Join our fight against the B&B stereotype. Last week you may have seen the scathing, meant to be humorous article in the online travel section of the Boston Globe; Does B&B stand for blah and bummer? One man’s stand against breakfast with strangers. If not I have provided you with the link. I suggest you read it.
Now that you are as incensed as I became, you can now read my immediately response to the author, Christopher Muther. I share it with you now.
Dear Chris,
Have you ever had a terrible meal at a small chef/owned restaurant? Maybe you go on TripAdvisor and give it a 2 or 3 star review and probably won’t go back. But you know that not all small chef/owned restaurants are the same. Right? I am not going to continue with this thread of thought because you are obviously a bright guy and get it.
What I am going to say is that writing about one, allegedly out of touch, living in the past B&B and giving it a scathing review based on your prejudiced (unfounded?) assumption that all B&Bs are similar to Mrs. Butterworth’s B&B. (By the way, do they really still make that stuff?) This is very unfair and articles like yours can unfortunately hurt the small independent lodging businesses.
Fact: B&Bs are changing, it is Darwinian. But it takes time. Of course we like to see positive press about our industry. Like the article just published in Down East Magazine featuring a selection of new Maine innkeepers entitled, The New Innkeepers.
This quote from the article says it all…
“Baby-boomer hoteliers — long the driving force behind the state’s inns, B&Bs, sporting camps, and other accommodations — are handing over the keys, and a new crop of hosts are bringing with them fresh aesthetics, new investment, and novel ideas about what it means to be a guest of the house.”
Chris, I know your article was amusing and was meant to initiate a chuckle or two but it really just dragged out another stereotype that our industry is working very hard on diminishing.
Now if you want to write something positive about our industry, take a look at the B&Bs for Vets program.
Thanks for Listening… Janet Wolf
Our industry’s B&Bs are changing. Innkeepers, new or seasoned, with the ‘fresh aesthetics, new investment and novel ideas’ are the future. Keeping up with hospitality industry trends is key. One way of doing this is education, education, education! How, when and where? The Knowledge Sharing Summit & Marketplace is THE place to be. February 26-March 1, 2018 in Norfolk, Virginia. Our forward looking association, AIHP, Association of Independent Hospitality Professionals, has a very forward thinking education program planned. Please consider attending.
The B&B Team is committed to the fight against the B&B stereotype. Join the fight, let’s move forward and once again…
Thanks for Listening,
Janet Wolf
