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NC Bed and Breakfast Inns

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NCBBI logo

NC Bed and Breakfast Inns Association was established in 1985.  For thirty years, they have been dedicated to serving those traveling to North Carolina.  This non-profit, statewide organization recognized the need for an association to ensure high standards in safety, housekeeping, food service, comfort, and hospitality for all member inns.  This allows the traveling public to have confidence in their B&B lodging.

NCBBI is the first state association in the United States to require rigorous inspections as a condition of membership.  To maintain these standards, NCBBI re-inspects member inns every two years.  There are many benefits to bed and breakfast membership in the NCBBI association:

  • Networking, educational, and marketing opportunities
  • Remain knowledgeable and up-to-date about meeting the needs of travelers
  • Keep up with the latest requirements for state and local laws and standards
  • Show potential guests that they can expect a higher level of service
  • The prestige and credibility of passing their rigorous inspection
  • Regular blog and social media activity
  • Their printed travel planners found at welcome centers, tourism attractions, visitor bureaus & chambers of commerce throughout North Carolina
  • Quarterly newsletters and monthly emails with important industry-related news, alerts, opportunities, reminders, and updates

 

From East to West, North Carolina measures 580 miles. That is more than a day’s drive, so NCBBI encourages guests to stay in more than one region as they travel around our gorgeous state. Based on the topography of North Carolina, the association has assigned three different regions.

  • Coastal Region: to find the perfect B&B in the Coast, near the Atlantic Ocean, beautiful beaches, birding, water sports, boating and summer fun.
  • Piedmont Region: to find the perfect B&B in the middle Piedmont region, where you’ll find dynamic growing cities, wineries, universities, golf, lakes and rivers.
  • Mountain Region: to find the perfect B&B in the Western Mountains region, home to the beautiful Smoky Mountains, the Blue Ridge parkway, the Biltmore Estate, waterfalls, hiking and fall foliage.

The North Carolina Bed and Breakfast Inns Association features specials and packages from member inns on their website.  The specials include for military, veterans, and emergency workers (like police, fire and EMS) as well as last minute guests.  Innkeepers also offer creative packages so guests can relax and enjoy their stay:

North Carolina Bed and Breakfast CookbookBlue Gift certificate (Voucher) template. Pattern Royalty Free Stock Image

From their website, The North Carolina Bed and Breakfast Inns Association offer its online visitors an opportunity to purchase their NCBBI cookbook so they can sample the best of North Carolina cooking with their collection of bed and breakfast and inn recipes. In addition to the cookbook, give the gift of memories by purchasing lodging gift certificates (available in $50 increments) that may be used at any NCBBI member B&B.  An NCBBI gift certificate is a thoughtful way to say “thank you” or to surprise someone special. They are also great gifts for special occasions like anniversaries, honeymoons, birthdays, and retirements.

The NCBBI website lists North Carolina events (searching either by name, type of event, event date, or venue).   They also provide a way to search for local North Carolina attractions by its name, location and type of attraction, or by a specific local area (within a designated amount of miles).

Bed and Breakfast Blogging has even featured some of the NCBBI inns on this blog:

If your bed and breakfast is located in another state, we have a link to other state bed and breakfast associations.  Together you can promote all the wonderful things that your state has to offer its visitors.  You can educate potential guests about everything that comes included when they stay at a bed and breakfast.  You will also have a network of innkeepers with which to ask questions and refer each other business when your own inns are full.  Those are just some of the many reasons why it is important to belong to a bed and breakfast association.

Posted in Associations and Ratings, Blog and Social Media, Marketing, Promotion

Bed and Breakfasts in December

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The Queen Victoria at Christmas - Cape May, New Jersey. Bed and Breakfast Inn

The Queen Victoria in Cape May, NJ during Christmas time

Bed and breakfasts, in December, can put on a spectacular display of holiday cheer. This is the best time of year to decorate your B&B. There are so many creative and festive ways to do so. The Queen Victoria in Cape May, New Jersey has exquisite outdoor Christmas lights! I love how they outlined their bed and breakfast to highlight that their inn has three floors and they hung lit garland with red bows on the fence all the way around their property.

