It is the busiest season in the bed and breakfast industry – summer! Heat, sun, fun, driving, it is hectic, dusty, sandy, depending where your B&B is and of course hurried guests.
They want to come and go and it's a long line of faces, turning over rooms and cooking breakfast and cleaning. For an innkeeper who says summer is fun?
It’s a traffic jam! As an owner/operator you are all at the grindstone up early and putting in a VERY full day. As the farmers would say you have to make hay while the sun shines! It’s really hard sometimes to step back and assess where to improve your décor, food and or ways of doing business. Unless it ain’t broke don’t fix it! I know we have our annual Summit to educate and revive innkeepers. There are tons of communications coming at owners everyday but really – when do you get time to step back and see and absorb? It’s tough.
I remember years ago I understood the industry standard for hotels was to refurbish a hotel room every 5 years. That meant new beds, mattresses coverlets décor the whole shooting match. I don’t think that meant bathroom fixtures but who knows? The B&B industry was 8 years. That is a measurement on how busy you are and wear and tear it might be sooner if you have a very high occupancy rate. In this issue we bring you some great ideas on ‘Turning your B&B into a Boutique Inn.’ It’s hard to keep up on EVERYTHING in this industry.
Our contributors have weighed in on some great tips and know how including explanations of what is a Boutique Inn really is. And the long and short of it is – it’s attainable.
Lesson: So I remember years ago I learned not to wish an innkeeper to have a good weekend…. I was abruptly reminded they work. So when I end off now I try to remember that and say I hope you have a profitable weekend that seems to go over much better!
See you next issue,
From the desk of Editor
Mary Hughes
Summer Highs
Mary Hughes
Editor-in-Chief,
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