summer 2009 innkeeping quarterly

Summer 2009 • Volume 3, Issue 3IQsmart reading for smart innkeeping

innkeeping quarterly

Finding Your Niche — and Profiting From It, TooLet personal passions fuel your marketing strategy

25Marketing with Tea

Increase your bottom line with a tea program

18Asking the Consumers About B&Bs

TripAdvisor and PAII survey thousands of travelers

Professional Association of Innkeepers International

13

In the InnMusic

page 5

Announcing the…

2009 New England

Innkeeping Show!

See ad on page 15!

Are your music choices off key to your guests?

IQsmart reading for smart innkeeping

innkeeping quarterly

cover story

5 Music In the Inn Are your music choices off key to your guests?

feature articles

13 Finding Your Niche—and Profiting From It, Too

18 Asking the Consumers About B&Bs

22 Innkeeping Show Wrap-Up

departments

3 Key Notes

24 By The Numbers

25 Food Glorious Food

29 Industry News Beat

30 Innkeeper2 Innkeeper

31 Marketing Matters

38 PAII News and Information Center

44 Inn Sales

44 Classifieds

44 Advertisers’ Index

Innkeeping Quarterly (IQ), is PAII’s quarterly periodical. PAII has been dedicated to fostering the knowledge and expertise of keepers of the inn for over 20 years. In line with this mission, each issue of IQ features members of the innkeeping community and covers topics that are important to those in the innkeeping industry: real estate, food, finances, customer relations, operations, marketing, and more.

IQ: smart reading for smart innkeeping

Professional Association of Innkeepers International www.paii.org • 800.468.PAII

Summer 2009 • Volume 3, Issue 3

© 2009, Professional Association of Innkeepers International

You need this!Like most independent hotel owners, you’re looking for ways to occupy more of your rooms—without occupying more of your time.

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Visit www.innroad.com or call 866. 504.0632 for a demo and free 30-day trial— and follow your path to profits!

Innkeeping Quarterly Ad.indd 1 2/27/09 10:13:02 AM

About IQ:IQ is published quarterly. Editorial comments and suggestions are welcomed. To contribute, please contact Ingrid Thorson, 856-310-1102, [email protected].

Editorial Office:PAII, 207 White Horse Pike Haddon Heights, NJ 08035

IQ Staff:Contributing Editors: John Felton Laura Middleton Ingrid Thorson

Contributing Writers: Pamela Lanier John Felton Joe Veneto AnneMarie DeFreest Liza Simpson

Design: Imbue Creative

Advertising Sales: Marlene Sapir

PAII Staff:Jay Karen President and CEO

Michele McVay Director of Education & Events

Isabel Abreu Membership Sales Coordinator

Laura Middleton Communications Coordinator

Marlene Sapir Vendor Services & Sales

Ingrid Thorson Marketing & Communications Manager

IQsmart reading for smart innkeeping

Key Notes

It’s never a dull moment at the PAII of-fice these days. I’m excited to share with you a few bits of news.

New Web Site for Innkeeping IndustryWe have formally “retired” the old PAII web site, which was located at www.paii.org, and we are thrilled to have launched the NEW site at www.innkeeping.org. The new site offers many improved features for associa-tion members, including the following:•New and improved forums•Community pages for interest groups•Social networking•Online document library•Extensive search capabilities for

educational content•An improved member directory Any links you might have on your web sites to the old PAII site, will automatically be redirected to www.innkeeping.org.

2009 New England Innkeeping ShowRegistration is now open for this new re-gional conference for innkeepers in New England. We are thrilled to host this event. Much of the content will focus on regional issues of particular interest to New Eng-land innkeepers, but we will also include some great content on topics like internet marketing and successful operations. The event will also include a pre-conference work shop for aspiring innkeepers, and a more intensive half-day workshop on lead-ing-edge marketing practices, led by popu-lar speaker and innkeeper, Tim Brady from the Forty Putney Road B&B. Seating will be limited for the pre-conference work-shops. And of course, the event will have a vibrant trade show and other opportunities for fun and networking.

Go to www.newenglandinnkeepingshow.com for more information and to register. The event will run November 16–18, and will be held at the Radisson in Nashua, New Hampshire.

2010 Innkeeping ShowRegistration is also now open for innkeep-ing’s main event, the Innkeeping Confer-ence & Trade Show, to be held in Austin,

Texas, March 8–11, 2010. It might seem a bit early to be thinking about this event, but now is the best time to go ahead and regis-ter. Make the commitment to be part of this fantastic event. Your batteries will recharge and you’ll be thankful for the new friends you’ll meet and the fantastic educational experience you will have. Select Registry and the Texas Bed and Breakfast Associa-tion, two wonderful organizations, are offi-cial supporters of this event, so we especially urge members of these organizations to come join your peers in Austin.

Go to www.innkeepingshow.com to reg-ister today and receive a special incentive for being an early bird registrant!

2009 – 2010 Industry Study of Innkeeping Operations and FinanceThe much-anticipated comprehensive re-search project is done! Thank you to the nearly 800 innkeepers who provided a mountain of data to make this edition of the “industry study” the most valuable one yet. In this report, you’ll find fantastic data on income, expenses, occupancy, rates, ame-nities and much more.

The study was generously sponsored by Markel Insurance, Inn Consulting Part-ners, The B&B Team, Select Registry and inns.net. Allied associations that formally participated in the project include Select Registry, California Association of Bed and Breakfast Inns, Bed and Breakfast Associa-tion of Virginia, Preferred Inns of New Jer-sey, Maine Innkeepers Association, and Bed and Breakfast Association of Arkansas.

If you gave data to the study, you should have received a complimentary copy via email. If you want to purchase the report, simply go to www.innkeeping.org.

That’s all for now, folks. More big changes are coming this fall, so stay tuned!

Wishing you success,

Jay Karen President & CEO

A Rolling Stone Gathers No Moss

ckfeedbackfeedbackfeedbackDear Editor:I wanted to say thank you to PAII and Tim Brady for putting together the “Technology Guide for Innkeepers” in the latest copy of Innkeeping Quarterly.

He did a great job with a really tricky topic. With so many options for managing reservations, this makes it easier to isolate the right solution for your business.

Sincerely, Dan Arendt BookingCenter

If you’d like to submit a letter to the editor, please email [email protected] or send to PAII, 207 White Horse Pike, Haddon Heights, NJ 08035.

4 • innkeeping quarterly • summer 2009

summer 2009 • innkeeping quarterly

5

You are climbing the steps to the front porch of a lovely bed and breakfast in the country, and the

first sound reaching your ears is: loud rap music from a stereo system inside. The windows are rattling, making you think you’ve stumbled on a college fraternity house, not a cozy B&B.

This example may seem extreme, and it is true that very few innkeepers would even consider assaulting their guests with ear-splitting music. But too many inn-keepers do engage in the functional equiv-alent by flooding their inns with music that is overwhelming, inappropriate for the setting, or so bland as to be offensive.

Music can represent one of the most important statements about your inn, possibly as important as the furniture in the common rooms or the type of coffee you serve for breakfast. Although an inn-keeper may think of music as something in the background, guests do tend to no-tice it, even when the music is supposed to be in the background. Choosing what music to play — and how and where to play it — can therefore be key decisions affecting how guests perceive your inn, whether they will enjoy their stays, and whether they will return.

But selecting music for the inn is not as simple as picking out a handful of compact disks and plunking them into a stereo system. Musical tastes, legal ques-tions, and a bewildering array of techno-logi cal choices enter the mix of decisions to make. Following are some of the major questions an innkeeper should address.

Musical Styles and TastesMusic may be the universal language,

but, as with just about every other aspect of the human experience, tastes in music are not necessarily shared across cultures or even within cultures. Music that might be soothing, relaxing, or inspiring to one person might be annoying or offensive to someone else, even someone else from a similar background.

I am a serious classical music fan whose tastes have gravitated in recent years from

big symphonic works (I have lots of Bruck-ner and Mahler on my shelves) to chamber music and so-called “early music” (this re-fers to music from the Baroque and Re-naissance eras, not music played before breakfast). Like just about everyone else, I firmly believe that my musical tastes are the very best. But I’m also aware that not everyone shares my tastes. Some people, in fact, would cringe or perhaps run away if forced to hear the Bach cantatas or the “late” Beethoven string quartets that, to my mind, represent the summit of musi-cal expression.

As a result, my wife and I rarely played my very favorite music at either of our inns, at least not when the guests were around. We did play music we liked but

tried to make sure it was music that all types of guests would enjoy or, at least, find acceptable. This was true even in our first inn, which had a musical theme (we called it Amadeus House) and where we named the guest rooms after classical composers such as Bach, Beethoven, Mo-zart, and Brahms.

What kind of music did we play? Mozart symphonies and chamber music (Amadeus was Mozart’s middle name, after all) and Bach’s Brandenburg concer-tos and orchestral suites were among the favorites with our guests. That music met my definition of good background music: It is pleasant in the background but also is interesting to listen to on its own terms.

This discussion of playing classical music at an inn named Amadeus House raises a matter related to musical tastes: What is the appropriate music for any given inn?

Sometimes, the answer is obvious. In New Orleans, for example, music is one of the main attractions (along with food, of course), and so good innkeepers make sure their guests can hear the best the city has to offer, both at the inn and at the many local clubs and other venues.

At La Maison Marginy, a B&B on Bourbon Street, guests come prepared to hear jazz — and they do hear it when they walk in the door. They might be sur-prised, or even annoyed, by classical or country and western music at that loca-tion. Innkeepers John Ramsey and Dewey Donihoo stream jazz from the Internet in their common rooms, plus they provide

Music In the Innby John Felton

ckfeedbackfeedbackfeedback

Music can represent one of the most important

statements about your inn, possibly as important as the

furniture in the common rooms or the type of coffee

you serve for breakfast.

by Monica Brockett

A few short years ago, record producer Barry Kunz was lured into his first Bed and Breakfast stay at a captivating, yet casual, inn along California’s Central Coast, just minutes above Morro Bay. Situated across the street from the blue Pacific’s soft sand and whimsical waves, the Sunset Cayucos Inn held no particu-lar stirring history, but that’s not necessary when the innkeep-ers are genuinely ingratiating. It had been a favorite of his daughter’s and her husband, and he was there on their recom-mendation.

It took some getting used to, this pampering till-the-cows-come-home, milk and cookies, fruit basket, breakfast and chit-chat in the dining room with other travelers who spoke warmly and smiled as if they had been carefully instructed to be friendly. But Barry was falling in love again, “lovelier with both feet on the ground.”

As a music reviewer and record producer, hundreds of songs crossed Mr. Kunz’ desk every month, many of them about travel, people and fabulous places, written by America’s greatest songwriters and performed by today’s gifted talent, all with fresh arrangements. In time an idea began to take shape in his mind as he visited a number of other such inns.

Then, “flash, bam, alakazam,” the whole picture was there, “out of an orange colored sky” in Technicolor, and Barry under-stood that the Bed and Breakfast industry was due for a premi-um music series. Not a package of ubiquitous mood music that would work in any hotel or retail outlet, but something with songs and arrangements that would speak exclusively to the Bed and Breakfast community of innkeepers and their guests.

Several years earlier Barry met a noted songwriter at a Hollywood big band reunion, and in time they grew to be good friends. Ray Evans (with Jay Livingston) holds seven Best Song Academy Award nominations, three of which bloomed into Oscars for Best Song for a Motion Picture, most notably “Mona Lisa.”

An invitation to lunch at Ray’s Beverly Hills home led to regu-lar visits. Ray never ran short of stories about his songs, each one charming, riveting, and occasionally bordering on the surreal.

During one of their visits, Barry walked over to a display case and pulled the gold Oscar for “Mona Lisa” from a display case and returned to the sofa, with this stunning statuette, and the striking achievement it represented, at his side. He cannot ex-plain why he did this, but he was about to share with Ray Evans

his idea for a specialty Bed and Breakfast music collection. The Oscar gave him inspiration as it represented the work of the best, “Top-of-the-heap,” and yes, “First Cabin.”

Ray and Barry agreed that this collection must be first class in every way; deluxe packaging, premium music, original art-work as well as a full color booklet with liner notes tucked in-side. In short, it needed to reflect the personal, first class image of the Bed and Breakfast community.

The two of them sat on the sofa eagerly discussing song titles that would be appropriate for such a project, “Cooking Breakfast for the Ones I Love,” “Burning the Toast,” “Cocktails for Two,” or “Route 66.” And surely a song titled, “This is the Life” was a must, and would ultimately become the title of the collection.

