Lock up the house and spend a 'little' money

Remember 2008? Or would you rather forget about it? Yeah me too, it’s over, kaput! Remember the term ‘staycation’?  That alternative for vacation that popped up and became popular during the era between 2007-2010 where folks were encouraged to have fun at home instead of traveling to a vacation destination, like your bed and breakfast! Well it is still around. An interesting find was a ‘staycation idea’ website that lists suggestions for creating stay at home packages for family and friends. After reading through some of these suggestions I started thinking that they could also inspire ‘staycation packages’ for bed and breakfasts.

How many of you have guests that come from neighboring towns less than a 30 minute drive away? These folks decided to get away from home for their ‘staycation’. What a great demographic to start capturing. Your time-deprived potential guests are out there, close by, and they are seeking someone to tell them where to stay, what to do and how much to spend. Voila…

Staycation – Close to Home Yet Far Enough Away

Time to get away

Rick and I recently overheard two women at a table next to ours at lunch comment that they would love to plan a shopping trip to the Kittery Outlets and stay at a bed and breakfast in Kennebunkport. These women lived in Portland, a 30 minute drive to Kennebunkport and then another 30 minute drive to Kittery.

Besides shopping there are plenty of activities that could be incorporated into your ‘staycation’ Inn packages. Just think of all the local places you have longed to visit, the spa treatment you have wanted to try, the watercolor class you have dreamed of taking, but have not had the time. There are plenty of ‘time deprived’ people out there that feel the same. 

I did a little research in our area and came up with a package I would sign up for.

•          Rivertree Arts presents ‘Black and White”. Start the evening viewing an exhibition of historic mid-century B&W photos of Wall Street. Follow with a ‘Concert and a Movie’ event featuring live music accompanying a groundbreaking 1921 B&W silent film. End the evening with a late light supper at the Old Vines Wine Bar. All these events are within walking distance from the Inn. Start the next day with a wonderful breakfast followed by a walk on the beach or…?

This following idea was  from the ‘staycation’ idea website.

•      ‘Inn Our Own Backyard’ – Host your own tournaments, croquet, badminton, bocce ball, and horseshoes, with prizes. This could be a great inn to inn activity. End the day with a barbeque.

Of course all these package ideas may also be ideal for guests from far away, but your marketing to the ‘staycation’ guests will be different. I asked Scott Thomas, innkeeper and social media marketing expert from the Brewster House Bed & Breakfast in Freeport, Maine to comment and make some suggestions.

From Scott:

“Just last weekend we had a last-minute call from someone an hour north of us, who just wanted a one-night getaway. Great! I think that does call for some emphasis on reaching the ‘local’ market – from 30-120 minutes’ drive. I realize that the 2 hour drive takes people into the ‘normal’ range, but if there is a metro area near the edge of the 60-90 minute range, you wouldn’t want to leave them out.

“I would definitely urge people to be sure their Google and Bing local listings are up-to-date, and that they are taking advantage of putting ‘an update’ on the Google Place page (they are free, and stay up for 30 days). We recently had guests searching for Valentine’s packages and they say we came up first (which I doubt, but it depends on how they searched, I suppose). If so, it is because I had a Valentine’s package in the Google Pages listing. I also would definitely identify guests within a day’s drive and email them about the package.”

Thank you Scott. This is good stuff, especially the Google and Bing local listing advice.

You may have a local TV channel that has a community bulletin board. Use Facebook to promote your package, add photos and make it easy for them to book, now. Cross promote with the business partner you include in your package, i.e. the art center and restaurant. Remember, a package is for guests who want everything all wrapped up and easy to book with one all-inclusive price.

I end this with an interesting  statistic.

“226 million vacation days will go unused this year resulting in some 50 million Americans becoming ‘vacation deprived’ says travel company Monograms.”

I think those 50 million Americans could use an ‘Inn staycation’. You agree?

Janet Wolf

Sandy Soule, colleague, B & B travel writer and all around smart lady, has a mantra. “Vertical surfaces are for the innkeepers, horizontal surfaces are for the guests”. All of us at The B&B Team quote these wise words often.

A bit of an exageration...but

We have visited Bed and Breakfast Inns where we have found it necessary to clear the one and only horizontal surface in the guestroom of information booklets, decorative items and more in order to use this space for our personal items.

