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BedandBreakfast.com Becomes PAII’s Largest Platinum Key Supporter and Offers Limited-Time Deal to Innkeepers

Jay Karen — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 19:37:34 +0000

BedandBreakfast.com®, the largest international travel website in the B&B industry and a division of HomeAway, Inc., has partnered with the Professional Association of Innkeepers International (PAII) to become a Platinum Key Supporter and the organization’s largest patron. The partnership aims to help the organization grow and promote awareness that B&Bs are a “Better Way to Stay” than a cookie-cutter hotel.

“By signing on as our newest Platinum Key Supporter, BedandBreakfast.com demonstrates its commitment to PAII and our goals to best serve our membership and the industry,” says Jay Karen, PAII’s president and chief executive officer. “BedandBreakfast.com has always been at the forefront of promoting the industry, and this relationship is another great example of being an advocate for B&Bs,” finished Karen.

“We feel that over the last several years Jay Karen has taken PAII to new heights and we believe that if the organization and BedandBreakfast.com join efforts, we can together convince more consumers to try B&Bs and inns as a great alternative to chain hotels,” says John Banczak, vice president of BedandBreakfast.com at HomeAway, “Once a traveler tries a B&B, they become B&B customers for life – our mission is to get more travelers to make that first B&B trip, ” says Banczak.

To kick off the new partnership, PAII was able to secure the largest member promotion BedandBreakfast.com has had with an industry association. Any PAII member who has not previously had a membership with BedandBreakfast.com during the past 90 days may join at the Silver Level for just $199 for a year – a savings of 47% in the first year. PAII members who are current members of BedandBreakfast.com have the choice of either a half-price one year upgrade to either a Silver, Gold, or Platinum membership (a savings of up to $162), or receive a $25 credit towards a Featured Property Auction.

In addition to these great offers, PAII secured a similar offer for non-PAII members. In addition to these great offers, PAII secured a similar offer for non-PAII members. Innkeepers who are members of neither PAII nor BedandBreakfast.com members can now join both organizations at the Silver Level for just $289 – a savings of 47% in the first year. Both promotions end Friday, August 20, 2010. BedandBreakfast.com will also sponsor a part of the “Better Way to Stay” campaign over the next year and contribute half of the proceeds from new members that sign-up for PAII and BedandBreakfast.com towards promoting the “A Better Way to Stay” campaign.

“BedandBreakfast.com’s pricing offer to both existing and new PAII members is truly unprecedented,” commented Karen. “We’ve known that membership in BedandBreakfast.com has been a wise business investment for tens of thousands of innkeepers since their founding in 1995, and now at these prices it would surprise me why any innkeeper wouldn’t want to take advantage of both BedandBreakfast.com and PAII. We are really looking forward to seeing how much more we can boost the industry together over the next year.”

To explore the limited-time advantages, click here.

About BedandBreakfast.com:

BedandBreakfast.com, based in Austin, Texas, is a leading specialty travel website with detailed information on more than 11,000 bed-and-breakfast properties worldwide. The site helps travelers find the ideal B&B or small inns through informative descriptions, photos and more than 100,000 consumer reviews, and make confirmed reservations instantly at nearly 2,000 properties. In addition, BedandBreakfast.com offers gift cards welcomed at more than 4,000 B&Bs in the United States and Canada, with no restrictions or blackout dates. The company also operates RezOvation, the industry leader in property management systems, online reservations, website design and internet marketing for the inn and B&B market. BedandBreakfast.com is owned and operated by HomeAway, Inc., the worldwide leader in online vacation rentals, representing more than 475,000 paid vacation rental home listings across 120 countries.

About PAII:

The Professional Association of Innkeepers International, founded in 1988, is the innkeeping industry’s largest trade association. PAII is committed to fostering a knowledgeable, caring and conscientious community of professional innkeepers, networking with each other throughout the world. PAII provides education, communications, public relations, advocacy, networking, and research services to its membership and the greater industry. PAII hosts the world’s largest annual gathering of innkeepers, The Innkeeping Conference & Trade Show, and publishes the industry’s leading trade publication, Innkeeping Quarterly (IQ), which reaches over 17,000 innkeepers and is poised to launch a new international B&B branding campaign entitled “A Better Way to Stay”.

Haddon Heights, NJ July 13, 2010 – BedandBreakfast.com®, the largest international travel website in the B&B industry and a division of HomeAway, Inc., has partnered with the Professional Association of Innkeepers International (PAII) to become a Platinum Key Supporter and the organization’s largest patron. The partnership aims to help the organization grow and promote awareness that B&Bs are a “Better Way to Stay” than a cookie-cutter hotel.

