Fall 2007 Innkeeping Quarterly (IQ)

in this issue

September 2007 • Volume 1, Issue 2

IQsmart reading for smart innkeeping

innkeeping quarterly

5Busy Guests Mean a Profitable Inn

At Pearson’s Pond in Alaska

9PAII Industry Study of Operations and Finance

Using financial benchmarks to guide, motivate, and encourage innkeepers

14The Complex World of Cheese…Simplified

Delight your guests with great cheese

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cover story

5 Busy Guests Mean a Profitable Inn At Pearson’s Pond Luxury Inn and Adventure Spa

feature articles9 PAII Industry Study

of Operations and Finance, 2007–2008 Using financial benchmarks to guide, motivate, and encourage innkeepers

14 The Complex World of Cheese…Simplified Delight your guests with great cheese

departments

3 Letters to the Editor

4 Key Notes

13 Association Spotlight

22 Culinary Tourism

27 Industry Profile

28 Food Glorious Food

30 Innkeeper 2 Innkeeper

31 Industry Events

33 Marketing Matters

36 Inn Sales

36 Advertisers’ Index

36 Classifieds

Innkeeping Quarterly (IQ), is PAII’s quarterly periodical. PAII has been dedicated to fostering the knowledge and expertise of keepers of the inn for nearly 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

September 2007 • Volume 1, Issue 2

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3

About IQ:IQ is published quarterly. Subscrip-tion is included in the price of PAII membership. Editorial comments and suggestions are welcomed. To contribute, please contact Laura Middleton, 856-310-1102, [email protected].

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

IQ Staff:Contributing Editors: John Felton Laura Middleton Jeanine Zeman

Contributing Writers: Scott Crumpton Ken Fedraw John Felton David Hiler Jay Karen Melody Johnson Debrah Mosimann Sam Neff Bill Oates Liza Simpson

Designer: Michael Piperno

Advertising Sales: Marlene Sapir

PAII Staff:Jay Karen President and CEO

Karen Hudgeons Director of Membership & Member Services

Jeanine Zeman Director of Meetings & Events

Marty DeLuca Bookkeeper

Laura Middleton Communications Coordinator

Marlene Sapir Vendor Services & Sales

Kristin Strong Membership Sales Coordinator


Letters to the Editor


Just had a chance to look at the new publication, Innkeeping Quarterly, and

it looks beautiful and has strong interest-ing copy. WOW! Keep up the good work. Looks like you “get it.” Thank you.

Pat Hardy, Co-founder of PAII Santa Barbara, California

Words evade me, trying to express appreciation and admiration for

this first issue of IQ. The layout is out-standing. Enjoyed the inspirational ar-ticles on Ellen Chenaux, “Yes, you can,” and another on Ray and Kristie Rosset (mixing b&b with a marriage). Featuring a state association, North Carolina Bed and Breakfasts Inns emphasizes how im-portant our state associations are. Several articles on food, with recipes and high-lighting “culinary tourism.” We appreci-ate the article explaining Select Registry, about which we often wondered, “should we, or should we not?” And finally, a really super article about marketing our website by Scott Seaman.

All of us need inspiration to not only keep on keeping on, but to keep on reach-ing for new levels of excellence. If we aren’t excited about innkeeping it can easily be-come drudgery and burnout is just around the corner.

Even though we are only Interim Inn-keepers now, we wouldn’t think of missing the annual PAII conference (planning our trip to Anaheim now), because it keeps us on the cutting edge and enables us to bring enthusiasm into the inns we take care of.

Likewise, a publication like “IQ” should be read and re-read (memorized?) by every innkeeper. Thanks, PAII staff, for an out-standing job. Keep up the good work.

Chuck and Tom Hale, Boomer Chefs PAII Vendor Member Plainfield, New Jersey

I just wanted to tell you all what an exceptional quarterly magazine I just

received from you. I just started reading some of the articles and they are great. Keep up the good work.

Layne and Peggy Frehner Inn at Rooster Hill

Port Angeles, Washington

Just got the copy of IQ…great job! Loved it and I think it will do lots for

the organization. Matthew Lovette, Jumping Rocks, Inc.

PAII Vendor Member Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

I just finished reading your new publi-cation and wanted you to know how

much I enjoyed it. Cover to cover—you have done a great job! As a “seasoned inn-keeper,” the articles were interesting and helpful as well as entertaining. I look for-ward to receiving the next issue.

Joy Fischer, The Firelight Inn on Oregon Creek, Duluth, Minnesota

The premiere issue of Innkeeping Quarterly received a very positive response from both innkeepers and vendors to the industry, as the letters on this page indicate. We’d love to hear from IQ readers with reactions to specific articles, additional information that may be useful on topics in the journal, opinions about what’s going on the in the travel industry, etc. Please send your letters to [email protected].

Key Notes

Years ago, I watched a colleague give a presentation about why it was important for an association’s membership to have a financial benchmarking

study. He said, “Think of it like major league baseball. If your win-loss record is 75-67, you wouldn’t know of that’s good or bad, unless you knew how the other teams in your division were doing.” That made good sense. If you look at your inn’s financial performance in isolation, you can make your own judgment about the results. You can determine if you spent more or less on various items than intended, if you earned what you had hoped, etc. But by looking at the numbers in a context of hundreds of other inns, you can glean a good bit more about your own operations.

By doing a comparative analysis using PAII’s recently released “Industry Study on Operations and Finance, 2007–2008,” you can see if your revenue and expenses are above or below inns of similar size. For example, you can look at your net income compared to like inns. If you happen to notice that your marketing spending is the one line item that is a good bit lower than average, and your net income is commensurately lower, you could draw a correlation. Might your financial results improve if you invest a little more in marketing? The study won’t tell you for sure, but you will be a more knowledgeable innkeeper, who can in-turn make well-informed decisions about the management of your business. No one should operate an inn—or any other business for that matter—without good information. The study is chock-full of data about guest amenities, average daily rate, revenue per available room, food and beverage, human resources, and much more.

On a macro level, this kind of study impacts your busi-ness in a positive way. Insurance companies and lending institutions base their decisions on risk factors associated with a business. If an industry or business does not have good data, these service providers tend to think of that industry or business as risky. The result is usually higher interest rates or premiums. With good, solid information,

an entire industry can be seen as a solid investment or risk. PAII has the ability to present the innkeeping indus-try in a very positive light with the good information in the Industry Study. Think of the macro effect next time you are asked to participate in these kinds of research projects, because they come around to help you in the end in ways you might not have realized.

The Industry Study is one of PAII’s greatest assets—and so too should it be yours. To those of you who provided data for the study, thank you! To the sponsors who gener-ously supported the project, we couldn’t have done it with-out you, thank you! As you prepare for your next fiscal year (and I know many of you are already thinking about it), be sure to use the Industry Study. Go to www.paii.org to get your copy today.

We hope you enjoy our second edition of Innkeeping Quarterly. Drop me a line and let PAII know what you think: [email protected]

Jay KarenPresident & CEO


What is your inn’s win-loss record?


5

How can a five-room bed and break fast, hundreds of miles away from a major metropoli-

tan area, transform itself into a significant travel destination with gross revenues ri-valing that of inns several times the size?

Diane Pearson, the owner, with her husband Steve, of Pearson’s Pond Luxury Inn and Adventure Spa, in Juneau, Alaska, says the answer is a combination of mak-ing guests her focus and her inn the focal point for all her guests’ activities. Wheth-er it’s whale-watching, getting a massage, or even holding an intimate wedding cer-emony on a nearby glacier, guests book their experiences through the inn, which receives a commission and keeps its rooms full with busy guests. Diane says her inn, plus two off-site condos she owns, have an annual occupancy rate of 67 percent, with an average daily rate (ADR) of $167.

Do the math, and it’s appar-ent that room revenues and commissions put Pearson’s Pond in a business league with much bigger prop-erties in easier-to-get-to locations.

“The inn continues to evolve” after seventeen years, Diane says, “always with the specific objective of maximizing guest satisfaction, optimizing time and money, and promoting media attention, repeat stays, and referrals.” Diane and Steve started their innkeeping careers in 1990, when she rented two rooms, on a part-time basis, while working a day job for the state university system. As the busi-ness grew, Diane quit her job and focused full-time on the inn. A lawyer, Steve con-tinues a part-time practice at his home office in the inn, plus he bakes breads, cooks breakfasts, greets guests, and han-dles the inn’s accounting and taxes.

In short, they are a typical inn-couple in some respects, but the results they have achieved are anything but typical.

Their small inn is Alaska’s only AAA Four-Diamond property and member of Select Registry, reflecting their dedi-cation to high standards in customer service and facilities. Although Alaska is one of the country’s premier travel destinations, and Juneau is named #11 Best Places to Live in the U.S., Diane says no other inn, in Juneau or else-where in the state, provides the kinds of services and experiences that guests find at Pearson’s Pond.

The basis of the Pearsons’ success has been capitalizing on the spectacular scen-ery of the Juneau area—but much more intensely than many innkeepers would.

From the moment a prospective guest lands on the Pearson’s Pond Web page (see box, page 6), he or she sees a full-service planning guide to vacation op-portunities in the Juneau area. All of this is geared toward steering visitors to ser-vices arranged through Pearson’s Pond, with the innkeepers receiving commis-sions ranging from 10 to 35 percent on the transactions.

The inn provides plenty of on-site or nearby activities to keep guests busy for a stay of several days: kayaking on the one-acre pond at the inn and other nearby lakes, biking on an adjacent riverside trail, getting a massage at the inn, simply roast-ing marshmallows by the campfire, or having a barbeque at one of the inn’s pic-nic sites. However, Diane concentrates on attracting guests who have enough time for a longer vacation, preferably one- to two-weeks, and who are looking for ex-periences they can’t enjoy back home in Toledo or Wichita, and who are escap-ing the heat or the busy urban life of the “lower 48.”