Clutter increases your stress level.

Think about it, guestrooms should promote rest and relaxation. We know how many guests arrive stressed out after a long drive or delayed flights or both!  You don’t want to create more agitation when your guests enter their room and the first thing they see is a crowd of stuff.

All you have to do is Google ‘clutter’ and you can find many articles titled; ‘10 ways to de-clutter your home’ or ‘De Clutter 101’. These articles can be very helpful for your office, kitchen and owner’s quarters which is also very important space for de cluttering but for this writing I want to focus on guestrooms and public rooms.

Here is a list of agitation inducing clutter you may want to consider clearing out:

• Personal collections placed on dressers, tables, sofas, chairs. These items may be dear to you so you probably don’t want them moved to the floor or hidden in drawers. A guest may find it hard to feel comfortable when they see so much of the innkeeper’s personal items on display. Your common rooms can be great places for showcasing some of these items on a few strategically placed shelves or in designated cabinets.

• Too many decorative pillows. They only end up on the floor and may be stepped on and kicked around. (Do you want your guests releasing their stress by kicking piles of pillows)?

• Dried and artificial flower arrangements. Many times these become ignored decorations that fade and collect dust.  Dust is clutter too and also collects odors. Yuk!

• Boxy, out of date TVs take up a lot of space. You may not be able to replace all of them at once but you can replace them a few rooms at a time. Finding wall space for a flat screen can free up much needed horizontal surfaces.

From HGTV 'Decorate with Floating Shelves'

• Bathrooms really need to be free of clutter. This can be challenging when trying to create those places for your guest’s plethora of toiletries, especially in a small bathroom. Use your vertical surfaces (walls) for open shelves or cubbies. Corners are another place for space saving shelves. ‘Floating shelves’ have been around for a while and are great space savers. Use as bedside tables as well.
  

  Martha Stewart's Corner Unit

• DO NOT DO THIS, DO NOT DO THAT signs. ‘No’ is a four letter word for innkeepers. These signs not only clutter the Inn but can clutter your guest’s heads with inhospitable rules. A real stress inducer.

Well, maybe some signs are necessary

There is a reason why spa spaces are simple, clean and free of clutter. Spas require an atmosphere that is relaxing and soothing, think of your guest rooms in that same vein. We have a massage therapist on our office floor and when I asked about her thoughts on de-cluttering she said: “If you want to bring more into your life you must free yourself of clutter.” Your guests may be escaping a cluttered work space and a cluttered mind to seek a much needed respite at your Inn. Your job as innkeepers is to provide the peaceful space where they can experience that much needed break.

Action: Take a good hard look at your guest rooms and public spaces and in your mind’s eye (or literally) clear everything out of the room including furniture. Then start putting back the large pieces that are necessary for the functionality of the room. Then return the decorative items that are the most ascetically pleasing to your vertical spaces and follow with your horizontal surfaces. After that you may find the room has a much more open and cleaner feel than before and many of the smaller decorative items you think you love can go away. Next step, yard sale!

Janet Wolf

“Innkeeper”
by
Brooks Bradbury
Read and Presented at The Innkeeping Show, Jan. 26, 2012

YOU CHECK LEGIONS IN
CHECK LEGIONS OUT
YOU’RE PLEASANT EVERY DAY, NO DOUBT
YOU SERVE CANAPÉS
FRUIT AND CHEESE
WORK ENDLESS DAYS
YOU AIM TO PLEASE

YOU’RE CALLED OUT ON TRIP ADVISOR
AND NEVER KNOW WHAT THEY’LL SAY
GOOD REVIEWS MAKE YOU SEEM WISER,
THE BAD GIVE YOU HELL TO PAY

IT SURE BEATS LIFE IN A CUBBY
OR A TEDIOUS NINE TO FIVE DRAG
WITH MORE WEEKENDS OFF
YOU’D BE EVEN MORE CHUBBY
PROBABLY HALF IN THE BAG