#Holidays | A winter welcome at Another Second Penny Inn, Stonington, CT. #bedandbreakfast #travel

Decorative Doorway at Another Second Penny Inn of Stonington, CT

Another Second Penny Inn hung garland and put up a wreath with a red bow on their reflective glass door. The snow falling in Connecticut just adds to the bed and breakfast’s winter look.  They are located on a leafy, scenic road just 3 miles from Mystic and 2 miles north of Stonington Borough.

Their 1710 New England home offers friendly, romantic, and spacious accommodations for their bed and breakfast visitors. Winner of the Best Breakfast in New England, owners Jim and Sandra Wright, offer deluxe five course breakfasts on weekends and holidays and delicious Continental Breakfasts on the other mornings.

Curious about how this inn got its name? They offer this Ancient Persian saying to explain, “If you have two pennies, with the first, buy bread for your stomach and with the second, buy hyacinths for your soul.”
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Morehead Manor Bed and Breakfast of Durham, NC adds to the festivities with this holiday garland draping down our stairs. We welcome you to be our guests! http://www.moreheadmanor.com

Morehead Manor Bed & Breakfast of Durham, NC adds to the festivities with garland & bows decorating the stairway


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Morehead Manor of Durham, North Carolina was recently named the Best Black-Owned Bed and Breakfast in America by Black Enterprise magazine.  Innkeepers Daniel and Monica Edwards decorate their inn festively every year.  The garland and ribbon going down their staircase is but one area of the inn in the Bull City.  Within walking distance for their inn is the Durham Performing Arts Center which has holiday performances including the fortieth year of performances of A Christmas Carol! Durham is also the Tastiest Town of the South so between the delicious gourmet breakfasts at Morehead Manor and award-winning restaurants, your appetite will be more than satisfied!
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Christmas by the fire at York Harbor Inn in Maine

Christmas by the fire at York Harbor Inn of Maine


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The York Harbor Inn family of Inns in Maine is comprised of six separate lodges. The Main Inn offers twenty-two guest rooms. There are also two ocean view restaurants as well as lovely banquet and meeting rooms. Many luxury rooms feature ocean and beach view decks, fireplaces and/or Jacuzzi tubs. The York Harbor inn recognizes that people’s dogs are part of their family and they offer pet friendly rooms in their Harbor Crest building.  The picture of their Christmas tree by the fire is gorgeous.
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Victorian Christmas Getaway: The Empress Bed & Breakfast

Stunning Dining Room of The Empress Bed and Breakfast in Little Rock, AR


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Bob Blair and his wife Sharon Welch-Blair are owners of The Empress of Little Rock, in Arkansas. They have been open for nearly twenty years and they love their guests! “Anyone who loves people, enjoys welcoming them into your home, looks forward to a day of tasks and events of all kinds (everyday a new day), and works with a great crew should become an innkeeper.” Their enthusiasm for entertaining is evident when you look at their multi-award winning AAA four diamond rated bed and breakfast!  Every guest room at the historic inn has its own themed tree to create magic throughout the entire mansion. Bob and Sharon display their mementos and antiques in each room so you feel like you are not only experiencing the past, but are cherished guests of The Royal Family.
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#Holidays | The twinkling lights of the tree at the White Oak Manor, Jefferson, TX. #bedandbreakfast #travel

The twinkling lights of the tree at the White Oak Manor in Jefferson, TX.


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White Oak Manor is an historic bed and breakfast in Jefferson, Texas.  Innkeepers Dave and Tammy invite you to join their warm and friendly atmosphere.  It is especially beautiful to visit them this time of year with their festive holiday decorations.  Jefferson is always filled with love, laughter and friendly faces.
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So how does your bed and breakfast celebrate the holidays? Feel free to make comments about what food you prepare for guests, special ways you decorate your inn, and anything else you do to make this time of year extra special.

