The Innkeeping Blog

In an interview with Matt Lauer this morning, Peter Greenberg gave tips and advice on how to travel on a budget during a distressing time in our economy. Dare I use the “R” word?

You can view the interview by clicking here.

B&Bs are mentioned as an economical possibility for Sunday through Thursday lodging needs.
I’m not necessarily the biggest fan of our industry being presented as an economical alternative, but the fact is most innkeepers do have lower rates during weekdays as part of a yield management strategy. And dollar for dollar, you bet a B&B is a better choice than the big-box guys! If this spurs any business at all for even one innkeeper, fantastic!

My friends at the B&B Team have also blogged about this.

Peter Greenberg’s office contacted PAII a few weeks ago, asking for information on staying at B&Bs for a piece they are planning for their website. I will spread the word once (if) something gets posted online.

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If you were preoccupied by getting ready for check-in the afternoon of August 28th, you probably missed the piece on NPR’s “All Things Considered” about two innkeepers in Saratoga Springs, NY. The story was part of a series on the trials and tribulations of small business owners. Click here to listen to the 5 minute story. NPR reporter, Jim Zarroli, contacted PAII, to see if we might have stats on the industry that support or refute the difficulties the innkeepers in this story were encountering. I immediately thought about the impact a positive or negative story might have on the innkeeping industry. As well, I wondered about who is looking out for the entire industry (meaning all stakeholders in the innkeeping world) with regard to public relations and telling our story.

I spoke with Zarroli for a few minutes and offered access to PAII’s Industry Study of Operations and Finance. The bit of information he chose to mention in the story was the fact that 58% of innkeepers surveyed indicated they rely on outside income (in addition to innkeeping) to run their households. That fact was used to support the story, which highlighted the profitability challenges of running an inn. In this day and age, it seems that national media coverage of any kind is a good thing, but of course we know that’s not true. Fortunately, the story was about one inn in one city, not about inns in general. And we all know that innkeeping business results vary based on all kinds of criteria and practices. An intelligent person would not think all inns are exactly like this particular inn, but you can see where listeners (and potential innkeepers?) might make a hasty generalization about innkeeping.

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