Since then, the site has skyrocketed to internet fame, rounding up major funding and moving on the fast path to IPO (I suppose the brass ring for most internet start-ups).  All the while, I’m wondering when…just when will something terrible happen at one of these apartments that are advertised on the site?  When will someone question the sustainability of a web site that supports illegal businesses?  When will someone cry foul on the tax evasion?  Many cities have rules against property owners renting out rooms by the night or week without being either a licensed hotel or B&B of some kind.   Looking back, I suppose I should have cried foul a lot louder and a lot earlier.

I have been talking about AirBnB at meetings of innkeepers all across the country for two years.  My reference to them had to do with how ridiculously easy it now is for anyone to rent out a room in their pad to travelers, and we should pay attention to them as a new competitor.  Many innkeepers would dismiss it and tell me that this really isn’t our competition; travelers looking to stay in someone’s apartment are not interested in staying in a bonafide, professionally-run B&B.  I will concede that the typical AirBnB customer is not likely a perfect demographic match of the typical B&B customer.  But, I have also told innkeepers that they need to do a better job to capture the Gen X and Y generations, or they will bypass us for something like AirBnB.  If you go to their web site, you’ll see some pretty darn attractive places.  Very seductive, although I wonder if they only showcase the nicest of the nicest properties on their homepage.  Are many of the rest average apartments or worse?

I’m not anti-competitive by any means.  I strongly believe in healthy competition, but I also believe in a level playing field.  Innkeepers have toiled and invested hard-earned dollars to navigate (and even change) city hall to be recognized as legitimate businesses in communities across this continent.  Between unfriendly zoning regulations, fire inspections, town council votes, food safety licensing, commercial kitchen requirements, occupancy taxes, etc, etc, etc – many in our industry worked tirelessly over the past three decades just to be allowed to open a professionally-run, four-bedroom B&B.  Then you see how easily thousands of people are now offering lodging in unsafe, unregulated environments?  I probably sound like sour grapes to many reading this – and that’s not my intent.  I think there are legitimate concerns here.

Take the case that made national news last week involving a young woman who rented her apartment on AirBnB to someone who vandalized and robbed her.  And the founder of AirBnB had the gaul to say thereafter that safety is a top concern of theirs?  I couldn’t believe what I was reading.  What exactly was AirBnB doing up to that point to ensure the safety of both the traveler and the person renting the room or apartment?  Unless they were conducting background checks, how could they really do anything?  Worse yet was a case in 2009 where a traveler was raped by someone who offered lodging through the site CouchSurfing.com.  CouchSurfing and AirBnB are not quite the same breed of lodging (one is closer to vacation rental, while the other is closer to staying on a couch with a stranger -  oh wait, that’s actually what it is), but both sites are only relying on traveler reviews and the wisdom of the community to provide some semblance of safety and trust.

My opinion, for what it’s worth, is that everyone should follow the law, and no web site should be allowed to propagate illegal products or services.  If the law is wrong, outdated or unfair, then get the law changed.   (Side bar – the NYC anti-short-term-rental law that passed in NY was terrible legislation, as it also outlawed legitimate, professionally-run B&Bs that have been paying taxes for years and years to the city – innkeepers are working hard on getting the law amended.)  Vacation rentals, overnight sublets and the like are good and necessary options in our market.  Think of Mardi Gras in New Orleans.  Do you think such an event could thrive without all the illegal renting that goes on during such festivities?  Same for the Masters in Augusta.  You get the point.  But when such lodging options are available every night of the year?  It’s time for communities to step up and either go after these illegal rentals, or welcome them with regulations and taxation that are equal to what B&Bs must go through and pay.  They benefit from the hard work of all the local people, businesses and agencies working to bring in tourists and travelers, but don’t contribute back in any way.