ALL OF OUR GUESTS BRING JOY
TO THE HEART–OH I’M SURE–
MOST ALL AT ARRIVAL
BUT SOME AT DEPARTURE

WE’VE GOT PLENTY OF SECRETS
TO GET OFF OF OUR CHESTS
EVER GRACIOUS UNDER STRESS
WE APPRECIATE RETURNING GUESTS

WE’VE GOT HOLES IN OUR TAPE CHARTS
WE’RE DESPERATE TO FILL
THIS AIN’T FOR THE FAINT-HEARTS
NOR THE OVER-THE-HILL

WE CARRY THEIR BAGS AND SHOW THE WAY
POUR THE COFFEE AND SCRUB THE LOO
WELCOME STRANGERS, THE OCCASIONAL STRAY
WE OFFER ADVICE RECEIVE OUR SHARE TOO

YES, WE’VE SEEN OUR GUESTS NAKED,
AND WITHOUT INHABITIONS
WHEN THEY LOCK THEMSELVES OUT
IN AWKWARD POSITIONS

WE ARE IN TUNE WITH OUR GREASE-TRAP
BRAVE THE OCCASIONAL MOUSE
WE APPLAUD OUR SEPTIC–NO NEED TO CLAP
WE PRAY FOR IT WHEN GUESTS ARE IN-HOUSE

SO WE CLEAN UP SPILLS
PAY HEAVENLY BILLS
FLASH MILES OF SMILES
VACUUM HAIRS OFF TILES

SILENCE THE BEDSPRINGS
BUILD WALLS AGAINST SNORES
RETURN LOST & FOUND THINGS
SETTLE CHECK-OUT TIME WARS

WE POINT TOILET PAPERS
FOR NO CLEAR-CUT REASON
IS IT DIAMOND-STAR ENVY?
OR ARE WE OVER-REACHING?

WE SPRAY LYSOL ON VAPORS
PUT CHOCOLATES ON NIGHTSTANDS
GIVE OUT FREE MORNING PAPERS
PERFORM ABNORMAL HEADSTANDS

WE SPEND LONG HOURS AT LABOR
WITH NO HESITATIONS…
BUT AS WE ACTUALLY LIVE WITH OUR CUSTOMERS
WE DO HAVE A FEW RESERVATIONS

PERPETUALLY IN NEED
OF A LONGER VACATION
WE ARE THE FAITHFUL
OF THE INNKEEPER NATION

WE’RE GIVEN ONE CHANCE
TO MAKE FIRST IMPRESSIONS
WE LOOK ASKANCE
AT INDISCRETIONS
BECOMING AN INNKEEPER
MEANS WE’RE IN EVEN DEEPER
AND WE FLY BY THE SEAT OF OUR PANTS

IT’S OUR GUESTS THOUGH WE TREASURE
AS FRAGILE AND RARE
OF COURSE! IT’S MY PLEASURE!
YES–I’LL BE RIGHT THERE!

IT’S UP-CLOSE AND PERSONAL
WITH SYBIL-LIKE ROLES
SOMETIMES WE COULD BITE OFF SOME HEADS
JUST TO SPIT IN THE HOLES!

BUT WE SMILE THROUGH OUR ANGER
RESISTING THE URGE
WHEN WE’RE OVER-THE-EDGE
AND OUT ON THE VERGE

THIS IS OUR CALLING
WE ARE DESTINED TO SERVE
WE’VE GOT THE MANNERS,
THE BRASS AND THE NERVE

GUESTS RETURN JOY
AND LOVE YOU IN TURN
RESPONDING TO KINDNESS
WITH LOYALTY THAT YOU EARN

BUT SNOOZING AWAY
IN THOSE EARLY MORN HOURS
WHEN WE AWAKEN FROM DREAMS
OF FRETTE AND FLOWERS
REMEMBER THERE’S ONLY ONE
CHOICE WE NEED MAKE

IT’S NOT WHAT ROOM TO CLEAN FIRST
OR WHICH MUFFIN TO BAKE
NOT WHETHER QUICHE OR FRITTATA
OR THE GLUTEN-FREE CAKE
OR WHICH POTPOURRI
YOU’VE DECIDED TO USE
OR IF YOU NEED PADDED HANGERS
OR JUST PADDED ROOMS

BUT THE HEART OF THE MATTER,
THE REAL CRUX OF THE THING
IS WHEN YOU WAKE UP
TO AN ALARM BELL’S RING

A MOMENT OF TRUTH ARRIVES
EACH DAY IN YOUR LIFE
A DECISION YOU MAKE
THAT CUTS LIKE A KNIFE

YOUR ONLY CHOICE
IS THIS ONE, TO GET BY:
ARE YOU GOING TO LIVE?
OR ARE YOU GOING TO DIE?

