Innovative Innkeepers During the COVID-19 Epidemic- Inn at Pleasant Lake awaits returing guests Innovative. One definition is originality. Survival. One definition is persistence. Innkeepers who have embraced a survival mode and been persistent and innovative. We applaud you all!  I will proceed to feature a few Inns that are examples of innovative innkeepers during the COVID-19 epidemic. Inn at Pleasant Lake, New Hampshire. Here is a clip from their latest newsletter. “Our team got to work right after the government shut us down.  We began with stripping the wallpaper off the ..read more

The Innkeeping world has lost one of its pioneering members with the passing of Bill Oates on Monday, November 22. Bill’s influence on the industry is immeasurable, and his legacy is carried on by industry professionals, consultants, brokers, and the countless Innkeepers who were his colleagues and close friends. I had the great pleasure of knowing Bill not only as a mentor and “the Innkeeping guru,” but as a grandfather and partner in travel from before I could distinguish one lodging property from another. Later on, as Bill’s Parkinson’s Disease limited his mobility, I was called on to trav ..read more

Rethinking Your Guest Experience-The Devonfield Inn   Have you been rethinking your guest experience during these troubled times? It is and always has been the mantra,’ put your guests’ needs and wants first’. Now more than ever. There is a new wave of customer. Someone who is more cautious, more discerning in their choices, especially when travelling. But they are willing to take a leap of faith if they feel safe and well taken care of by the innkeepers. Think concierge service on steroids! In the marketing world, CX means customer experience. I am going to use my spin on this, GX, gue ..read more

Take a Walk-The Villa at Saugerties, New York “At the speed of walking the human body is at its most comprehending state. Sight, smell, hearing, feeling of our physical environment. All are functioning at the most natural intensity.” This is a quote from a short composition my father-in-law, J. Robert Wolf wrote many years ago. It started with a walk he took around his neighborhood. There was a realization that speed can block the senses of observation. A walk can give you time for thinking, for understanding, for consideration. I have been walking a lot in the last 10 plus weeks. I am sure ..read more

On May 11, 2022, Airbnb announced its latest updates to the platform, promising “a new Airbnb for a new world of travel.” The updates noted in the Airbnb 2022 Summer Release allow users to discover millions of new listings, split trips between locations, and offer what Airbnb refers to as “the most comprehensive protection in travel”. While the changes may appear inconsequential on the surface, they are a clear response to the monumental shift in the way guests engage in the booking process, offering options for longer stays and a streamlined process for booking extended stays to multiple dest ..read more

It’s a common trend in our industry that the overarching macro news obscures counter trends among niches or segments of the larger picture. While it has been difficult to ignore the tell-tale signs of a red-hot real estate market during Covid times, there are critical nuances that require interpretation in the Inn and Bed and Breakfast industry. First off, the Inn, Bed and Breakfast, and boutique iteration of hospitality remains a vibrant segment of the greater hospitality industry. The increasing interest in the market of tech driven hospitality groups is a clear indicator of the opportunity ..read more

The Future of the Innkeeping Trade The two questions most resounding in my life since late last year: Where have you been? And what do you envision for the future of The B&B Team®? From a distance, the first question can be answered plainly. I have not sat still over the course of the pandemic. In fact, even before I took over the reins of The B&B Team® in December, my work with current and aspiring Innkeepers led me from California to Michigan to Florida to Maine (with quite a few stops in between). While all my conversations during these trips were colored by the pandemic, most wer ..read more

Open Roads In the beginning of the twentieth century America started to dream of independent travel in the automobile. Anyone who could afford a car could also afford leisure travel. Mr. Ford made the affordability more accessible. Family vacations on the open roads expanded tourism to become the nation’s largest industry. The automobile became a symbol of success and expanded the freedom of movement. Roadside country inns, motels and campgrounds flourished in the early days of automobile travel. Mom and Pop guesthouses that eventually became our B&Bs. Highways developed and byways paved ..read more

Blogging to be Seen and Heard for your Bed and Breakfast We all want to be recognized for who we are.  Blogging for your bed and breakfast helps you to be seen and heard out there in the internet ether. “As a small business, your content strategy is the key to getting yourself seen. It drives traffic to your site, increases conversions, and strengthens your brand.” Marketing Insider Group As a small hospitality business owner, YOU know the top attributes of your property (your brand) and your location. Blogging can be one of the key platforms to inform the rest of the world the who, wha ..read more

A Good Table   It was 10 years ago that we posted this beautiful poem in a blog. It was written by a friend who wrote it for a couple’s wedding celebration. Today this message of bringing friends and family together at ‘a good table’ is very timely.  As innkeepers you are missing the experience of guests enjoying your good table. You are also missing your family and friends who are distanced from your life. Please take a moment to read this poem. “A Good Table“ Beginning tonight, let there always be a good table for you both to gather around. Let it host friends and family. Let it ..read more