But there was a missing piece of which both were aware as they sat quietly for a moment. They understood that the criti-cal missing piece was an original song about a Bed and Break-fast. Barry suggested that he and a friend might write lyrics and music for such a song. And so they did. A few weeks later they delivered an original song for Ray to consider (after all, he was the pro). And though he liked the feel and direction of the piece, Ray Evans determined that the work could use some of his professional magic.

Soon after, a surprise package arrived at Barry’s office with the quintessential Bed and Breakfast song, “A Cozy Bed and Breakfast,” written as a gift to Bed and Breakfast inns world-wide and their guests by the man who gave the world the song, “Mona Lisa.”

Monica Brockett is a former Capitol Records executive living and writing in Beverly Hills, California

A Cozy Bed and Breakfast

in Song



7

iPod docking stations in each guest room. And “select” guests (those who have stayed several days or otherwise spent a lot of money) receive a CD of music by the Preservation Hall Jazz Band as a gift when they check out.

Similarly, at the Sully Mansion B&B in the Garden District of New Orleans, owners Nancy and Guy Fournier are en-thusiastic advocates for local music of all kinds. Cajun, Zydeco, brass bands, R&B, Dixieland—if it’s performed in New Or-leans, they help their guests find it, at clubs, in city parks, and especially during the annual Jazz Fest in late April and early May.

Just as important, the Fournier’s also provide music at the inn, usually courtesy of commercial-free station WWOZ, a community station whose mission is “Bringing New Orleans Music to the Uni-verse.” During the day, the station focuses

on traditional New Orleans jazz, “and that is what guests hear in the back-ground when they are eating breakfast,” Nancy said. “The music gets a little loud-er, and little wilder, later in the day and on weekends.”

Boston is another city with a strong and vibrant musical heritage — one that some local inns have used to their advan-tage. An example is Encore B&B, located in the city’s trendy South End neighbor-hood, near both the theater district and Symphony Hall, the home of the famed Boston Symphony Orchestra. Owners Reinhold Mahler and David Miller em-phasize theater at the inn but also love and promote music (opera and classical music for Reinhold and musicals for David).

An urban inn located in a townhouse, the Encore has only one small common room, the breakfast nook, so the owners do not play music there. But each of the

four guest rooms is equipped with a high-end Bang & Olufsen sound system, and the innkeepers provide CDs on re-quest. Two of the rooms are named after giants of American musical theater— Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sond-heim. The CD player in the Bernstein room always is loaded with the legendary recording of Bernstein’s last concert, just before his death in 1990, at the Tangle-wood Music Festival.

Providing jazz in New Orleans or classical music in Boston might be pretty obvious, but what about the vast majority of inns that do not have music-related themes or are located in areas where mu-sic is not such a dominant part of the landscape? There are at least two ways of addressing this question:

The first is an innkeeper-oriented ap-proach. Select the type of music that is pleasing to you, and that you honestly

innkeeping quarterly • summer 2009

8

believe will be pleasing to most of your guests, then try it out. But don’t assume that because guests don’t object, they love your taste in music. Ask for reactions, both directly in conversations with your guests and indirectly in comment cards

or some other type of feedback that gives guests a chance to express their opinions.

Another approach is more guest-ori-ented. If you do not already play music at the inn (or are thinking of changing the music you do play), ask your guests, over

an extended period of time (not just one weekend) for honest opinions about what types of music they would prefer hearing, and when and where they want to hear it.

The essential guide should be to pro-vide your guests with the music they might

Music in the Inn ResourcesHere is contact information for some of the companies and services mentioned, or referred to, in the main article about using music in the inn:

LegalThree helpful overviews of legal questions involving the use of copyrighted music for commercial purposes are:

■ “Using Copyrighted Music” by ASCAP, which represents composers http://www.ascap.com/licensing/pdfs/brochures/using_copy_righted_music.pdf

■ A guide to copyright law by the U.S. Copyright Office, “Copyright Basics” http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ1.pdf

■ A brochure on the use of music by hotels and motels, from BMI, which also represents composers and music producers http://www.bmi.com/licensing/entry/C1163/pdf533658_1/

Commercial Music ServicesIn the past, Muzak dominated the field of commercial music services, and it was best known for bland elevator music. Now, Muzak is just one of a half-dozen or so companies offering a wide range of commercial music in several formats:

■ Muzak has more than 350,000 customers worldwide; it offers 80-some programs in just about every genre of music. Most customers receive their music through satellite transmissions, but the company also offers service via compact disk and broadband, plus customized programming at an extra cost. Most small businesses pay under $100 a month. http://music.muzak.com/music/

■ DMX, a competitor to Muzak, also has a wide range of musical programs offered via satellite: http://www.cardinalproaudio.com/main/

■ TurnKey Media Solutions is a “reseller” for the recently combined satellite radio networks, XM and Sirius. http://www.turnkeymediasolutions.com/SIRIUS_XM_Radio_Business_Music.aspx

■ Io4Business also provides XM/Sirius service but over broadband connections: http://www.turnkeymediasolutions.com/radioio.aspx

■ Music Choice provides commercial music service via satellite or broadband: http://www.musicchoice.com

■ PlayNetwork is yet another commercial music service, using broadband or CDs: http://www.playnetwork.com/Home.aspx

Internet RadioWith a broadband connection and a computer or Internet radio, you can access music from thousands of radio stations around the world, many of them commercial-free. Several services provide direct connections to these stations, for example Pandora, Rhapsody, and Shoutcast — but in each case the “terms of use” stipulate that the service is for “personal” rather than commercial use.

There’s really no need to use one of these services, since accessing radio stations directly over the Internet is easy. If you are a fan of public radio, for example, an extensive list of stations in the United States and around the world is available through Public Radio Fan: http://www.publicradiofan.com. Or, if you have a good Internet radio (most have better sound systems that any computer), search for stations using the “genre” or “location” modes.


9

expect, and enjoy, for your style of inn and your location. That statement might sound simplistic and obvious. Even so, some innkeepers seem to think of their own personal tastes first and their guest expectations second, when the reverse should be the case.

One other point: Not playing music definitely is an option. As a fanatic music lover, music is a vital part of my life, but I do not need to hear it every waking moment. Taking a walk, I would rather listen to the birds (or, if no birds are around, to the music in my head). And sometimes when I am at an inn, silence is just fine, too.

Legal MattersMusical taste is a simple matter com-pared to the question of adhering to the law in the use of copyrighted music. The plain fact is that much of the music you might want to play at your inn is protect-ed by copyright, and you could be violat-

ing U.S. copyright law by playing it for your guests.

Music copyrighted? Doesn’t buying a compact disk or DVD entitle the pur-chaser to do what he or she wants with the music? The short answer is “no,” but the longer answer is, “it depends.”

When you buy music, in whatever format, you are buying the right to play it for your own personal use. You are not buying the right to use it for commercial purposes, which, in most cases, includes playing that CD at your inn.

The key question is whether the mu-sic, or the arrangement of it, is protected by copyright. And the best rule of thumb, according to Jerry Bailey, a spokesman for the licensing agency BMI, is whether the music was written during the last 95 years (the time frame given by U.S. copy-right law).

Most of what we think of as “classical” music was written prior to 1914 (or 95 years ago), and is considered to be in the

“public domain.” The same is true of much, but not all, folk music and popular music of the 1800s. But if, for example, a con-temporary composer has written a new arrangement of a Stephen Foster song or a Mozart string quartet, that arrangement would be protected by copyright.

Separating music in the public domain from music protected by copyright is a challenge. “In general terms, if the music was created more than 95 years ago, and the performance uses the original arrange-ment, it would be in the public domain and you are safe in using it for commercial purposes,” the BMI’s Bailey said. “But de-termining whether a specific piece of mu-sic is in the public domain becomes very complicated.”

A related question, when dealing with copyrighted music, involves the legal term “public performance.” U.S. copyright law defines a “public performance” as one that takes place “in a place open to the public or at any place where a substantial


10

number of persons outside of a normal circle of a family and its social acquain-tances is gathered.” In other words, when an innkeeper plays a compact disk, con-taining copyrighted music, for his or her guests, that can be considered a public performance.

What does this mean in practical terms? Basically, playing a copyrighted compact disk for guests could expose an innkeeper to a complaint from BMI or an-other of the agencies that represent com-posers or those who hold the legal rights to their works. Remember the big dispute a few years ago over Napster and individuals who downloaded music onto their com-puters? That fight was over a similar issue: the alleged misuse of copyrighted music.

But is any individual innkeeper likely to be sued or taken to court for violating the copyright law? The odds are: No. Even so, it’s best to remember that copy-right holders (and those whose job is to protect copyrights) can be aggressive

because their rights remain valid only if they defend them.

Moreover, you never know who might walk through your inn’s door. At Ama-deus House, we once hosted a lawyer for one of the major music-licensing organi-zations. Fortunately, he never said a word about the music we played (some of it undoubtedly copyrighted). My wife and I thought he probably was more interested in his new girlfriend (and that weekend’s college football games) than in the legal-ity of what we were doing.

There are several ways to make sure you are complying with the copy-right law:

Pay licensing fees to the major organizations (ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC) that represent composers, authors and publishers. This protects you against most copyright claims but also is expensive because no single agency represents all the possible composers and musicians whose work you might use. For example, BMI’s standard annual fee for use of background music by a hotel (and a B&B is considered a “hotel”) with fewer than 100 rooms is $338 in 2009. Try to make sure that all the music you play was composed prior to 1914; in other words, stick to classical, folk or other music written by composers who died before World War I. Get all your music from a commer-cial music service, such as Muzak, that pay fees directly to the licensing organizations. (More information on these services, below). In general, when a guest plays music inside an individual guestroom (even if the innkeeper provided the music), that is not considered a public perfor-mance, and so is not covered by copyright law.

In general, when a guest plays music inside an individual guestroom (even if the

innkeeper provided the music), that is not considered a public

performance, and so is not covered by copyright law.


11

If you play music exclusively from compact disks that are for sale in your gift shop, you probably are safe. Technically, the law requires that the “sole purpose” of playing the music under such circumstances is to promote sales of the music; in other words, using the music for back-ground, but saying it is for sale, is not enough of a reason to avoid

paying a license fee. As a practical matter, however, placing a prominent sign telling your guests that the music is available for sale in the gift shop probably would keep you out of trouble. Play music broadcast by a radio station, so long as you do not use more than six loudspeakers in total (and more than four speakers in any one room). This

exemption applies whether you access the station’s signals via a conventional radio or from the Internet (via your computer or an Internet radio). The radio station pays the appropriate license fees (or is supposed to), so you do not have to. With a good broadband connection, the Internet offers access to thousands of radio stations worldwide, many of them commercial-free.

Tech with TimSharing Music at your Inn

by Tim Brady

Music can be an important part of the guest ex-perience. Many of you have beautiful old build-

ings, lovingly restored and preserved. Tearing up walls to run new cables is probably not in your future. So let me share with you some easy ways to share music around the inn without running any wires.

The first option is using what is called an “FM Transmitter”. Many of you have seen this technology before, weather years ago with “Mr. Microphone” or more recently, with an iPod adapter you may use in your car. This technology works by creating your own mini radio station. Plug your music source into the device and it broadcasts that music on a selected radio channel. The music is received on any standard FM receiver, from a stereo system, to an alarm clock. Not many people realize that there are larger ver-sions of this same technology available as well. The biggest manufacturer of these products is Ramsey Electronics. They have provided this tech to drive in movie theaters for years. Look on eBay for a Ramsey FM transmitter. Follow their directions and you can be spreading your music around the inn for less than $400.

The second and more “high tech” solution is to pro-vide guests with actual music choices, from the web

and your personal library. There are a few companies offering this technology, but one of the first to the game was Sonos. Take a look at the Sonos music sys-tem, which allows each room to stream web music and share a music library from a central computer. The system is completely wireless and works similarly to your wireless internet.

A new participant in the wireless music world is Yamaha. They just released the new MusicCAST2 dig-ital audio streamer. While I haven’t had a chance to try it first hand, it looks quite promising for providing a high quality, personalized music system to your guests. It supports up to 32 rooms of individually se-lected music. Of course, these systems cost closer to $1,000 plus $300 – $500 per room, which may not be for everyone. However it would certainly be a mar-ketable amenity in a high end property or room.

We all know that music is a key part of providing a full guest experience. These are some options for enhancing that experience without running any new wires.

I’d love to hear your thoughts and tips. Stop by www.tenminuteswithtim.com and let me know how you are sharing music at your inn.

