INNfo

Tuesday, February 6, 2007
Volume 2, Issue 6


PAII News & Announcements: Participate Now in Industry Study & More!

Dear innkeeper,

We are pleased to announce that the PAII Industry Study questionnaire for 2006 is ready to go. This study is PAII's most requested report and provides information about average occupancy, average daily rates, room sales, revenues and operating expenses (with detail), comparisons of employee hours and pay as well as employee benefits, and a variety of other statistics.

This information is used not only by innkeepers, but also by lenders, appraisers, realtors, media and PR firms. I know you share our belief that credible research and information is essential to a successful B&B/Country Inn as well as to a growing industry. We hope you will join with your fellow innkeepers in participating in this important research.

The survey is again being conducted online by The Highland Group. (We have a new and more user-friendly interface this year.) As in the past, all data is kept confidential and only averages and totals are used in the final report. All participants who complete the entire survey including the financial section are entitled to a free electronic copy of the final report.

The deadline for completing the questionnaire is March 5th.

The questionnaire takes about hour to two hours to complete. This year, the study will include information about capital expenses, a new feature. The survey is designed so that you can log in and out, and work on answering the questions as you have time available. To prepare for the survey you can gather the following information from the 2006 fiscal year:

- Financial statements
- Payroll records
- Rate cards
- Reservation and rooms history

Click here to take our survey.

If you have any questions, call The Highland Group directly at (404) 872-4631 and they will be glad to help you. The research team working with PAII on this project includes: Conni Atkinson, Peggy Berg, Carl Frank, Jimmy Jean-Baptiste and Wendy Dickerson. You can ask for any of them.

We look forward to working with you, and to providing you with the best up-to-date information on your industry. We thank you in advance for the gift of your time.

Sincerely,
Pamela Horovitz
President and CEO
Professional Association of Innkeepers International


Calling Inns for College Caucuses
The Travel Industry Association announces that the Small Market Meetings’ May cover story will focus on historic hotels and inns that are owned and/or operated by colleges or universities and are used as venues for small meetings. These venues need to be located in second or third-tier cities. If you have useful information regarding these types of venues please send and e-mail with a description of the hotel or inn and a contact person for an interview to vmitchell@smallmarketmeetings.com. Deadline: February 14, 2007.


PAII Membership Minutes: On the Road, Quality Is a State of Mind, & More!

On the Road
PAII staff was out and about last week speaking to our members, spreading the word about PAII to non-members and enlisting vendors whose products would be a perfect fit for our innkeepers. Jeanine Zeman attended the Conference of the Carolinas in Charlotte, NC which was co-sponsored by NCBBI (North Carolina Bed & Breakfasts and Inns) and SCBBA (South Carolina Bed & Breakfast Association. Karen Hudgeons attended the CABBI (California Association of Bed & Breakfast Inns) InnSpire Conference which was held in Irvine, California. Our special thanks to the state leaders, volunteers and staff of these associations for their warm welcome!

Marlene Sapir attended the New York Gift Show and identified several new potential PAII vendor members that had just the right products for use in inns and for sale in gift shops. Remember, if you work with a vendor who you especially like let us know so we can contact them about membership and put them in touch with other innkeepers across the country. And you get two free months membership if they join!

Quality Is a State of Mind, Not a State of Budget
How do you get your staff to internalize the quality and excellent customer service that you exemplify? Find out from keynote speaker Horst Schulze at the 2007 PAII Convention in Myrtle Beach, SC. Mr. Schulze, who was the President and COO at Ritz Carlton when it became the gold standard for luxury and ultimate service, will inspire you to create of vision of excellence that fits you and your inn, and that you can use to invigorate and motivate your staff!

Share Your Expertise
A few of the 2007 PAII Convention workshops need panelists. If you plan to attend the Convention and want share your expertise, read below to see the list of topics that need panelists.

Please let Jeanine Zeman know which workshops in which you are interested, Jeanine@paii.org, 303.440.9203.

Rewards of Speaking at the PAII Convention:
 - Give back to your profession
- Enrich your convention experience
- Positive exposure for your inn
- $70 stipend for panelists

Panelists Needed for These Workshops:
Large Group Bookings: Various ways to rent your entire inn from weddings where service needs escalate, to family reunions where you turn your inn over to the group.

Spa Savvy: The many ways to add spa services from creating a new spa space to offering in-room services, and everything in between.

Boost Your Business Show & Tell: We need about 10 innkeepers who have successful package offerings, special weekend events, etc. for a session with a brand new format.

Tracking Your Marketing Efforts: Systems for tracking the return you get on your marketing efforts from print to the Internet.

Preventative Maintenance: Systems and tips for staying ahead of the maintenance game.

Tea for Two or Twenty—Revenue From Tea & Tea Events: Success stories from innkeepers who have tea events and sell tea products.

Everyone's a Techie—Even Innkeepers: Technology expectations of non-business travelers and new technology to make an innkeeper's life easier.

2007 PAII Convention
March 26-29
Myrtle Beach, SC
www.paiiconvention.org


PAII Forum Digest: Agent Fees/Discounts & More!
If you have not had time to log on to the Forum located in the Members Only section of www.paii.org,
here are some of the interesting topics that have been discussed this past week.