Interested in whale watching? Diane can book a guaranteed whale watch tour (at $110 per adult). Another “passive ad-venture” option that requires no more

Busy Guests Mean a Profitable InnAt Pearson’s Pond in Alaska

by PAII Staff


6

ability than boarding a boat is an all-day cruise up the nearby Tracy Arm Fjord to the Sawyer Glaciers (at $159 per adult). For the more adventurous, Diane recom-mends glacier trekking, which includes 30 minutes flightseeing by helicopter, guided trekking for two hours on the glacier, combined later with kayaking with the whales or wild salmon fishing ($549 combined per adult).

How It’s DoneDiane Pearson wears at least two hats: innkeeper and travel agent, and she says the two roles are complementary and mu-tually reinforcing for her business. As an innkeeper, she works to make a stay at Pearson’s Pond Luxury Inn and Adventure Spa a pleasurable one for guests, most of whom have traveled hundreds or even thousands of miles to get to Juneau, and many of whom are repeat guests. Diane says the inn earns its “luxury” title by giv-ing guests the first-class personal service, evening wine and cheese, and premium-quality amenities (including jetted tubs, fireplaces, bathrobes, Wi-Fi, gym, business center, and more) as well as the quality fa-cility, grounds, and ambiance that guests expect at a luxury property. Kitchenettes in each unit, an acre of lush gardens com-plete with re-circulating waterfall fed by the pond, a choice of seven common areas inside and out, and paddleboats, bikes,

campfires, and fishing poles offer guests plenty of experiences that are included in their room rates.

As a travel agent, Diane works with several tour companies in the Juneau area and nearby Glacier Bay that pro-vide adventure tours ranging from whale

watches to glacier treks. Here’s how she works this aspect of her business:

When guests visit the Pearson’s Pond •website, they see the various tour of-ferings, each of which has its own web page. Diane encourages guests to book tours through the website at the same time they book their rooms, so they can get the best choice of tour dates and times, and, of course, the inn will be guaranteed the commissions. Pearson’s Pond receives standard com-•missions from tour operators for the sales generated by the inn. Most opera-tors pay Diane a 20 percent commis-sion, with other commissions ranging from 10 percent to 35 percent depend-ing on the arrangements she has nego-tiated in advance. Some tour operators simply give Diane a net rate, and she

Marketing Pearson’s Pond Pearson’s Pond Luxury Inn and Adventure Spa is located in a rural area of Juneau, Alaska’s capital city, just minutes both from downtown and the spectacular sites of the state’s famed Inside Passage, including the enormous Tongass Na-tional Forest and nearby Glacier Bay. Diane and Steve Pear-son heavily promote their inn as a destination in and of itself, but they also take full advantage of the area’s natural beauty and the endless opportunity for guests to enjoy the outdoors.

The Pearson’s websites—www.pearsonspond.com and www.juneau-guide.com—provide potential guests nearly everything they need to know for a vacation in Juneau. The inn’s main website has pages of photos and descriptions of the inn and its property.

The Juneau-guide site, headlined as “Your Juneau Alaska Vacation Planner,” could be mistaken for the main website of a convention and visitor’s bureau, except for its numerous links to Pearson’s Pond. The obvious goal of this intense marketing program is to encourage guests to do all their bookings for their Juneau vacation through Pearson’s Pond.

The marketing appears to work: Diane estimates that about 85 percent of her inn guests for summer book tours through her. That was enough to generate more than $200,000 in tours during the four peak summer months of 2006—all of them earning commissions for Pearson’s Pond. Of course, any good marketing plan would fall flat without outstanding customer service. A search on www.tripadvisor.com or other blogs reveals an apparent success in guest satisfaction.


7

adds her own mark-up to guest invoic-es ranging from 25 to 30 percent.Guests pay Diane directly. In most •cases, she pays the tour operators by credit card, “and we vacation on the mileage.”Diane has worked out standard proce-•dures to handle the inevitable changes and cancellations. This includes a $30 change or cancellation fee, described to the guests up front when they book their tours. Some tour operators have even stricter cancellation policies, which override Diane’s own policies. In the rare cases when guests make multiple changes, Diane charges them a $60 per hour fee for her services. After years of experience, Diane says

she enjoys a good relationship with the tour operators, all of whom appreciate the business she sends their way. Diane says she encourages guests to

“push for self-empowerment and push the envelope a tiny bit…basically try a glacier trek instead of a walk.” She has her own personal experience to recom-mend such an approach: “It worked wonders for me when I took up glacier-trekking, ice climbing, and rappelling at age 50, five years ago.”

After seventeen years of innkeep-ing and trip-planning, Diane and Steve are looking ahead to new adventures and have recently listed the inn for sale. Their immediate plans following the sale will be to travel, and to visit “guests-

turned-friends.” Whoever buys the inn will find enormous reserves of good will and a property which they can adapt to their own vision. ■

Contact Diane Pearson directly at [email protected]

From Innkeepers Diane and Steve Pearson

Hot tipsfor successful innkeeping

Discover your passion •(gardening, cooking, adventure, whatever) and adapt your business to encompass it.

Hire out the drudgery and •do mostly what you love. It is worth every penny.

Plan for success with a •business and marketing plan, and revise it annually.

Provide high-demand quality •and price for profit. Your time is valuable.

If you follow these steps, you’ll be more successful, and both you and your guests will be happier.

Innkeepers Diane and Steve Pearson Pearson’s Pond, Juneau, AK


9

The Bed & Breakfast/Country Inn Industry Study of Operations and Finance 2007–2008 is the only

document of its kind available to our seg-ment of the hospitality industry. This year’s study compiled information from 340 participating Bed and Breakfasts and 34 Country Inns. The research was han-dled by the Highland Group, Hotel In-vestment Advisors, Inc., on behalf of the Professional Association of Innkeepers International. They tallied information such as amenities, staffing, occupancy, ADR (average daily rate), capital expen-ditures, and our personal favorites, rev-enue and expenses. The final result is a report that offers a tremendous amount of information to guide, motivate, encour-age, and sometimes needle innkeepers and prospective innkeepers into action.

For practicing innkeepers, the report provides a set of standards, trends, and costs to compare results, as well as an idea of where their inns stand in the national marketplace. Using the study, innkeepers can make comparisons by property size, by location, and by ADR. According to this year’s study, the overall average daily rate for the B&B industry has increased 15 percent since 2004 (from $144 to $166).

The income statements and percent-age cost data is the most universally use-ful and important section of the study, and no one else offers this type of quan-titative Bed and Breakfast/Country Inn information for our industry. Overall, B&B inns brought 25.4 percent of sales

to net income (before interest, debt ser-vice, and owner compensation). For inns of 1 to 4 rooms that figure was 4.8 per-cent, while for 9 to 12 room inns it was a robust 45.5 percent. The performance of 21-plus room inns is even headier at 48.5 percent of sales.

This information can provide innkeep-ers with a standard cost analysis by which they can measure their results, budget for the future, and focus on areas of concern. If an individual expense item is out of line

(compared to other inns of comparable size), it is a warning sign to look seriously at that expense. And while expenses (es-pecially payroll, food and beverage, and utilities) have increased in dollars, they have declined as a percentage of sales.

Another interesting statistic in the study is the breakdown of income state-ments by years in operation. The income statements of inns in business from 1 to 3 years show a loss of 16 percent. However, inns in operation from 4 to 6 years had

a positive income ratio over 16 percent. The longer an inn is in operation, the better the ratio, according to the study.

For aspiring innkeepers, this stan-dard cost analysis provides a critical tool to understand financial statements and project future performance of existing inns. It is also a template for projections in a start-up situation and can offer a future innkeeper a variety of avenues to analyze before purchasing. Further, it can serve as a guide to help define what works and what doesn’t in a prospective inn. What style of inn are they looking for, how important is the location, how much staff might they need, and how much should it cost?

The employee and wage sections pro-vide some valuable information as well. There are detailed statistics in this section helpful to new innkeepers and existing businesses alike: average hours worked, salaried vs. hourly, wages by job descrip-tion, and benefits offered. Innkeepers can use the study to help set pay levels, deter-mine appropriate benefits, and create bud-gets based on the national and regional averages found in the study. Still, the pay-roll totals found in the income/expense statement will ultimately be the most helpful in determining labor budgets.

We have used PAII’s Industry Study in a number of ways over the years. Besides the obvious—as a tool to compare an inn client’s numbers to a national average—it has offered an opportunity to track guest preferences and innkeeping trends. Our

PAII Industry Study of Operations and Finance, 2007–2008Using financial benchmarks to guide, motivate, and encourage innkeepers

by David Hiler of Hiler Hospitality and Bill Oates of Inn Consulting Partners


10

consulting work starts with an overview of an inn’s current business condition. By using the PAII study and comparing stan-dard costs in the study with an individual inn’s numbers, we can point out where an inn might need assistance.

In this year’s study, food and bever-age numbers provide some of the most troubling results. According to the study, inn restaurants are not being run effi-ciently. Labor and food costs are out of line with restaurant industry standards, and while Country Inns have a much higher income stream than their B&B counterparts, the Country Inn bottom line is significantly reduced by excessive food service costs.

The PAII study has its limitations. There are still too few participating inns, despite follow up by PAII and easier on-line questionnaires. A larger sample of inns, especially full-service inns, would

produce more accurate results. Addition-ally, the Bed and Breakfast sample is heav-ily weighted toward inns with 1-8 rooms (72 percent of participants), reflecting

PAII’s membership. This is great if you own a smaller B&B, but is not as helpful for larger properties. However, it is crucial to our industry that we have this data.

The income statements for B&Bs have a critical mass that gives them legitimacy. Unfortunately, the data for Country Inns is limited to 34 respondents and some of

the numbers (food costs overall and room related labor costs) defy logic. We suspect the response form may have led to double inputs in some expense categories.

