“The twin effect of the economic downturn and the increase cost in gas prices just has people more economically-minded than we have seen since 2001, “ says Rod Caborn, executive vice president, at Ypartnership, a leading consumer research firm. Another piece of great news…except that this quote is coming from HotelMarketing.com and is directed at […]
A Summer 2008 Viewpoint Read More »
Alright, so the news about leisure travel for 2008 isn’t great. In fact, it’s a bit alarming. But all is not lost! According to the 2008 National Travel Monitor, as reported in Ypartnership’s recent article "Would If I Could," there are several reasons why 16% of leisure travelers plan to take fewer trips this year.
The Challenge of Declining Leisure Travel Read More »
For the fourth year Inngenium, LLC, Lodging Management Consultants has completed a fascinating study of the marketplace of inns and bed & breakfasts for sale nationally. The only study of its kind, it looks at the availability of properties for sale that are actually current or former inns (excluding those marketed as "potential" B&Bs). The
2008 Inns and Bed & Breakfasts For Sale Study Read More »
Are we entering a recession? Are we in one? Are we going to avoid one?…I don’t know but seemingly neither do the talking heads and economic pundits. Nevertheless, the topic of Recession Proof Vacations hit the news this morning. Not sure how many innkeepers had the time to watch the Today Show this morning, but
Recession Proof Vacations Read More »
An interesting article from HOTELMARKETING.com talks about a decline in consumer satisfaction with the online travel industry. This comes at the same time that overall consumer satisfaction with online commerce is rising. Is this a problem for our innkeepers? To the extent that the report from the University of Michigan and ForeSee Results focuses on
Online Travel Satisfaction Declines Read More »
Rick and I are just back from the Conference of the Carolinas in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Hosted by the South Carolina Bed & Breakfast Association (SCBBA) and North Carolina Bed & Breakfasts and Inns (NCBBI) it was three day gathering of innkeepers, vendors, and aspiring innkeepers to learn, network, and have fun. We certainly had
Strategic Partnerships, Lasting Friendships Read More »
When innkeepers take a reservation from a repeat guest or learn that a new reservation was referred by a previous guest, it’s always a good thing. The higher the percentage of repeat and referral guests, the better, because word of mouth advertising costs nothing. Or does it? In the day to day reality of most
Word-of-Mouth Marketing Read More »
In all the discussion about social media, blogs, Web 2.0, etc., I am reminded that it’s important to remember the basics when it comes to marketing your inn. There’s no substitute for the elemental aspects of hospitality, but to get i.guests to visit you, you have to attract them, and that means starting with a
Remember Web Basics Read More »
Who is the i.guest? What is an i.guest? The i.guest is the contemporary traveler who is changing the face of hospitality marketing. Welcome to Travel 2.0. The i.guest is Informed. Internet-empowered. Independent. And, importantly for innkeepers, is Identified. The i.guest is finding places to stay and booking rooms (not just seeing availability at midnight) on
Understanding the i.guest Read More »
Thanks to my friend, Michael Russer, a guru of modern marketing for the real estate industry, for a couple of great quotes that are particularly apropos of the innkeeping world today. Charles Darwin said, "It’s not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change." In
Change and Adaptability in Innkeeping Read More »
Sign up for our email newsletter to stay in the know on our newest listings, industry trends and more.
Get on our newsletter to be informed of our newest listings, latest sales, industry news and innkeeper job postings.