As of right now, these are my own opinions – not an official position of PAII.  But that might change soon.  My suggestion to innkeepers – if you are moved by the fair playing field argument and have concern for the safety of people visiting your town or city – is to alert your tax collectors, fire inspectors and zoning officials about properties on sites like AirBnB.  I feel it necessary to reiterate – I’m all for vacation rentals (love staying in them, by the way) and other forms of short-term rentals, but not if they are breaking the law or evading their responsibilities to be regulated and taxed.  Spread the word, folks.

I smiled because I rarely see such a thing at B&Bs and inns, and I see a lot of B&Bs and inns.  A generic, plastic laundry bag hanging in a closet can be seen at just about any hotel, but it is a rarity at B&Bs.

I suppose I am a typical traveler, in that I bring more clothes than I end up actually wearing on a trip.  This creates a little problem, because I now have dirty laundry and clean laundry, all of which needs to go back into my luggage.  Sometimes I remember to bring a plastic shopping bag that I saved from a trip to my local grocery store, in which I can put my dirty clothes.  But if I forget my own bag, the bag provided by the hotel or inn is a great thing to see.

I’m sure restocking those bags after each stay is a pain in the butt for housekeeping, and maybe that’s why a lot of innkeepers don’t have the bags – many of you ARE the housekeepers and can’t delegate the task.  Maybe you never really thought about it.  The expense can’t be too great, can it?  Why don’t most of you do this?  It’s a little thing that can mean a lot to a traveler.

What else have you seen at inns, or what else are you doing at your inn, that is little, but can make a big difference to a road warrior or leisure guest?  I look forward to your responses below.

Jay

Activities undertaken by the vacation rental industry and its major players may end up benefiting the B&B industry.  For two years now, HomeAway has run commercials during the Super Bowl promoting the hotel alternative.  Since B&Bs compete with hotels (and we do, for those who say we don’t compete with hotels), I like this advertising.  It gets people thinking about alternatives to what can be the “cookie-cutter” experience.  HomeAway received a big infusion of capital from Google Ventures not long ago, and they recently filed to become a publicly-traded company.  The escalating scale and scope of this company will hopefully mean more propaganda to get travelers moving in the direction away from hotels.

Popular vacation rental web sites also provide another distribution channel for innkeepers to market their rooms, cottages, or cabins.  Not all rental opportunities on these web sites are condos and entire houses – some property owners rent rooms as well.  Many innkeepers have months during which occupancy drops to single digits.  Vacation rental web sites may be a great place to experiment with renting the entire B&B out to groups for days or weeks at a time.  I know several innkeepers who are having great success renting rooms on sites like HomeAway.  Think about it this way – there could be some kind of corporate sales training or other group-type function happening near you, and people booking blocks of rooms may not be thinking “B&B” when doing their homework.  But I’ll bet many are looking at vacation rental web sites.

One thing in particular I like about the HomeAway purchase of BedandBreakfast.com is the possible cross-pollination of opportunities.  Maybe HomeAway will find a way to market B&Bs to their vacation rental customers.  Maybe there are technology or marketing ideas that are highly successful in the vacation rental world that will find their way to the B&B world.

But, I do have concerns about the rise of vacation rentals.  When I think about the Gen X and Gen Y traveler – heck, maybe all travelers – and their likes and dislikes, I cannot help but be concerned about vacation rentals.  More and more, travelers seem to want it “their way” and they want it to be fast and easy – everything from the search process to the booking process to the on-site experience.  Some of the top reasons people don’t stay at B&Bs are the real or perceived notions that they will be forced into social engagement with strangers (that includes the innkeepers), that they will have to deal with policies and procedures that make the experience difficult (and which exist to make the lives of innkeepers easier), and that they just don’t know what they’re going to get when they arrive.  Will it be quiet or noisy?  Will the food be good or bad?  Will the innkeepers be absent, perfectly present or intrusive?  Who knows, right?