For information or questions, visit www.innkeeping.org.

About BedandBreakfast.com:

About PAII:

2011 Innkeeping Show Dates and Location, HomeAway Purchase of BedandBreakfast.com, TripAdvisor Promotion, 2009 Operations Survey and More

Jay Karen — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 20:41:37 +0000

Well, there is a good bit on my mind these days, as you can tell from the long title of my column this month. I’m busy with last-minute preparations for the Innkeeping Show in Austin, which starts in a few days (although you will get this while we’re all in Austin learning and laughing together). This column will focus on my two cents about the big purchase in our industry that was announced recently, as well as some other exciting news. Be sure to click through and read this month’s column!

Limited-time TripAdvisor Promo with PAII

We’ve worked out an arrangement with TripAdvisor, so that all innkeepers in the B&B industry can continue to receive the 50% off deal for their new Business Listings Program through April 8^th. You must use discount code TRIPDISC to get the deal. If you haven’t investigated their new Business Listings program, I encourage you to check it out. Basically, for a fee you can now add your email address, phone number and hyperlink to your inn’s web site on your TripAdvisor property page. This is a new program for the entire lodging industry, and they’ve had several thousand properties already sign up. I think innkeepers should sign up for three reasons: 1) you’ve poured a lot of time and effort into your own web site, and by having a direct link, you stand a better chance of getting TripAdvisor guests over to your site, 2) through your web traffic analytics program, you now have the ability to directly track the traffic coming to your web site from TripAdvisor…many innkeepers are now reporting this web link as one of their top sources of traffic, and 3) the 50% off price is low enough to give this a shot for at least the first year. Properties with fewer than 11 rooms would normally pay $600 and properties with 11-25 rooms would pay $1,000 for this link – innkeepers can pay $300 and $500 respectively with this coupon code. Go to www.tripadvisor.com/BusinessListings to sign up!

HomeAway Purchases BedandBreakfast.com

It was just announced a few days ago that HomeAway purchased BedandBreakfast.com, as well as their other companies RezOvation and Webervations. Click here to read the press release, and you can read Eric Goldreyer’s post on our forum (as well as some responses) by clicking here. If you want to read Trent Blizzard’s (internet marketing expert who works in both the B&B and vacation rental industries) reaction, click here. My two cents? First, I’m very happy for Eric. He poured his heart and soul into ELG Hospitality and all its programs and services – what resulted was a highly successful operation. There were bumps along the way and he could always count on a wide spectrum of reactions from innkeepers about their products and terms, but it’s hard to deny that he helped innkeepers move into the 21^st century and brought them plenty of business. No company has generated more PR for our industry. Every company that goes through a major change like this will announce that things will still be great, even with the new owners. For some it’s true, and for others things can change dramatically. HomeAway prides itself on marketing alternatives to the typical hotel stay, which aligns nicely with what the B&B industry likes to portray. I think the best case scenario will be if the new ownership gives the old staff in Austin, TX and Logan, OH, all the latitude they need to stay highly involved in the B&B industry. The people at BedandBreakfast.com care a great deal about the industry, so I hope HomeAway allows the leadership at BedandBreakfast.com to maintain a great deal of control and authority. But HomeAway can leverage their much-greater resources to bring fantastic amounts of attention to our product and industry, and I hope they do this. HomeAway, after all, was one of the few companies that ran a commercial during the recent Superbowl. In addition, I’ll bet there are forms of technology, business practices and other aspects of running a successful business that HomeAway will share with BedandBreakfast.com to keep them on the path of continual improvement.

2011 Innkeeping Show Dates and Location

Mark your calendars for January 11-14, 2011 for a trip to Charleston, SC for next year’s Innkeeping Conference & Trade Show! After some extensive research about innkeepers’ preferences on the best times to get away for a trip to “innkeeping’s main event,” and preferred locations to visit, we landed on January in South Carolina at the Charleston Area Convention Center. We realize there is no perfect time or location for all innkeepers (a few innkeepers near ski resorts aren’t too happy about the move in dates), but please know we did a lot of homework to figure this out. Thank you to all the innkeepers and the Committee of 100 for participating in our surveys last year. We negotiated very good room rates at adjoining hotels ($119 per night, which includes breakfast and internet) and we’re going to take a hard look at how we can bring down the costs of attending. Stay tuned!

