Why is your front door always locked?

Although our bar and restaurant is licensed to allow guests to walk in off the street and have a drink, or eat food in our quality restaurant, we don’t allow it as a hotel policy anymore (and stopped doing so from around 2009 onwards).  Our guests can bring their own guests should they wish (ie people visiting friends in the area, often have their friends come to the hotel for a drink).

Our guests often comment that they feel safer in our hotel, knowing that our front door is locked at all times (particularly our lone female business travellers).

Of course our guests get a key when they check-in, which gives them access through the front door at any time.

We are only a small hotel of 8 rooms, with typically one or two people on duty at any time.  Therefore, keeping our front door locked enables us to provide a more relaxed atmosphere.  It also enables us to leave out any array of free drinks, snacks and foods for our guests at all times, without needing to constantly supervise the area in case someone tries to come in and take it all.

But what about ‘reading between the lines’?

It seems some people think we’re trying to hide some sordid secret here at Hotel de Vie.  And by ‘reading between the lines’ they think they know better.

Don’t do this.

We are a great hotel (independently reviewed as the best in the area by far). Our guests are genuine people from all walks of life.  Some are in the area on business, others are here for some relaxing time away as a couple.  We have comfortable beds, excellent showers, and quality breakfasts.  What we offer is clearly advertised throughout our website.  What we don’t clearly advertise is not offerred.

There’s nothing hidden between the lines.  We are who we say we are, that is all!