With vacation rentals, people oftentimes get the benefit of having a nicely decorated and clean experience that rivals just about any typical hotel experience.  When I say nicely decorated, I mean that many are outfitted like upscale homes.  Most have kitchens or kitchenettes – some might even be stocked with rations.  Vacation rentals can feel like “home away from home,” which been the calling card of the B&B industry.  Most have free WiFi.  There is likely no concern from travelers that they will have to encounter anyone but the people they are traveling with, so no fears of socially-forced/socially-awkward possibilities.  They can come and go as they please without worrying about bothering other guests or the innkeepers (I’m in someone’s home, so I better be on my best behavior).  And, they can be found in just about any town or city where B&Bs can be found.

Of course, we know that the best of breed in the vacation rental market cannot compete with the best of breed in the B&B market.  A well-run B&B by a caring innkeeper, who has figured out the right recipe for taking care of all kinds of guests and their wishes provides something that no vacation rental can – the warmth of hospitality.  That’s not my concern, because I know that travelers who get the “B&B bug” after staying at one good B&B will come back and come back often.  What I am concerned about is being bypassed completely by travelers have never stayed at a B&B, who get the” vacation rental bug” after a good experience, and who harbor the prejudicial stereotypes that the average traveler harbors about B&Bs.  Why risk staying at a B&B, where the experience could go either way?  Why not stay at a vacation rental where there is a good chance the experience will likely be what you expect?

Maybe this is another reason why we need the Better Way to Stay campaign more than ever.  Maybe the hotel market is not what we should be worried about.  Friend or foe?  If you’re not using what that industry has to offer innkeepers, then they’re only a foe.  If you are using what they have to offer, then they could be more friend than foe.  What do you think?

Recently I attended the Bed and Breakfast Association of Virginia meeting in Charlottesville.  I arrived by train and took a cab to the Boar’s Head Inn – a classic inn up the road a couple of miles from the UVA campus.  I worked and lived almost across the street from the inn about 15 years ago, so I was excited to be back in the area.  As I waited for the cab driver to run my credit card at the entrance of the Boar’s Head, I thought that I would “check in” to the inn on Facebook.  The relatively new Facebook Places feature allows Facebookers to “check in” at various places, i.e. restaurants, parks, stadiums, hotels, attractions, etc.  One uses his or her cell phone’s Facebook application to let their friends know where they are at that moment.  It’s just a way of sharing news with your friends.  Click here to learn more:  http://www.facebook.com/places/

When I attempted to find the Boar’s Head Inn on Facebook on my cell phone, I couldn’t find them!  I was hoping to tell the 700+ friends of mine that I was checking in, and maybe some of my local buddies might see that I was in town.  But, because it appears no one at the Boar’s Head is on top of the social media side of marketing, they missed a golden opportunity for me to tell hundreds of people that I was staying there.  To confirm my suspicion that someone is asleep at the social media wheel, I went to their web site and could not find a Facebook logo anywhere.  No invitation to become a fan or “check us out” on Facebook.

When I searched Facebook for “Boar’s Head Inn” this is what appeared:

It’s now painfully clear that they are ignoring social media as an opportunity to engage guests, and have those guests be ambassadors for them.

I usually don’t spotlight a business like this in my column, but I feel it’s important to encourage innkeepers to not miss the boat on this one.  Make sure you set up your Facebook business page, attend any Facebook-related webinars or classes those in our industry are offering (PAII has Lisa Kolb’s recent Facebook to the Hilt webinar available as a recording.  Click here to access it.  There will be a charge for Silver members.  Gold and Platinum can download it for free.)

Your guests love you!  Give them every opportunity – let alone the most powerful evangelical marketing tool we’ve ever known – to be your ambassadors.

Today I am in Washington DC with peers and colleagues from various associations and businesses that believe in local, independent businesses and the impact we have on local communities.

The America Booksellers Association seems to be the leading entity behind the AIR Summit.