Tim and his wife Amy own Forty Putney Road Bed and Breakfast in Brattleboro Vermont. A recovering I.T. professional and lifelong geek; Tim’s tips, thoughts and meanderings can be read and dis-cussed at www.looseleafdesigns.com.


12

If you play music from Internet ser-vices such as Pandora or Rhapsody, note that the “terms of use” state that the ser-vice is for personal, non-commercial use. Pandora’s web site, for example, states that “you can’t play Pandora for the pa-trons in your bar, coffee shop, etc.” The same is true of music from the satellite radio networks XM and Sirius; unless you purchase a commercial package, you are violating the terms of your service agreement by playing the music for the “public,” which means your guests.

One other tactic for avoiding copy-right claims is open to different legal in-terpretations. Remember that definition of a “public performance?” Under that definition, a public performance is in a place “where a substantial number of per-sons outside of a normal circle of a family and its social acquaintances is gathered.” It could be argued that when an innkeep-er joins his or her guests, for example during breakfast or at an afternoon tea, the breakfast room or the common room is not a “public” space—and so playing music there is not a public performance. Music licensing agencies do not accept this interpretation, however.

Choosing a Commercial ServiceAs noted above, the simplest ways to stay within the copyright law are to play mu-sic by long-dead composers, to play mu-sic from a radio station, or to buy music from a commercial service. Muzak is the name most people think of when the subject is a commercial music service. And for most people Muzak means “ele-vator music:” bland, forgettable back-ground music intended to fill up a silence or mask unpleasant noise. That kind of music might be appropriate for an eleva-tor, a big box store, or a large commercial building—but it’s hardly the music most innkeepers would want to impose on their guests.

These days, Muzak is only one of sev-eral commercial music services, all of which market themselves as anything but elevator music. Each service offers a broad range of musical styles, everything from hip hop or heavy metal to smooth jazz and classical favorites. Muzak spokes-person Brittany Lyke said, for example, that her company streams 83 channels of music over its satellites: “enough music, in different styles, to satisfy just about every kind of taste.”

I listened to music samples offered on the web sites of several of these services. Some of it came pretty close to my own definition of elevator music. Much to my astonishment, however, I did hear several samples that would seem to be suitable in a wide variety of inns. Some of the classi-cal and jazz music, in particular, was sur-prisingly interesting.

Cost is another potentially attractive feature of these commercial services. For $25 to $100 a month (depending on the service, and not counting equipment costs), an innkeeper can choose a stan-dard music package, some of which can be changed at a moment’s notice. Muzak and some of the other services also will custom-design a music program for a business, but at an additional cost.

When reviewing these services, it is important to find out what kinds of equipment you will need in addition to

whatever sound system is currently used in your inn. Some services are delivered via satellite, for example, which means you will need to have a dish receiver (which can be bought or rented) plus a receiver that can be connected to a regu-lar stereo system.

Bottom line: The range of music avail-able on these services is wide, and the monthly costs can be pretty affordable, so an innkeeper who does not want the has-sle of programming his or her own music, and who wants to steer clear of any po-tential copyright problems, might want to consider using one of them. An even cheaper alternative, of course, is the free use of music from a radio station.

However you choose to offer music (or silence) in your inn, remember that the ultimate goal is adding to, not sub-tracting from, the enjoyment and satis-faction of guests. Music can be soothing or enraging. Assuming that most guests frequent inns to get away from the rag-ing world around them in their daily lives, music that is soothing — but also interesting — almost always is the right choice. ■

John Felton is a freelance journalist in

Stockbridge, Massachusetts. He and his

wife, Marty Gottron, owned the music-

themed Amadeus House bed and break-

fast in Lenox, Massachusetts for seven

years, then the literary-themed One Main

B&B in Stockbridge for eight years. John

has written about classical music for

Symphony magazine, public radio’s Perfor-

mance Today, and the Berkshire Eagle. He

was a member of PAII’s board of directors

from 2001 through 2008.

However you choose to offer music (or silence) in your inn, remember that the ultimate

goal is adding to, not subtracting from, the

enjoyment and satisfaction of guests. Music can be

soothing or enraging.


13

In January 2009, at the California As-sociation of Bed & Breakfast Inns meeting in Monterey, speakers par-

ticipated in a round-table discussion with an innovative format in which each of the 200 plus attendees had the unique oppor-tunity to hold the floor and share a per-sonal passion or pastime. The topics that arose were as rich and diverse as the par-ticipants themselves, who hailed from var-ious backgrounds and parts of the state.

Afterward, the conference broke into smaller groups, each focusing on several topics with more thorough discussions.

This interactive exercise raised an impor-tant question: What do our longtime hob-bies have to do with our professional lives?

In truth, if we carefully assess our fa-vorite avocations, we can harness their power to fuel our business. The beauty of centering marketing strategy on personal passion is that it’s never far from the heart and is always easy to get fired up about.

Case Study: Bass & Baskets Who knew a simple trip weekend could be so fateful? Ed and Debbie Franko had no idea until they took an excursion to Ohio’s Longaberger basketry center, stay-ing overnight at their very first bed & breakfast. “We liked it so much that we thought this was something we could do someday when we retired,” says Debbie.

On their way home to St. Louis, they daydreamed about opening their own inn, cleverly devising a name for their bed-&-breakfast-to-be that reflected their pas-sions and even having a sign made: “Bass & Baskets, est. 1998.”

They returned to their regular lives, Debbie to teaching elementary school kids and Ed to managing fast-food res-taurants. But the seed was planted in each of their minds, and the dream re-fused to fade. Soon the couple was tour-ing lake front properties with a realtor, focusing on the Lake of the Ozarks in central Missouri, where Ed had partici-pated in many bass-fishing tournaments.

One Sunday morning, Debbie and Ed drove past the home of an old fishing buddy and happened to notice a “For Sale, No Realtors” sign in the yard next

door. Punching in the phone number, Ed realized he was calling someone who lived in his old hometown of Granite City, IL. “I think it was meant to be,” he says. After a day of negotiations, “we walked away with the key,” marvels Debbie.

All that remained was to quit their jobs, sell their home, remodel the 1960s cottage and start a business that neither of them knew anything about. “I guess you might call us daring people,” says the gregarious Ed.

“Our friends thought we were crazy,” adds Debbie, “because we were leaving good jobs, a beautiful home and moving to a rundown place with no money.”

Drawing on a strong, shared vision based on their passions, they couldn’t fail. Opening in October 2001, in the midst of the travel downturn, the Frankos knew they’d have to do something special to ensure the occupancy they needed. Like all good entrepreneurs, they prepared the basics and made sure their website and other marketing materials were in good order — but they needed more oomph. True to their business name and their respective passions, the couple would of-fer guests “Bass & Baskets.”

Debbie, who has a strong apprecia-tion for handicrafts, shares the beautiful, handcrafted Longaberger baskets for sale at the inn and generously incorporates them into the décor. In the spirit of bounty, she fills them with homemade goods such as delectable zucchini bread.

Furthermore, in the Frankos’ spa-cious main drawing room, Deb will soon be offering quilting bees, scrapbooking

Finding Your Niche—and Profiting From It, Tooby Pamela Lanier


14

parties, and couples cooking events. In preparation, she has secured plenty of layout space and outlets to plug in neces-sary equipment. She plans on marketing the classes through the scrapbook supply dealer and through her ongoing postings on hobby sites.

Meanwhile, Ed is a champion fisher-man. That the very cove where their new property is located is marked “good fish-ing” played a big part in their decision to buy it. He is currently acquiring his fishing-guide license as the couple busily plans special guest packages around the fantastic bass-fishing available on the lake. Ed is considering offering high-end specialty fishing gear to guests, which would create another profit center.

One planned focus of the Bass & Baskets specialty guest packages involves the fantastic shopping at the Osage Beach Shopping Mall, where Debbie enjoys taking guests on shopping excur-sions. But the on-site sales at the inn have become equally enticing. Debbie sells Private Quarter linens, which are on all the inn’s beds so that guests experi-ence them firsthand. She is also putting the finishing touches on an in-house store, located on the second floor and whimsically decorated. In addition to all of the goods with which they already work, the store will feature special selec-tions of hats, scarves, logo cups, the Bed and Breakfast Inns of Missouri Associa-tion Cookbook, and other goodies as selected by Debbie.

Ed and Debbie Franko have managed to meld their interests with a good market-ing plan so that business and pleasure will always be enjoyable — and lucrative, too.

What’s Your Passion?What special interests can you capitalize upon in your own business plan? Begin by joining in the brainstorm, using the list below as a springboard for your thought

process. At first glance, these topics may seem unrelated to the day-to-day opera-tions of your bed and breakfast, but they can (and should) become very closely linked.

FishingOne of the top sports in America, fish-ing — whether out on the wide open sea or in a quiet water hole — allows time to relax in a bucolic outdoor environment. Why not entice every passionate fisher-man by marketing the sport on your website? Offer an invitation for a stay at your inn along with a promise to share all your favorite fishing spots along with stories of your best catches. Extend your marketing reach by creating a fishing blog on your site, adding links to local fishing establishments and to your state’s Fish and Game regulations. Consider penning a fishing column for the sports section of the local newspaper, and for those of cities you draw guests from. Become their expert!

Add to your bottom line: ● Develop a fish and fishing themed

gift shop. Everything from signs (“A Fisherman Lives Here with the Catch of his Life”) to fancy fishing mugs, themed fishing apparel perhaps with your logo, and of course tackle and books filled with tall fish tales.

● Let your neighbors know about your fishing specialty shop and look forward to booming gift sales on Fathers’ Day, birthdays, and holidays.

● Consider becoming a dealer for hard- to-find fishing equipment, especially a line of high-end rods and reels.

● Offer fishing workshops and consider making a special one mid-week for women who would like to learn how to fish.

Culinary ArtsThe creative possibilities in the kitchen are endless and are oftentimes what lead us to love cooking and the culinary arts. Fortunately, this is an area rife with com-mercial potential, and can easily be shared with bed and breakfast travelers. Offer-ing potential guests a sneak peak at the delicious meals they could be enjoying at your inn is a sure way to pull them on board. One classic way to do this is by of-fering cooking classes, for which people are willing to pay both instructional and materials fees. If your zoning allows, sell wine to accompany the culinary explora-tion. If you don’t want to teach the class, check with your local bookstore to find authors or chefs who might wish to teach the class. You’ll have fun creating your own inn cookbook or equivalent, like a set of recipe cards imaginatively pack-aged. Be sure to send your stellar recipes to all of the newspaper food editors in areas you draw from; ditto to the web-masters of your local destination website.

Cook up $$$$: ● Offer fine specialty knives or high-

end cookware, such as Princess House, for sale to your guests.

● Theme your gift shop around food and offer regional specialty jams and preserves, canned goods, soup mixes, sauces, etc.

● Offer a great selection of cookbooks,

Ed and Debbie Franko have

managed to meld their

interests with a good

marketing plan so that

business and pleasure will

always be enjoyable —

and lucrative, too.


15

both new and used (you’d be amazed how inexpensively you can buy used cookbooks and mark them up for a substantial profit, all the while indulging your passion for new recipes!)

● Antique cooking utensils, serving pieces and small kitchen accoutre-ments are ragingly popular with collectors — get in on the trend.

QuiltingQuilting is an activity enjoyed by many people across all age groups. Its soothing repetition and predictable, mathematical planning (which arises as you set out to arrange the patterns) offers an ideal way to free your mind and de-stress from a long day. Share this hobby with your guests by offering quilting workshops or quilting circles. If you have plenty of room for people to lay out materials and

have multiple outlets to set up irons and other equipment, then you probably have what’s needed to accommodate quilting workshops! Announce these sessions well in advance on your website to reach out to quilt-loving travelers who might be planning a trip in your area. On other quilting websites, post information men-tioning your inn and its quilt-lovers de-cor. Finally, consider contacting a quilter’s guild and arrange to have a quilt show at your inn.

Sew up some extra profits: ● Have a quilt-themed gift shop and

carry lots of stunning quilts, quilted placemats, pot holders, etc. Also stock quilting books, patterns, and magazines.

● If your area does not have a specialty store for quilting supplies, evaluate this retail opportunity.

ScrapbookingScrapbooking is a hobby that’s becoming more popular with every passing day, and it’s a great one for bringing groups to-gether such as scrapbooking clubs, alum-ni groups, and more. One of the beauties of scrapbooking is that you can become the dealer for scrapbooking supplies in your area and make side profits from these sales. You will need about the same space and facility as one does for quilting.