Posted in Activities, Associations and Ratings, Decorating, Events, Food, Guests

Mike’s Road Trip To B&B’s

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Mike's Road TripMike Shubic

Mike Shubic of Mike’s Road Trip is an outgoing man of adventure.  He has been traveling on the road since 2010.  Mike hosts and produces high quality videos for hospitality businesses such as bed and breakfasts, inns, restaurants, and other “hidden gems of the road.”  He has been featured in USA Today Travel, Rand McNally Best of the Road, The Travel Channel, and more.

Check out Mike’s Road Trip’s Intriguing Inns and Beautiful B&B’s videos from YouTube.  I highly recommend him if you would like entertaining and professional videos made to highlight the unique strengths of your bed and breakfast.  From his website, Mike gives several reasons why your bed and breakfast inn should have a video:

  • If a picture is worth a 1000 words, how many is video worth?
  • Video builds trust with your prospects. Trust equals paying guests.
  • Videos attract attention and help set you apart from your competition.
  • Video is important for SEO (search engine optimization). Google is ranking pages with video higher for the same search terms.
  • Video is not a fad. Four billion hours of video are watched each month on YouTube alone.

Mike makes these suggestions to bed and breakfast owners:

  • Have a professional overview video of your B&B/Inn produced.  Be sure to include the owner/innkeeper in front of the camera.  Let prospective guests know what makes your inn special and memorable.
  • Guest testimonial videos can be very powerful.  This allows the viewer to hear what the experience is like from varying viewpoints.  Your guests may talk about things they liked that you never even thought about!
  • Informal videos for your social network can be a great way to showcase area events and/or activities at your inn while keeping in touch with past and future guests.
  • The visual impact of videos gives them a long shelf life.  Trust and interest can be earned as long as the video is live on the Internet.  You can be media friendly and share your videos with local media.

Professional and informal videos can be put on your website as well as shared on social media websites including Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube!  Mike is a well-spoken promoter of bed and breakfasts on his road trips all across America.  I recommend Mike Shubic of Mike’s Road Trip to all my Bed and Breakfast Blogging clients.

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

B&B Guests: Shoppers and Antique Lovers

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bb-guests-shoppers

Some guests visit your bed and breakfast because of the terrific shopping available in your area.  Whether it is special boutiques, retail outlets, flea markets, or antique dealers, their mission is to find some great buys.  Some come as collectors to attend conventions for valuable items such as stamps, dolls, and cars.  Whatever their reason, your website and blog can promote these opportunities and events.

Posted in Activities, Events, Guests, Promotion

Happy New Year 2014

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happy-new-year-2014

I love New Year’s Day!  We all have a fresh start to accomplish and achieve our goals.  More importantly, to grow closer to being the kind of person we would want to be around.

There are so many individuals that come through the doors of bed and breakfasts.  Each one is special and every person has a story.  If it is appropriate and the guests are talkative with you, take time to listen to them.

They will remember you as the innkeepers who were very hospitable, went out of their way to serve them, and cared enough to hear what they had to say.  As innkeepers, you have an opportunity to bless your guests with the most positive lodging experience ever.

Happy New Year from Kristi Dement and her team at Bed and Breakfast Blogging!

Posted in Guests

Encouraging Your Guests To Return

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Did you know that your best future business comes from past customers?  This works in two ways: your past customers can return for another visit or they can give a referral about your bed and breakfast to someone they know who decides to stay.

By asking guests the reason for their visit, you can gain valuable information. Maybe they are coming to your bed and breakfast for an annual event in your community.  Knowing that, you can send a reminder of your inn at the right time next year.

It is a good idea to track guests’ birthdays and anniversaries. This information makes it easy for you to send a post card in plenty of time for them to book a room to celebrate their occasion.

This also gives you ideas on what to promote for services.  You could offer a birthday package or anniversary package. Packages can include things such as flower arrangements, chocolate, in-room massages, and tickets to an event. There is no limit to your creativity!

So by knowing the reason for their visit, you can promote your bed and breakfast to them at the right times of the year.  This makes them feel special that you remembered and it leads to more business for you!

Posted in Guests