Agent Fees/Discounts
I have received several calls recently from people trying to book rooms for other people. They also ask if I pay agent fees or give an agent discount. Up until this point I have declined due to two reasons: 1) I have decided not to take third-party reservations unless I can receive a check for our 50% deposit in time for it to clear; or actually swipe a credit card of the third party in person. (Credit card info is useless from a third party if there is a problem with the reservation.) 2) I really don't know how much is normal for an agent fee; or how it's paid; or how to verify if it is legitimate. Does anyone have experience with this practice? Has it been successful for you?

Bedandbreakfastplanner.com
This website claims over 50,000 inns worldwide, and they just sent us a "renewal" notice by e-mail. As we have never signed up with them, I had a look at their site.

Elnapress
I bought an Elnapress Opal two years ago—it is a great machine. The folks at Elnapress were great, they enjoyed working with innkeepers, gave us discounts, etc. Well, Elnapress is now under new management.

Stripping Wood Doors
Does anyone have any suggestions on what to use to strip wood painted doors? I have had a bid for $100 per door or $200 if I want to stain the door. I do not like paying for something I can do. If anyone knows a stripper that really works or any other idea, please tell me.

Do-it-Yourself Payroll?
I was wondering how everyone handles their payroll. We give our accountant the total hours for 2 weeks for 1 part-time employee. We cut the check per what the accountant tells us. I have heard this is one area that we should not do ourselves. We are a "C" corp. How do you all handle it?

innkeeping 's Question of the Month
PAII's monthly newsletter, innkeeping, poses a real innkeeper's query each month in its section entitled, "Question of the Month: What Do You Do?" February's question is:
Your inn specializes in romantic getaways. As a result of this business niche, your septic system has become overwhelmed with an inordinate amount of condoms. You need to find a delicate way to urge your guests not to flush their latex contraceptives down your inn's toilets. What do you do?


PAII Food Feature:
The Green Cape Cod Bed & Breakfast's Fresh Salmon Quiche
Let us feature a recipe from your inn!
Please send your submission (and a photo of the dish if available) to L1simpson@msn.com.

The Green Cape Cod Bed & Breakfast in Tacoma, Washington (www.greencapecod.com) offers this delicious recipe.

Ingredients
2 Tbl. butter
4 Eggs or Egg Beaters
1/2 Tsp. fresh dill
1/2 Tsp. salt
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4# Grated dill Havarti cheese
Squirt of Worcestershire sauce
2 T. chopped green onions
6 1/2 oz. Fresh skinned salmon
6 Sliced mushrooms
1 Tbl. butter, spread in crust
1 Tsp. fresh dill
2 Cups whipping cream or half & half
1/8 Tsp. fresh ground pepper

Instructions
Preheat electric oven to 350 degrees or convection oven to 325 degrees.
Melt 2 tablespoons butter and add 1/2 teaspoon fresh dill, juice of 1/2 lemon and a squirt of Worcestershire sauce. Spread with brush over 6 1/2 oz. skinned salmon and bake for 20 minutes. Let cool and flake off into large pieces.

Spread 1 tablespoon butter in pie crust. Mix 2 cups whipping cream or half and half, 4 eggs or Egg Beaters, and 1/2 teaspoon salt until well blended; stir in 1/4# grated dill Havarti cheese and set aside.

In a one quart saute pan, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Add green onions and mushrooms and cook until tender. Add to cream or half and half mixture. Add 1 teaspoon fresh dill and 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground pepper. Pour into pie crust.

Bake in electric oven at 425 degrees for 15 minutes, then at 325 degrees for 35 minutes or in convection oven, bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes and 300 degrees for 35 minutes. Quiche is ready when knife inserted in center comes out clean.


PAII Pointer: Breathe Easy B&Bs
With a carbon-monoxide (CO) death in a Florida hotel last month, take this month to be CO-poisoning proactive: Make sure CO detectors are installed in your rooms so your guests can breathe easy.

About INNfo

INNfo is published weekly. Annual subscription is included in the price of membership.

Publisher
Professional Association of Innkeepers International (PAII)

Editor-in-Chief
Stacey Bleistein

Production Coordinator
Laura Middleton

Editorial Staff
Pam Horovitz, Stacey Bleistein, Karen Hudgeons, Laura Middleton, Jeanine Zeman

Editorial Suggestions and Contributions
Editorial comments and suggestions are welcomed. In addition, if you have a suggestion for an article or would like to contribute an article for INNfo, please contact INNfo’s Editor-in-Chief, Stacey Bleistein, at 856.310.1102 or stacey@paii.org.

Advertising Rates & Information
Weekly sponsorship ads are available. Please send all inquiries to Marlene Sapir at marlene@paii.org or 856.310.1102. MC/VISA/AMEX/DISCOVER accepted.

Editorial Offices
c/o PAII
207 White Horse Pike
Haddon Heights, NJ 08035
Phone: 856.310.1102 • Fax: 856.310.1105
membership@paii.org • www.paii.org

Title Image Courtesy of Jumping Rocks

©2007 INNfo, all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission from the editor.