On the agenda:

A Measure of Independent Retail Vitality in Every Metropolitan Area

The State of Independents Movement

Models of Local and Indie Engagement: What We Hear, What We Read, What We Eat, and Where We Shop

Roundtable Discussions

There is no question that inns and B&Bs are quintessentially independent and local. I’m curious to see what role PAII can play in the “shop local” movement.  Being here is step #1.

Check out this video about what one inn near Austin, Texas, did for the recent B&Bs for Vets program.  Nice work, Amy!

• Ingrid Thorson – the long hours and amazing amount of work you produce
• Michele McVay – the professionalism and high standards you bring to PAII and our events
• Marlene Sapir – the care you show to our loyal vendor members
• Isabel Abreu – the personal care you show for every member request – big and small
• Marti Mayne – your workhorse approach to telling the world about B&Bs
• Marty DeLuca – your efforts to keep all the details in line when dealing with a scatter-brained staff
• Alphonso Snipes – your attention to detail and great care shown with our most important asset
• Emily Spiers – for jumping on board with us and the new friendship
• Fiona Williams – your patience and efforts to introduce PAII to new audiences
• John Felton – your expert eye and helping to make IQ a great resource
• AnneMarie DeFreest – the most amazing, all-around supporter of all-things PAII and your confidence in me
• Dan Brown – your “always do the right thing” principles
• Deb Mosimann – for always looking out for PAII in everything that comes your way
• Jo Ann Bell – your great instincts as a board member and high standards
• Joyce Schulte – the unwavering support you give PAII and me, and your fantastic, analytic mind
• Kristie Rosset – your dispassionate approach to leadership, and your passionate approach to PAII
• David Hiler – for your progressive industry views and for your willingness to embarrass yourself (coming soon)
• Liza Simpson – for looking out for me… all the time
• Lynnette Scofield – unrivaled willingness to say “yes” to any request when PAII needs you, and we do
• Amy Smith – the candor and energy (and youth!) you bring to the table at all our volunteer meetings
• Lucy Lewand – for being one of our biggest supporters in CA
• Steve Hiatt – for being our ambassador in the Southwest and for answering the call when we need you
• Rick Wolf – for all the laughs and great advice
• Susan Sternthal – for years and years of unconditional support and Margate
• Scott Thomas – a great innkeeping voice on all-things internet marketing and technology
• Carol Davis – your personal kindness and zeal for PAII
• Patrick Ashton – your fantastic ideas and great meals in NOLA
• Cheryl Conarty – your never-ending enthusiasm for PAII and interim innkeeping
• Russ Herschelmann – the never-ending supply of brainstorming for mutual success
• Kathryn White – for making PAII your unpaid, part-time job…we get the better end of that deal!
• George Newman – for being PAII’s biggest fan and (too often) thankless supporter
• Frank Salvo – the spice you bring to what could be an otherwise dull meal
• Jim Leitch – stepping up to the plate and the TomTom
• Diane and John Sheiry – your personal support and sacrifices
• Jan Barrett – for being persistent with your support of PAII
• Carol Edmondson – for being one of the sharpest people I’ve ever met and so willing to help PAII
• Mark Smith and Matthew Lovette – your undying devotion, it nearly  humbles me  J
• Roger Dow – exceptional leadership for the travel industry in the United States
• BBCanada team – your willingness to be true partners in every sense of the word
• Scott and Marilynn Bushnell – your friendship and tireless efforts every year
• Jay Keller – your sage guidance and support of PAII’s goals
• Karen Keller – your contributions to some of PAII’s most important, behind-the-scene projects
• Peter Glaubitz – the many sacrifices you made for PAII; I can’t thank you enough
• Paul Cowell – the warmest of friendships, displays of generosity and wisdom only you can bring
• Jerry Phillips – for taking the time to get to know me, and the start of a friendship
• Ralph Coffey – being among the first to be so generous in the name of helping PAII
• Kris Ulmer – for doing it right and doing it well
• Kathleen Panek – for your personal support and selflessness you brought to the genesis of “B&Bs for Vets”
• Jeanne Muir and Jim Ford – the many hours put in and slings and arrows received in supporting “B&Bs for Vets”
• Eric Adams – your continued support of PAII during a difficult time
• Sarah Dolk – the willingness to step up to the plate and strong support of what we do
• Diane Callahan – for carrying forth the PAII message in Indiana
• Ingrid Vermegan – the newfound support and camaraderie with BC
• Jeanna Stavas – for being progressive and PAII’s biggest supporter in the Plains
• Joe and Bebe Rabhan – your friendship, great ideas and my spare tire