IF YOU’VE DECIDED TO DIE,
PLEASE — FALL DOWN QUICKLY
AND SPARE ALL THE OTHERS
FROM THE NEGATIVE AND PRICK-LY

BUT IF YOU’VE DECIDE TO LIVE:
THEN BY ALL MEANS FLOURISH!
GROW JOY IN YOUR SOUL
LOVE AND BE NOURISHED

IN THE FINAL ANALYSIS,
IT’S THE GIFTS THAT WE GIVE
THE TIME THAT WE SHARE
THE WAY THAT WE LIVE
THE GIVING BACK
THE BEING THERE
IT’S THE FRIENDS WE MAKE
FOR HEAVEN’S SAKE

THE TIME GETS SHORTER
NUMBERED DAYS WHIZ BY
PLENTY OF WORRIES
TO STOP AND ASK WHY

IT’S AN INNKEEPER’S LIFE
OUR LIVING TO GIVE
SHALL WE SHRIVEL AND DIE?
OR, TURN-ON AND LIVE?

All of us at The B&B Team work closely with aspiring innkeepers in our ‘Better Way to Learn Innkeeping’ Seminars. And in the immediate future are looking forward to meeting and hopefully inspiring many aspiring folks at the upcoming PAII Innkeeping Conference in Little Rock, Arkansas, January 23-26.  Aspiring innkeepers are also aspiring entrepreneurs. Innkeeper = entrepreneur, interchangeable!

Question? Can a person learn to become an entrepreneur or are the essential skills ‘born’ in you? Let’s take a look.

Confidence

•        Positive attitudes and belief in yourself. People who have lingering doubts and anxiety over stepping outside a corporate mentality are most likely not meant for entrepreneurship. We have had some aspirers in our seminars who have queried; What if we fail? I can honestly say that not once did the thought of failure enter into our thought process when Rick and I started pursuing our innkeeping career. We educated ourselves by attending a seminar and PAII conferences, consulted with our financial advisors and innkeeping consultants, we researched and visited properties, did our due diligence when we identified a property and finally, gathered all our business and personal skills together and focused on the process that would lead us to our goal. By going through this process you gain knowledge which translates into confidence and belief in yourself. A very successful entrepreneur once said; ‘We entrepreneurs have a hard time imagining that what we believe in so much could do anything but succeed.” More about him as we move forward.
•       Innovative and inventive mind. Your business/Inn is your baby; it must be nurtured and fed constantly. For instance, we always suggest a business plan be written in pencil because you will revisit it on a regular basis, and it will be revised as needed. Your baby also needs constant attention. An inventive and creative mind will be put to use to breathe new life into your property and your ever-changing marketing strategies. Keeping abreast of the latest hospitality and social media trends and then creatively adapting them to your Inn is a practice that can result in real success. It is also fun and challenging!
•      Move at a hare’s pace, not a snail’s.  Take your innovative ideas and implement them sooner rather than later. Always work to be a step ahead. Quick thinking people tend to be more successful.

Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group (that successful entrepreneur I mention before) is one of the largest and most successful restaurant and hospitality companies in the world. But just like all entrepreneurs he started small with one restaurant. This quote from him highlights on the skills discussed so far. “The road to success is paved with mistakes well-handled. Overcoming adversity with imagination, courage, good humor and confidence is a crucial skill.” Mistakes? Yes, we have all and will continue to make some mistakes. Most can be foreseeable and avoidable from the beginning if you do your due diligence and go through the learning process. But I think Mr. Myers would agree that, if you make a mistake, have the courage to admit it, learn from it, change your direction and have the confidence to move ahead.

So, was the question answered? Can a person learn to become an entrepreneur? I think one has to listen to our internal voices. Do they say ‘go, go, go’ or do they say ‘maybe, I’ll see, I’m not quite sure’? Be honest with yourself when you listen to those voices! Then answer the question for yourself.

