Chris Maclean: hotel rooms are a bonus

When we took over this pub we knew the hotel rooms were an additional bonus. What I had underestimated was how much of a bonus.

At the beginning of January I took a call asking for four rooms every night for six months for some people working in the town. For a town of this size (20,000) there are just 15 hotel bedrooms. We have six (seven if I can get rid of my youngest daughter). Space is at a premium and the bookings are flooding in.

Four rooms for six months is over £30,000. While I sleep.

But there are, of course, hidden costs. The rooms take a bit of punishment. The guests need additional facilities (they have free wireless internet access, TVs and DVD players in their rooms). Every morning my wife and sister-in-law prepare a splendid breakfast for them to sustain them through the day.

Today I must collect a parcel from the sorting office for one guest, book a doctor's appointment for another, arrange laundry for another and sort out a mechanic to fix a guest's windscreen wipers on his car.

And, strangely, it is a pleasure.

We intend to take a considerable amount of money from these people over a long period. And we have to live with them. Anything that helps make their stay here more pleasurable will keep them content and make our lives easier.

The hotel is doing fine.

The bar and restaurant need to step it up a bit.