2009 Year-End Performance Survey

Now that we’re about to enter the Spring season of 2010, we hope you’ve wrapped up your 2009 numbers and are ready to share them for the sake of reporting our industry’s performance. At the end of 2009, we had approximately 800 innkeepers share their year-end data. We’re hoping to beat that number this year and top 1,000 participants! We have put together a brief, online survey at www.innkeepingsurvey.com that asks for data such as occupancy, average daily rate, revenue/expenses and a few other tidbits of data. This survey is not nearly as lengthy as the bi-annual Industry Study of Innkeeping Operations and Finance, so it will take you only a fraction of the time to complete. This is our industry’s one shot at collecting rich information about the performance of B&Bs and inns. We will share the results with the industry, and we’ll break out data by state where there has been sufficient participation. Please take a moment and print out your year-end P&L statement from your accounting software and take our survey at www.innkeepingsurvey.com. Any innkeepers who give data, as well as PAII’s Gold and Platinum members, will have online access anytime to dig into the data and compare your results to aggregate data by state, number of rooms, budget size and other factors. This is a new feature!

Now is a great time to be an innkeeper and involved in your professional trade association! Not yet a member of PAII? Join for as low as $89 at www.innkeeping.org.

Onward and upward!

Jay

USA Today Article Covers Hot Topic of Online B&B/Hotel Reviews

Jay Karen — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 18:46:19 +0000

Click here to read the story, which is mostly about a new web site offering “professional” reviews.

I chatted with author, Laura Bly, for an hour and a half the other night.

What do you think about a review site made up of reviews solely from the web site’s employees who visit the properties? Even though it doesn’t seem as though they’re interested in covering B&Bs, do you think consumers would see these kinds of reviews as more valuable than peer travelers?

Guest Blogger Writes About View Into Innkeeping

Jay Karen — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 14:52:00 +0000

PAII staff members, Michele McVay (Director of Education and Events) and Ingrid Thorson (Marketing and Communications Manager), recently spent a day with Kathryn White of the Beechmont Inn in Hanover, PA. The purpose of their trip was to get a sneak peek into the life of an innkeeper. I asked Michele to chronicle the day for our blog readers. The photo to the right is of Ingrid, Kathryn and Michele. – Jay Karen, PAII President & CEO

Michele wrote…

The trip to Hanover, PA near Gettysburg started out with much frustration, two lanes shut down at the Ben Franklin Bridge, two mile back up, and running late already from dropping my screaming one year old off at daycare. I finally make my way to Ingrid’s on the north side of Philly and after picking up my second much needed cup of coffee from Dunkin Donuts we are finally off. It just takes minutes on the Pennsylvania Turnpike to be removed from the sounds, smells and traffic of the city. I take a deep breath and exhale, glad to just sit back and let Ingrid drive. We stop along the way to pick up a bottle of Pouilly-Fuisse, we couldn’t possibly arrive without a gift and we may all need a drink after our host lets us in her kitchen.

The drive to Hanover went quickly, with Ingrid and I laughing and sharing stories and nervously sharing our trepidation about what Kathryn will think of our cooking skills or rather lack thereof. Kathryn, of course, is Kathryn White, long time PAII member and innkeeper extraordinaire of the charming and impressive 1830’s, 5,000 square foot federal, 7-room Beechmont Inn. We arrived safely to be greeted by the very hospitable Kathryn and were put to work almost immediately.

One of our first tasks was to make cookies for the guests for afternoon snack. Kathryn mistakenly thought Ingrid and I wouldn’t need a recipe to make such a simple snack, but no. Ingrid and I worked as a team, blending the ingredients, learning how to use a mixer for the first time and delicately doling out each clump of dough which eventually would turn into warm mint chocolate chip cookies, but low and behold all good things must come to an end.

I reach down into the oven to pull out the perfectly golden cookies only to lose part of my grip and in slow motion the yummy cookies jumped to their death on the bottom of Kathryn’s beautiful Viking-esque stove. Luckily the collapse only caused 5 mint chocolate chip cookie deaths. I proceeded to scrape the remains out of the bottom of the oven for the next half hour. Luckily this wasn’t the only batch and we had enough for the guests who were staying that evening.

All the guests had checked in by about 6pm although I am told that arrivals can oftentimes be at all hours of the afternoon and well into the evening.

The rest of the day included being shown around the Beechmont, meeting Kathryn’s dear husband Tom, and asking her so many questions about innkeeping, her experience, her previous life and what led her to the profession of innkeeping, that she ended up with laryngitis!