Despite the small sample size, the study does provide some interesting data. The Country Inn average room rate ($153) was lower than the Bed and Breakfast rate ($165), even though country inns have the additional amenity of a restaurant. In the Country Inn income statements, food costs averaged 41 percent, and bev-erage costs averaged 36 percent, no doubt due to higher cost wines. Payroll was also high at 37 percent. We suggest that future studies break out breakfast and compli-mentary food costs from dinner-service costs, to help with comparisons. Even without these specific break-outs, the sta-tistics in this year’s study demonstrate, at a minimum, the need for more judicious

(continues on page 12)

In this year’s study, food and beverage numbers provide some of the most troubling

results. According to the study, inn restaurants are not

being run efficiently.

❏ YES! I want to join and be a more successful innkeeper! My payment is below.❏ YES! I want to join and be a more successful innkeeper! Please bill me.❏ I'm interested - please have someone call me to provide more details.

Tear this sheet out and mail or fax to PAII today!PAII, 207 White Horse Pike, Haddon Heights, NJ, 08035 FAX: 856-310-1105

Contact

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Address City ST Zip

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Join with this form and get our PAII Study of B&B

Marketing Practices absolutely free!

❏ Aspiring Innkeeper - $199.00 ❏ Innkeeper (1-5 Rooms) - $199.00❏ Innkeeper (6-10 Rooms) - $235.00

❏ Innkeeper (11-20 Rooms) - $255.00 ❏ Innkeeper (21+ Rooms) - $275.00

Choose the appropriate membership category:

*Well, of course, that is combined years of experience of our members. You can benefit from that experience by having your questions answered by peers in our members-only online forum, getting advanced innkeeping education at the PAII Conference and Trade Show

(April 7-10, 2008, Anaheim, CA) and taking advantage of a host of other benefits.

PAII is the only trade association dedicated exclusively to serving the keepers of inns of all shapes and sizes. Our aim is to help your business be more successful. Join the association that works for you!

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*We accept Visa, MC, Amex and Discover and will email you a receipt.

That’s who! Let this experience help you run an even more successful business.

Who has overof innkeeping experience?*

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The Professional Association of Innkeepers International

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restaurant management by Country Inn innkeepers.

The effect of smaller inns in the study is illustrated by the statistic that 58 per-cent of participating B&Bs rely on out-side income for viability. This is not to say inns with fewer than eight rooms are not wise endeavors, but prospective innkeepers need to be aware of the chal-lenges and life-style choices facing them when buying inns of this size. Of course, this data begs to be examined in more detail. Perhaps future studies could in-vestigate questions related to this topic, such as age and demographics of the innkeepers, income levels, and who does all the work at the inn anyway?

The Bed & Breakfast/Country Inn seg-ment continues to grow and attract atten-tion from the overall hospitality industry. Inns are capitalizing on Internet market-ing and are setting trends for service, in-troducing new amenities to the world, and increasingly becoming destinations for up-scale functions and corporate getaways.

While the hotel industry has hundreds of consultants producing studies, publi-cations, and statistics galore, we have the PAII Industry Study. It is our profession-ally created document detailing all things “inn.” It is our overview of this industry and it is what we have to unite us, at least statistically. The PAII Industry Study is ours and therefore it is our responsibility to participate in it, critique it, and make it better every year. Most important, the in-formation in the PAII Industry Study can

make our businesses stronger and help us to further challenge ourselves—as if we need more challenges. ■

PAII Industry Study(continued from page 10)

David Hiler, Hiler Hospitality, LLC, has 20 years of restaurant and inn experience including twelve years as an associate of Heide Bredfeldt and Bill Oates, five years of which was spent building the Three Mountain Inn, in Vermont, into a profitable, four-diamond rated Country Inn. www.HilerHospitality.com, [email protected]

Bill Oates has provided educa-tional, operational and marketing services to innkeepers, present and future, for over 27 years. Inn Consulting Partners, founded by Bill with his wife/partner Heide Bred-feldt, works with a limited number of inns as a consultant in the sale process. www. innpartners.com, [email protected]


association sp tlight

Michigan Lake to Lake B&B Association

Factswww.LaketoLake.com ➤

Inn members: 180 (400 total inns in MI, ➤

many are seasonal)Associate Businesses: 12 ➤

Standard member dues: $400 per year ➤

Platinum member dues: $300 per year ➤

plus $1 per room night soldFormed in 1983 ➤

Staff: one three-quarter time employee ➤

Mission StatementMichigan Lake to Lake B&B Association exists as a body of like-minded innkeepers formed to collectively promote Bed and Breakfasts as the preferred choice of accommodation for leisure and business travel.

Quality AssuranceA key tenet of the association is Quality Assurance for our guests. Member inns submit to a detailed inspection every three years by a team of inspectors consisting of former or current innkeepers. The inspectors are trained to perform a multi-point inspection of each inn with specific focus on cleanliness and safety. A peripheral contribution of the inspection is providing opportunities to educate and share best practices among our membership.

Organization The association’s Board of Directors is made up of one elected board member for every 25 member inns. Current-ly our six board members meet face to face four times per year and participate in monthly conference calls to conduct business. We currently operate with one paid staff person, our Executive Director who oversees the office operations, manages marketing and promotions, organizes our annual conference, and oversees our quality assurance team.

We have found our biggest challenge to be continu-ally demonstrating increased value to our membership. While providing a high quality web directory of our mem-ber inns is important, as an association we must provide much more. Complementing the website, we publish a print directory and guide that is distributed statewide to Michigan visitor centers, chambers of commerce, con-vention and visitor bureaus, and major travel shows. We have demonstrated the collective impact a large group of inns has versus what can be done independently. For ex-ample, we promote the B&B experience by participating in tourism-related conferences and we are continuously monitoring state legislative activities to provide input or

testify on issues affecting our industry. Our recent legis-lative involvement included encouraging post-Labor Day school starts, increasing the state tourism budget, modi-fying food service laws, and influencing property home-stead and small business taxation.

Revenue GenerationOur collected membership dues provide the bulk of our financial support. Aside from dues, a very successful pro-gram has been gift certificate sales, which generates up-wards of $40,000 per year in revenue. With this program, the respective inn receives 100% of face value and certifi-cates can be redeemed online. A 10% handling fee, capped at $25, is paid by the purchaser, who can order them online or by phone and receives a colorful print directory along with the certificate. Over one-third of the certificates are purchased in the winter holiday season. Recently we have

noticed a trend of newlyweds giving certificates to their parents as special wedding thanks.

Another successful program has been our Plati-num Ambassador (PA) membership. In addition to paying annual dues, PA member inns agree to charge

guests a $1 per night “Michigan Bed & Breakfast Association assessment” and forward the col-

lected fee to our association in exchange for enhanced marketing benefits. Some inns in-corporate the $1 fee into their rates; others list it as a separate invoice line item. The PA

program provides approximately $15,000 per year which has been used to enhance market-

ing and promotion for PA members. PA funds were used to re-design our website for higher ranking

through search engine optimization, a database now al-lows members to change and update their own listing, and the new structure allows member property information to be pulled directly from the website into the print directory, eliminating tedious and error-prone transcribing.

A third successful income-generating item has been through publishing and selling an association cookbook every two or three years. For the latest issue, we added a companion music CD composed specifically for the asso-ciation; this gave innkeepers the opportunity to play the music in their inn as a way to promote cookbook sales.

Annual ConferenceThe association holds an annual two-day networking and educational conference, usually in the fall season. The con-ference is a combination of business, education, and ven-dor sales. Typically the first day is dedicated to the annual business meeting followed by a dinner and evening en-tertainment. The second day is geared toward educational presentations, break-out sessions, and a trade exhibit of about 20 industry related vendors. Recently, 30-35% of our member inns have been represented at this event, and we are working to improve the attendance through advertising, high profile keynotes, and improving vendor exhibits. ◆

Contact Ken Fedraw directly at [email protected]

by Ken FedrawPresident, Michigan Lake to Lake B&B AssociationInnkeeper, The Grand Victorian Bed & Breakfast Inn, Bellaire, Michigan

Ken Fedraw



14

As your guests’ palates increase in sophistication, what are you do-ing to indulge their appetite for

a delectable taste treat? How about offer-ing a carefully planned and beautifully ex-ecuted cheese tasting? You can also bring new guests to your inn with cheese tast-ing events by attracting culinary travelers who are actively looking for food and wine related activities (see page 23 for statistics on the growing culinary traveler market).

For most people, choosing cheeses that go beyond everyday varieties is a daunting, intimidating, and overwhelming exercise. The intention of this article is to make the wide world of cheese approachable and understandable. Think of the American flag as a learning device that will help you understand the families of cheeses; with it you can build a cheese tray for any occa-sion. The flag is red, white, and blue with a field of stars. The colors represent various

molds used to ripen cheeses, and the stars represent all cheeses that do not use mold in their processing. When you are choos-ing varieties for a cheese tray, consider selecting one cheese that represents each color, plus a variety of stars. If you need

The Complex World of Cheese…Simplifiedby Sam Neff, S. Clyde Weaver Smoked Meats and Cheese

Sam Neff S. Clyde Weaver Smoked Meats and Cheese



16

three cheeses, consider two colors and one star. An explanation of each category fol-lows, with an example that includes basic details about the cheese as well as suggest-ed wine pairings. Details include:

Country of origin •Milk type: cow, sheep, goat, or water •buffaloSharpness or flavor intensity: 1 = mild •to 5 = sharpTexture: soft, semi-soft, firm, hard, •or brittleRemember that experiencing cheese

should involve all of your senses: sight, touch, smell, and taste; the fifth sense

should be the sound go your guests en-joying their tasting journey.

