/futon, and
each has an armoire for linens.

Our number one mistake is that each is on a noisy wall--one next to the
laundry room the other next to the living room/movie space.
The rooms are not big enough to add another wall in 6 inches which would be
the best sound improvement.

Our rooms are used frequently, there are often two people who want the same
room, we have a concierge that works those situations out. It doesn't
really feel like a third room would valuable.
They are x number of nights free (maybe it's 5?) and then $10 per night
after that. Guests have a host who does the laundry and cleans up.

We also have used it for people who have broken a leg, hip surgery, a fire
in one of the homes. We have also hosted two different people who were
facing homelessness, we were their intermediate housing for a couple of
weeks, or a couple of months.

Mosaic Commons, Berlin, MA

On Tue, Feb 4, 2020 at 8:46 AM Fred-List manager <fholson [at] cohousing.org>
wrote:

> Valerie Bowman <valeriebowman2 [at] gmail.com>
> is the author of the message below.  It was posted by
> Fred, the Cohousing-L list manager <fholson [at] cohousing.org>
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> --------------------  FORWARDED MESSAGE FOLLOWS --------------------
> At Prairie Hill in Iowa City we will have 36 units when complete;
> we’re about 2/3 built. There are two guest rooms on the second floor
> of the Common House, the Nancy Drew room and the Grant Wood. One has a
> queen bed and ensuite bathroom. The other, down the hall, has twin
> beds with a trundle type bed under one of them and a bathroom just
> outside the door that is also sometimes (but seldom) used by other
> guests or someone using our office. Both have accessible showers only,
> not tubs. They are small, no closets but we have hooks and a very
> small armoire in one room and wire shelves in the bathroom in the
> other mostly for sheets and towels. Everyone has a host who is
> responsible for cleaning the room and changing beds after the guests
> leave.
>
> We ask for a $25/night donation which almost everyone leaves. There is
> a one-week limit on reservations, with extensions possible if other
> guests aren't scheduled. We have a few people who will offer their
> homes if they are away and there is a need. We don’t lock the empty
> rooms because the splits in the guest rooms are helpful in heating and
> cooling our hallway. It hasn’t been a problem but we don’t have
> teens. ☺️ Noise has never been a problem. We invite people to use
> the kitchen and living room downstairs. We offer potential members two
> free nights to try us out. We have one person who keeps track of the
> guests on our internal calendar. It has all worked out very well.
> Slightly larger rooms might be nice but ours seem to work and people
> always sleep well.
>
> Good luck!
> Valerie
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-- 
-Liz
(The Rev. Dr.) Elizabeth Mae Magill
Pastor, Ashburnham Community Church
Minister to the Affiliates, Ecclesia Ministries
www.elizabethmaemagill.com
508-450-0431