• Bonnie Rabe – tireless efforts to keep Louisiana going
• Tim Brady – your limitless creativity and generous support of PAII when we need you, which is always
• Sandy Timmermann – all your hard work in IL and support for PAII
• Hoyt Dottry – for being our biggest fan in a region where we needed fans
• Katherine and Bruce Brown – for giving this organization another chance and diving in with your support
• Heather Turner – the seemingly unlimited content you share on Twitter, which gives me great stuff to share
• Greg Dugal – your friendship and automatic support for PAII, and the great job you do in Maine
• Dee Fegan – the friendliest of smiles and for carrying the PAII torch throughout Pennsylvania
• Hugh Daniel – for always being available to help with our “numbers” questions
• Peter Sharp – for your great ideas and tireless work at the state level
• Diane DiNapoli – for introducing me to the Hudson Valley group
• Pattie Detwiller – fitting a great deal of support of PAII into your busy life
• Becky Lindway – the invitation to C’ville and new friendship between our organizations
• Reinhold Maher – our new friendship, Zeitgeist and for showing that urban B&Bs rock
• Dean West – generous offering for our campaign and for introducing PAII to Key West
• Teresa Jacobson – my lovely stay in Savannah and for leading by example
• Ellen Grinsfelder – believing in PAII and your level-headed leadership
• Vinessa Milando – for being the local champion in NYC, putting a roof over my head when I visit and our friendship
• Susan Maddox – our new friendship and your strong support
• Heath Croft – for being a fresh face willing to help
• Bill Moncrief – for steering the ship in difficult waters and open approach to partnerships
• Janet Reed – the open invitation to be part of your group; I feel like a native in New Jersey!
• Helen Young – for your practical wisdom and support of new ideas
• Hilary Jones – for your hard work in producing a great resource and being involved with us
• Twyla Sickmiller – your mile-wide smile, Southern charm and solid advice on our forums
• Fred Vogel – for the new partnership with PAII and for your desire to succeed in New Jersey
• OH&LA Team – for being the first to take a risk with PAII
• Pam Thorsen – your invitation to Minnesota and positive support
• Bill Oates and Heide Bredfeldt – unwavering support of PAII and welcoming our family to Newfane
• Lynne and Bob Griffin – for opening your home and family to me and the great job you do
• Joan and Dane Wells – your support from day one of my move to Philly and recent generosity
• Suzanne Hansche – pushing for PAII to come to the Northwest
• Berni Jubb – keeping us on our toes all the way from Costa Rica
• NPC Team – longevity in a world that doesn’t value it as much
• Steve Lucas – for all the support on my trips to DC
• TripAdvisor Team – for keeping the door open to my critiques and for paying attention to our industry
• Bill Mitchell – the new level of support you are showing PAII – it’s very meaningful
• Lisa Kolb – teaching innkeepers what they need to know and being selfless about it
• Ian MacPhee- for being a shining example north of the border
• Allison and Scott Crumpton – your vocal support of PAII and personal encouragement
• Imbue Creative team – the amazing job you do on IQ and for keeping the fees low (hint hint)
• Christian Gianelli – for all the great shots you take at our events and for just being cool
• Barbara Scheisser – your support of our campaign all the way from Austin to Corning
• Bill Wayne – consistent involvement for many years and belief in working together
• Select Registry Team – believing in the betterment of your members and for being willing partners
• Mary White – your counsel on and off the course
• Barry Werner – your expressions of love for PAII and your great example of local involvement
• Nancy and Dallas Renner – for being an early supporter when we needed it
• Dexter Koehl – for your endorsements and letting me ride along on your projects
• All Eight Broads – for doing something fresh in our industry, and for just being so much fun!
• Janice Fitzgerald – your willingness to be creative and share it all with PAII
• Peter Scherman – for being in my “kitchen cabinet” of advisors so that we ever-improve
• Pete Holladay – for supporting PAII when you might not have to and for believing in our long-term success
• Niles Deneen – your personal friendship and zeal for what your family name stands for in our industry
• Peter Deneen – your years of friendship with PAII and the great work you do for our industry
• Janice Hurley – your unbelievable enthusiasm for PAII and willingness to help when we need it
• John Banczak – stepping up the support for PAII and our efforts because you believe in what we are doing
• InsideOut Solutions team – unbridled enthusiasm for all-things internet marketing and for being one of PAII’s best ambassadors