Piece together additional income: ● Check out opportunities to sell

scrapbooking supplies at: ◆ www.cherish-creative-

scrapbooking.com ◆ www.qbaroo.com/scrapattack

scrapbooking/index.cfml ◆ www.scrapbookinggems.com

● Offer mid-week evening scrapbook-ing sessions combined with dessert


16

to local aficionados and profit from your off-nights.

Canoeing & KayakingWater sports can be enjoyed solo or in groups, avidly or casually, and by all types of people. What better way to get in touch with the natural world! An after-noon on the river, lake, or ocean aboard a canoe or kayak provides a glimpse of the world from a different vantage point. If you’re near a state park with waterways, market your inn by dedicating a special section of your website to these outdoor activities and describe all of the wonder-ful fun that can be had aboard a canoe or kayak. Consider renting or lending your equipment to your guests, and if you have the expertise to lead local boating trips, then by all means do so — it can only add to your inn’s marketability (note: make sure your insurance covers this). Be sure to contact sporting good outfitters in your area of draw and let the folks there know that you welcome boaters.

Feature all things ducky: ● Make your gift store the go-to place

for waterway maps, cool boating

apparel, and last minute necessities like sunscreen and sunglasses.

● Consider becoming a retailer for specialty canoes and kayaks and their accessories.

● Speaking of ducks — all things Duck seem to find a ready market and ducks are a favorite mascot of the boating world. So consider becoming “the” place for decoys old and new which are highly collectible.

Bird WatchingBird watching gives you an opportunity to explore your natural surroundings and

observe wildlife, often without even leav-ing the peaceful confines of your own backyard. Reach out to nature-loving travelers and share with them the distin-guishing characteristics of the different bird species in your area, then challenge them to step out into your garden to see if they can spot any among all of the branches and leaves! As encouragement, include on your website a handful of snapshots of birds that you’ve spotted yourself. This is a natural and very easy hobby to tap into if your inn is located on a flyway, and even better if you’re on a public open space or park. Research the topic to find bird watching speakers who may have written articles on the subject and see if they might be interested in coming to make a presentation at your inn. This could easily become a whole weekend or several mid-week days of fun and learning.

Watch your profits take flight: ● Stock your inn’s gift shop with

birding guides, binoculars in various price ranges, and bird-calling whistles.

● Commission a local craftsperson to make custom birdhouses just for you!

If you’re near a state park with waterways, market your

inn by dedicating a special section of your website to

these outdoor activities and describe all of the

wonderful fun that can be had aboard a canoe or kayak.


17

● Stock your inn and its rooms with bird themed collectables, whether it’s antique plates decorated with bird images hanging on guestroom walls (with a discrete price lists on the back of the door) or beautiful calendars, postcards, bird art, cups decorated with images of our feathered friends, and a line of hats with your logo and perhaps a bird appliqué.

GardeningIf you’ve gotten in touch with your nur-turing instincts and discovered the medi-tative experience of tending a garden, share the fruit of your hard work with your guests. Beautify your property with flowers or liven up your kitchen with fresh fruits, vegetables, and savory herbs. Develop and capitalize upon a specialty, such as propagating and selling bulbs and be sure to bring attention to that

specialty by offering gardening classes, which are perennially popular. Contact the garden editor at your favorite region-al publication and offer to write a column and/or run an ad for your gardening-themed getaways.

Turn over fresh income: ● Cultivate a garden-themed gift shop

showcasing your favorite gardening publications, fanciful hats, and high-end gardening gloves.

● Sell your very own bulbs and other starts and seeds that let guests take a piece of your paradise home with them.

In general, a great and simple strategy for any innkeeper with any hobby is to add a blog to your website that focuses on that passion. This will give you lots of key wording to be picked up by the search engines and draw in more web

traffic, and therefore lure more guests with similar interests.

One of the keys to longevity in the hospitality profession is keeping your own passions alive. And nothing will do that better than sharing them with others. ■

Pamela Lanier is the host of the award winning websites Travelguides.com and LanierBB.com and the author of “The Complete Guide to Bed and Breakfasts Inns and Guesthouses International” which has sold over 2 million copies worldwide. When not writing, Pamela enjoys cooking for and entertaining family and friends.

[email protected]


18

This past Spring, the Professional Association of Innkeepers Inter-national worked with TripAdvi-

sor to ask 15,000 travelers some questions about staying (or not staying) at bed and breakfasts. The responses are listed in three different categories. “Inn-Goers” were asked about their experiences and preferences; “Inn-Don’t-Goers” were asked about their perceptions of B&Bs, and both categories were asked general ques-tions about travel preferences.

The following questions were answered by those people who have ever stayed at a B&B.

Why did you stay at a B&B?90% Pleasure8% Business2% Both

Jay Karen (JK): It appears that we have the pleasure travel thing pretty well cov-ered. A growth market surely is the busi-

ness travel market. Our challenges include how do we get CFOs and HR supervisors to not be skeptical when they see “Main Street B&B” on business travel expense reports, and how (as an industry) do we raise awareness of B&Bs as a perfectly vi-able and preferential choice among corpo-rate travelers?

Why did you choose a B&B over other options?

50% Unique venue47% Personal service46% Overall better value30% Quality/value of food24% Convenience21% Socialize with other

guests/innkeepers19% Amenities7% It was a gift3% Safety

JK: As you can see, no single reason was dominant. B&Bs are a lodging option with many and varied assets, which

means you can appeal to many different preferences. However, in order to appeal to those preferences, you need to engage in multi-faceted marketing. Do you have a marketing message for your food? What about the history of your B&B or town? These little tidbits of information may help your B&B stand out from other options the guest is considering. Another interesting result is that nearly one-half of respondents cited “overall better value.” The Inn-Goer is familiar with the value that a B&B provides over other lodging options, but the general population may not see it the same way. They may see B&Bs as too expensive without looking at the real value proposition. Consider using your website as an educational tool to ex-plain your value-added items. For exam-ple, free parking, a personalized breakfast included, free concierge services, etc. You might want to go further than just listing your amenities, but have a page that cov-ers why your B&B is a better choice than a hotel or vacation rental.

What information sources are important when deciding where to stay?

73% B&B website68% General travel websites54% Referrals from friends/family53% B&B travel websites36% Guidebooks30% Search engines

Asking the Consumers About B&BsTripAdvisor and PAII survey thousands of travelers and PAII CEO, Jay Karen, gives his two cents on the results.


19

27% Special distinction2% Social media websites

JK: By keeping your website fresh and full of content, you are guaranteeing that you are putting your best face forward to your potential guests. Since 73% of respon-dents look to your website as the most important source of information, this is where you need to spend most of your at-tention on ensuring its effectiveness.

Over two-thirds of Inn-Goers con-sult general travel websites like Expedia, Travelocity, TripAdvisor, etc., for infor-mation regarding your B&B. Don’t dis-miss these companies as “too large” for your niche market — your guests are looking to these sources. In the same re-spect, your B&B directories are another great source that your guests turn to — so be sure to look at each directory and stay with those that are producing for you.

Do you have a strategy for referrals? If not, now is the time to analyze what more you could be doing to encourage friend and family referrals.

Are inspections important?22% Very important60% Somewhat important18% Not important

JK: Although the percentages indicate that inspections have some importance, most consumers probably assume your property is properly licensed and inspected. If the question was open-ended and reworded to ask “what is important in choosing a B&B,” inspections might not even be mentioned. Inspections are still important at the asso-ciation level to ensure a quality product, but it’s not top-of-mind with consumers. Online review sites are more important in their due diligence process.

Would you recommend a B&B?93% Yes7% No

JK: Obviously, the bed & breakfast in-dustry has raving fans! How are you cap-italizing on this fan base? Do you have a referral program? Are you marketing to your fan base using methods that are fa-miliar to them, i.e. Facebook, Twitter, etc.

Inn-Don’t-Goers

What are your perceptions of B&Bs?25% Positive56% Neutral19% Negative

JK: As reported 81 percent of percep-tions are positive or neutral. Sounds pret-ty good, doesn’t it? What if it is reported

20

like this — 75 percent of perceptions are neutral or negative. It doesn’t appear like a good number now, does it? This is a clear report that this industry needs a marketing campaign to push the “neutral” people into the “positive” category and convert those with negative views.

Why don’t you stay at B&Bs?49% Didn’t cross my mind43% Too risky; don’t know what

I’m going to get40% Don’t want to socialize20% Too many rules/policies18% Too expensive16% Not looking for luxury

accommodations16% Not family-friendly5% Not pet-friendly

JK: Since 49 percent reported that stay-ing at an inn didn’t even cross their minds, it shows we’ve got some serious work to do. Looking at the fact that too many people think booking a stay at a B&B is risky, you should ask your-self, “What can I do to reduce the risk?” A quality, new-generation web site, plenty of online traveler reviews, good photos, and (now) quality videos will surely reduce the risk for most peo-ple. If you have individual seating for guests, promote it. If you are pet friendly, promote it.

What might convince you to try a B&B?

66% Gift card for free/ discounted stay

63% Strong recommendation from friend or family I trust

40% Amazing, positive online reviews22% Effective direct marketing

from B&B

JK: Don’t avoid gift card sales! Be sure that you are saving your special pricing for referred guests, not only repeat guests. And also, be sure that you are encouraging reviews. Whether they are on a consumer generated review site, or on your own website — be sure to encourage reviews.

Would you consider a stay at a B&B in the next 12 months?

68% Yes32% No

BOTH (Questions asked both of Inn-Goers and Inn Don’t-Goers)

What amenities are important for business travel?

75% Proximity to meeting place58% High speed internet51% Convenient food options42% Comfortable work space

in room19% Exercise/fitness amenities

JK: It’s important to note that proximity to meeting place was ranked the highest. What places of business are close to your inn? Get out there and form partnerships and relationships with these companies. Ultimately, you’d like to be suggested to these travelers first. Based on the survey results, internet is a must have in rooms as well as common space. Do what it takes to get a highly-reliable internet connection for each guest room.

How important are online reviews? 30% Extremely 51% Very 16% Somewhat3% Not

Creating Tradition and Style for Bath and Body Care

PENDERGRASS, INC.115 North Main Street, Chaffee, MO 63740

800.748.7655 • 573.887.4144 • Fax: 573.887.6086E-mail: [email protected] Website: pendergrassinc.com Password: relax

Evening Wear…by Pendergrass


21

JK: Ninety-seven percent consider online reviews to be impor-tant to some degree. You need to be aware of what’s being said out there and have a strategy on how to handle those possible negative reviews. Online reviews are now a part of the lodging experience and it’s important to remain ahead of the game.

How do you feel about seeing negative reviews? 29% Take seriously69% Consider them with a grain of salt2% Ignore them

JK: As stated above, online reviews are part of the lodging expe-rience, but more than two-thirds of those guests looking for lodging properties are at least somewhat skeptical of what they read. You should know what guests are saying about you and your property — but relax a little. Not everyone considers the online review of a negative nature as the final deciding factor.

How do you feel about seeing management responses next to negative reviews?

78% Want to see15% Somewhat important7% Not important

JK: It’s important to keep in mind that how you respond to a negative review can have an important impact on the viewer. Dignify every negative response with a dignified response. By creating a dignified response, you are giving the reader a first im-pression that is unmistakable and shows your property in a pos-itive light. Many innkeepers say they’ve gotten business based on their responses, which means that management responses are an excellent sales and marketing tool as well.

ConclusionIt seems some of the strongest resources innkeepers have in their control to secure more business are fiercely loyal guests, online reviews and high-quality web sites. What are you doing to get your loyal customers to spread the word about you to their friends and family? Have you yet engaged the online re-view phenomenon? When was the last time you had a truly in-dependent set of eyes critique your web site? It also seems this industry has a big opportunity staring us in the face, especially now that we know a little more about why people don’t stay at B&Bs. A grassroots campaign to raise awareness and drive busi-ness to B&Bs certainly makes sense to explore, and PAII is get-ting geared up for it right now. ■

2009 INNKEEPING SHOWWrap-Up!

Wowed the CrowdDennis Snow, the keynote speaker on Tuesday, wowed the crowd by opening a new set of eyes to customer service.

Most Controversial MomentInnkeeper stormed out of a TripAdvisor Exhibitor Tutorial because of policy issues with the travel site giant.

Most Creative Way to Get Traffic to a BoothNothing moves people like the fresh smell of waffles and that’s exactly what David Lifson of Waffl.com did to bring traffic to his booth.

Most Interesting ExhibitorPetTravel.com. If you are a pet-friendly B&B — this site is where you can list your inn for potential guests who are seeking pet-friendly lodging options when traveling with their furry travel companion.