To conclude I will end with another quote from a favorite movie: A League of Their Own.  Coach Jimmy Dugan is talking to the team’s star player, Dottie Hinson as she is about to quit the team.

Jimmy: Baseball is what gets inside you. It’s what lights you up, you can’t deny that.

Dottie: It just got too hard.

Jimmy: It’s supposed to be hard. If it wasn’t hard, everyone would do it. The hard…is what makes it great.

Starting your own business/Inn is hard work and takes courage and conviction. But if you love the ‘work’ of providing pleasure for other people, which is the essence of hospitality, it can really be worth the entrepreneurial leap and the ensuing journey. Yes it is the ‘hard that makes it great’.

Janet Wolf

Just yesterday I received a call from an innkeeper with whom I have had a relationship who was considering selling his inn, a 7 room bed and breakfast inn in a nearby state.  Just what we do!  Thanks for the call!   We opened up a dialog about the inn, its size, its location, discussed the process, and then I suggested he send me a copy of his 2010 and 2011 financials.  You would have thought I was asking for his FBC (first born child).  “I just will not get into the hassles of trying to explain my financials and business with ANYBODY.  Just sell my inn!”  He was adamant and fixed in his stubbornness.

My antennae went up like a dog’s ears at suppertime.  After failing to convince him that this is an important step to understanding the revenue and net operating income of the inn (to help establish its value), we closed our conversation that perhaps the best way to sell his property is as a residence through the local MLS system since a buyer would never be able to get a commercial loan on that property without the bank seeing the financials.  He was satisfied with that…I guess.

But the point is trust.  I lost trust with him.  Was he cheating the IRS and did not want to let anybody discover it?  Were his numbers so poor that I would be trying to sell his inn only on its potential?  Does he even have records?  All kinds of distrustful thoughts went through my head.  I hope all them are wrong.  If a seller, perhaps even unwittingly, withholds information from a buyer, trust is jeopardized, and with the limited number of buyers and the huge inventory of inns for sale, buyers will look elsewhere.  Building Buyer/Seller trust is critical.  So how is it done?

Like a good Boy Scout…Be Prepared!

• Having complete and accurate records (including taxes…they will be scrutinized during a buyer’s due diligence period)
• Track occupancy by month from year to year.  A buyer wants to see the seasonal nature of the inn (especially to understand what happens in the slow season).
• Have a complete Inclusion/Exclusion list of the furniture and fixtures will transfer with the property and what will go with the sellers.
• For a smaller inn, have a property condition disclosure (available from any real estate agent) prepared.  This is required in many states anyway.
• For larger inns, consider a Seller’s Inspection completed BEFORE a buyer’s inspector finds any defects (and they WILL find the problems!),  This inspection demonstrates full disclosure of the condition of the inn, provides a report accuracy defense in the event the buyer’s inspector overinflates the seriousness of a deficiency, and leads to a corrective plan to defuse emotions and begin negotiations.
• Keep your gift certificate log current
• Open and honest conversations about marketing, buyer’s opportunities, and full disclosure.

When Marilyn and I were looking for our inn long ago (the Dead Sea was only sick back then), the owner of one of our candidate inns pulled me aside and said “Don’t worry about the numbers, Scott.  I put two kids through college on this inn!”.  We left never to return.  If he was willing to cheat the IRS, he was willing to cheat us.

Innkeepers…think about the “surprises” that made YOU angry when you bought your inn.  We’ve all been there.  Think like the buyer of your inn.  What roadblocks can be removed now to build Trust and not jeopardize the chances of a timely and financially rewarding transfer.

Anybody have any trust surprises when you bought your inn?  We would love to hear about them and what could have been done differently.   Scott

]]> http://bbteam.com/2012/01/11/t-is-for-trust-especially-between-an-inn-seller-and-buyer/feed/ 1 http://bbteam.com/2011/12/28/w-is-for-winning/ http://bbteam.com/2011/12/28/w-is-for-winning/#comments Wed, 28 Dec 2011 21:53:02 +0000 Rick Wolf http://bbteam.com/?p=3174

First and last, this is not about the silly rants from a known sit-com celebrity this past summer.