• Carrie Lyndrup – the best advice and listening ear anyone could ask for, and the tolerance shown for someone who seems as married to his work

• Marley and Jonah Karen – for all the laughs, hugs and kisses, and for doing your best to be good for your mother when Daddy is away

To the innkeepers and vendors not on this list who should be – for having the forgiveness that I accidentally left you off the list.

Happy Thanksgiving!
Jay

Attendees at the Nebraska Association of Bed and Breakfast conference earlier this month

Would you cook an omelet without the egg?  Would you offer morning coffee without cream and sugar to your guests?  You could do the above things, but it just wouldn’t work as well, would it?  The same can be said for trying to run a state, provincial or local B&B association, or even PAII, without input and involvement from the membership.  There is a disturbing pattern at many B&B associations, from what I observe – a critically few members do all of the work to keep the organization going, and these folks are getting burned out.  This causes a bit of a “vicious cycle” to occur –association members complain they’re not getting enough out of their association and might not renew (or non-members will say the same about not joining) > association tries to involve members in regional meetings, state meetings, board meetings, ANY meeting to discuss how to improve the work and value of the association > the same few people attend everything > the same few people end up DOING everything > the association tends to lack progress they need or desire > same uninvolved association members complain or stay silent > same burned out association volunteers try again.  I believe strongly in the value of local B&B associations – I’d love to see all of them succeed, be progressive and have strong membership bases.

More and more, association members view their involvement in associations simply as consumers – I will pay dues only if you can clearly show me a financial return.  The problem is … associations (especially those run exclusively or mostly be volunteer members) are not like retail shops or typical corporations.  If an association doesn’t have legions of staff to do all the work and stimulate necessary progress and innovation, then the responsibility falls to the membership and volunteers.  Customers don’t volunteer to help keep a retail operation alive.  Your own B&B guests don’t convene to determine ways to make sure you stay in business.  But when associations are prescribed to change leadership every few years, there is a need for people to rotate into those leadership positions to make sure the organization stays on course.

I apologize for the negative bent of this post, but oftentimes peers tend to be overly polite with each other and may not draw attention to the fact that their friends and colleagues aren’t helping to carry the water of the organization.  My hope for all B&B associations is for more members to get involved and answer the call when volunteers are needed…to support the organization through your dues even if every dollar can’t always be traced back to a reservation…to encourage other innkeepers to belong to the association.  Remember – the whole point of having an association is to accomplish in a collective way what you cannot accomplish as an individual.  The operative word in that sentence is “collective.”  You cannot have a collective effort when only four or five are doing everything…every year.