Best Looking BoothGreenwich Bay took the time and effort to create a booth space that was soothing to the eye. The muted browns and light greens were accented by their product packaging that was all on display.

Most Overheard Comment“How can I clone Tim Brady and take him back to my inn?” After hearing Tim’s session on emerging technologies, attendees were certain that a clone of Tim Brady at their inns would be an outstanding way to keep current with all of the technology in the marketplace.

Funniest MomentSomeone dressed in a gorilla suit walking through the middle of Wednesday’s General Session on the State of the Industry had attendees laughing out loud. In Dennis Snow’s General Session, he made reference to innkeepers needing to pay attention to every customer service opportunity, because if you’re not paying attention, you could miss the “gorilla in the room.”

Trade Show Opening

Dennis Snow

Paii Thursday

Winning Breakfast Dish

Cocktail Reception

Mike Amery— Breakfast Throwdown Chef Challenge


Standing Ovation MomentIn speaking of bad reviews, an innkeeper in attendance said, “Bad reviews are like STDs. They stay with you forever.”

Traveled the FarthestPAII Aspiring Innkeeper, Fred Kiggundu from Kampala, Uganda. Fred let the PAII staff know that he came to the United States specifically for the Innkeeping Show and said “…it was worth every penny.”

Most Risqué MomentInnkeeper Lynnette Scofield, William Henry Miller Inn, Ithaca, New York, threw her leg up onto a table of judges at the 2009 Great Innkeeper Idea Fair. After dancing with a professional dancer, Lynette showed she was there to win! Too bad it wasn’t actually a dancing competition…

And the winner is… Jan Chamberlain of the Blue Heron Inn in Meridian, Georgia won this year’s competition with her idea to increase revenue by providing a valuable service for the guest. She began including a four-day sample itinerary in the information (directions, check in time, etc.) sent by e-mail to each new reservation. This not only added to Blue Heron’s revenue, but also to the tourism community as a whole. And because it was so successful, the information now includes websites of tours, excursions and restaurants that are the most popular with the guests.

Tastiest World-Class BreakfastMike Amery’s breakfast soufflé stuffed with ham served at the Breakfast Throwdown Challenge. The recipe, contained a small roulade of ham, filled with a blend of mushrooms, onion, bacon & sharp cheddar cheese, form-baked in a mixture of egg, sour cream, peppers and chives, served with fresh chives tomato and a roasted red pepper sauce. Mike, innkeeper at the Inn at Bowman’s Hill, New Hope, Pennsylvania, took on the award winning Hyatt chef in a head-to-head competition.

Biggest Sugar RushGummi worms, popcorn and malt balls…oh my! The candy dessert reception in the trade show was rated the Innkeeping Show’s biggest sugar rush!

Most Popular New AdditionAt this year’s show, there were opportunities for attendees to join groups of innkeepers with similar interests in a format called “Dine Arounds.” There were groups for college/university towns, small inns, large inns, etc. Each group met at a local restaurant to mix, mingle and share ideas. The dine arounds were a big hit, so you can expect the same for 2010 in Austin!

Random Session

summer 2009 • innkeeping quarterly • 23

8

40

7,742

66

The percentage drop in January 2009 of overseas arrivals to the United States.Source: The U.S. Department of Commerce

The estimated percentage of all lodging bookings generated through the internet in 2008. A 7% increase over 2007. Source: Merrill Lynch

The miles traveled by PAII Member Fred Kiggundu from Kampala, Uganda to attend the 2009 Innkeeping Show.

The percentage of leisure travelers that use the Internet to plan some aspect of their travel, compared to 35% in 2000, as reported by the latest release from the National Travel MONITOR.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9numbersby the


The Travel Promotion Act will, for the first time, create a public-private partnership to promote travel to the United States, and help us compete with other countries by sending more welcoming messages to our friends around the world — at no cost to American taxpayers.

As noted by the U.S. Travel Association, the Travel Promotion Act would provide up to $4 billion in economic stimulus. While international travel has grown, with 48 million more overseas trips taken in 2008 than 2000, America actually lost visitors, welcoming 633,000 fewer overseas travelers last year. These numbers would reflect different numbers if the U.S. had kept pace with global travel trends. Nearly 58 million more overseas travelers would have visited the U.S. between 2000 and 2008 — and would have generated an estimated 245,000 new jobs in 2008 alone.

The solution that the Travel Promotion Act will provide is establish-ing a public-private campaign managed by the government and the private sector. A well-executed travel promotion campaign would provide 1.6 mil-lion new international visitors annually, $321 million in new federal tax revenue and $4 billion in new spending annually. To follow the path of the Travel Promotion Act, visit www.ustravel.org for updates.

Senate Proceeds with the Travel Promotion Act


25

Debbie Mosimann, innkeeper at Swiss Woods in Lititz, Pennsylvania, has been boosting the income of her inn for years through her knowledge and marketing of tea.

She believes that with an investment as small as $100 and a small amount of time and effort, any inn can set up a tea pro-gram that will increase the bottom line revenues of the inn.

It’s not as simple as buying the tea and equipment, but its close. Along with purchasing high quality teas and equipment, the important component is innkeeper and staff knowledge. You must be willing to put in the time to educate yourself and your staff so that you can all communicate the beneficial aspects of drinking tea as well as the proper ways to brew different teas for your guests. The better you are at this, the more tea and ac-cessories your guests will purchase in your gift shop on the way out the door.

Debbie recommends starting small, with a selection of high quality loose teas. Just cut open one of the tea bags you now serve and look at all the dust and tiny bits of tea that you are brewing for a cup of tea. The advantages of loose tea, instead, are many. The flavor is better and one serving of loose tea can be steeped multiple times. Simply increase the steeping time by one minute with each subsequent infusion. In your selection you should include a black tea, a flavored green tea, a decaf black, a flavored black, an herbal, a flavored rooibos and an earl grey. There are almost as many earl grey tea drinkers as black tea drinkers.

Use one heaping teaspoon per pot, add hot water and steep. Steeping times vary depending on the tea type (see chart on page 28) and you will want to experiment and taste yourself. Don’t send anything out that you haven’t tried and like. As you learn the teas, you will be able to talk knowledgeably about them. Talk them up at breakfast, and explain how you are serv-ing them. You should have the teas available to your guests at all times of the day. A quick rinse of the teapot before steeping will enhance the flavor and fragrance of the tea. Pour hot water into your teapot and cups, let sit for a few moments, and then dis-card the water. Warming your teapot maintains the temperature needed to infuse great tea. Also, tea is only as good as the water used to prepare it. Avoid distilled, mineral and tap water when making tea. Filtered or spring water is best. For a stronger flavor,

use more tea, not more time — if you added more time the tannin in the tea will make it bitter. Let your palate be your guide.

You will need tea pots with mesh liners that al-low the tea leaves to ex-pand. Test this yourself by brewing a pot of tea, and comparing it to a pot that you brew using a tea ball. You will taste the difference. Buy a pound of each tea (or a half to start) so you have enough to brew for your guests and some to pack-age for sale in two ounce packages. For pricing, triple the cost per ounce and add a bit for labor and packaging supplies.

By creating the perfect cup of tea and promoting it to your guests, you will automatically be encouraging them to go to your gift shop and purchase your tea items. When marketing your tea in the gift shop the items and accessories that you can sell are endless. Be sure to carry everything you use to brew tea for the guests: pots, strainers, cups, teas, honey sticks, all the bells and whistles. Then there are the things that go with tea that you might not use but could still sell: tea cozys, tea table

Marketing with Tea to Increase your Bottom Lineby Liza Simpson

Food Glorious Food


27

linens, pretty plates, sugar/creamer sets. At Swiss Woods, Deb-bie also markets her husband Werner’s famous honey to go with the tea. “Be sure that when you are marketing your tea in the gift shop; pair it with things that can accompany the tea purchase,” said Debbie.

Tea Factoids ● One pound of tea yields about 200 cups. Even with the most

expensive teas, that translates into less than fifty cents a cup.

● Drinking tea has many benefits. It is an excellent thirst quencher, hot or cold. It serves as an appetizer helping to eliminate hunger and aids the digestion of food.

● Tea ranks second only to water in worldwide consumption. It is estimated that between 18 and 20 billion cups of tea are consumed daily. On any given day, more than 127 million Americans are drinking tea — a number steadily on the rise, thanks to the growing number of beverages prepared using specialty teas, and the healthful benefits.

● It is important to store tea carefully because the quality will gradually diminish with time. Leaves should be kept in a con-tainer free of odor in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight.

● White, green, black, and oolong teas come from the same evergreen plants of the camellia family. White tea is the least processed and uses very young leaves and buds; green tea is only lightly processed, having the leaves steamed; leaves for black teas are fermented; and an oolong’s leaves are precisely roasted. There are also other variables that produce different tastes, location, altitude, humidity, and season of harvest.

(continues, next page)

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28

● Herbal, fruit blend, rooibos, and mate teas actually are not teas but combinations of plants, herbs, flowers, and dried fruits that are prepared and consumed like tea.

● Breakfast teas tend to be hearty and are often blends of tea from India and Africa. Favorites include English Breakfasts, Earl Greys, Ceylons, and Assams.

● Afternoon teas are lighter and are often made with blends of tea from China. Darjeelings are the classic afternoon teas. Other popular choices for flavored teas include Ceylons and green teas.

● For evening teas, many people prefer a lighter tea. For those who are sensitive to caffeine, decaffeinated teas, or herbals and fruit blends, provide nice alternatives. ■

NewsIndu

stry

What happens when 8 foodies decide to

share recipes and everything food related?

www.bedandbreakfastfoodie.com! Eight innkeeper

friends from around the U.S. have come together

to share their inn recipes that are “ec

lectic,

practical, and just downright fun.”

Liza Simpson, formerly of The Old Miner’s Lodge in Park City, Utah, has cooked professionally for over 25 years. She is currently serving on the Park City Council, innsitting, cooking, and selling books while she and her husband Chris and their Corgis search for their next inn-keeping adventure.

Type Water Temp. (degrees Fahrenheit) Infusion Time Amount per 8oz. Water

Black 205 5 minutes 1 teaspoon

Darjeeling 1st Flush 185 3 minutes 1 teaspoon

Green (China) 180 3 minutes 1 teaspoon

Green (Japan) 180 2 minutes 1 teaspoon

Fruit Blend 205 5–6 minutes 1 tablespoon

Herbal 205 5–6 minutes 1 tablespoon

Oolong Long Leaf 205 3–4 minutes 1 tablespoon

Rooibos 185 5 minutes 1 teaspoon

White 180 3–4 minutes 1 tablespoon

Brewing Different Types of Tea


NewsIndu

stry

Beat

I ♥ B&B’s Fan Page Up and

Running on Facebook

Vermont innkeeper, Tim Brady

had an idea after seeing so

many inn fan pages on

Facebook. He developed the “I ♥

B&B’s” fan page, that innkeepers

can all use collectively to reach

a larger audience of inn goers.

“While the personal and

individual inn fan pages are

great for communicating with

our own guests, the idea of a

group fan page will be useful to

try to reach a larger audience of

people who simply love B&Bs.”

Check it out on Facebook.com.

B&B.com Members

Have Sponsored

Links on TripAdvisor

In an agreement

with TripAdvisor,

BedandBreakfast.

com members now

have sponsored links

to their B&B listing

on B&B.com in the

“Best Deals Box” on

their TripAdvisor

page.

News to Add?If you’ve got any news to report, please send a press release to Ingrid Thorson at [email protected].

Travelocity to Feature B&Bs

Through BedandBreakfast.com,

over 1,000 B&Bs will now be on Travelocity.

What happens when 8 foodies decide to

share recipes and everything food related?

www.bedandbreakfastfoodie.com! Eight innkeeper

friends from around the U.S. have come together

to share their inn recipes that are “ec

lectic,

practical, and just downright fun.”

Eight Innkeepers form

www.bedandbreakfastfoodie.com

56 Media Hits for Innkeeping for Dummies

Author Mary WhiteBnBFinder’s Mary White is making her way through

the media circuit promoting her new book “Running a

Bed and Breakfast for Dummies.” The media hits range

from ABC News and USA Today to the Cape Cod

Times and the Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce.

TripAdvisor Listens to PAII

Every property page has a “Best

Deals” box on the rig

ht side.

Prior to th

e change, the titl

e

of the box

would have said

something like “Best Deals:

1889 WhiteGate Inn,” on

ly to

find links to competing hotels

that are unrelated to the 1889

WhiteGate Inn. TripAdvisor

agreed to ch

ange the titl

e of the

box, which now says “Best Deals:

Asheville,” in the case of

the

1889 WhiteGate Inn in Asheville,

NC. This prevents the exploitation

of an inn’s name.