Red Mold Cheese The red mold cheeses are also referred to as washed-rind cheeses. Characteris-tically, they have an aroma that can be delicately woodsy to intensely pungent. Each of these cheeses has a red/orange rind that is a result of the cheese being washed (often on a daily basis) with a salt brine, wine, brandy, or other liquid while being aged in a very humid envi-ronment. If the cheese is made with a low profile (2 inches or less), the mold will ripen the cheese and make it soft like brie. If it is thicker, the mold im-parts a flavor, but other enzymes in the

cheese-making process give the intend-ed consistency.

Reblochon, from the French Alps, is a semi-soft, washed-rind cheese that ripens to a very smooth, supple texture. The best Reblochons are made from raw milk, which allows the earthy, straw, and slightly yeasty flavors to develop. The rind is orange/yellow with a slight dusting of white mold. The aroma may be rather robust. Some of the full, rich flavor is the result of the milk coming from the second milking of very specific breeds of mountain cows such as Abondance, Montbeliard, and Tarine.

Details: France, cow’s milk, 4 in fla-•vor, soft textureWine: White fruity wines from the •

The Complex World of Cheese…(continued from page 14)


17

Savoie or young reds such as Fleurie or Saint-AmourOther examples of red mold cheese:

Epois ses, Taleggio, Pont l’Eveque, French Morbier

White Mold CheeseThis family of cheese is defined by the white penicillin mold that is rubbed or sprayed on its surface. The cheese is aged under very controlled conditions and the fleuri (white flower mold) grows to be-come a white, fuzzy, downy mat which ripens the cheese from its starting firm texture to a silky smooth paste.

Brie, probably the best known of the French cheeses, comes from the Ille-de-France area around Paris. This cheese is very hard and chalky at the beginning of its ripening process. The white penicil-lin mold, which is dusted on its surface, grows and slowly ripens the curd over approximately eight weeks. The texture, when fully ripened, is very smooth and can be runny. If it is less ripe, it will have a firm center. As Brie ripens, its flavor be-comes more intense and at riper stages it has a slight ammonia smell. In the United States, consumers tend to prefer a but-tery flavor, very little aroma, and perfectly white rind. The French prefer a more ro-bust flavor with some straw colored lines showing on the rind.

Details: France, cow’s milk, 3 in fla-•vor, soft textureWine: Chateau Clarke (Listrac- •Medoc) or sparkling winesOther examples of white mold cheese:

Fromage d’Affinois, French Nor mandy Camembert, French St. Andre, Rosc-chetta, le Chevrot, French Bucheron, St. Marcellin

Blue Mold CheeseThe blue in blue cheese is Penicillium roqueforti. Its color can range from blue to blue-green depending on the curing con-

ditions. Generally, blue cheeses are sharper than other cheeses, but there are examples of mild varieties. To make the character-istic filaments of blue or green in these cheeses, the mold is allowed or encouraged to spread through the cheese by punching air tunnels into the wheels of curd. Blues become creamy and soft, although their structure often seems crumbly. The strong flavor of the mold dominates the cheese more than the type of milk used.

Many people find that the moldy fla-vors of these cheeses fight with dry wines. Their creaminess is especially tough on reds. Sweet wines make for some of the greatest wine-and-cheese matches, in-cluding Sauternes with Roquefort and Port with Stilton. The nutty taste of oak found in these sweet wines especially pairs well with blue cheeses.

French Roquefort is the standard-bearer of this family of cheese. It is pro-duced entirely from the milk of the ewes

Cheesy Resourceswww.cheesesociety.org• – American Cheese Society

www.sclydeweaver.com• – Wide variety of meats and cheeses. Specialty cheese assortment for cheese tasting described on page 19

www.artisanalcheese.com• – Artisanal Restaurant’s site for purchasing cheese

bigcheesestories.blogspot.com• – Murray’s Cheese blog

www.zingermans.com• – Zingermans’ Delicatessan

www.igourmet.com• – Great cheese descriptions. Prices are fair, shipping can be expensive

www.winesandrecipes.com• – Good for cheese and wine pairings

www.sfgate.com/wine/cheesecourse/archive/• – San Francisco Chronicle, Janet Fletcher, food writer, archive of her articles on cheese

The Cheese Course,• Jane Fletcher, published by Chronicle Books. $19.95

The Cheese Plate• by Max McCalman and David Gibbons, published by Clark Potter. $32.50 – Great discussion on cheese making, storage, and serving. Extensive info on wine and cheese pairings and cheese courses

The Tasting Club• by Dina Cheney, published by DK Publishing. $22.00 – This book discusses the elements of tasting cheese, honey, vinegar, olive oil, and tea

Bill Oates and Heide Bredfeldt share 30 years of knowledge essential to the successful purchase and operation of a Bed & Breakfast or Country Inn. Reasonably priced at $195.00 per couple.

September 7–9, 2007North Carolina

November 16 –18, 2007Oklahoma

March 21–23, 2008Missouri

Contact us to register:Inn Consulting [email protected]

SEMINARFuture Innkeeper

www.innpartners.com


18

that feed on the vast plateaus found in the Aveyron region of France. The cheese is ripened in the natural damp, aired caves found under the village of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon. The quality of the milk, the processing of the curd, the adding of penicillium roqueforti, and finally the rip-ening in natural caves makes this cheese unique. The exterior of Roquefort should be white and faintly shiny. The texture (pâte) should be cohesive and at the same time slightly crumbly. The smell has a sub-tle reminiscence of the caves. The taste is complex—soft, creamy, flinty, and slightly salty. Good Roquefort should be sharp but never aggressive. Roquefort goes well with nuts & figs.

Details: France, sheep’s milk, 4 in fla-•vor, semi-soft texture

Wine: Sauternes or Porto; fortified, •well aged wines cut right through the butterfat. The raisin tones of the wine and the mold of the cave combine to form “luxury.” Also, Bordeaux, Caber-net, or Meritage are well-structured, complex red wines with oak qualities that show well with the cave flavors and the limestone flintiness of the cheese.Other examples: French Saint Agur,

English Blue Stilton, Creamy Gorgonzola, Mountain Gorgonzola, Spanish Cabrales, Bleu d’Auvergne

Stars This category includes all cheeses that do not fall into the above categories. These cheeses range from semi-soft to hard in texture. Most have a natural rind

formed by salt or no rind at all. The stars are as different as the 50 states; the field includes Cheddar, Swiss, Parme-san, Manchego, Asiago, and even fresh Mozzarella.

There are many varieties of Fresh Chevre (each cheese maker usually names their product) and all are identified by the lack of any rind. These fresh cheeses are not ripened or aged in any fashion. Each has a slight variation in flavor and/or texture based on the specific breed of goat that provides the milk as well as the grazing area (terroir). Flavor is very mild and there is a slight tartness or lactic im-pression. Montrachet is a representative of this type. (Note: Chevre is the French term for all goats’ milk cheeses; each



19

Available for two hours•Serve with wine, tea, and possibly beer •(recommended wines listed with each cheese)

QuanTiTy2 ounces per person equals a total of 40 ounces •or 2½ pounds Three cheeses of approximate ¾+ pounds each, equals •2½ pounds. This quantity will make a nice display. If you serve 5 cheeses to a group this size, the pieces would be very small or there would be too much cheese.

THe CHeesesThink about the flag analogy in the article: red, white, blue (molds), and the stars (non-ripened semi-soft, firm, and hard cheeses). For the 3 cheeses in this tasting, let’s choose a white, a blue, and a star. Serve with bland bread or crackers.

White moldFrench FROMAGE D’AFFINOIS is a relatively new cheese. It is a double-cream Brie that is made using special filtration systems that allow the cheese maker to culture a very soft curd. Rather than be-ginning with hard curd as in normal brie, this cheese is very tender from the beginning which produces a cheese that is much more palatable while very young. Its flavor is much like very fresh cream with nice ‘spring air’ overtones.

Details: France, cow’s milk, 2 in flavor, soft texture•Wine: Beaujolais•

Blue mold French SAINT AGUR is a double cream, blue-veined cheese that is made from cow’s milk. This cheese is relatively new to the marketplace and is produced in the Auvergne region of France, the area that also produces Roquefort, Bleu de Auvergne, Fourme de Ambert and many other excellent blue cheeses. Because this is a double cream cheese, the texture is very smooth. Its flavor has some of the fullness and flinty impression that comes with a good Roquefort and it is considerably more subtle and sweeter than most of the other blues from the region. Uncharacteristic for a cheese with a creamy texture, it has a full blue flavor.

Details: France, cow’s milk, 3 to 4 in flavor, soft texture•Wine: Consider a Red Rhone blend—the oakiness and the •blue work well together; or Semillon, which is sweet to the nose, crisp to the taste, and matches well with the mineral impressions of the blue.

StarSpanish MANCHEGO is produced in the central pla-teau around Madrid and is made from the milk of the La Mancha sheep. Manchego has a brown colored rind with a crosshatch (basket) pattern. The interior of the cheese has a light amber color indicative of its 6 to 8 month age. Younger cheeses tend to be whiter. Manchego has an even distribution of holes and a medium-sharp, slightly briny, nutty flavor. The tapas bars of Madrid usually serve this cheese as thin wedges arranged in a sunburst on a plate. It is often ac-companied by fig cake or membrillo (quince paste).

Details: Spain, sheep’s milk, 3 in flavor, firm texture •Wine: Dry Jurançon, fruity Reds•

WHy THese sPeCifiC CHeeses?Nice variety of appearance, flavor, and texture (two are soft/•spreadable and one is firm)Appeal to a wide variety of people•Pair well with the lighter, fruitier reds as well as most •white wines. A red mold cheese was not included because they tend to •be aromatic and match better with more intense wines.

QuanTiTy aDjusTmenTsSt. Agur: ½ pound because it is spreadable with intense flavor. •Your guests will not take large pieces—they will spread a bit on a slice of bread or cracker. Manchego: 1 or 1¼ pounds because it is a firm cheese and •people will tend to take chunks and possibly not even put it on a cracker.Fromage d’Affinois: ¾ pound•

The cheeses for this tasting are available via mail order at www.sclydeweaver.com. See the ad on page 22.