The same formula is true for PAII, but with larger numbers.  It’s possible to run a very effective state organization with 100 or 200 members (depending on the size of your market).  For an organization like PAII, it takes thousands.  Membership in PAII is up double digits over last year, which is fantastic.  A lot of that success has to do with the fact that you can now join PAII for as low as $89.  We can be a more effective advocate for the B&B industry with folks like TripAdvisor if we have 8,000 members instead of 2,000 or 3,000.  Encourage your peers who are NOT members of PAII to go to www.innkeeping.org to sign up and be part of the growing movement of innkeepers coming under the PAII tent.

To carry the numbers message further, conferences for innkeepers are more effective when you have more innkeepers in attendance.  The natural idea-sharing and problem-solving both in the classroom and in the hallways is greater when the numbers are greater.  To that end, I invite you to come to any of these events for just a couple of days to recharge your batteries and pick up all kinds of knowledge to make you a better innkeeper.

New England Innkeeping Show Nashua, NH        November 1-17

Innkeeping Show Charleston, SC   January 10-13

Northwest Innkeeping Show Portland, OR      April 4-6

Nearly everyone who attends our conferences will say it’s some of the best money they ever spend as innkeepers.  You deserve it!  Go to the websites above to check it out!

We were honored to be doing some amazing things with allied associations these days.  We now have dual-membership agreements with some of you (Nebraska just signed on two weeks ago!), many of you are jumping in with two feet to support the Better Way to Stay Campaign, and several of you are helping to promote PAII membership to your members.  We value our relationships with all of the allied B&B associations out there and look forward to years of positive partnerships!

Kathleen first approached me about supporting the campaign many months ago.  After bringing it up to a few folks, there was concern that some innkeepers might not be in a position to give up important room revenue – especially those who may be in high season during the second week of November.  And, there were some who felt that the campaign should allow innkeepers to choose the discount or added value for veterans – not be required to give free rooms.  One innkeeper, a professed veteran himself, said that if he determined he couldn’t give away any free rooms that night, he might end up looking like a “jerk” for not participating.  I thought that if this campaign really grew legs, there certainly could be that peer pressure element to participate – even if you were hesitant or reluctant.  All of those concerns are legitimate, but I think the generosity of the campaign is its shining asset.

We’ve shared information about the campaign in a few of our email newsletters, and you might have overlooked the call for participants.  I wanted to focus my column this month on the promotion, because it deserves more attention than PAII has been giving it.  I sympathize with some of the innkeepers who have expressed some reluctance to participate, but I think the way Kathleen has structured the promotion makes sense for a few reasons.  First , it’s easy to understand.  It’s simple – a free night - for only one night – for military veterans.  If an inn wants to donate one room to the promotion, that’s all they have to give.  If the innkeeper wants to donate some or all rooms that night, he or she can indeed do that.  But to the veterans, they know it’s a free room on Wednesday, November 10th – plain and simple.  If the special varied inn-to-inn, then it could get confusing and difficult to manage.  From a branding and PR standpoint, simple is good.  Secondly, it could turn out to be fantastic exposure for our corner of the hospitality and travel world.  As we close in on November, it could turn out that some major media will pick up the story of the promotion.  That’s not the purpose of the promotion, but it could be a welcome benefit.  Thirdly and foremost, it’s a worthy cause.  Have you heard the occasional story about how someone randomly or anonymously picks up the tab at a restaurant for a veteran in uniform?  How airlines often give upgrades to available first class seats to men and women in uniform?  Those anecdotes are always inspiring.  The B&Bs for Vets promotion is one fantastic way to show that our industry and our innkeepers value the sacrifices made by our military.

I first “met” Kathleen on a forum for innkeepers about two years ago, and she wasn’t necessarily the biggest fan of PAII at the time.  Since that time, our “electronic friendship” grew, she became a member of PAII and we had the good fortune of meeting and dining at a conference this past winter.  I’m proud to say that she’s become a vocal fan of the work PAII is doing (if you know Kathleen, you know that she tells it like she sees it – no sugar coating).  I hope many of you involved in PAII will join me in thanking Kathleen for her selfless efforts.  Knowing Kathleen as I do, I’m sure she’d say something like, “You can thank me by participating!”