Our day came to a close around 9pm and we retired to the wonderfully comfortable Hawthorne Room exhausted, and wondering how Kathryn does it. Ingrid and I had only experienced a small handful of guests let alone a full house! It begins to dawn on me that Ingrid and I actually had it easy.

The alarm clock blurted out of the still and quiet darkness far too early. “It couldn’t possibly be 5:45 a.m.” I thought; it still feels like the middle of the night.

One of the guests had an early morning meeting an hour away from the inn, and Kathryn being the accommodating person she is, of course, agreed to have breakfast ready for our guest at 7:30am so he could promptly be out the door at 8:00. No pressure for Ingrid and me, who had been asked to come up with the menu or at least the recipe for the breakfast entree and actually make it. Mind you breakfast at my house includes nothing more complex than Eggo’s, and we had committed to making stuffed French toast. Now I know all the innkeepers are scratching their heads right now wondering what’s so difficult about that, but for two kitchen novices it was like taking the SAT.

Kathryn was nothing less than a whirling dervish in the morning, the epitome of organized chaos, yes an oxymoron, but somehow the only description I can offer. This was Kathryn’s element, and she even offered us coffee before we started…bless her. She whipped up refreshing fruit smoothies, baked pears with brown sugar, scrambled eggs with fresh herbs from her garden while Ingrid and I, rather reminiscent of Lucy and Ethel, jointly put together the stuffed French toast (admittedly with secret ingredients Kathryn offered us that made what was delicious even better). I felt like we had been admitted into the secret sorority of breakfast chefs. I thought I couldn’t wait to get home and whip up something similar for my own family. I think my husband would be so impressed jewelry might be involved.

We had a couple of other guests at 8:30am, and like our early morning guest, we received the best thanks ever…a clean plate.

We departed around the same time we had arrived only 24 hours before, although it seemed like a lifetime since we had arrived…we left Hanover with a new found appreciation for every innkeeper, not that I didn’t have respect for the hard work and life-choice before, but with a deeper understanding of the kind of person who is compelled to take on this incredibly demanding and rewarding profession. This is HARD WORK and anyone who isn’t up for the challenge obviously would not last long. Kathryn expressed the need to have some semblance of balance in your life to keep from getting burned out, but in a short period of time I came to the realization that it really takes a very special person with a certain kind of drive to take this profession on and succeed. I’m frankly humbled. I’m left with the desire to work as hard for the members who make up this association as innkeepers do for their own guests.

We just hope to be invited back again. It always feels wonderful to have made a new friend.

WHYDFML?

Jay Karen — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 14:12:00 +0000

That’s not a typo. It’s just a long acronym. It stands for “what have you done for me lately?” I suppose we’re not always best at tooting our own horn, but we have some fantastic things going on I want to share with everyone – a few things we’ve already announced and others that will be news to members. As I travel to state association meetings throughout the country, I’m often asked by non-members (including many former members) about what PAII is like today and what we are doing. Similarly, when we talk to busy members about renewing their membership, we find many have been too busy to really pay attention to what’s happening. You pay dues to PAII – so you should know what’s happening. Here’s a short list of what’s happening now. There’s a lot more in the on-deck circle, so stay tuned for more!

Prescription Drug Program
Soon PAII members will be receiving in the mail a letter and two cards that give you access to discount prices on prescription drugs at nearly all major pharmacies. We know being self-employed doesn’t always afford you the best health coverage, including many times weak or no pharmacy coverage. With this card, you and your family can enjoy attractive savings. If you don’t want to wait for the direct mail piece, simply go to http://www.sunrxdiscount.com/paii to print your own card now. At this web site you can go ahead and check the prices you’ll pay for your prescriptions – both over-the-counter and mail order. This is not an insurance program, but rather a nationwide discount program. If you have good prescription coverage, this program might not benefit you – but do yourself a favor and check it out! I’ve been using the card myself, and have enjoyed the savings.