Left to right St. Agur, Manchego, and Fromage d’Affinois.

Pieces on the board equal the recommendations:1/2 lb.,

1-1/4 lb., and 3/4 lb. respectively.

LeT’s TasTe CHeese: Afternoon cheese tray for 20 guests


20

category on the flag has representatives that are classified as chevre. This exam-ple is specifically fresh chevre.)

Details: France or North America, •goat’s milk, 1 in flavor, soft textureWine: Fruity whites like Sancerre •

Swiss Gruyere is a raw milk cheese made in the region of the same name in the French-speaking part of Switzer-land. The cheese is made in large wheels weighing up to 75 pounds that are usu-ally matured from four to 12 months. One of the best cooking cheeses in the world, it is denser than Emmental (Switzerland Swiss) with smaller holes and a fruity, nutty, savory taste. Dur-ing the maturing period the cheeses are regularly brine-washed which gives the cheese its dry sharpness. If any cheese is essential to a Swiss Fondue it is Gruyere. Because Gruyere is used so extensively in cooking, it is often overlooked as an eat-ing cheese. It has a very smooth texture, sometimes with a bit of granular protein crystals from the aging process. Flavor is distinctly nutty and sharp especially at a 10 to 12 month age.

Details: Switzerland, cow’s milk, 3 to •4 in flavor, firm textureWine: White or red wines from •the Alsace, Bandol, reds from the Rhone Valley

Super Sharp Canadian Cheddar is aged by S. Clyde Weaver Co. in Lancast-er County to a minimum of 3 years. This cheddar is lower in moisture than most American-made products, and it is made with heat-treated milk. In the 1960s most U.S. cheddar was heat-treated but with the demand for aseptic packag-ing and less than 60-days age, the U.S.

market has moved to fully pasteurized, high moisture cheddar that has very little traditional cheddar curd crumble. Super Sharp Canadian Cheddar has good acid-ity with a slight bit of caramel or sweet-ness in the background. This cheddar is perfect with warm apple pie.

Details: Canada, cow’s milk, 4 to 5 in •flavor, firm textureWines: Consider a Belgian Beer•Other examples: Extra Aged Gouda,

Italian Piave, Spanish Manchego, Asia-go, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Tuscan Table Cheese, Fontina, Colby, Havarti, Petit Basque, and French Pyrenees

Use the flag concept to put together a splendid group of cheeses for your guests to taste in the afternoon or have a special cheese tasting event for which you charge a fee. See page 19 for a starter menu for tasting three chees-es. As you become more familiar with cheese families and more knowledgeable about individual cheeses, you can create more elabo-rate events. The winter issue of IQ will have a menu for a tasting of seven cheeses. ■

From the author, Sam NeffI grew up in a family that lives and breathes food. As one of six children I needed my own person-al identity in the fam-ily food business. Cheese became my world. I de-veloped customer rela-tionships that encouraged

me to explore new cheeses and more impor-tantly to be thoughtful in my tasting. In the early 1970s, imported cheeses were not un-derstood or readily available. My custom-ers encouraged me to bring in new cheeses and we would evaluate them together; my customers were my teachers—they had seen the world and I was a vehicle to get what they wanted. Out of necessity I learned about the families of cheese and the many variations that a given type might have. I am still learning from my customers, but the playing field has changed substantially with a much wider variety of cheese from all over the world readily available.

Sam Neff is co-owner of S. Clyde Weaver, www.SClydeWeaver.com. Contact him directly at [email protected]

The Complex World of Cheese…(continued from page 18)

4429 SBA_HotelAd_PAII_8.5x11.indd 1 7/13/07 10:50:33 AM


22Culinary Tourism

During January 2007, the Travel Industry of America released the first ever comprehensive “Profile of Cu-linary Travelers, 2006 Edition.” The Travel Industry

Association Culinary Survey was completed by 2,364 leisure travelers in the U.S. Leisure travelers were defined as having taken at least one trip in the past 12 months for pleasure, vaca-tion or personal purposes within the U.S. that was 50+ miles away from home one-way or where the traveler spent at least one overnight. This survey was made possible by a group of sponsors including the Professional Association of Innkeep-ers International.

This column explores some of the findings, how they per-tain to your bed & breakfast inn business, and how to take this information and fold it into your current marketing plan.

The survey was designed and implemented to meet the fol-lowing research objectives:

Estimate the size of the culinary tourism market among •U.S. residentsQuantify spending on culinary tourism•Create a demographic profile of culinary tourists compared •with general leisure travelersIdentify various trip activities that correlate with culinary •activitiesUnderstand motivators for culinary tourism•Understand perceptions of, and interest in, destinations •across the U.S. as culinary travel destinations

Here are just a few of the results from the survey:17 percent of American leisure travelers (that equates to •just over 27 million people) have engaged in some type of culinary or wine-related activity while traveling within the past three years.12.6 million indicated that food or wine-related activities •were a key reason they took a trip or helped them choose between destinations. These are classified as “Deliberate” Culinary Travelers.7.6 million reported that they took at least one trip where •they sought out culinary activities, but these were not a factor in choosing destinations. This group is identified as “Opportunistic” Culinary Travelers.And finally, the “Accidental” Culinary Travelers, who par-•ticipated in culinary activities on a trip “simply because they were available.”

So, who are these culinary travelers and what should you know about them?

They are made up of both •men and women, as well as most age groups.Many have post-graduate •educations.One fifth of the Deliberate or •Opportunistic group have annual incomes above $100,000.They tend to be active travelers who participate in cultural •and outdoor activities, enjoy spa services, and visit state and national parks and historic sites.They read print materials, including specialty newspaper •sections, “official” materials, culinary publications, and travel magazines.They use online resources for trip research and planning.•

Culinary travelers spend over one-third (36%) of their per-sonal travel budget on food-related activities. While dining out ranks number one, other activities also play a significant role in their experiences. Visiting farmers markets, sampling tradi-tional artisan products like cheese and chocolate, attending a

Marketing to Culinary Travelersby Melody Johnson of the International Culinary Tourism Association

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23

P R O F I L E

culinary festival, and even picking berries or milking cows are examples of other culinary-related activities.

Is your business near cultural activities, theater, opera, ballet, symphony, or an art museum? Is there a day spa near you, and if so, would they consider bringing their services into your facility for a special girls’ or couples’ weekend, complete with a special spa menu prepared by you or a guest chef?

Are you on or near a famous trail, village, scenic byway, or other historic site? Use that to your advantage by creating a menu that would highlight the historical significance. Almost every B&B inn is near some kind of recreational activity. A breakfast fare that complements the type of activity near you would be memorable; you also could prepare a special box or picnic lunch for your guests when they’re hiking, boating, or swimming.

Seek out local food editors, both in print and on TV, invite them to spend a night or do a show from your establishment, and roll out the culinary red carpet. When perusing culinary publications or travel magazines, jot down the names of the food/travel editors, and contact your nearest convention and visitors bureau, and volunteer your property for an overnight stay, break-fast, lunch, or tea during their next planned media research trip.

According to Kevin Zraly, author of The American Wine Guide 2008, all 50 states including Alaska and Hawaii produce wine. Almost one in ten leisure travelers indicate that they have engaged in wine-related travel activities within the past three years. Broken down into numbers, this is just over 15 million travelers. Two-thirds of wine Travelers (65%) toured winer-ies or tasted local wines, one-quarter (24%) report that they

More About American Leisure Food Travelers(Engage in culinary-related activities, i.e. cooking classes, dining out for a unique and memorable experience, farmers markets, gourmet food shopping, food festivals, etc.)

• Two-thirds of Food Travelers stayed in a hotel, 28% stayed with friends and family and 8% stayed in bed and breakfasts while on their trips. Deliberate Food Travelers were more likely to have stayed in a B&B while on their trips.

• California and Florida dominate as destinations for food-related travel, with New York and Texas following.

• 87% took their most recent trip with someone, and by far the most common travel companion is a spouse/significant other.

• 78% went more than 100 miles from home; 58% traveled by car and 30% traveled by plane.

• Shopping, sightseeing, entertainment, beach and waterfront visits and historic sites rank among the most popular trip activities.

• Food/Wine-related activities: 71% go to a restaurant “just to eat,” 63% go to local restaurants (not fine dining) for a unique and memorable experience, 50% like to experience local or regional cuisine, 16% tour wineries or attend wine tastings, 14% tour local breweries, 16% attend a culinary festival, 7% take cooking classes, 7% attend a wine festival.

Source: Information taken from the Profile of Culinary Travelers, 2006 Edition, recently released by the Travel Industry Association (TIA). PAII was one of the research sponsors for this report. This is the first study in the U.S. to profile this important segment of the U.S. tourism market. More information about this study will be in future issues of IQ.

Natural Bridge Conference CenterNatural Bridge, VA

Register by November 30, 2007Workshops and exhibitors for all types of

Bed and Breakfast Products, Services and Support will be featured.

www.midatlanticinnkeepers.com

MID-ATLANTIC INNKEEPERS TRADE SHOW & CONFERENCE

January 13-16, 2008


24

drove a wine trail, and (12%) attended a wine festival. When wineries were interviewed as to whether the majority of their patrons were from the local area or visitors, the resounding answer was “visitors.”

As a B&B inn, have you contacted your nearest winery and invited them to tour your property? Suggest that they host a wine tasting at your facility or invite a guest chef in to prepare a gourmet dinner, pair the courses with local wines and promote it as your own “Vintner Dinner.”

One last thing: in Culinary Tourism, a picture is worth MORE than a thousand words. Do your website, your bro-chures, even your business cards showcase your incredible cui-sine? If not, the results from the survey of culinary travelers show that you might be missing an important market.

