Monthly Archives: January 2014

B&B Guests: Hobby Lovers

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People who practice certain hobbies may be attracted to stay at your bed and breakfast. Common outdoor hobbies include photography and bird watching.  Other hobbies include scrapbooking and writing.

There may even be a local conference related to their hobby in your area.  This is a great opportunity for you to offer a special package to your enthused hobbyists.  Assure them that they will have the quiet they need and beautiful scenery they want when they stay at your bed and breakfast.  This is a win-win situation!

 

Image by Marcus Berg of Unique Angles Photography

Posted in Activities, Decorating, Promotion

B&B Guests: History Buffs

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Some bed and breakfast guests visit because they want to tour historic buildings as well as monuments or local museums in your area.  You can take advantage of your prime location, and contact these places ahead of time to make arrangements for your guests to have tickets.

For example, in Asheville, North Carolina, the largest private mansion in the United States called the Biltmore Estate is located near a number of bed and breakfasts.  Many of these bed and breakfasts emphasize their close proximity and include tickets to the estate in a package they offer.

You may not have a huge estate in your area, but hopefully there is something historic that people tour in your local area.  If your bed and breakfast is historic, then play up your knowledge of its history and previous owners. Many people love getting a sense of history from learning about the past!

 

Image by Marcus Berg of Unique Angles Photography

Posted in Activities, Guests, Promotion

B&B Guests: Art and Drama Lovers

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You may have bed and breakfast guests who stay with you because of their love for the arts and drama.  They may plan on going to your local museums, theaters, opera houses, or dance stages.

Why not appeal to art and drama lovers with a special package?  This package could include long stem roses in their room, reservations to dine at your finest local restaurant, popular concert or theater tickets, and their night could end with a romantic dessert and fine wine back at your bed and breakfast.

Your package may be just the thing causes people to say, “That looks like a great deal.” Because you did the leg work of contacting the florist, the restaurant and the performance venue, you now have them as partners for future packages you offer at your bed and breakfast.  Way to go!

 

Image by Marcus Berg of Unique Angles Photography

Posted in Activities, Guests, Promotion

B&B Guests: Adventurers

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Guests who want to stay busy with physical activities could be considered adventurers.  An adventurer is someone who enjoys and seeks exciting, and sometimes daring, experiences. This could be climbing mountains, golfing, hiking, horseback riding, skiing, or any other outdoor activity or sport.

If your bed and breakfast is located near anything that offers fun activities such as the ones mentioned, consider putting together a special promotion or package by contacting these businesses to get guests:

  • 36 holes of golf
  • passes to hiking trials or skiing mountains
  • whitewater rafting adventures

By having a blog and a small part of your website marketing this, you will attract potential B&B guests who have adventurous spirits.  Be sure to think about what opportunities are available in your local and surrounding areas. Have fun with it and you can even create a guidebook of possible adventures for your guests!

 

Image by Marcus Berg of Unique Angles Photography

Posted in Activities, Blog and Social Media, Guests, Promotion

All in the Details

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Do you ever notice that it is the little things that make a big difference?  Sometimes it is all in the details.  For example, when I stay at a bed and breakfast and they include free use of their washer and dryer (and even supply the detergent and dryer sheets) that is an added bonus to me.

Other little details can include:

  • Friendly phone conversation
  • A professional hand carved sign to see as you approach
  • A warm greeting when you come in
  • A welcome note when you enter your room
  • Specific promotional package for your special occasion
  • Fresh flowers in your room
  • A guest book to write comments in
  • A guidebook to the local area and its attractions
  • A wide selection of books to read
  • Board games to play
  • Chilled wine bottle and wine glasses near the private hot tub
  • Filled basket of various snacks to choose from

The list of details can also be custom tailored to your bed and breakfast.  Perhaps you offer weddings or workshops.  The point is to get creative so that guests appreciate the little details you put into making their stay a happy and memorable experience they will fondly recall.  

 

Image by Marcus Berg of Unique Angles Photography

Posted in Amenities, Decorating, Guests, Promotion

Girlfriend Getaways

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Did you know that your bed and breakfast could be the perfect getaway for girlfriends? Whether they need to get away from the stresses of family life or their job or they simply want to dedicate a weekend to hang with the girls, this is a perfect package option you can offer. Packages personalize the experience of your inn’s guests.

Your package could include:

  • A wine and cheese tasting
  • Tickets to a local performance or attraction
  • T-shirts and coffee mugs with the name of your B&B
  • Personal massages and other spa services
  • Lunch in a picnic basket
  • A floral arrangement
  • Gourmet chocolates
  • Private hot tub in their room
  • Cookies and milk brought to their room

After together time with friends, they will come home refreshed, renewed, and invigorated. Be sure to follow up with them and ask them to write down or tell you what they liked about their experience.  If they give a good testimonial, you can ask for permission to add that to your website, blog, and marketing materials.  Remember, like the song says, “Girls just want to have fun”!