IQ Circulation

Beginning this January, Innkeeping Quarterly magazine will be circulated to all innkeepers throughout the United States, not just PAII members. To date we’ve been sending this leading trade publication to members every quarter, as well as a different group of 3,000 non-member innkeepers. The advertisers want the greater reach, and we believe the entire industry should be reading the timely content in this publication. We’re looking for a few good writers! If you have significant writing experience and want to contribute to the industry’s only trade magazine, please email Ingrid Thorson at ingrid@paii.org

Research Project Open to State Associations
Every two years, PAII has published the Industry Study on Operations and Finance, which contains valuable data on average daily rates, occupancy, profit and loss and much more. We’re making two important changes to this study. First and foremost, we have worked out an arrangement with our research partners, Industry Insights, to assist any interested state association in publishing a state-level report. The California Association of Bed and Breakfast Inns (CABBI) is the first to jump on board. For about 5% of the cost of the national study, participating state associations will have access to their own comprehensive report. This should make the benchmarking process much more valuable for all innkeepers. If you’re a board member of a state association, and you’re interested in learning more, please contact me at jay@paii.org. The second important change to the study is that we will start collecting data on a quarterly basis, so that we can report on quarterly business in our industry. The hotel industry collects and reports on data every month. We can do better than every two years! So, when the quarter is over, PAII will be asking for a few measurements every quarter, such as revenue, rate and occupancy. We guarantee that all data collected will remain 100% confidential.
Engaging TripAdvisor for Innkeepers

As you hopefully know by now, I have an important meeting lined up on September 17th with the senior leadership of TripAdvisor. Over 250 innkeepers have shared their TripAdvisor stories, grievances, praises and criticisms with me. I am currently processing all of this information and will be going to the top of the ladder with these matters. As I have said before, the impact of TripAdvisor has been the quintessential double-edged sword. Many innkeepers have benefited greatly from the free exposure and positive reviews. But just as many innkeepers seem to have been burned by fraudulent negative reviews, unresponsive customer service and just plain extortion by customers wielding the threat of a negative review. I believe it is our responsibility as your trade association to represent your voice on matters that impact your business so greatly.

Lunchtime Learning Webinar Series
In less than two weeks, at 2:00 p.m. EST on September 16th, PAII will host our first “webinar” in our new Lunchtime Learning Webinar Series. The topic will be “Converting Callers and Walk-ins to Guests,” presented by PAII favorite, Don Farrell. We know many of you cannot make the Innkeeping Conference every year to take advantage of the great education, so we will bring to you and your inn some popular topics every quarter. All you need is 60 minutes, a phone line (to hear the speaker live) and internet access to view the PowerPoint presentation – all live. Go ahead and register for the first one by logging in to Members Only. Other upcoming topics include getting more mid-week business travelers, changing your marketing during a tough economy and time management strategies.

Media Support
And just a final tidbit of information, since we oftentimes forget to let members know that we frequently talk to the press
on behalf of the bed and breakfast industry. These past few months have been busy with media requests for interviews and information. In addition to talking with reporters from several regional and local newspapers in several states, we have helped writers with their stories at Conde Nast Traveler, Everyday with Rachel Ray and Inc. magazine. We do our best to provide helpful and relevant information, as well as portray a positive image of our industry.

I welcome your thoughts on any or all of the above. Again, we have a number of other projects in the works not mentioned here, including a new PAII web site and database and some wonderful marketing tools to help you with getting more “heads in beds.” Rest assured that the PAII board and staff are working hard to both serve your needs and lead the way on important matters.

With best regards,

Jay

Kudos for Innkeeping Blog

Jay Karen — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 15:30:00 +0000

Associations Now is the magazine published by the American Society of Association Executives (yes…the association for associations), and covers all the latest trends and progressive thinking in association management and leadership. I was flipping through my July issue (ignore the scary cover photo), and did a double-take when I came to page 19. The magazine is featuring three blogs written by association CEOs, and one of the three is this very blog! I had no idea this was going to be in the magazine, so I was pleasantly surprised.

Thanks to all our loyal fans, readers and commentators out there (you are out there, right?) for following this blog. I’m soon going to be upgrading my BlackBerry to one that has a camera in it. I’ve come across so many opportunities recently to take photos of good and bad things that I want to blog about. Stay tuned!
Jay

PAII Position Statement on Online Reviews

Jay Karen — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 15:47:00 +0000

As most of you know, the advent of the online guest review has made a big impact on our industry. Some days, as our board chairman says in today’s press release, it feels like the “Wild West.” Innkeepers are fearful of the impact of negative reviews, and at the same time enjoy the glow of positive reviews. Many inns, which had been heretofore hidden gems, might now be discovered on account of online guest reviews.

Our industry has been accused of being a place where fraudulent review-posting is more likely to happen than in the hotel market. PAII’s own keynote speaker at our conference suggested innkeepers leave positive reviews of their own properties, which was a shock to us as well. Innkeepers complain to us about how TripAdvisor ignores the needs of our industry. There are features and policies within the review sites that may or may not meet the needs of innkeepers, our guests and the industry at-large.