What it is about is a gentleman from the Kennebunks who recently passed away, Hank Spaulding. Didn’t know him well, in fact, barely at all.

I did however know of Hank and his wife through their local actions and community involvement.  Hank was a successful real estate developer in Boston who “succeeded in a business style that is unheard of in today’s business climate”.  Hank wanted people on both sides of the deal to win at the end of the day.  He felt that if both sides win…there would be more deals in the future!

He was eulogized by his son who stated that, “…he lived a life of possibility.  On his worst days the glass was half full and most of the time it was damn near full to the brim. His core convictions were simple and ran deep: Never forget those who helped you along the way, always be willing to pitch in, don’t complain, be grateful, and always have something you’re shooting for, something to look forward to.”

I have tried to start, like many of us, every New Year with a resolution for some personal betterment or goal.  This year it should be easy because the message here for me is simple and is a wish for all of us.

Let’s live like Hank did, full of possibilities.  Let’s be great listeners, let’s be grateful for what we have, let’s be the best at what we do and, let’s always strive to insure ‘win-win’ in everything we do. Think we’ll all be better for it!  That is my goal and wish for 2012.

On behalf of all of us at The B&B Team ….All the best for a Happy and Healthy New Year.

In our seminars for Aspiring innkeepers we often use an analogy that we believe illustrates the essence of Innkeeping.  “If you enjoy giving a gift to someone and seeing the joy it brings more than you enjoy receiving a gift, then you have the heart of an innkeeper.” Our seminar attendees usually sit silently and nod in agreement.

Innkeepers are always giving of themselves, their time, knowledge and a lot of TLC. The B&B Team® hopes you all can take a break during this holiday season and reflect on what gifts you have given your guests over the year. Give yourselves a big HUG and THANK YOU, you deserve it!

There may have been times during the year you have felt like an old scrooge, but even Mr. Scrooge experienced the realization after reflecting on his past (with the help from a few ghosts) that: ”I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all year.” –Charles Dickens from ‘A Christmas Carol’.

It really doesn’t matter what or how you celebrate the season, the heart of it all comes down to the celebration of loved traditions and our individual beliefs and of course giving. I found a beautiful quote in a blog posting by film director Randy Rosselli, Jr, that says it all:

 “May all readers experience their own miracles through family traditions and the establishment of everlasting memories of the love that the season brings.”

Our gift to you all from The B&B Team® is a sincere wish for continued health and happiness in the coming New Year and a big THANK YOU for your dedication and giving spirit to your guests and the Innkeeping industry. And for those of you thinking of becoming innkeepers, just imagine how much richer your life will be when you can enrich so many others. Happy Holidays!

Peter and Peggy, Rick and Janet, Scott and Marilyn

In case you haven’t heard 2012 is just around the corner and the PAII Innkeeping Conference and Trade Show in Little Rock, AR. January 23-26. The B&B Team is really looking forward to attending in Little Rock, a town I for one have never been to. The Peabody Hotel looks like a fun place also, love the ducks!

Show Time

As innkeepers and currently as partners with The B&B Team, we have attended dozens of conferences. The PAII conferences became an important part of Rick and my Innkeeping life. Keeping up with the latest trends and implementing them into our business was probably the most important aspect but meeting and networking with innkeepers from far and wide as well as loyal PAII vendors was and is today equally important. Another plus with conference attendance is just plain fun! Never underestimate the importance of fun.

We have asked ourselves over the years why more innkeepers don’t attend. We know there may be some legitimate reasons for not attending every conference but I believe way too many innkeepers just don’t see the benefits of professional conferences. Or maybe they don’t want to have fun!

The B&B Team and Friends

So…for those naysayers out there let me try to change your outlook.