If you can sacrifice a room, I ask that you participate in B&Bs for Vets.  As of a few days ago, the following states had no inns participating (Kathleen would LOVE to be able to promote the fact that inns in all 50 states and DC are participating):

Colorado

Delaware

District of Columbia

Idaho

Nevada

New Mexico

Minnesota

Rhode Island

South Dakota

Utah

Other states have only one B&B particpating.  The campaign is just shy of 300 participating B&Bs.  Let’s help Kathleen and the campaign get to at least 500 properties.  Go to www.bnbsforvets.org to see who is participating and to sign up.  If any vendors in the membership want to offer services to the promotional effort (i.e. internet marketing help or media/PR assistance), I’m sure Kathleen would love to hear from you – gillum@gillumhouse.com.

Thank you to everyone participating.

Jay

One innkeeper wrote to me the following:

I am having job performance issues with my college student – he perceives that the problem is me and not his job performance.  He relayed to another staff member (how do they think I won’t find out?) that his friends said he should go on TripAdvisor and pretend to write a review as a guest and make a comment that they liked everything about the inn, except how the owner treated her employees.

Another innkeeper told me that one of his guests stayed for a few nights and said she suffered several bed bug bites during her stay.  To make a long story short, they had the inn inspected for evidence of bed bugs (and they do wrap their mattresses), and there was no evidence.  The guest mentioned the possibility of writing a review on TripAdvisor about it, before she requested a full refund for her stay.  The innkeeper naturally doesn’t want to give in (and does not plan to).

We’ve known for a long time that people have been using TripAdvisor as a weapon in certain circumstances.  The most common one I’ve heard about is when guests want to cancel towards the last minute, but they don’t want to pay the agreed-upon cancellation fee.  If the innkeeper holds true to the policy, the guests get upset and threaten a negative review on TripAdvisor if they don’t get their deposit back.  This is despicable and unscrupulous in my humble opinion, but it happens.  Because the system does not verify the veracity of this guest (Did he actually make a reservation?  Did he stay there?  Who knows?), and because reviewers can remain anonymous, reviewers have the upper hand in these unfortunate situations – a true weakness in today’s online review systems.  When I’ve told stories like this to my contacts at TripAdvisor in the past, they seem genuine in their desire to fight fraud.  After all, their system becomes less valuable as more fraud gets into the database of reviews.  They have automated tools that can detect some of it, but the rest is left to human interpretation of the event as explained by the reviewer and rebutted by the innkeeper.

But what can one do if there is an imminent case of fraud and the innkeeper is aware of this?  Report it.  Use TripAdvisor’s online communication tool for owners to let them know what is happening.  That way, if the fraudulent review subsequently shows up, innkeepers have at least already alerted TripAdvisor.  Hopefully, this alert will serve as evidence in the dispute, if a dispute arises.
TripAdvisor staff has told me that if someone threatens to write a fraudulent review or one that is supposed to extort money out of the innkeeper, that you should try to let them know of this threat.  Use TripAdvisor’s online system to report this in advance.  Here is the URL for reporting fraud: http://www.tripadvisor.com/help/how_can_owners_alert_ta_to_potential_fraud

Follow the links until you get to the “Manage your listing” tab (upper right) on the Owner’s Center page for your inn.  Under that tab, there is a “Manage reviews” section, and under that section is a link for “Report problem with review.”  When you click on that link, you are asked to register as the owner.  If you can log in with your TripAdvisor username and password, you should be able to get to an online form to let TripAdvisor know what’s happening.

Be sure to explain all the details you have at your disposal to prepare for the unscrupulous reviewer.  There is no guarantee that you will win your case, but no innkeeper should wilt or sit idly by when extortion or fraud is happening.