Culinarily yours,

Melody Johnson, VP/COO International Culinary Tourism [email protected]

Fun for Foodies in New England

Six Select Registry Inns collectively market culinary experiences on their own websites and via the Select Registry website. Activities listed here will give you some good ideas and you can also go to each inn’s website for further information. Guests, who are invited to experience one to six of the inns, receive an insulated wine bag for visiting three of the inns and receive a $150 Select Registry gift certificate for visiting all six.

Captain Lord Mansion Kennebunkport, Maine www.captainlord.com

Federal Jack’s Brew Pub Tour•Handmade Chocolates Tour•English Fudge Making Tour and Sampling•Lobster Boat Cruise and Lobster Shore Dinner•

Stone Hill Inn Stowe, Vermont www.stonehillinn.com

Artisan Cheese Maker for a Day•Chocolatier for a Day•Maple Sugar House Visit•Cooking Classes at a Nearby Restaurant•

Birchwood Inn Lenox, Massachusetts www.Birchwood-Inn.com

Chocolate Tasting with a Top Chocolatier•Dog Day Afternoon (learn to make doggie treats!)•Shaker Family Picnics•An Evening With Your Personal Wine Consultant•

Other participating inns:Hancock Inn Hancock, New Hampshire www.HancockInn.com

Historic Jacob Hill Inn Providence, Rhode Island www.inn-providence-ri.com

Camden Maine Hartstone Inn Camden, Maine www.HartstoneInn.com

Melody Johnson


F or the past several years PAII has been actively en-gaged with the Travel Industry Association (TIA), the national umbrella group for businesses and

groups interested in promoting domestic and foreign travel within the United States. PAII representatives have attended TIA meetings and served on a TIA task force, and Dexter C. Koehl (until recently TIA’s Vice Pres-ident of Industry Relations) has been a member of PAII’s Advisory Council since 2004.

Although it is well-known in government circles and among many travel-industry professionals, TIA is not a household name for many in the bed and breakfast/country inn community. Because TIA plays such an im-portant role in the travel industry, PAII believes more innkeepers should know what that organization does and how it can be of direct benefit to them.

Formed in 1941, TIA is a Washington, D.C.-based non-profit association that represents and speaks for the common interests and concerns of all components of the $700 billion U.S. travel industry. The association also is the recognized leader in promoting and facilitat-ing increased travel to, and within, the United States—with the goal of making America the world’s number-one tourism destination.

TIA’s most visible annual event—the International Pow Wow—is the country’s largest conference devoted solely to promoting the United States as a travel destination.

Like PAII, the Travel Industry Association is an author-itative source of research and analysis for the travel in-dustry, also providing forecasting of travel trends and acting as the primary spokesman for the industry to the domestic and international media. If you have seen news reports on the health of the U.S. travel industry and predictions for the future, the odds are that the in-formation came from TIA.

Likewise, TIA works to increase understanding by the public, and by government officials, of the impact of tourism on the economy, as well as on the cultural and social life of the United States. Many locations in the country rely heavily on tourism for jobs, of course, but the nation also is enriched in many non-economic ways when Americans and international visitors see our coun-try first-hand.

TIA accomplishes its objectives by providing an ar-ray of marketing programs, forums, and marketing

and research publications. These services are avail-able to all components of the travel industry, both large and small.

Finally, TIA also seeks to advance the interests of the travel industry in the halls of government, in large part by protecting our industry from governmental initiatives that would impede travel by discriminating against travelers or the industry.

More information about TIA is available from its ex-tensive website: www.TIA.org. This site is loaded with information that can be useful for innkeepers, including information on public relations, travel trends, and news about the travel industry generally.

PAII Teams up with the Travel Industry Association (TIA)


industry profile

New Websites to Promote International Travel to the United States

Encouraging international travelers to “Discover America,” the Travel Industry Association (TIA) is in the process of creating websites in multiple languages to promote the U.S. as a premier destination.

Under a $3.9 million cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Commerce, TIA is working with leading travel industry partners to build, market, and maintain a set of websites aimed at markets that account for about 75 percent of international travel to the United States. These partners in-clude several state tourism offices and convention and visitors bureaus, American Express, Travelocity, Yahoo!, and Fodors.

The first step in this campaign is developing websites in English and Japanese to attract travelers from the Unit-ed Kingdom, Canada, and Japan. The first website, www. discoveramerica.com, will be launched in February 2008. The second phase will include development of sites target-ing residents of Mexico and Germany.

“As the organization that represents the interests of the entire U.S. travel industry, we’re uniquely positioned to create world class websites that will provide relevant and meaning-ful information for travelers from key markets throughout the world,” said Roger Dow, President and Chief Execu-tive Officer at TIA. “We opted for a prudent, two-phase ap-proach to ensure the project’s success, and we’re grateful for the confidence shown in our organization by everyone at the Department of Commerce.”

Roger Dow, the president and chief executive officer at TIA, said boosting international travel is of critical impor-tance because that segment of this country’s travel market has declined by 17 percent since the September 11, 2001, terror-ist attacks. Also, the U.S. share of the world travel market has declined overall by 36 percent since 1992.


28

At Pearson’s Pond, the key to Diane and Steve’s serv-ing style is to give their

guests all the options. All of the guest rooms are equipped with coffee and tea service, and have kitchenettes. Guests can shop at the local grocery and be self- sufficient, or provision themselves from the Breakfast Nook each morning and retreat to dine privately, or join others for the more elaborate hot mid-morning buffet. The self-service area includes Steve’s freshly baked breads, oatmeal, fruit, cereals, and juices.

They serve breakfast buffet style, from 8:30 until 10:00 a.m. and feature at least one hot entrée, which is different each day for seven to ten days, depending on the length of their current guests’ stay. If the inn is less than full, Steve will often offer a couple of choices for the entrée, many times deciding the night before what he feels like making. He is usually the one who starts cooking at 7:00 a.m., with Diane joining in to, as he says: “garnish and make it pretty!” Individual tables are set throughout the dining room and out on the decks overlooking the gardens.

For the early risers, who are usually headed out to fish, Steve includes a frittata or quiche in the self-service breakfast refrig-erator for the guest to heat up as desired. At the Manager’s Wel-come Reception, they gather their guests in the atrium or out in the gardens and encourage the guests to swap fishing and wildlife stories over beverages and snacks. Two barbeque grills are very popular with the guests to cook their catch after a suc-cessful day on the river. They also enjoy the campfire, where the menu includes hot chocolate and s’mores.

Diane and Steve try to do the shopping together, going to Costco for the bulk items and Safeway for things like fresh herbs. They have a local dairy company where they pick up all of their dairy products. Some items, like individual jars of jam and portion control creamers come from their food service supplier.

When Steve is looking for inspiration, he flips through cookbooks, with one of the favorites being Sleep on It by Carol Gordon, which is subtitled, “Prepare Delicious Meals the Night Before That You Can Pop in the Oven the Next Day.”

Their kitchen has no commercial equipment yet. They are waiting to remodel until the off season and then they will con-sider commercial appliances, especially a dual fuel oven for Steve’s

baking finesse. They turn to two PAII vendors for much of their tabletop needs, with linens coming from Innstyle and champagne flutes with the inn logo from DNJ Specialties. They use fine china for special occasions. Their flatware is Oneida from Costco.

Diane and Steve, who make even their food an adventure, graciously share some of their favorite recipes.

Food Glorious Food

Food Service at Pearson’s PondJuneau, AKby Liza Simpson

Ingredients1 cup soft silken or firm tofu•1 cup rice or soy milk (plain or vanilla)•1 cup liquid egg product•¾ cup nonfat ricotta cheese•1 10 ounce bag no-fat shredded mozzarella cheese•1 4 ounce can of mushrooms•1 medium red bell pepper •(or substitute a few sun-dried tomatoes)1 medium yellow or green bell pepper •2 mild jalapeno peppers, chopped or ⅔ of a small •can of Ortega roasted mild chilies 1 to 1½ cups cubed or ground ham or ¾ cup •crumbled bacon or sausage½ to 1 teaspoon hot curry powder•1 tablespoon chopped onions•1 teaspoon granulated steak seasoning •¼ teaspoon garlic salt•½ teaspoon cilantro•2 baked, cooled, pie crusts •

Blend first 4 ingredients and the spices in a blender. Chop veggies and ham in a food processor till the size of small peas. Drain in colander a few minutes. In the pie crusts, distribute the shredded cheese, mushrooms, ham and veggies. Pour liquid from blender over it. Bake about 45 minutes at 350 degrees till knife inserted into pie comes out clean. Let set at least 15 minutes, then cut in wedges and serve. May be reheated in microwave for late-comers. Makes 2 pies, Serves up to 6-12.

Hints: If you use frozen pre-made pie crusts, before baking be sure to thaw first and poke holes around it to prevent air bubbles; otherwise it may come out soggy. Substitutions: Use a polenta-based crust. Can also be made without a crust (more like a frittata.)

Pearson’s Pond Healthy Ham Quiche This prize-winning recipe is especially good for those with low tolerance for lactose, cholesterol, or fat. It’s very quick to fix and holds over well, delicious served at any meal, and can easily be used as appetizer when cut in cubes or formed in bite size muffin pans. Preparation time: about 15 minutes + 45 minutes cooking time.


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In saucepan mix½ cup butter•1 cup brown sugar•2 tablespoon Karo syrup (or honey)•

Cook over low heat until dissolved, stirring constantly.

8 1-inch slices of French bread•Grease 9 x 13 inch pan. •

When caramel mixture is done, pour quickly into pan, then place the French bread slices on top.

In blender, combine1½ cups milk•5 eggs•1 teaspoon vanilla•Dash of salt•

Pour over bread and caramel mixture. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes covered. Remove foil and bake 10-15 minutes more.

Garnish each individual serving with a dollop of yogurt. Alternatively, prepare a fruit syrup and use a cake decorator with warmed cream cheese to build a dam around the top of each serving to hold the fruit syrup topping.