Bookstore Giant to Fully Stock INNS MagazineBarnes and Noble in the United States will have INNS Magazine available for full distribution to all Barnes and Noble Bookstores. INNS Magazine has been featured in the American Bookstore chain for several issues, offered in key retail locations. Sales success has prompted the company to offer full chain-wide distribution, to all 576 bookstores, starting with the Summer Issue of INNS Gourmet, 2009.

TripAdvisor CEO, Steven Kaufer, to speak

at 2009 New England Innkeeping Show.

innkeeping quarterly • summer 200930 • innkeeping quarterly • summer 2009

The easiest time to run my inn is when it’s busy. I’m not talking about 40% occupancy, phones ringing sporadically throughout the day, kind of busy; I’m talking about occupancy of 70% or more for weeks on end where no employee is wondering what they should be doing next, kind of busy. This is the kind of busy where everyone has a job to do and specific tasks that are unique to their position which must be done in a timely manner because it’s too busy to not stay on task and be ready for check-ins by 3:00pm sharp!

Unfortunately I haven’t seen that kind of busy since last October. Like many other businesses, we have had to make some adjustments. On the catering side of our operation, two positions had to be cut. On the lodging side of our operation a full time evening innkeeper took an unplanned leave, which meant no one had to be laid off or have their hours reduced. These changes did mean that all remaining employees had to pick up work once handled by others, work additional shifts, and do more because there were less of us.

The changes have taken a toll on all of us. Despite this, I wake up every morning incredibly grateful to be an innkeeper no matter how many times I wish to scream throughout the day. My team has been terrific for the most part. I know that our office manger who usually works Monday thru Friday 8:30am to 2:00pm hasn’t en-joyed working Saturdays or evening shifts. I know that posting schedules a week out due to last minute book-ings, or worse yet, no bookings, make it hard for employ-ees to plan. I’ve learned to go with the flow and smile even when I am doing jobs that I wish I weren’t doing after 23 years of running my inn.

In order to persevere, I’ve adopted the following phi-losophy. I, as well as my inn, need to “be like a rock; flow like a river.”

My inn, my employees, and I still need to perform at our peak and we must know how to operate in a world of paradoxes. In these times, business as well as their own-ers must paradoxically be like a rock and flow like a river.

“Be like a rock” means operating from your core…that part of your business that is a constant and anchors you no matter how rough times get. Your core consists of your values, core competencies, culture and mission.

“Flow like a river” means knowing how to navigate through the waters of change, especially those beyond your control. This requires balance, agility and resilience.

As innkeepers, we all know what balance is…answer-ing the phone while cooking breakfast and checking a guest out! Recently I’ve learned to balance such oppo-sites as: certainty vs. uncertainty, short-term vs. long-term, strategic vs. tactical.

As innkeepers having agility has always meant carry-ing the vacuum and your cleaning bucket while not knocking over the antique hallway lamp. Now agility means rapidly responding to change, minimizing threats and seizing new opportunities.

As innkeepers having resilience has always meant being able to clean six rooms in under three hours with your only “help” being your Swiffer duster and micro fiber cloth, and still check in an early arrival with a genuine smile. Now resilience means having the capacity to bounce back from catastrophe or unexpected circumstances.

So all my fellow innkeepers, be like a rock and flow like a river. Keep a smile and show your guests some love. People need it now more than ever. ◆

innkeeperinnkeeper

by AnneMarie DeFreest2


31

One of my most recent trips brought me to Coopers-town, New York, the epicenter of all things baseball. The town is home to the National Baseball Hall of

Fame and replete with miniature bats, baseball memorabilia, collectables and of course Doubleday Field.

During my presentation to the travel suppliers in the region, I surmised that the potential customer base (major league base-ball fans) for this small town might be up-wards of 25 million people. I quipped that with numbers like that, you could keep a large destination busy 365 days a year for a decade or two. However, in order to ensure that the customers show up, you have to get up at bat with your market and make a compelling offer.

Given the market melt down and economic uncertainty since last September, customers, destination marketing organi-zations and travel suppliers have been quite skittish about the upcoming season. The question is always the same: What are you doing to better position yourself in the minds of your cus-tomers? This question is usually followed by a number of blank stares. My response, “What are you going to do about it?”

Admittedly the value equation and formula for customer conversion have changed dramatically since last season. Recent consumer surveys from the Y Partnership show that travel in-tentions for the season are high. Americans still consider vaca-tions a birthright even if they will be shorter, closer to home and not quite so frivolous. Many people will be looking to play it safe and opt for things familiar.

Travel trends also indicate that consumers are looking for value. This is playing out in the search for vacation packages that are wrapped up with a good number of included features. This year, people are not just looking for convenience, but rather

the ability to budget their trip and prudently plan for any additional extra costs.

Geographically, even with gas a full two dollars less than last summer, consumers are staying closer to home. The local, in-state/ province and regional markets within a three to no more than four hour driving distance are the key targets for 2009.

In order to impact this season, innkeep-ers need to get off the sidelines and up at bat

with as many customers as possible. This means ramping up sales, marketing and promotional efforts. Despite what may be a predisposition to retrench or not invest as a result of post trau-matic economic market syndrome, innkeepers looking to gener-ate results must be even more proactive in their marketing efforts. This might be counter-intuitive to inclinations, but it is imperative to move customers. Dealing with consumers may also require a bit of hand-to-hand combat in order to gain a commitment. Even so, there is plenty of money on the sidelines.

To leverage success, innkeepers must initiate partnerships in three key areas that will drive business. They are partner-ships that increase the development and creation of vacation packages, partnerships that drive promotion, and advertising and finally partnerships with businesses that have a similar customer base to allow access to new consumers.

Vacation PartnershipsThe best place to start with vacation package partnerships is your local destination marketing organization. This is either your convention and visitors bureau or local Chamber of Com-merce. Most of these organizations post vacation packages on their web sites using a variety of methods. These DMO groups spend money to attract eye balls to their web site. They want to convert lookers to bookers and provide great opportunities for innkeepers.

Are You Up at Bat with Customers?by Joe Veneto the Opportunity Guy

Marketing Matters

(continues on next page)


32

To create new packages, identify the destination driver at-tractions in your area or region. Approach these organizations about wrapping their offerings directly with your inn. In many cases you will be able to provide better value and convenience to your guests.

Develop packages for guests that connect to special events and celebrations, i.e. birthdays, anniversaries and special occa-sions. In many cases you may be able to bounce guests back to your inn on an annual basis.

Promotion and Advertising PartnershipsPartnerships that drive promotion and advertising will increase your brand awareness and marketplace visibility. The Connecti-cut Art Trail promotes innkeeper packages that tie to the trail. Free advertising and editorial coverage have been garnered by innkeepers who offer packages in conjunction with the trail.

In addition, look for specialty web sites that promote cus-tomer activities and experiences. www.MichiganBackroads.com allows innkeepers to sponsor web pages on the site that are in-dexed in the search engines and tied to customer experiences. Some inns are deriving a large amount of traffic directly from these types of web sites.


33

Also, look at other innkeepers in your area who you might partner with to promote or advertise your offerings. There is strength in numbers whether one or several other partners. A group of inns in Rockport, Massachusetts that has created a successful marketing co-op promoting inns in the area.

[Editors Note: In the spring 2008 issue of IQ, Marti Mayne, Owner of Maynely Marketing, covered a similar marketing co-op done by the Historic Inns of Rockland. To view a copy of the article, please visit www.paii.org under innkeeping publications.]

Similar Customer Base PartnershipsThe third type of partnership is to gain access to new custom-ers. You might initially partner with another successful inn two to three hours away. This might create a dual package including both the properties. Then again, you might share and market to each other’s customer bases to provide a new option or offer-ing. You have to give your customers a new reason or opportu-nity to return.

Look at the demographics of your guests. Identify the other types of businesses that they frequent i.e. restaurants, specialty stores, automobiles, sporting events etc. Create a contest or

giveaway to your inn on a quarterly basis that will enable you to collect customer names, information and the ability to market to them.

Finally, professional associations are always looking to pro-vide specials and value added items to their members. You might

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offer a special package or promotion only available to the mem-bers of the association. This allows you access to their customer base and makes the association look good to their members.

Doug Hall, author of “Jump Start Your Brain,” talks in his book about one of the great home run hitters of all time, Reggie Jackson. Hall recounts that this baseball great who knocked 563 into the stands also struck out numerous times. He mentions that the top ten home run hitters in the majors took fifty four swings for every home run they hit. In fact on average these guys made eleven outs for every home run hit. Every successful home run hitter has to constantly get up at bat, take risks and get out of his comfort zone to be successful.

In early November when the market was melting down, Walt Disney World in Florida released a special package called “The Magic Your Way” package. When you booked four nights at a Disney property, you received three additional nights free. In addition, when you purchased four days of park passes, you received three added days free. Finally, Disney included a $200 dollar gift card to be used anywhere in the Kingdom.

Full page promotional ads for the package were run in na-tional newspapers. I do not remember the last time the mouse gave things away, but Disney realized they needed to get up at bat to impact the market and move consumers. The folks in Orlando, told me Disney had very good occupancy in the first quarter of 2009, although their yields were down.

The key is to play offense, do not wait and get up at bat with potential customers. In so doing you are in the market and can continue to adjust, change and revise your offer as needed.

For innkeepers, ramping up your online marketing efforts will put you in front of customers. The Internet is an amazing marketer accessible to all businesses and working 24/7, 365 days a year. In addition, with the mainstream use of the web as a social networking tool, people, friends and customer groups are more connected than ever. By accessing a few, you can yield many.

Ramping up your search engine optimization ensures you are visible with search engines. Monitor the consumer-generated content sites like Trip Advisor to see what your customers are saying about you. Generate buzz and stay connected with your followers and potential customers with a Twitter account and keep your tweets relevant to your business. Each of these activi-ties will keep you up at bat.

With consumers looking for the familiar, past customers are an important group to target. Send an e-newsletter or special offer that will bounce them back. Additionally, for current cus-tomers, create a bounce back offer or refer a friend special that will add incremental business. All these things will proactively put you in the game and create more marketplace visibility.


36

At the end of April the home team, the Boston Red Sox, were hosting the Evil Empire (that’s code for the New York Yan-kees). During the game with the bases loaded, Jacoby Ellsbury was on third and to the delight of Red Sox Nation, he stole home. It was amazing, risky and paid off.

When asked, Ellsbury said he had no sign to steal, he just did it. The risk was not frivolous but rather calculated since both the pitcher and catcher appeared to be focusing elsewhere. Ellsbury said the hardest thing was getting the courage to try it. He said, “In that situation with bases loaded, you have to make it!” He sized up and calculated the risk realizing he had a good shot at achieving his goal.

For innkeepers the upcoming season has lots of innings to play out. What may look like empty stands of customers can be turned around with a proactive approach to sales and marketing efforts. Getting up at bat with potential customers is essential. What do you need to put in place to motivate consumers? What are the calculated risks you need to make given the changed for-mula for consumer conversion?

Red Sox nation never looses faith. Consumers will travel and get away. To generate a successful season you have to be up at bat with customers and swinging on a daily basis. Batter up! ■

Joe Veneto aka the Opportunity Guy is a Tourism Industry Consultant and Professional Speaker in Quincy, Massachusetts. He is the author of “The Travel Packaging System,” a turn-key solution for innkeepers and travel suppliers to create compelling travel packages for consum-ers. He may be reached at [email protected] or 617-786-9096.

Industry Events

To view the most current Industry Events Calendar, visit

http://www.innkeeping.org

To add your event to the calendar, contact Laura Middleton

at [email protected] or call 800-468-7244.

