I've been doing some research online and thinking about trying a bed & breakfast. It
seems one would be a nice alternative to a regular hotel, and a bit more special for my boyfriend and myself. I do have one question though....we are not big breakfast eaters. What if we want to skip breakfast once we get there? Will the innkeeper be insulted? Would it be better to tell them or just not show up for breakfast?
Patti W, Arlington, VA, USA
That's a great question, and one that we're sure innkeepers everywhere
are glad you are asking.
If you know in advance you won't be having breakfast, you should definitely tell the innkeeper ahead of time (the same is true if you have any dietary restrictions). Innkeepers take great pride and care in making breakfast special for guests, so knowing ahead of time helps them to plan and prepare. If, however, you wake up and decide you don't feel like breakfast, we would definitely recommend you let the innkeeper know that you've decided not to have breakfast. Most innkeepers let you know how to reach them, or you can simply find them and tell them that you won't be having breakfast. You are the innkeepers' guests, so many will wait for you and will try to keep your food hot until you come down.
Letting them know you have decided to forgo breakfast is very considerate. It’s not only because they will wait for you, but also because they are small business owners and waiting for you is keeping them from doing other tasks such as preparing for their next guests. One word of caution: innkeepers usually tell you or post what is being served the next morning for breakfast, so be sure you know what savory treat you will be giving up (and you might decide to change your mind and enjoy breakfast)!
I've been an innkeeper for 12 years and each year I think we find better ways to do many things but
keeping up with technology and marketing has become practically challenging over the past couple of years. I'd like to know how some inns gets their inns in the newspaper, on TV, or written about in other places like travel blogs. It is frustrating because sometimes the inns getting the publicity are not as nice or just as nice as mine (IMHO). What do they know that I don't or what are they doing that I'm not?
Regina, Vermont, USA
There is no exact recipe for getting publicity for your inn. However, there are some tips and tricks
you could put into practice. We have asked Rich Rodriguez, PR Director at BnBFinder.com, for some of his secrets on how he gets media exposure for the inns that BnBFinder works with.
"I look for what is unique about each inn that I'm pitching, and tailor the pitch to the outlet's audience. The more clever the pitch, the more likely it is to garner the media's attention. When trying to get the media's attention, it’s important to isolate the qualities, activities and amenities that differentiate your inn from the others, then create a package around these qualities. While it's true that guests rarely book the exact package, clever packages do get the media's attention. The media is more likely to write about B&Bs being a ‘Guys’ Thing’ or ‘Mancations’ then if you pitched it as a ’beer-brewing class’. It's all in how you present it.
The next step would be to figure out which media to contact. It’s important to target your pitches to the right journalist or editor. You want to send your ‘Beer-Brewing Mancations’ pitch to the travel editor, and not the politics or technology editor. To find media, there are a number of free resources you can use. Google Alerts is great way to find media by tracking articles they write about your topic. Create alerts with terms such as “getaways for men” or “culinary escapes”, notate the name of the writer, then do a Google search under their name to find their contact information. Social media sites such as LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Google+ are great resources for finding journalists as well. Once you have your list, draft your pitch (including your full contact information), send it out, and then follow up with them in a couple of weeks.
At INNS Magazine we're looking for inns that provide a unique experience and most importantly can convey that experience with high quality pictures. Having high quality, high resolution photos is a must to be chosen by INNS Magazine or any media outlet. So get creative with your packages, make sure you have fabulous photos and good luck.
Staying at a B&B seems quaint and appealing. Since it's someone's home, how does it work so that we don't intrude on the family that lives there? How do they set it up so we are not in their way and it's not awkward for us as the guest? Do some inns have children living at the inn?
Tammi, Nestleton Station, ON
Many people think innkeepers are older couples. They would be surprised how many families run inns, and also how young some innkeepers are (we can name several in their twenties). In fact, we also know many innkeepers who, as children, grew up in an inn and took over the family inn, or later opened their own. As we say many times in this column, each inn is unique in how they handle the innkeepers' and the guests' privacy. However, you should expect this to be planned for.
If there are older children at the inn, they often have jobs around the inn. Younger children learn at an early age how they are expected to act around guests, and some stay in the innkeepers' quarters. A lot will depend on the inn's atmosphere. For instance, some inns are not child-friendly; and, especially for romantic getaways, if there are children living at the inn you will be less likely to see them. At other inns, the children are just as much a part of the welcoming committee as the innkeepers. If your goal is a weekend getaway without your kids, you might not want to see other people's children. So read the inn's website and reviews carefully and don't be shy about asking about the environment. Most importantly, enjoy your getaway!
Two Inns experts, Mary Hughes,
Editor of Inns Magazine and Mary White of BnBfinder.com field
questions from Innkeepers
and travelers.
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Inns E-Magazine / Winter 2013