Overnight French Toast2 tablespoons unsalted butter•10 ounces of chopped spinach•1 medium onion, chopped•8 eggs•½ cup milk•Salt and pepper to taste•½ cup grated mozzarella cheese•¼ cup grated Parmesan Reggiano cheese•

Grease glass pie plate or other similar oven-to-table dish with approximately 1 tablespoon butter. Set aside.

In a saucepan cook the spinach according to the package directions. Cook, drain, and squeeze as much water out of the spinach as possible. Set aside. In a frying pan melt the remaining tablespoon of butter and sauté the onion until soft.

In blender, combine eggs, milk, and salt and pepper to taste.

Distribute the spinach evenly over the bottom of the pie plate and sprinkle on onion, then mozzarella cheese. Gently pour the egg mixture over the cheese and then sprinkle the top with the Parmesan Reggiano cheese.

Bake at 375 degrees for approximately ½ hour or until top is slightly brown. Cuts well after being refrigerated. Pearsons frequently use it for protein for early morning departures so they can simply heat it up in the microwave in the guest commons.

Cut into pie shaped pieces. Serve with bacon, sausage, fruit, or other side dish.

Adapted from Specialties of the House by Julia M. Pitkin (Cumberland House Publishing, 1996)

Spinach Frittata

Liza simpson, formerly of The Old Miner’s Lodge in Park City, Utah, has cooked professionally for over 25 years. She is currently managing a specialty coffee house while she and her husband Chris (and their Corgis) search for their next innkeeping adventure. Liza is also Food Editor of PAII’s innkeeping newsletter.


I am the eternal optimist. You know, the one that sees the glass half full and never half empty. As innkeepers we are true entrepreneurs, believing in our dreams and in our-selves, forging ahead often against great odds. We plan, juggle, and execute our days all with a smile on our face. We are the mar-keting firm, reservation center, concierge, housekeeping, room service, food and beverage department, doorman, and general manager all wrapped into one.

All is fine till one day you look at the reservation book and see…blank spaces on the horizon. Our inn hit a spot like that in early July, a time we are supposed to be running at full throttle and it pulled me up short. What happens if the whole industry takes a dive and the economy or gas prices or whatever calamity is out there, really begins to affect us? What happens if my rooms stay empty on a weekend? I shifted into high gear and sorted through my marketing things to see what I could do to raise our profile on search engines, studied how I could remind previous guests that we have wonderful food and great weather, reviewed my stats to see where the hits were coming from and what they were looking at and in general, pondered how to fill those rooms. On the other side, I decided what expenses were not needed and cut them out (ouch) and paid better attention to details.

I even went so far as to start a blog! Yes, a blog. Recipes that I was loath to hand out at every request I posted there and in-stead of saying no, sent them to the blog for the recipes that we do share. Yes, it takes more work and some vigilance and updat-ing, but it is also live and speaks to the computer generation we are living in. It might even bring in one new guest or encourage a present guest to return.

It takes all of that—doing a good job today to have guests tomor-row, and sometimes I forget that. Empty rooms are a really stark reminder. The end of July evened-out and I took a deep breath, but it was scary and I learned an important lesson on resilience as well seeing a side of me that I believe is core to who we are as innkeepers. We don’t call in sick; we don’t just not show up. We are in this with that “I can do” attitude for the very long term. We are the classic idea-a-minute and that is what contributes so much to our successes and sometimes our failures. It is also at times like that I am thankful for a national organization like PAII that has information just a click away and a staff that “gets it.”

I wish you all full rooms this fall and a moment’s reflection on how wonderful it is to be an innkeeper today. ◆

Contact Debbie directly at [email protected]


innkeeper2innkeeperby Debrah Mosimann • Chair, PAII Board of Directorsand Innkeeper Swiss Woods B&B, Lititz, Pennsylvania


31

Innkeeping’s largest event, PAII’s annual conference last March in Myrtle Beach, received rave reviews from both innkeepers and exhibitors. The conference usually receives

many favorable reviews, but this year was special and attendees were more enthusiastic than ever. All the many elements that make up the conference came together in just the right magical way to create an event that was more than the sum of its parts; the energy produced a buzz that could be felt everywhere.

Here are some typical comments from attendees:

“Was it me or the water? I had a great time visiting with colleagues and friends from all over the United States. Everyone seemed so upbeat! The general sessions were thought-provoking and challenging by forcing me to reevaluate the methods and approaches I use in run-ning my inn. The workshops were almost all spot on! Wow.” —Kathryn White, Beechmont Inn B&B, Hanover, Pennsylvania

“I was overwhelmed with the great speakers, work-shops, exhibits. I couldn’t wait to get started each day and stayed until the last session ended, making sure I didn’t miss a single thing. I learned more in three days than a whole college semester! It was outstanding.”

—Rita Smart, Bennett House B&B, Richmond, Kentucky

“We found this to be very energizing, which was exactly what we needed. We have been innkeepers for 11 years, and need to be making changes to keep up with the 21st century. The keynote speakers were great. The educational sessions were very helpful.”

—Sue Sherman, Village Green Lodge, Ephraim, Wisconsin

Top Ten Rated WorkshopsAmong the major components of the PAII Conference are work-shops presented by industry experts, industry vendors, profes-sional speakers, and innkeepers. The 2007 workshop speakers, rated by the attendees on a scale of one to four, received higher ratings than at any previous PAII conference. This is more dif-ficult than it might seem: According to trade journals, attendees at professional conferences in all kinds of industries are more sophisticated, and have higher expectations and are becoming more demanding, than in the past. If that sounds like what’s

happening with your guests, you’ll understand why PAII is working harder to bring you better conferences.

Speakers from the top ten-rated workshops at the 2007 PAII Conference, listed below, will be invited to present an up-dated version of the same workshop at the 2008 PAII Confer-ence in Anaheim, California, from April 7 to 10. Consider the workshops described here a sneak preview of the type of work-shop you’ll find on next year’s educational program, which will include approximately 65 workshops. All of the workshops be-low received at least a 3.87 rating out of a possible 4.0 from attendees in Myrtle Beach.

Quantum Quickbreads, by Peter Reinhart of Johnson & Wales University, Charlotte, North Carolina • Peter Reinhart, one of America’s best known and well-respected bakers, is a favorite presenter and has graced innkeepers with his incred-ibly talented presence at three PAII Conferences. He is a gifted teacher who not only demonstrates baking techniques, but also explains in understandable terms the chemistry of baking so that the principles can be applied elsewhere.

Demystifying Laminated Doughs, also by Peter Reinhart of Johnson & Wales University, Charlotte, North Carolina • Many

innkeepers who attended this Master Innkeeper level ses-sion are now making croissants, Danishes, and other

delectable pastries from scratch, even with their busy schedules, by using Peter’s techniques and sug-gestions for freezing and baking as needed.

Cooking Classes to Fit Inns of All Sizes by Cyndi Cobb of Colby Hill Inn, Henniker, New Hampshire • This workshop is now a perennial favorite, having been among the top ten rated in

both Myrtle Beach and PAII’s previous conference in Phoenix. Cyndi, the owner of a successful Select

Registry property and a dynamic presenter, offers many different ways to increase revenue through cooking classes, regardless of inn size or whether you have a restaurant.

Wine: Maximize Appreciation and Minimize Liability, by David and Gayle Darugh of, Beechwood Inn, Clayton, Georgia David and Gayle, both active in the American Wine Society for more than 20 years, bring to this session extensive experience and exhaustive knowledge of wine that includes teaching wine appreciation at the university level, teaching sommelier classes, conducting wine tours throughout the United States, and offer-ing wine events at their Select Registry inn. They are an incred-ible resource to the innkeeping community.

Cheese Please! by Sam Neff, S. Clyde Weaver Smoked Meats and Cheese, East Petersburg, Pennsylvania • See the article on page 14 of this issue of IQ to get a taste of how Sam approaches

Highlights from the 2007 PAII Conference by Jeanine Zeman, Director of Meetings and Events, PAII

Industry Events


32

the wonderful world of cheese. Clearly, his session resonated with innkeepers who not only learned about cheese and how to present it to their guests, but also tasted many of the wonderful cheeses that Sam discussed.

Afternoon Antipasto, also by Sam Neff, S. Clyde Weaver Smoked Meats and Cheese, East Petersburg, Pennsylvania • One attendee called Sam an “Antipasto Genius.” This session pro-vided sumptuous, simple ideas for serving guests a special af-ternoon treat. Save time and wow your guests—who could ask for more?

Tea for Two or Twenty: Revenue from Tea and Tea Events Presented by Bruce Jackson of English Meadows Inn, Ken-nebunkport, Maine; Darlene Johnston of Ash Street Inn, Man-chester, New Hampshire; Naomi Maurer of MY Victorian Bed and Breakfast, Mobile, Alabama; and Phyllis Waye of Alma del Monte-Spirit of the Mountain, Taos, New Mexico • Tea is hot these days, and these speakers know how to turn the trend into revenue at their inns. Every speaker had creative and practical ideas for tea events, marketing tea events and products, and using tea events to generate PR as well as to draw new guests.

More Converting Callers to Guests by Don Farrel of Entra-prenYOUR, Dublin, Ohio • As a follow up to Don’s extremely popular and useful general session, innkeepers considered this a must-attend workshop. Don uses the hard evidence of mystery shopper calls to illustrate the need for more focused and consis-tent techniques proven to convert more callers to paying guests, thus noticeably increasing revenue.

The Fourteen Touches by Bill Bullard of Bullard Partners, Healdsburg, California • Another perennial favorite because of its intensely useful information, this workshop was among the top ten rated workshop at PAII’s previous conference. It includes lots of practical nuts and bolts ideas for improving guest relations and services that will increase repeat guest stays and referrals.