August 2009

26th Hospitality Accommodations of Texas (HAT) ConventionDate: August 23–25, 2009 / Location: Granbury, TXContact: www.hat.org

September 2009

Oklahoma B&B Association Annual ConferenceDate: September 27–28 / Location: Metrotech Springlake Center, Oklahoma City, OKContact: www.okbba.com

October 2009

Michigan Lake to Lake B&B AssociationDate: Monday, October 26 & Tuesday, October 27Location: Holiday Inn Hotel & Conference Center in Big Rapids, MIContact: [email protected]

British Columbia B&B Innkeepers Guild “Triumph over Turbulent Times” Annual ConferenceDate: October 27–30 / Location: Coast Bastion Hotel in Nanaimo, BCContact: [email protected] or [email protected]

November 2009

Maine Innkeepers Association Annual Meeting & Conference Date: November 2–3 / Location: Atlantic Oakes by the Sea, Bar Harbor, ME Contact: www.maineinns.com

Wisconsin B&B Association Annual MeetingDate: November 8–10 / Location: Wisconsin DellsContact: www.wbba.org

New England Innkeeping ShowDate: November 16 –18 / Location: Radisson Hotel, Nashua, NHContact: www.newenglandinnkeepingshow.com

OH&LA Annual ConferenceDate: November 23 / Location: Kalahari Resort, Sandusky, OHContact: www.ohiolodging.com

January 2010

The Mid-Atlantic Innkeepers Trade Show & ConferenceDate: January 10–13 / Location: The Homestead, Hot Springs, VAContact: www.midatlanticinnkeepers.com

Tri-State ConferenceDate: January 17–19 / Location: Louisville, KYContact: www.kentuckybb.com, www.indianabedandbreakfast.org, or www.ohiobba.com

CABBI InnSpire Conference and Trade ShowDate: January 31–February 2 / Location: Meritage Resort & Spa, Napa, CAContact: www.innspireconference.com

March 2010

Annual Illinois Bed & Breakfast Association Meeting 2010Date: March 1–2 / Location: Northfield Inn Suites & Conference CenterContact: www.illinoisbnb.com

2010 Innkeeping Conference & Trade ShowDate: March 8–11 / Location: Renaissance Hotel, Austin, TXContact: www.innkeepingshow.com


WeLCOme neW members! (as of June 20th)

MEMBER BENEFIT SPOTLIGHTPAII Members Save BIG on

PAII Publications and Research

Inn members

InternatIonalCanadaApple Blossom B&B John Martin 3582 Apple Way Blvd West Kolona, BC V4T 1Y7

Abbey Moore Manor Bed & Breakfast Inn Ian MacPhee 1470 Rockland Ave Victoria, BC V8S 1W2

Amore by the Sea B&B Denise Riley-Spence 246 Delgada Rd Victoria, BC V9C 3W2

Fern Glen Inn Bed & Breakfast Jackie Leung 1462 Fern Glen Rd RR1 Emsdale, ON P0A 1JO

Costa ricaCasa Alfi Alfred Richardson Frente de colegio, senoritas San Jose, CR

MexicoAntigua Capilla Bed and Breakfast Antonieta Peregrino Callejon de Chepito, Int 1 San Miguel de Allende, GTO 37700

alaBaMaThe Chapman House B&B Sandy Robinson 14813 Hwy 65 Princeton, AL 35766

arIZonaSouthwest Inn at Sedona Andrea Burd 3250 W Hwy 89A Sedona, AZ 86336

La ZarZuela Cliff Aberham PO Box 86030 Tucson, AZ 85754

CalIFornIaEdward II Inn Robert Holland 3155 Scott St San Francisco, CA 94123

Groveland Hotel Peggy Mosley 18767 Main St PO Box 289 Groveland, CA 95321

Glenelly Inn & Cottages Kristi Hallamore Jeppesen 5131 Warm Springs Rd Glen Ellen, CA 95442

Wine Country Inn Tim Polk 1152 Lodi Lane St Saint Helena, CA 94574

Hotel Charlotte Lynn Upthagrove 18736 Main St PO Box 787 Groveland, CA 95321

ColoraDoRomantic RiverSong Inn Gary Mansfield 1765 Lower Broad View Rd PO Box 1910 Estes Park, CO 80517

Abriendo Inn Pamela Nelson 300 W Abriendo Ave Pueblo, CO 81004

Blue Lake Ranch Shirley Isgar 16000 Hwy 140 Hesperus, CO 81326

The Wyman Hotel & Inn Tana Wrublik 1371 Greene St PO Box 780 Silverton, CO 81433

Lower Lake Ranch Vera Dunwody 11883 S Elk Creek Rd Pine, CO 80470

Ruby Rose Ranch Sandra Rosen 37951 Hwy 184 Mancos, CO 81328

ConneCtICUtDutch Iris Inn Nancy Ross 239 Salmon Brook St Granby, CT 06035

Lord Thompson Manor Andrew Silverston Rt 200 PO Box 428 Thompson, CT 06277

Stonecroft Country Inn Jason Crandall 515 Pumpkin Hill Rd Ledyard, CT 06339

FlorIDaOur House Bed & Breakfast David Brezing 7 Cincinnati Ave Saint Augustine, FL 32084-3205

Caribbean Court Boutique Hotel Boris Gonzalez 1601 S Ocean Dr Vero Beach, FL 32963

Wicker Guesthouse Heather Whitehead 913 Duval St Key West, FL 33040

Ocean Breeze Inn Heather Whitehead 625 South St Key West, FL 33040

GeorGIaLong Mountain Lodge Bed and Breakfast Dianne Quigley 4716 Camp Wahsega Rd Dahlonega, GA 30533

Stanley House Inn, Inc Cathy Kilday 236 Church St Marietta, GA 30060

Forsyth Park Inn Lori Blass 102 W Hall St Savannah, GA 31401

Catherine Ward House Inn Thomas Gibbons 118 E Waldburg St Savannah, GA 31401

HaWaIIKalaekilohana B&B Kenny Joyce 94-2152 South Point Rd PO Box 1125 Na`alehu, HI 96772

IDaHoDestinations Inn Rob Bishop 295 W Broadway Idaho Falls, ID 83402

IllInoISHarvey House B&B Beth Harvey 107 S Scoville Ave Oak Park, IL 60302

Makanda Inn Greg Wellman 855 Old Lower Cobden Rd Makanda, IL 62958

One of the many benefits of PAII membership is the member-only savings on publications and research. The 2009–2010 Innkeeping Industry Study of Operations and Finance, the definitive financial and statistical report for the innkeeping industry, is available to PAII members at $99, while non-members pay $199. And that’s just one example! An investment in PAII membership pays immediate dividends.

Join today online at www.innkeeping.org or contact PAII by email at [email protected] or by phone at 800-468-7244.

KanSaSSeasons of the Fox Michael Fox 505 N 2nd St Lindsborg, KS 67456

KentUCKYBennett House Rita Smart 419 W Main St Richmond, KY 40475

loUISIanaElysian Fields Inn Leigh Crawford 930 Elysian Fields Ave New Orleans, LA 70117-8536

Grand Coteau Gary Joye PO Box 315 Grand Coteau, LA 70541

MaSSaCHUSettSMorrison House B&B Linde Dynneson 221 Morrison Ave Somerville, MA 02144

Orleans Waterfront Inn Erin Maas Santiago 21 Route 6A PO Box 188 Orleans, MA 02653

Bucksteep Manor Inn Sube Bowser 885 Washington Mountain Rd Washington, MA 01223

Inn at the Moors Diane Daren 59 Province Lands Rd PO Box 601 Provincetown, MA 02657

The Fairview Inn Betty Disch 133 Ocean St PO Box 667 Brant Rock, MA 02020

MarYlanDInn at Buckeystown Janet Wells 3521 Buckeystown Pk Buckeystown, MD 21717

Inn BoonsBoro Suzanne McErlain 1 N Main St Boonsboro, MD 21713

MaIneClark Point Inn Mark McNair 109 Clark Point Rd Box 826 Southwest Harbor, ME 04679

White Cedar Inn Monica Kissane 178 Main St Freeport, ME 04032

MICHIGanBaySide Inn Amanda Perrault 618 Water St PO Box 186 Saugatuck, MI 49453

Glen Arbor B&B Patricia Widmayer 6548 Western Ave Glen Arbor, MI 49636

Brabb House Kelley Stephens 185 S Main Romeo, MI 48065

Webster Inn Deborah Ingersoll 900 5th St Bay City, MI 48708

MInneSotaWater Street Inn Chuck Dougherty 101 Water St S Stillwater, MN 55082

Deutsche Strasse B&B Ramona Sonnenberg 404 S German St New Ulm, MN 56073

The Pillar Inn Jill Ward 419 Main St Cold Spring, MN 56320

Summit Inn B&B Elaine Sommer 208 Summit Ave PO Box 264 Center City, MN 55012

MISSoUrIRed Bud Cove B&B Suites Rick Carpenter 162 Lakewood Dr Hollister, MO 65672

Wine Valley Inn Sonya Birk 403 Market St Hermann, MO 65041

Raines Victorian Inn Ruth Williams 1717 Elm St Saint Charles, MO 63301

Blackberry Creek Retreat B&B Mark Dawson 5086 St Hwy KK Rogersville, MO 65742

Bass & Baskets Ed Franko 1117 Dogwood Rd Lake Ozark, MO 65049

Marydale Inn Bed & Breakfast Dale Christensen 17287 232nd St Jameson, MO 64647

MontanaBig Horn B&B Virginia Gallagher 805 Upper Rock Creek Rd Philipsburg, MT 59858

Candlewycke Inn B&B Megan Ward 311 Aero Ln Bigfork, MT 59911

Toad Hall Manor B&B Glenn Johnson 1 Green Ln Butte, MT 59701

Big Sky Bed and Breakfast Linda Beilby 703 Mariah Ln Hamilton, MT 59840-9014

At The Lake B&B Paula Bundrock 250 McGregor Ln Marion, MT 59925

Bitterroot River Bed & Breakfast LLC Tim Hunter 501 South Ave Stevensville, MT 59870

The Collins Mansion Andrea Gouchenour 1003 2nd Ave NW Great Falls, MT 59404

1908 Pruett House Joan Pruett 501 1st Ave E PO Box 2325 Eureka, MT 59917

neW HaMPSHIreHighlands Inn Grace Newman 240 Valley View Rd PO Box 118 Bethlehem, NH 03574

Wakefield Inn Janel Martin 2723 Wakefield Rd Wakefield, NH 03872

neW JerSeYLocust Hall Farm Bed & Breakfast Patsy Kirschner 2691 Rt 537 Jobstown, NJ 08041

A Dream by the Sea Carmella Lisi 609 9th Ave Belmar, NJ 07719

neW MeXICoCasa Blanca B&B Inn Lynda Kimmel 505 E La Plata St Farmington, NM 87401

Don Gaspar Inn Valerie Hasson 623 Don Gaspar Santa Fe, NM 87501

neW YorKPoint Au Roche Lodge Creston Billings 463 Point Au Roche Rd Plattsburgh, NY 12901

Bykenhulle House Jacqueline Huber 21 Bykenhulle Rd Hopewell Junction, NY 12533-6321

Lefferts Manor Bed and Breakfast Mark Osborne 80 Rutland Rd Brooklyn, NY 11225

Orient Inn Joan Turturro 25500 Main Rd Orient, NY 11957

Ellwanger Estate Rosemary Janofsky 625 Mount Hope Ave Rochester, NY 14620-2730

Cambridge Hotel Shea Inhof 4 W Main St Cambridge, NY 12816

Pine Bush House Bed and Breakfast Barbara Grey 215 Maple Ave PO Box 647 Pine Bush, NY 12566

Altamont Old Stone House Inn Nancy Turner 1160 Berne Altamont Rd Altamont, NY 12009

The Candlelight Doris Nitsios 49 W Main St PO Box 1109 Dryden, NY 13053

Mt Beacon Bed & Breakfast Lauren Walling 829 Wolcott Ave Beacon, NY 12508


Twin Gables Guest House Henrique Tischler 73 Tinker St Woodstock, NY 12498

nortH CarolInaScenic Overlook Bed and Breakfast Gayle Steinbicker 271 Scenic Overlook Ln Pinnacle, NC 27043-9505

Ashford Inn Mason Tarr 615 College St Clinton, NC 28328-3501

Oakland Cottage B&B, Vacation In Asheville Mary Bridges 74 Oakland Rd Asheville, NC 28801

oHIoColonel Taylor Inn B&B Patricia Irvin 633 Upland Rd Cambridge, OH 43725

College House B&B Kathy Kollar 134 College Ave Ashland, OH 44805

oreGonLobenhaus Bed & Breakfast & Vineyard Shari Lobenstein 6975 NE Abbey Rd Carlton, OR 97111

PennSYlVanIaKaltenbach’s B&B Lee Kaltenbach 743 Stony Fork Rd Wellsboro, PA 16901

The Queen, A Victorian B&B Nancy Noll 176 E Linn St Bellefonte, PA 16823

Harvest Moon B&B Carl Kosko 311 E Main St New Holland, PA 17557

Springfield House William Speakman 126 E Main St Boalsburg, PA 16827

Lillie’s Garden Bed and Breakfast Lillie Raimo 65 Norland Ave Chambersburg, PA 17201