•         Return on Investment – Yes there is expense, you can do the math. But if you view it as an investment in the future growth of your Inn, the return on this investment can be a huge benefit. View the money spent as a marketing expense not as an expensive trip.
•        Networking – Where else can you find so many industry contacts and friends under one roof who face the same issues you do? These contacts, innkeepers as well as vendors and PAII staff may become lifelong friends and great sources for information and advice.
•      Education, Education, Education – The conference sessions will be led by industry experts and experienced innkeepers. The opening day sessions are led by inspiring keynote speakers.  Here is the opportunity to take the pulse of what is happening in our world. Your benefit is real practical professional development for three action packed days.
•      Vendor Contacts – The conference will showcase vendors with the tools, supplies and amenities you can use or evaluate for future use.  You have the opportunity to compare the values of competing vendors, evaluate their wares, hands on and face to face.  Where else can you do this?
•      Take a Break – Away from your daily routine. This can be refreshing and energizing and invigorate your calling to innkeeping! An opportunity to reflect, look at the bigger picture and go outside the box (Inn) and explore.
•      Give and Share – Sharing your thoughts and experiences (war stories!) with others is beneficial to your innkeeping soul. You become aware that you are not alone. A professional conference is also an excellent opportunity to give back. You can become a mentor to aspiring or new innkeepers, become a session introducer, participate on a panel discussion or create and present your own workshop/session.

Networking, education, making friends, R & R, giving and sharing may be hard to quantify on an expense sheet but to our way of thinking these are benefits that far outweigh dollars and cents. And the fun you will have, priceless!

WOM

A simple definition (thanks once again to Wikipedia) is: The practice of monitoring the internet reputation of a person, brand or business with the goal of suppressing negative mentions entirely, or pushing them lower on search engine results pages.

I remember in High School it was not a good thing when there was talk about someone having a ‘bad rep’. In the ‘boomer’ generation it was only talk, no Facebook or tweets. So what did one do to quell the gossip?  Ignore it and the talk would hopefully go away.

Times change, you have matured and so has WOM, word of mouth. You are in a business that is highly personalized and managing your ‘rep’ is an important and integral part of your marketing strategies. Monitoring your ORM includes not only the popular review sights like Trip Advisor (often referred to as the 900 pound gorilla) but all the other social media tools available to the travelling consumer.

Your friend?

In my research I came across a fabulous article about ORM published by Tourism BC, the tourism organization for British Columbia, Canada. It is chocked full of information and worth a read. I was also pleased to see that Ian MacPhee of Abbeymore Manor in Victoria BC was interviewed and quoted in this report. Innkeepers Anne, Ian and Michelle are active members and proponents of PAII and frequently post on the PAII Forum. Ian says he actively monitors reviews on Trip Advisor, Yelp and bedandbreakfast.com, not only for his inn but for his location. What a smart and thoughtful strategy! He not only actively monitors the reviews of his inn but of his town.  He firmly believes that; “A great website coupled with a solid online reputation brings business.” We at The B&B Team could not agree more. A positive approach in managing your online reputation goes along way versus the negative ‘refusal to face the facts’ attitude that so many innkeepers took when Trip Advisor emerged. The results say it all, Abbeymore Manor is ranked #1 of 117 B&B/Inns in Victoria by TA as well as a Traveller’s Choice 2011 Winner.  Ian says that TA is their #1 referral source. Staying on top takes disiplne and time. Ian advises that innkeepers should :”Find the time and you’ll reap the awards”. His week includes ’Facebook Fridays, Trip Advisor Tuesdays and Website Wednesdays’. I love it!

Of course just like in High School, you have to have a good ‘rep’ in order for your WOM to be positive. You must be confident in who you are and how you run your property. Another great quote from Ian; “Be sure your property is the best it can be and go out of your way for every guest.”

Of course we don’t live in a perfect B&B world and despite your hard work there are guests that believe their expectations were not met (true or not true!) and they feel a need to vent. A negative review rears its ugly head. What to do? Don’t ignore it, it won’t just go away. A short manager’s response to respectfully set the record straight is the best plan of action. Here are some suggested rules of action:

•      Draft a reply and sleep on it.
•      Be brief, a long response comes off as a lecture.
•      Always respond to the complaint, not the person complaining.
•      Use a friendly, conversational tone.
•      Explain what you are doing to improve or fix the problem.
•      Don’t make BIG excuses or pass the blame onto others, staff etc.
•      Don’t wait too long to respond, a negative review sitting unacknowledged has more time to damage your reputation.
•      Last but not least, check your spelling and grammar.