Tips and Tricks for Cleaning Everything by Betty Gladden, Interim Innkeeper and former innkeeper of the Garratt Mansion, Alameda, California • It doesn’t get any more prac-tical than this! Think you know everything about cleaning? Think again. Betty, who developed her knowledge of the art and science of cleaning over many years of innkeeping, is an excep-tionally entertaining speaker who imparts indispensable infor-mation that every innkeeper can use.

Navigating City Hall: Making Friends Not Enemies Pre-sented by Jan Barrett of Ware Street Inn, Lewiston, Maine; Scott Bushnell of Bushnell & Bushnell Services, Inc., Ocean City, Maryland; Sheila Oranch of Coppertoppe Lodge & Re-treat Center, Hebron, New Hampshire; and Lucy Lewand of

Camellia Inn, Healdsburg, California • Just about every inn-keeper has to deal with government licenses and permits, zon-ing, and other regulatory issues. Each of the speakers in this workshop brought personal experience and practical advice for working with the local government entities that can have a ma-jor impact on your business.

These workshops give you just a sampling of the useful and timely information presented at the annual PAII Confer-ence. Innkeepers love the infusion of creativity, the rekindling of their innkeeping spirit, and the bottom line results they get from attending this important event. Mark your calendar for the 2008 PAII Conference, April 7-10, at the Disneyland® Re-sort in Anaheim, California. Conference registration opens in October. Reserve your room at the Disneyland® Hotel by calling 714-520-5005.

Many of these workshops are available on CD ROM. Order at www.paii.org by clicking on PAII Store, Conference CDs. ■


33Marketing Matters

Web 2.0 is a new paradigm shift in both the tech-nical underpinning of the World Wide Web and more importantly, how these technological im-

provements are bringing the masses together. Are you being left behind or using Web 2.0 for your own benefit? This article will bring this heady subject down to earth and explain exactly what Web 2.0 is and its influence on the innkeeping industry.

At the recent Select Registry conference, I was asked to speak with some of my peers on a panel of experts on the sub-ject of Web 2.0. During the discussion, it became apparent that this can be a rather “nerdy” topic and there is little consensus about the meaning of Web 2.0. So when PAII asked me to write an article for their new magazine, I thought it would be a great opportunity to clarify the issues and provide a solid foundation for future discussions. Along the way I hope to shed some light on how Web 2.0 will affect your business.

Web 1.0 To explain the new Web 2.0 paradigm, let’s look at Web 1.0 for a foundation. Back in the 1990s, Web 1.0 consisted of people, like those of us in the bed and breakfast/country inn industry, publishing information on a new medium which was called the World Wide Web. We used the HTML markup language and graphics programs to create web pages. We did all the publish-ing and potential guests simply viewed the information. It was revolutionary; it was hot; it was easy; it was effective and really cost effective.

Web 2.0 As with all new technological advances, features are discussed first and then the experts come along and convert the informa-tion into a discussion of benefits. So when I first started hearing about Web 2.0, it was described using terms like: Folksonomy, AJAX, The Long Tail, Convergence, and Remixability. Even to-day, super-nerds will talk about Web 2.0 using these terms and frankly, they’re correct. However, this is simply a discussion of the technical changes (features) in the web which allow the user to experience changes (benefits). To me, this is like discussing the underlying technology which defines hybrid cars (i.e. bat-teries) rather than the benefits such as better gas mileage and less pollution.

Let’s talk about some ex-amples which show off the features of Web 2.0. Web-sites are 1.0, Blogs are 2.0. Britannica Online is 1.0, Wikipedia.com is 2.0. Each Web 1.0 entry is an exam-ple of a person or company publishing information they create and control whereas each Web 2.0 entry is an ex-ample of user supplied content. So in the beginning, our web pages were a one-way street, providing information for the read-er, who either used it or moved on. Today, blogs allow anyone with nearly zero technical ability to publish information AND receive feedback and discussion. It’s the interchange of infor-mation which is important. Likewise, Britannica Online con-trolled the information it published (paying employees to do so) whereas Wikipedia.com encourages anyone in the world to contribute information allowing it to become one of the largest and most important sites on the web.

Web 2.0 is all about people and how we use the web, how we contribute to the web and how we collaborate. Need an example closer to home? How about Trip Advisor and the way it has forever changed reviews of your property? Star and Diamond ratings are fading in favor of real live guest experiences includ-ing their photos, and soon videos, of your property. You aren’t contributing, Trip Advisor isn’t contributing, the WORLD is contributing and potential guests are paying close attention.

The bottom line is that you are no longer in control of what is said about you and you are certainly no longer one of the select few talking about what you have to offer. The commu-nication barriers between everyone in the world have toppled and now everyone is a publisher and free to talk. Sites like MySpace, YouTube and Trip Advisor simply seek to organize the content that everyone else produces. Pretty amazing when you think about it.

Let me give you another example: Before I ever go to the movies, I check the reviews. Ten years ago, I checked what Siskel and Ebert said; three years ago I checked what movie critics said at rottentomatoes.com and today I check what everyone says at sites like Netflix and Yahoo Movie Reviews. Why? Because I found that I couldn’t trust Siskel and Ebert all the time and even had the same problem with the combined reviews of a good number of critics. Only when I was able to see the reviews by the public did I begin to get the real picture. Netflix took this one step further by suggesting movies that I might like based on

Web 2.0Are You Being Left Behind?by Scott Crumpton of White Stone Marketing


34

reviews from the people who like the same movies I do. Now, that’s a cool use of technology!

Travel 2.0More specific to our industry is a term being tossed around called Travel 2.0. Again, Trip Advisor is the best example of a Travel 2.0 site. Expedia, on the other hand, as a Travel 1.0 site, publishes information, uses its own star reviews, and provides the booking engine. Trip Advisor is totally different; it publishes information but provides user reviews and prices for the proper-ty based around six other sites such as Expedia and Orbitz. They also allow uploading of user photos (videos can’t be far behind).

So, where does all this lead us? To Truth 2.0A recent TV show (Slings & Arrows) purported that “Truth is the new lie.” They purported that the consumer has been lied to for so long that if you want to sell to them, tell the truth. When was the last time you really told the consumer the whole truth? Photos, websites, brochures, etc. are all created to put your best foot forward—but not both feet.

Web 2.0 has forever changed this aspect of marketing in that customers now have access to the full story. When Trip Advisor

first came out, innkeepers were reeling from what was said about them. Prior to Trip Advisor, dissatisfied guests (and satisfied ones, too) really didn’t have a place to share information, so all marketing content was strictly controlled by the innkeeper or a few publishers. Innkeepers always said word of mouth market-ing was their best advertising, but with the advent of Trip Advi-sor and similar sites, it turns out it’s a double-edged sword.

Sometimes the truth hurts, but it’s always best to tell the truth. To those innkeepers who have not updated their website in years because they want guests to be pleasantly surprised—I have news for you—you’re not telling the truth either. And THAT is hurting your bottom line. Tell the truth and you’ll never be sorry.

The Benefits of Telling the Truth The innkeeper at Carmel Country Inn (www.carmelcountryinn. com) had a website for years with a water color instead of pho-tos on the home page. As I’ve told innkeepers for over a de-cade, using a drawing instead of a photo means you’re hiding something and the traveling public isn’t that naive. Furthermore, the innkeeper didn’t want to put up an availability calendar, as she wanted to talk with potential guests if she was full, so she


35

could convince them to stay another day. Lastly, the inn is pet friendly, but they didn’t really promote it on the site, as they were concerned it would alienate certain guests. Six months ago the inn obtained a new website with professional photos, online availability and a strong focus on pet friendly lodging. Their current occupancy is 100%. Yes, you read that correctly, and they’ve even raised their rates. Tell the truth or the public will do it for you.

Did you finish Web 1.0?My last point is a pretty simple but important one. Did you finish Web 1.0 or are you still limping along? At the Select Registry Conference in May, I gave my favorite session where I review live website for brave innkeeper audience members. I reviewed about twenty websites and even with the quality of inns represented at the conference, it’s obvious that our industry still has a long way to go. Here’s a quick checklist for what I consider effective internet marketing that meets

today’s basic standards for Web 1.0: Professional photos, high-end website design, Search Engine Optimization, Pay-Per-Click campaigns, listings in the top ten (or more) online lodging guides, email newsletter, online availability, and on-line reservations. No, none of these are free—but they’re all Web 1.0 technologies proven to increase your occupancy and bottom line. Web 2.0 is great, but make sure you are have mastered Web 1.0 before you even consider moving on to the new paradigm. ■

scott Crumpton, together with his wife Allison, created one of the first Internet marketing companies dedicated to the boutique lodg-ing industry back in 1995. Today they own WhiteStoneMarketing.com, a website design and marketing company for luxury inns.


36Inn Sales

Live Your Dream!This successful Hudson Valley, NY, brick colonial bed and breakfast with separate carriage house on five majestic acres is offered at $875,000.

1½ hours from New York City, 15 minutes from New Paltz and Kingston.

Sparrow Hawk B&B • 845-687-4492www. sparrowhawkbandb.com

Visit www.innsales.com for more listings.Do you have an inn for sale? You can reach smart innkeeping professionals by advertising your inn for sale here in the next issue of Innkeeping Quarterly (IQ).

For this an other advertising placements in IQ, please contact Marlene Sapir at 800-468-PAII or [email protected].

Serving Afternoon Tea?Give customers The Tea House Times. Bulk rates. Free listing inside & at website. [email protected] The place people go to find places for tea!

Your Ad Here!Reach 12,000 readers with a classified ad in the next issue of IQ. Contact Marlene Sapir for details at 800-468-PAII or [email protected].

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�e Lost DogBerryville, Virginia

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LIFETIMEMEMBER

Fall 2007 Innkeeping Quarterly (IQ)

Documents

Transcript of Fall 2007 Innkeeping Quarterly (IQ)