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Hotel Showdown Travel Channel

Posted on February 4, 2015 by Kristi Dement Leave a comment

Hotel Showdown is a winner-take-all television competition show seen on the Travel Channel. Four hotels go head-to-head for a $25,000 prize winning. The hoteliers will spend a night in one another’s establishments with an exacting eye for detail, awarding points for their stays. This episode first aired on February 3 at 9 pm EST and will be shown again on February 4 at 12 pm.

The contestants and their New York properties were:

1) Leslie at the Seton Hotel in Midtown Manhattan

2) Monique at Akwaaba Mansion in the Bedside area of Brooklyn

3) Jeremy at Sanctuary Hotel in Time Square

4) Lisa at Hotel Z NYC in Queens

I like that this show features the opinions of other hoteliers versus having 4 random guests rate their experience at each of the locations.

The Seton Hotel is in an amazing location being so close to Grand Central Station and near everything in Manhattan. The rooms were warm, comfortable, and clean. Monique forgot her phone charger and was impressed that they had one available for her to use. However, she found the small blue room she stayed in to be a polarizing color and recommended a more neutral color. Jeremy was disappointed that there was no food on site or an exercise facility. Lisa could hear people in the hallway at night. However, overall, everyone enjoyed their stay.

Akwaaba Mansion in Brooklyn incorporates African American culture in a Victorian setting. Monique decorated every inch of this historic mansion built in 1860. Its wood floors have been restored and it features ornate fireplaces. With only four rooms, Monique seems to do it all from making breakfast to offering tea and pastries in the afternoon. Jeremy was impressed by her hospitality, but pointed out that he would not want to wake her up in the middle of the night if he needed something while his hotel has someone on call any time day or night. There are many restaurants, shops, and art galleries nearby. All enjoyed Monique’s wonderful accommodations. She paid attention to the details.

Jeremy’s Sanctuary Hotel in Time Square blends Far Eastern and European together. It is very tranquil and outside noises do not enter the lobby. The hotel offers 111 rooms and has a rooftop lounge and two restaurants. They are a full-service property. A couple contestants disliked that the shower doors were completely see through. Leslie suggested they have a directory for their guests. Being in the city, the rooms were on the small side but they are in a great location.

Lisa’s Hotel Z NYC in Queens opened in 2011. The hotel is industrial style with a jazzy theme. Lisa said they treat their guests like rock stars. They offer complimentary transportation to the hotel. Every contestant mentioned the gorgeous views. Jeremy was impressed with the Z logo being on the towels, but pointed out that the “do not disturb” signs showed pictures that he took. He was a good sport about it and said that he knows that Lisa will make sure to fix that. While the rooms were clean, they were on the small side. Hotel Z NYC is an up and coming area.

The contestants were to rank their competition in three categories:

1) Accommodations

2) Amenities

3) Hospitality

With the points tabulated…(insert dramatic drum roll here)…the bed and breakfast won! I think Monique’s attention to detail and love for what she does was evident to her guests. She said that she will put the $25,000 to good use and re-invest it into her property.

Posted in Amenities, Decorating, Guests

Why Bed and Breakfasts are Better Than Hotels

Posted on January 6, 2014 by Kristi Dement Leave a comment

bb-better-than-hotel

Staying at a bed and breakfast can be better than staying at a hotel. Your B&B could be located in a restored old home or even a mansion with antique furnishings. Your gardens may be lush and offer comfortable seating, and your rooms range from cozy to luxurious. Staying in your B&B can be a really unique travel experience and not one to be missed. Here are the top 10 benefits you can emphasize to your bed and breakfast guests.

Their bed and breakfast is included. While this may seem obvious, it’s actually a wonderful amenity in terms of convenience and cost savings. B&B’s offer anything from a continental spread to a hot gourmet meal. As a special touch, you can even bring guests their breakfast in bed.
You can give them the privacy and peace and quiet they desire. As a B&B, you can be more exclusive with fewer guests. You often have guests looking for a place to spend a quiet weekend.
They’ll get more personal service. With fewer guests than a hotel, you can give your guests a much more personal experience. Wanting guests to return, you are invested in making sure you have a great stay.
Your bed and breakfast may be located in a less traveled area. Unlike hotels, your B&B could be located off the beaten path. This provides your guests with a great opportunity to see less traveled parts of your community that they would otherwise miss.
It is the perfect romantic getaway. In fact, B&B’s have become so popular for couples that you may cater to this romantic angle, offering special romantic packages. These may include events planned ahead or excursions that are included in their stay.
Your bed and breakfast is more secure. At a B&B, there are fewer people coming and going. With less going on, as a B&B owner, you can keep a much better eye on their property than a typical hotel staff can on a hotel.
Your guests can get a taste of the local culture and style. Your B&B has its own character. Even better, you have lots of advice for your guests concerning the best things to do and see in the local area.
You can offer extra activities. You may be one of the many B&B’s that offer additional recreational activities in your regular packages. Depending on the location, your guests may be able to enjoy biking, hiking, canoeing, golfing, or skiing.
Your guests will encounter unexpected luxuries. B&B’s tend to offer all those extra special touches that can make your guests’ stay pampering and luxurious. Luxury bed linens and bathrobes, organic food, and locally roasted coffee are only some of the many perks that you may offer. You may even stock snacks and drinks in the common areas and rooms in case your guests get hungry.
You provide a great value. Although B&B rooms tend to be priced higher than hotels, usually your place offers a better value overall than hotel rooms. More amenities are included such as free phone calls and Internet, you get much better service, and the experience tends to be much more unique than an average hotel stay.

So, as the bed and breakfast owner, be sure to emphasize (on your website, blog, and your other marketing) the unique benefits that guests will receive when they stay at your bed and breakfast and why staying with you will give them a better experience than if they were to go to a local hotel. You can focus on how your B&B gives that extra special personal touch.

Image by Marcus Berg of Unique Angles Photography

Posted in Amenities, Food

If You Own a Historic Bed and Breakfast

Posted on November 19, 2013 by Kristi Dement Leave a comment

Many Bed and Breakfasts are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Up to 90% of Bed and Breakfasts occupy historic buildings that have been lovingly restored. Some of them have received rewards from a Preservation Society. If you own a historic bed and breakfast, do you emphasize its history to your guests?

You can give tours of your historic home and talk about the people who formerly lived there. If you know their names, talk about them. Feel free to share any stories you know to be true. If they are rumors, then let your guests know that the information can not be confirmed. Your guests will feel as though you are giving them a window into the life of those who once lived in your home.

If you have antique pictures of family members, hang them on your walls. Bed and breakfast owners, you can display precious momentos from your historic home. If they are valuable and/or fragile, consider putting them in a locked glass display case for your guests to view.

You could even put together a scrapbook of old photos of your bed and breakfast and the people who formerly lived in your home. If you put that scrapbook in a common area of the house, guests will be able to enjoy looking at the pages to get a sense of the history of the place they are staying in.

Guests love staying in places that have a fascinating history. Perhaps someone famous owned (or stayed at) your bed and breakfast. You can mention that on your website and you can refer to that in a blog post. Highlight the things that make your bed and breakfast unique and you will attract more visitors!

Posted in History