children and pets

Children: We hear that quite a few small hotels do not take children below 14. How convenient. No mess, no silence breaking shrieks, no damage. It is odd that guests seem to forget or ignore the human hours it requires to tidy up after children and pets. Sofas are jumped on in view of parents benevolent glare, latches rattled and sometimes twisted off, flowers strewn everywhere. Not all kids behave in this manner. Some are truly angelic.

While we do appreciate that older people who visit the island for a break prefer to stay away from screaming kids ( we loose custom every which way), in the same vein the grading body ie Visit Britain http://www.qualityintourism.com/asp/main.asp assess all Guest Accomodation in one category. They grade establishments, irrespective of the fact that some types of Guest Accomodation require more maintenance ( ie family friendlyor pet friendly ones) and therefore need to be assessed within a separate category. There are no allowances made for the extra work involved in cleaning and repair in establishments that take children and pets. We say that this grossly unfair. Is there any way to lobby the government. NO !! I havent found a way yet.