Napier BnB owner talks about her business

Jane Sutton looks out from her Napier Hill bed and breakfast.

Jane Sutton never gets tired of showing off what Hawke's Bay has to offer. But that has come to a skidding halt since our country went into lockdown a few weeks ago.

Jane has been running her Napier Hill bed and breakfast BnB Chilton since 2005, with business ramping up five years ago. Apart from a bit of relief teaching, BnB Chilton is her livelihood, which is now hanging in the balance. Jane says a sense of unease and sadness began to set in when bookings dropped off.

"The BnB is not a hobby - it is a passion of mine and one that I could envisage doing for another 10 years. Some people say they couldn't be bothered having people in their home but our house lends itself so well to BnB."

Jane has enjoyed favourable feedback over the years from guests from all over the world who have visited her 1928-built home.

"They call it 'Napier's little gem'. They have full use of our lower level leading onto a deck overlooking Hawke Bay out towards the airport and Bay View/Whirinaki. I love to showcase our climate, Art Deco, the wonderful produce, wineries, cycleways and festivals we have to offer and the character and history surrounding the earthquake and Art Deco era."

From Labour Weekend until this month, BnB Chilton was 75 per cent booked. As soon as lockdown was pending, guests started cancelling.

"Of course this month's all cancelled. I had some bookings in May which are cancelled, the same with bookings in July and August. There are some for January and February for New Zealand guests which may still happen."

Jane says the way she operates her business has had to change, but bookings further down the track which haven't cancelled have given her a glimmer of hope.

"Whenever I receive a booking I begin a dialogue with guests thanking them for their booking, discuss arrival times and any other needs. Some have been straight cancellations - the overseas ones - and I can't see that changing for some time. The ones later in the year haven't cancelled – I guess they are waiting to see what evolves. It's such a hard time for the world."

Income aside, Jane says she misses her guests.

"My BnB business is a joy to run – I absolutely love meeting people from all over the world and New Zealand. We enjoy sharing our home and location, preparing a full cooked or continental breakfast and sitting with them and chatting over this time."

As a sole trader, Jane was able to access a subsidy which has given her a buffer to pay bills for now.

"So I'm feeling okay at the moment. But I feel we will have a glut of accommodation and probably not many people feeling able to enjoy a holiday if their income is impaired as well.

"I know the tourism industry will be trying their best to encourage people to come to Hawke's Bay but feel very uncertain for the immediate future - we are in uncharted waters and not sure how it will go."

She believes encouraging people to explore our region instead of overseas travel is the key.

"I know we have a fabulous destination and hope we can all continue to operate given the current situation – not only accommodation providers but all the hospitality businesses impacted - restaurants, cafes, bars, tour operators, farmers markets. We may need to offer other attractions and events to entice people to our region."