 

Image by Marcus Berg of Unique Angles Photography

Posted in Activities, Amenities, Guests, Promotion

What Motivates You?

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What motivates you?  What inspires you?  If you know the answer to those two questions, it can give you the strength and energy you need to persevere day in and day out.

How did you come to be bed and breakfast owners?  Whether you are new to inn-keeping or have been hosting guests for years, we all need to remind ourselves why we do what it is we do.

Your reasons can include:

  • Like to have your own business
  • Love entertaining guests
  • Enjoy cooking gourmet breakfasts
  • Get to tend a beautiful and fruitful garden
  • Appreciate meeting new people
  • Skilled at managing the books
  • Having fun decorating and remodeling
  • Have a vision for its growth

When you remember why, then it becomes easier to tackle daily chores and responsibilities. You are building your future and allowing your guests to have a wonderful experience they will always remember.

When your guests have a great experience, they are likely to let their friends know all about it and to return at a later date. Some of your best visits will be from returning guests to which you had a special connection.

 

Image by Marcus Berg of Unique Angles Photography

Posted in Food, Guests, Success

Fresh Content Keeps Them Coming Back

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Did you know that by updating your website with fresh web content, you are encouraging potential bed and breakfast guests to keep coming back?  As people get to know you and your bed and breakfast through the new content on your B&B’s blog, they will want to return to your website. More importantly, your bed and breakfast will be on their minds the next time they want to go on vacation.

Did you know that search engines love fresh content?  In fact, the web gives preference to fresh content versus web content that has not changed.  The web spiders have a reason to crawl your website to pick up on those additional keywords you are feeding them.

Just like a relationship can get stale unless things are changed up a bit, a website needs to continually be revised. This adds appeal to returning visitors.  It will increase your search rankings so that you will be higher ranked on the results pages.  The higher ranked you are in the search engine, the more likely your website will organically be on the first page of the search results–without you having to pay for ads!

No need to worry if you do not have a way with the written word, Kristi Dement and her team at Bed and Breakfast Blogging can do all the work when it comes to writing blogs and adding social media presence.  We will be sure to write about your unique strengths and interests, so that your guests can get to know you and all about your bed and breakfast.

 

Image by Marcus Berg of Unique Angles Photography

Posted in Blog and Social Media, Promotion

Encourage Yourself Every Day

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Bed and breakfast owners, do you want to know a good way to encourage yourself every day?  For the rest of the year you can write down something on a little piece of paper and fold it and put it in a jar.  Then, at the end of 2014, you can read all of your little notes!  You could write notes about:

  • Something funny a guest said
  • An unexpected good surprise
  • A compliment you were told
  • An unlikely happy coincidence
  • A blessing or favor from someone
  • Something that went smoother than you thought
  • A welcome phone call you received
  • A great breakfast guests loved
  • Something that made you laugh
  • Anything else you want to recall at the end of this year

You are giving yourself a present every day by adding to the jar.  At the end of the year, get ready for laughter, tears of joy, and fond memories!

 

Posted in Success

Valentine’s Day is Coming

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With Valentine’s Day being the middle of next month, it is time to start promoting how your bed and breakfast will be celebrating it. This is a great opportunity to put together a package deal for couples.

  • Make a connection with a local florist that you will only use their service in exchange for them giving you a discount.
  • If your bed and breakfast does not offer spa services, maybe you can arrange for a nearby spa to offer you a deal on massages, facials, and nails.
  • You may be located near to a card and candy gift shop.  This is another opportunity to make exclusive arrangements with them.
  • Look at romantic restaurants in your area and ask the manager if you can arrange for your couples to dine at their restaurant.
  • If you have a concert hall or arena in your area, you can check to see the performances showing or games being played during that time.
  • If you have rooms with their own private hot tubs, this is the time to emphasize that in your marketing.
  • Lastly, do not forget the wine or sparkled juice as well as dessert for two in the room.

The more you know about the couple, the more you can personalize the package.  Try to find out their preferences in food and entertainment.  What they would like done at the spa or if they are more likely to enjoy a concert or a game.

Sometimes one person is surprising the other person with this romantic trip. You can join in the fun.  Make sure to price your package at a cost where you will be making a healthy profit from your package after paying the other places.  This is your chance to play Cupid on February 14!

 

Image by Marcus Berg of Unique Angles Photography

Posted in Activities, Amenities, Promotion
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