In the midst of what sometimes feels like chaos, the PAII Board of Directors felt it necessary to offer a public statement on the ethics and use of online reviews. I believe the press release and position statement explain how we are feeling, as well as provide some guidance on the matter. You should look to PAII as a both resource and voice for innkeepers. In that light, I encourage you to give us your opinions, stories, grievances, at-a-boys, etc. We want to hear from you, so that we can continue to be a valuable resource, as well as carry your message to those that have a big impact on our industry. Leave your comments on this blog, or the PAII Member Forum. The press release and statement are below.

Thank you for allowing us to serve and lead,

Jay

_____________________________________________________

For Immediate Release
Contact:
Jay Karen, President & CEO
Professional Association of Innkeepers International
jay@paii.org
856-310-1102 phone
856-310-1105 fax
www.paii.org

Innkeeping Association Urges Ethical, Fair Behavior for Online Review Systems

Haddon Heights, NJ, June 11, 2008 — The largest international association of innkeepers is promoting standards to ensure fair and ethical use of online guest review systems — one of the fastest growing segments of so-called “social media” on the Internet. The Board of Directors of the Professional Association of Innkeepers International (PAII) is calling on its members to adhere to the highest ethical standards, for example to not offer incentives to guests for posting a review. Similarly, PAII is asking the companies that provide online review systems to respond fairly and in a timely manner when innkeepers complain to them about false or misleading reviews posted about their properties.

In just a few years, online review systems have dramatically changed the way millions of people plan their travels. The web-based technology used by TripAdvisor.com, BedandBreakfast.com, and other companies enables leisure and business travelers to read first-hand reviews by other travelers of their experiences at hotels, inns, bed and breakfasts, resorts, and restaurants.

“The widespread use of online guest reviews is a fairly recent phenomenon, and many innkeepers feel at the mercy of exceptional situations, rather than what systems seem to be designed for – honest feedback from guests. The systems most widely used by B&B guests try to prevent fraud and unethical behavior, but they are not fail-safe,” said Jay Karen, PAII’s President and Chief Executive Officer. Karen said most of the problems he hears about from innkeepers involve mean-spirited, false and misleading reviews posted by guests, and the occasional difficulties experienced by innkeepers when pursing an expedient method of addressing problems. In a few cases, innkeepers have discovered false reviews posted by their competitors. “There have been media reports and assumptions that owners and managers of smaller independent properties, like bed and breakfasts, are somehow more prone to circumventing the rules of these sites. While this is not true, we want to set the record straight regarding the ethical standards this industry supports, and this statement articulates our position.”

PAII’s position statement addresses the appropriate decorum which innkeepers should follow. In addition, the statement covers what the association’s board feels is “fair play” for the sites that offer opportunities for guests to leave reviews. “False negative reviews on these sites can definitely color a potential guest’s likelihood of making a reservation, and we want to encourage administrators of these sites to rapidly address grievances and reports of fraudulent activity,” says Karen. “Lost business is a very serious matter, especially if you’re an innkeeper with only 5 rooms in your inventory.” Karen reports that the systems are generally working well for innkeepers, but that singular incidents of indiscretion seem to disproportionately impact innkeepers, who have reported grievances to the PAII office. “The leaders in the business of online reviews are TripAdvisor, which promotes its services to the general traveling public, and BedandBreakfast.com, which specializes in our industry. Innkeepers and guests should avail themselves to all reputable sources, but sites that demonstrate a deep understanding of the B&B marketplace are going to be most helpful when travelers are looking for the special experience offered by a stay at an inn or bed and breakfast.”

“While there have definitely been transgressions in any industry that has online user reviews, we believe the rules established by these web sites are only one piece of the puzzle,” says Debrah Mosimann, PAII’s board chair and owner of Swiss Woods Inn in Lititz, Pennsylvania. “It’s important for an industry’s representative group to establish its own benchmark of appropriate conduct. In many ways, these web sites are doing a great service for our industry by bringing to light matters that innkeepers need to address at their own properties, and yet also giving exposure to hidden gems in our industry that might otherwise have gone unnoticed. Some days it seems like the Wild West out there with user reviews, and we hope to provide a little bit of guidance to the stakeholders in our industry – the user review sites and the several thousand innkeepers who deliver the experiences being revealed for the public to see.”