A question many innkeepers ask is:  What if the complaint is false? The best way is to set the record straight without engaging in ‘he said, she said’. You have the option to contact the review site if you seriously believe you have been falsely accused and work with them to get the review removed. First read the review site’s rules and guidelines before you proceed.  Review removal can be a long and possibly frustrating process and you may not be successful in its removal  but it may be in your best interest to try.

An important component in managing your reputation is encouraging your guests to be an advocate for your Inn. The check-out process is a great time to engage with your guests. If they have expressed satisfaction with their stay you can easily direct the conversation into asking them to post a review. Make it easy for them. Have something printed with a nice Thank You note that include the link(s) to your review site(s) of choice. Many innkeepers prefer to send follow-up emails inviting guests to post a review, with direct links to your property’s review page, again making it easy and seamless for them. This is just another way of engaging with your guests and providing them with great service.

Social networking, including online reviews is not going away. Becoming engaged in social networking by managing your reviews will reap its rewards.  Real travel decisions are being made on review sites right now! That is a very powerful reason to engage.  Being on top of your game and working hard to reach a high ranking on Trip Advisor’s popularity index can bring those guests to your website, just where you want them. Take a hold of that 900 pound gorilla with confidence, make him your friend, he is not going away.

91 South Dining Room and Bar at the PineCrest Inn

Gastronomy is defined in Wikipedia as the art or science of food eating that also involves the discovering, tasting and the experience of eating. Last weekend Rick and I made a reservation at 91 South, the restaurant located at the PineCrest Inn in Gorham, Maine. Our clients, Matt and Amy Mattingly are the keepers of the Inn and their hospitality includes a love of food and wines that results in an extraordinary experience and gastronomic discovery!

From the moment you approach the entrance your senses are engaged. The aroma of roasting spices was the first sensory stimuli start to our evening. The soft lights and sound of live jazz guitar music were next, followed by a warm welcome from Matt and Amy with only a short admonishment for waiting so long to dine with them. Sorry, no excuse!

We walked by the kitchen on our way to the dining room and were briefly introduced to Chef Noah Gaston. On the website the cuisine is described as ‘global comfort food’ with ‘innovative fusion’. Chef Gaston describes his cuisine and passion for food as ‘…the primary gateway into another culture and a form of art…at 91 South we fuse them to bring it all together’. And all together it came, from the variety of wines personally selected by Matt specializing in small vineyards from across the world to the food that we discovered as some of the best we have experienced anywhere. The innovative menu is your next portal to 91 South’s food discovery. Here are a few examples:

maine caprese (*v . gf . vg) tomatoes . mozzarella . olives . basil . blueberry vinaigrette

savory salmon (*v . gf . vg) peppercorn and juniper berry encrusted salmon .roasted cauliflower mash . garlicky broccoli rabe . green peppercorn . cognac

five hour beef shank ( gf .) creamy brie mashed potatoes . fig and apricot jus . roasted asparagus

The * items can be modified to vg=vegetarian, gf=gluten free and v=vegan. This is a very thoughtful added choice for today’s diners.

I know now we should have taken photos of our plates as they were presented to us to accompany this blog because we all know you eat with your eyes first. The presentation is right on backed up by wonderful aromas and taste. After finishing our meal with pumpkin cannoli (Wow!) we were able to chat with Chef Noah. We had to ask about his unusual and flavorful spices we tasted in all our menu choices. He specializes in collecting and blending spices from around the world. These aren’t your ordinary grocery store spice selections.  He mentioned some spices that were new to our knowledge. An example is a blend of roasted spices that is served with slices of fresh warm bread and aromatic virgin olive oil. A double dip and you experience happy mouth bliss!

Chef Noah Gaston

Thank you Matt and Amy for creating the PineCrest Inn and 91 South Restaurant in Gorham, Maine, just a short distance from Portland, Maine. Thank you for  Chef Noah Gaston and your attentive and knowledgeable staff. Thank you for the soft guitar music of Ken Karby and…there must be more. Oh yes, 65 wines offered by the glass. Guess we will have to come back!

Gastronomy can also involve the writing about food and the sensory qualities a dining experience can bring. I hope I have expressed our enjoyment and the next time you are in southern Maine, the PineCrest Inn and 91 South will be your lodging and culinary destination.

Janet Wolf