Silverstone B&B Yolanta Roman 8840 Stenton Ave Philadelphia, PA 19118

After Eight Bed and Breakfast Robert Hall 2942 Lincoln HWY E Gordonville, PA 17529

Kimmell House Bed & Breakfast Bonnie Harvey 851 S State St Ephrata, PA 17522

Land Of Little Horses Guest House Dawne Smith 125 Glenwood Dr Gettysburg, PA 17325

Pretty Meadow Bed & Breakfast Michelle Jones 151 Campbell Rd Newport, PA 17074

The Smithton Inn Rebecca Gallagher 900 W Main St Ephrata, PA 17522

tenneSSeeCalico Inn B&B Connie Schaeffer 757 Ranch Way Sevierville, TN 37862

Inn at Evins Mill William Cochran 2820 Dogwood Pl #102 Nashville, TN 37204

Buckhorn Inn Lee Mellor 2140 Tudor Mountain Rd Gatlinburg, TN 37738

Laurel Springs Lodge Bed and Breakfast Dan Berry 204 Hill St Gatlinburg, TN 37738

Grandma’s House Bed and Breakfast Mary Jo Mench 218 Valley Ct Smyrna, TN 37167

Braeside Inn Wendy Lynde 115 Ruth Ln Sevierville, TN 37862-5944

Penny Walk Bed and Breakfast Mary Alice Schmitt 2084 Lindsey Rd Dandridge, TN 37725

Quail Ridge Inn B&B Anita Brewer 2765 King Hollow Rd Sevierville, TN 37876

teXaSHistoric Holland Hotel Franz Hassenflu 209 W Holland Ave Alpine, TX 79830

Riverwalk Vista Catherine Hix 262 Losoya San Antonio, TX 78205

Wimberley Inn Denese Washam 200 RR or FM 3237 PO Box 2649 Wimberley, TX 78676

Inn at 1816 Postoffice Bettye Hall 1816 Postoffice St Galveston, TX 77550

Peacock Inn and Stables Gerri lynn Siegelman 6711 Sjolander Rd Baytown, TX 77521

VIrGInIaFoxfield Inn Daniel Bundy 2280 Garth Rd Charlottesville, VA 22901

Hummingbird Inn Dan Harrison 30 Wood Lane PO Box 147 Goshen, VA 24439

Schooler House Bed & Breakfast Andi Gabler 1303 Caroline St Fredericksburg, VA 22401

Chestnut Hill Bed & Breakfast Troy Ayers 236 Caroline St Orange, VA 22960

VerMontInn at Weston Bob Aldrich PO Box 66 Weston, VT 05161

WaSHInGtonGreen Cape Cod B&B Mary Beth King 2711 N Warner Tacoma, WA 98407

Inn of Twin Gables, LLC Katie Frame 3258 14th Ave W Seattle, WA 98119

Arlington’s River Rock Inn Lisa Watkins 15425 133 Ave NE Arlington, WA 98223

Sundara West B&B Jackie Dressel 2265 Central Rd Everson, WA 98247

WISConSInWestPort B&B Paul Zencka 635 N 8th St Manitowoc, WI 54220

Speckled Hen Inn Patricia Fischbeck 5525 Portage Rd Madison, WI 53704

Columbus Carriage House Nancy Osterhaus 300 S Dickason Blvd Columbus, WI 53925-1548

Martha’s Ethnic Bed & Breakfast Martha Polacek 259 E 2nd St Westfield, WI 53964-9103

At The Waters Edge B&B Kari Anderson N7136 St Hwy 42 Algoma, WI 54201

Naeset-Roe Inn A Bed & Breakfast Carl Povlick 126 E Washington Stoughton, WI 53589

neW VenDOrs

InternatIonal CanadaJustBedandBreakfast.net Bahattin Basar 225 Webb Dr Suite #2104 Mississauga, ON L5B 4P2

CalIFornIaDIRECTV by Direct One Jared Heckemeyer 15375 Barranca Pkwy Bldg D Irvine, CA 92618

Lederman Associates Herbert Lederman PO Box 114 Moraga, CA 94556

FlorIDaTouristGuide Barry Stier 18610 Sea Turtle Ln Boca Raton, FL 33498

BnBList.com Ralph Lamberti PO Box 1184 Malabar, FL 32950

PetTravel.com Bill Consedine PO Box 23364 Fort Lauderdale, FL 33307

Smith Innovations Inc April Smith PO Box 1745 Dunnellon, FL 34430

summer 2009 • innkeeping quarterly • 41

InDIanaNetBookings Mike Woods 8806 Fathom Crest Indianapolis, IN 46256

MaSSaCHUSettSOpportunities Unlimited Joe Veneto PO Box 69-2359 Quincy, MA 02269

MICHIGanMarshalls Arts Nancy Marshall 4351 Aspen Trails Dr N E Grand Rapids, MI 49546

MInneSotaBest American Retreats Trina VanderLouw PO Box 44204 Eden Prairie, MN 55344

neW JerSeYChristian Giannelli Photography Christian Giannelli 10 Bridge St, Apt 1A Lambertville, NJ 08530

oHIoBCS Business Cleaning Solutions Bob Edmunds 400 The Falls of Cherokee Canton, OH 30114

teXaSGillis Ellis & Baker of Texas PLLC Kevin Davis 11757 Katy Frwy, Ste 1300 Houston, TX 77079

UtaHInstantInn Sterling Beck 341 E 300 S Provo, UT 84606

WaSHInGtonPacific Coast Feather Co Kim Kincade 1964 4th Ave S PO Box 80385 Seattle, WA 98134

AsPIrInG InnKeePers

InternatIonalJean-Sebastien Cote 250 Du Cormoran Saint Amable, QC J0L 1N0

Fred Kiggundu Plot 12, Kampala Rd PO Box 10694 Kampala, UG 256

Baker Bloodworth Via Dante Alighieri N 6 Carobbio degli Angeli Bergamo, 24060

arIZonaElise Link 950 Cowboy Springs Tr Prescott, AZ 86305

Daniel Gargan 3561 S Tumbleweed Ct Chandler, AZ 85248

CalIFornIaDuncan Jackson 1745 Ashland Ave Santa Monica, CA 90405 COLORADO

Julie Beckwith 1003 12th St Golden, CO 80401

Prudence Abeln 5746 Autumn Brush Ct Parker, CO 80134

ConneCtICUtPatrick Molitor 28 Sunset Terr West Hartford, CT 06107

DelaWareIdylle Patz 45 S Dickens Rd Claymont, DE 19703

FlorIDaKathy Saxon 1209 Russell Dr N Saint Petersburg, FL 33710

GeorGIaJennifer Davis 7552 Windermere Pk Riverdale, GA 30274

IllInoISDavid Fielder 2029 W St Paul #1-E Chicago, IL 60647

MaSSaCHUSettSJeanne Flint 35 Cedar St Cohasset, MA 02025

MarYlanDKimberly Schaefer 44 Dendron Ct Baltimore, MD 21234

Cindy Neugebauer 4936 Red Hill Rd Keedysville, MD 21756

MICHIGanMark Hutchison 958 South Shore Dr Holland, MI 49423

MInneSotaHeidi Erickson 3475 Golfview Dr #317 Eagan, MN 55123

Ann Olson Bercher 4348 29th Ave S Minneapolis, MN 55406

MISSoUrIChristine Comotto 45 Cambrian Way Saint Charles, MO 63301

MontanaDan McPhee 1300 Coon Hollow PO Box 774 Kila, MT 59920

neW JerSeYRichard Terwelp 1649 Forest Hill Rd Plainfield, NJ 07060

neW YorKJanet Pendergraph 355 Wide Waters Auburn, NY 13021

nortH CarolInaMelissa Brasher 1210 Meadowlands Dr Winston-Salem, NC 27107

Melanie Graham 170 Charity Ln Belmont, NC 28012

oHIoJayne Churchmack 710 Jefferson Ave #503 Cleveland, OH 441137

Emily Spiers 14941 Spohn Rd Fredericktown, OH 43019

PennSYlVanIaLaura Ray 1746 Friedensville Rd Bethlehem, PA 18015

Mike Hutchinson PO Box 596 Lititz, PA 17543

Martha Shaffer 1417 Henry Dr Downingtown, PA 19335

teXaSJeff Means 7001 Hansell #2453 Plano, TX 75024

Sandra Girouard 809 Sleepy Hollw Dr Cedar Hill, TX 75104

VIrGInIaAnnie Dixon 610 New Hope Rd Staunton, VA 24401

WaSHInGtonWilliam Eiford 560 Heron Point La Bellingham, WA 98229

WISConSInMary King N3094 Tamarack Rd Lake Geneva, WI 53147

Sally Leong 6931 Biglow Hill Rd Avoca, WI 53506

Michelle Molzahn 2814 Maple View Dr Madison, WI 53719

Christine Keleny-Craven PO Box 214 New Glarius, WI 53574

Jerry Lorenz W651S10333 Tuohy Rd Eagle, WI 53119

John Rybski NT938 CTH D Algoma, WI 54201

InTerIm InnKeePers

CalIFornIaJump Inn/ Georgia Jump Innsitter Georgia Jump 1992 Walden Ln Napa, CA 94558

neW JerSeYDeborah L Wauben 118 Grand Ave Atlantic Highlands, NJ 07716



44Inn Sales Female Innkeeper seeking lodging position.

Central California Coast. 14 years experience. Resume & references upon request. [email protected]

live in female Innkeeper for Small B&B in Philadelphia. Friendly, family atmosphere. Call Yolanta 267- 254-9700

classifieds

1st Travelers Choice ............................................................................ 36

B&B Team, The ..................................................................................... 32

BedandBreakfast.com ........................................................................ 44

BedandBreakfastForSale.com........................................................... 36

Book It Now ............................................................................................ 9

Christian Hospitality Network ............................................................ 33

Comphy Company ................................................................................ 43

Deneen Pottery..................................................................................... 36

Dispenser Amenities ........................................................................... 27

Essential Amenities ............................................................................. 32

Essentials Design Group ..................................................................... 31

First Cabin Records................................................................................ 6

Fullers’ Soaps ....................................................................................... 30

Inn Consulting Partners ........................................................................ 9

InnPayment ............................................................................................. 4

InnRoad.................................................................................................... 2

Inns Magazine ...................................................................................... 35

inSPAration ........................................................................................... 21

InnStyle .................................................................................................... 4

James Wolf Insurance ........................................................................ 10

Lanier, Pamela .................................................................................... IFC

Lofa Sofa................................................................................................ 18

Markel Insurance................................................................................. 17

Mid-Atlantic Innkeepers ..................................................................... 38

Naja Tea ................................................................................................. 25

NPC......................................................................................................... 26

PAII ................................................................................. 15, 19, 33, 34, 37

Pendergrass.......................................................................................... 20

Rowell Auctions ............................................................................... OBC

Smith Innovations ................................................................................ 16

Tea and Chi ............................................................................................ 27

Third Millennium Marketing ................................................................. 7

TMG, Inc., Virginia Inn Brokers .......................................................IBC

Turkish Towel Company, The .............................................................. 28

Victorian House Scones ..................................................................... 28

Webtools Hosting Services ................................................................ 13

AdvErTISErS’ INdEx

AdvErTISErS’ INdEx

BANK ORDEREDBANK OWNED

10% Buyers Premium AU 479, AB 296In Cooperation with: Richard L. Vairo, CCIM SIOR, RCV Properties, Inc.

800-323-8388Call for Details

SE Fort King St., Ocala, FLPrime Commercial Real Estate Located in Historic District

Furnishings & Equipment Offered Separately

“The Scott House”Restored Victorian Home, Circa 1888• Queen Anne Style• Judged Best Restoration in Florida in 1986• Eight Guest Rooms• Office• Front Entry Foyer• Separate Garage/Workshop in Rear of Property• Excellent Potential for Professional Office Space

• Five Guest Rooms• Front Entry Foyer• Gift Shop• Large Living/Sitting Room• Two Dining Rooms• Commercial Kitchen• Laundry Room• Excellent Potential for Professional Office Space

“The Rheinauer House”Restored Victorian Home, Circa 1890

NO MINIMUMS - NO RESERVES

ONLINE ONLY

Rowell Realty & Auction Co., Inc.RowellAuctions.com

ONLINE ONLYABSOLUTE

Begins July 7 -:- 10 a.m., Ends July 21 -:- 10 a.m.

6

p

SE Fort King St Ocala FL

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Historic Seven Sisters InnSE F t Ki St O l FL

Historic Seven Sisters Inn

summer 2009 innkeeping quarterly

Documents