PAII’s position statement, while not an official code of ethics, is intended to address a current matter of importance in the innkeeping industry.

Contact:
Jay Karen, President & CEO
Profe
ssional Association of Innkeepers International
jay@paii.org
856-310-1102 phone
856-310-1105 fax
www.paii.org

About PAII:The Professional Association of Innkeepers International is the innkeeping industry’s trade organization, representing owners of bed and breakfasts and country inns. PAII provides education, communications, public relations, networking, and research services to its membership and the greater industry. PAII hosts the world’s largest annual gathering of innkeepers, the Innkeeping Conference & Trade Show, and publishes the industry’s leading trade publication, Innkeeping Quarterly (IQ).

# # #

Professional Association of Innkeepers International (PAII)

Position Statement on the Ethics and Use of Online Reviews
PAII, the professional association for owners of bed and breakfasts and inns, believes online travel reviews can be a useful source of information for both travelers and innkeepers. Research shows that travelers are far more likely to trust an evaluation or review of a product or service by a fellow consumer than a paid advertisement by the manufacturer or service provider, or even reviews from professional journalists.

Unfortunately, the review process is susceptible to dishonest acts: “good” or positive reviews can be posted by friends of lodging properties or by the properties themselves. And “bad” or negative reviews can be posted about a competitor, or travelers can post negative reviews based on misleading information, a misunderstanding, or an unwarranted grudge. While the review sites themselves have a number of mechanisms intended to prevent dishonesty, these mechanisms are not foolproof, and unscrupulous individuals or businesses will look for ways to bypass the safeguards.

First and foremost, PAII does not support any kind of false or deliberately misleading reviews, whether positive or negative. Reviews should be posted only by guests who have stayed at a property. Inn management should be able to respond to all reviews, with responses posted promptly alongside the corresponding reviews. A guest should be allowed to submit more than one review for each visit to a property during the course of a year, or at minimum be able to update older reviews with relevant new information.

PAII also supports, and will strongly pursue, effective and balanced online review systems for proper monitoring of reviews and responses to complaints of misuse. Expedited responses to innkeeper grievances are paramount, because unresolved matters could result in lost business.

Innkeepers should solicit feedback from their guests, both during and after their stays. PAII also believes it is appropriate for innkeepers to encourage guests to post independent reviews. However, it is not appropriate to offer incentives for them to do so.

The internet and its many utilities will continue to grow and change. PAII and its members will grow and change as well, and in the process, maintain high standards of honesty and integrity.

Adopted by the PAII Board of Directors
June 6, 2008

February 2008 – On My Mind

Jay Karen — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 20:07:00 +0000

In my seven short months on board as your CEO, I’ve come to learn a great deal about the challenging, yet often times rewarding, profession and life of innkeeping. I am approached by members and industry leaders in all corners of the continent about what PAII should be doing. It is important for you to know what we have decided to focus on in the coming months and years. One of the most important achievements our board and staff have accomplished recently is the adoption of a clear vision for PAII. In my column in the recent Winter edition of Innkeeping Quarterly (IQ), I share PAII’s new “Vision Statement.” It is a firm belief of mine to have in front of us and wear on our sleeves a vision of the organization we will always strive to be for our members and the industry. You can read the statement here. This statement is an over-arching philosophy for the organization. We also needed a clear set of priorities and objectives for the coming months and years. The PAII Board of Directors, along with the PAII Advisory Council and other at-large members, helped to shape the most relevant priorities of the organization. These priorities, which we consider our organizational goals, are listed below. All of the work of the staff and board are shaped and motivated by these priorities.

I hope you agree with what we have chosen to focus and spend association time and resources on. We recognize that we cannot be all things to all people, and at the same time be successful. A successful association is helping its members be more successful. In order for PAII to thrive, we must have the support and involvement of our members. To maximize your investment in PAII, we urge you to participate in PAII surveys, read PAII communications, go to PAII meetings, support PAII vendor members, participate in the PAII forum, buy books and research published by PAII, and continue to support PAII through your membership. With your help, we can accomplish the goals below.

As always, I welcome your thoughts and comments at jay@paii.org.

PAII’s Organizational Goals

Association Growth

PAII will commit to annual net growth of no less than 5% of member inns, supported by a significant improvement in retention of existing inns. PAII will increase the variety of suppliers involved in the association. PAII will measurably grow member participation in all association programs. PAII will develop new revenue sources, grow the top and bottom lines and increase reserves to help ensure future financial stability.

