The Innkeeping Blog

I’ll admit it. My family has recently been patronizing the Golden Arches more than we probably should. When you are in my situation (two kids under 4, a kitchen that is operational, but still a construction zone, and a financial ground that has shifted under me), sometimes the path of least resistance is taken. Of course, being the fiscal conservative I am, the concept of cheap food can also be appealing. But it just occurred to me on our last trip that a trip to Mickey-D’s costs me upwards of $16. Wait a second! I thought you could feed a family at McDonald’s for something like eight bucks. How is this happening, and what the heck does this have to do with innkeeping?

Caught red-handed eating McDonald’s at Midway Airport on my way home
from the Heartland Innkeepers Conference. Shhh. Don’t tell my wife.

I’m a consumer and my antenna is now officially up. While my antenna was down, the price of fast food crept up. Peter Yesawich, a noted authority on travel trends and speaker at the upcoming Innkeeping Show, recently observed that affluent travelers (defined by household incomes greater than or equal to $75,000) will be comparison shopping MORE than their less affluent counterparts. Antennas are up. People are paying close attention to how they are spending their hard-earned, and seemingly less valuable, dollars. Isn’t it counterintuitive to think that the more affluent will be comparison shopping MORE than the less affluent? Yesawich also just released an interesting stat yesterday – his Traveler Sentiment Index is showing its first signs of upward momentum since January 2008, meaning travelers are feeling more positive about near-term travel possibilities than a year ago.

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I recently spoke at the Mid Atlantic Innkeepers conference at The Homestead in Hot Springs, Virginia. It was great seeing innkeepers and vendors at this event.

I felt compelled to share the photo I took below. Upon entering my room, my eyes were drawn to the little jar of jelly beans. “How cute,” I thought. After seeing the price tag of “$15″ for the little jar of jelly beans, I didn’t think it was very cute.

Now is a GREAT time for innkeepers to remind potential guests about all the wonderful amenities you provide at no extra charge. While hotels are cutting back their amenities or charging for them (sometime an arm and a leg), we should capitalize on what’s happening and tell our story.

Also, I wanted to share with you a message that Scott Bushnell sent to his friends and clients in the innkeeping world about what innkeepers should be doing in this difficult environment. I have pasted it below.

Onward and upward, my innkeeping friends!

Jay______________________________________________________Email from Scott Bushnell:A couple of weeks ago I sent out a note suggesting your attendance at the Mid-Atlantic Innkeepers Conference and Trade Show in Virginia. I would like to pass on the BIGGEST LEARNING I picked up at the conference. The conference was packed with workshops and ideas on how to deal with the business of innkeeping, especially in this time of economic challenges.

Jay Karen, president of PAII, held a Town Hall Meeting and discussed the latest trends in the travel industry. But it was the results of the latest PAII business activity survey, summarizing the industry’s performance from September through November that really caught my attention.

Of the 218 innkeepers reporting their fall business levels, 30.3% reported stronger business than the same period the prior year and 19.3% reported about the same level. Half of the inns reported business as not as good as last year. But the REAL LEARNING came with the reasons why they feel their business was either up or down:

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Kudos to our friends at BedandBreakfast.com, bnbfinder.com and ILoveInns.com for their efforts in trying to stimulate some traffic in our industry’s direction with recent PR efforts.

BedandBreakfast.com’s release focuses mostly on why a stay at a B&B is more valuable than a stay elsewhere. In particular, I liked how they draw attention to the “free” value-added services, which would not likely be free when staying at a hotel:

• Free breakfasts for two (all B&Bs): $25
• Free Wi-Fi access and/or guest computers (nearly 90% of B&Bs): $10
• Free afternoon refreshments, wine and cheese and/or evening dessert for two (94% of B&Bs): $20
• Tip-free help with luggage and concierge services (over 65% of B&Bs): $5
• Free local telephone calls (75% of B&Bs) plus free long distance calls (25% of B&Bs): $5
• Free parking (over 95% of B&Bs): Up to $25

bnbfinder.com helped to jump start industry promotions recently that focused on saving gas. The “One Tank Trip” promotion is a neat idea, reminding people that a commute to a wonderful vacation spot doesn’t have to cost a lot of time or money. I particularly like how they listed the number of B&Bs within about a half-tank drive (175 miles) from some major destinations. It’s amazing that over 400 B&Bs are within a half tank from Boston.

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