Membership Benefits

PAII will provide a variety of valuable programs and services, so that all types of members at all levels of expertise and experience feel membership in PAII is critical to their success.

Governance

PAII will study and evaluate governance and corporate structures to determine the most appropriate and fitting structure for perpetual success and benefit of the members, association and industry.

Culture

PAII will respond measurably to members with respect, promptness, courtesy, care, and empathy. PAII will conduct our affairs with honesty, a positive attitude, the highest ethical standards, integrity, sincerity, and enthusiasm. PAII will serve our members with the excellent level of service our members are expected to provide their guests. PAII will actively seek the input and advice from our membership and always be available to listen to our members and allies. PAII will keep members informed of who we are, what we stand for, what we are doing and why we are doing it. PAII will provide meaningful and ample volunteer opportunities. PAII will recognize members for longevity of service and outstanding contributions to PAII and the innkeeping industry.

Promoting More Business for the Innkeeping Industry

PAII will become the undisputed voice for the innkeeping industry. PAII will be the gateway to the lodging experience offered by innkeepers through a permanent, industry-supported, cutting-edge public relations campaign aimed at educating consumers and providing access to a variety of sources for reservations. PAII will develop valuable marketing tools for member innkeepers. PAII will actively engage media for increased coverage of our association, industry and the experience of staying at inns.

Allied Associations

PAII will be a valuable ally and source of support to associations of innkeepers by providing a platform for their leadership to share ideas, solve problems, and build relationships. PAII will provide education to elected leadership and hired staff of associations of innkeepers. PAII will develop mutually beneficial, voluntary agreements with willing associations of innkeepers. PAII will develop meaningful relationships with allied associations within and outside of innkeeping, which will aid the success of our members.

July 2007 – On My Mind

Jay Karen — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 18:47:00 +0000

Let me tell you a little bit about why I love association management, and how I just know I’m going to love the innkeeping industry. First, association management: Few professions allow an individual to make such a positive impact on an entire industry like my profession. From an office in a small corner of the country, a dedicated group of people can deliver programs, education, and research to a critical mass of people that allow them to be more successful. We can meet with those who are part of and who influence the industry, and we can encourage them to move in line with our industry’s objectives. My work at PAII goes way beyond collecting dues, offering sponsorship opportunities, and organizing an annual meeting—it is about impacting your businesses and lives in a good way. That is satisfying work.

While PAII is here to help you operate a successful business, the people behind the inns are what motivate me. Thousands of you put your hard-earned money, heart, soul, sweat and tears into providing a unique and wonderful experience for your guests. I think of you when I think about the direction in which this organization must go. For most of you, the inn is everything to you—a place to raise your family, a full-time job, and/or your life savings. For others, it might be a second career. Regardless of what brought you to this place, the success of your inns impacts your lives and personal happiness in a significant way, and that means a great deal to me.

Each and every experience at a country inn or bed and breakfast, and every innkeeper, is unique. By no means do I represent a commodity business, and that is why I love innkeeping. When your board of directors interviewed me for this position, they asked why I wanted the job at PAII, because, as an association executive, I could work in just about any industry imaginable. I said I wanted to work with people who are in hospitality and who love what they do. I want to be around people who get the most out of life (and from the innkeepers I’ve met so far, that is true), and who help others do the same through their livelihoods.

Proprietors of small businesses typically need their national associations more than large businesses. It’s a matter of economy of scale—big businesses usually already have the benefits of large scale. Innkeeping is no different. PAII bears a solemn responsibility to do things for you that you could not do alone. How can we spread the word about the bed and breakfast experience? What kind of cost savings on vital business services and products can we negotiate on your behalf to give your bottom line a boost? How vast, meaningful, and accessible can we make networking and friendship-building opportunities for innkeepers all over the country and beyond? Which tools can PAII deliver that will help you compete most effectively? On which topics should PAII advocate at the national level for you? These are questions that keep me up at night in my profession and as your CEO.

As we move through the summer season, the PAII staff, Board of Directors, and Advisory Council are preparing for a vision and strategic planning session to take place in September. It is our responsibility to make sure we are working on the most important issues our resources will allow. Be on the lookout soon for the all-important needs assessment, which will help guide our discussion. Thank you in advance for filling it out—your input matters.
When it comes to innkeeping, what keeps you up at night? Please let me know. Drop me a line sometime.

Jay Karen

Jay is the new President and CEO of PAII, after having been with the National Golf Course Owners Association for ten years. He can be reached at jay@paii.org or 856.310.1102.