Professional Association of Innkeepers Int'l

On My Mind
The Importance of Community
by Debrah Mosimann, PAII Chairwoman of the Board

Speech from the March 28th General Session at the 2007 PAII Convention in Myrtle Beach, SC

It is so great to see everyone here and smiling. Seeing all of you is one of the highlights of my year because when I'm here with fellow innkeepers, I am in a place where I know I belong. I have a real sense of community in this room. In fact, that's the theme of my message this morning. But first, I want to tell you a little bit about PAII, and what it's been up to since we were all last together a year ago.

Industry Study
First, I'm going to guess that I don't even have to tell you that the PAII Industry Study of Operations and Finance is almost ready because over 500 of you have already filled out the questionnaire! That's our highest number ever in terms of the financial reporting, and we're pushing hard to have the final report ready before the end of May. So stay tuned—and if you weren't able to participate this year, there's a convention special if you pre-order a copy here at the convention. I'm also going to take two seconds to note that this is an expensive research project, and we'll soon be contacting companies to help sponsor the project, and we hope you'll respond in a positive way and insure that our industry keeps getting this critical data.

PAII Website
There has been a lot of behind-the-scenes work on the PAII website, and later this year you're going to be impressed with all the new content, links, and advertising—and especially with a brand new site for InnPlace.com, PAII's online directory of members. You've told us you wanted PAII more actively involved in marketing, and this year we will deliver for you. Stay tuned!

PAII Newsletters
Last summer, we announced that we were going to completely change our approach to publishing and beginning in November you've been able to see the results of that decision. First, we launched INNfo which put all our news and announcements into a single weekly e-mail: less clutter in your inbox, and easier to find and read.

In January, we launched the new electronic version of Innkeeping, our monthly newsletter. We kept the things you told us you liked, such as the Food Column by Liza Simpson, but we took advantage of our new format by adding some interactive features, like the web makeovers, where you can see both before and after pages of inns, and judge for yourself what worked and what changed. By the way, let us know if you've got web makeovers going on, as we'd love to feature your inn and your website.

Also in January, we launched a new online newsletter, Getting Inn, which we're targeting at aspiring innkeepers, or those of us who don't mind getting refresher courses in the basics of finance, operations, staffing, web design, and all the other 101 things that we've had to learn over the years.

Our newest publication is one that's slated to come out in just a few weeks. It's called Innkeeping Quarterly, or IQ, with "smart reading for smart innkeeping." I'm really excited about this publication as it's going to have lots of great research, profiles of innkeepers, interviews with industry executives, info on state associations, tech articles, classifieds, and it's going to look great. It's going to be a professional publication for professional people. The spring edition will be out soon, and there are four prototype copies here at the convention, so stop Karen, Stacey, or Marlene if you want to see it—or better yet, want to advertise in it.

Credit Card Rates
In addition to getting you good information, PAII also tries to get you good deals. And I want to point out several that I think you'll be glad to hear about. First, we're pleased to announce that PAII, again, has a relationship with NPC for great rates on credit card processing. And by this we mean our agreement is with the folks who first built relationships with B&Bs at the company—they've bought it from Bank of America and are looking forward to getting back into the game. We're also pleased to be letting you know that our friend Tom Weiskotten at PAII is also a PAII preferred provider for bank cards. We've heard so many of you tell us what a great guy Tom is and how much you like working with him, and now that we know him, we agree.

Home Depot Supply
Here's a name you all know, but may not know as a PAII member, and that's Home Depot. Their Home Depot Supply division directly targets businesses with great products, great rates, online ordering, and free shipping. What a great business partner to have!

Interim Innkeepers
We all need to get away from our inns every so often, and we're pleased to let you know that PAII is now promoting the interim innkeeper certifications from the Interim Innkeeper Network. These folks live and breathe the issue and opportunities in the relationship between innkeepers and these interim professionals.

Magazines
Finally, all of us, including our guests, like to relax with a magazine that reflects our interests, whether its food, wine, gardening, or travel. PAII's newest affiliate, EBSCO, offers terrific discounts on the magazines we all want.

So, that's my quick hit list of what's up at PAII. I hope you agree that we've had a lot of great things going on this past year.

CEO Search
There's one other update I want to give you this morning, and of course, that relates to our search for a new CEO. The search committee has identified several highly qualified individuals and we will be conducting interviews after the convention and hope to have someone in place shortly thereafter. In the meantime, our very competent PAII staff is holding down the fort, and I'm learning more about the workings of the office than ever before! I promise we will update everyone as we move forward.

And now, I want to talk to you about what's most important to me when I think about PAII and innkeeping and innkeepers: and that's us.

As I looked forward to this convention, keeping an eye on the planning, programming, deciding what could go into my schedule and what needed to wait till another time, it dawned on me that I was jealously keeping blocks of time open to visit! Time to have a cup of tea with friends, time to go out to dinner, time to catch up with people that I only see at conferences and conventions. Some of the ones I am saving time for here are innkeepers I have never met, only talked to via e-mail, or gotten to know via posts on a discussion board. Others are long-time friends that I look for at each convention.

Innkeeping can be a very lonely profession. The constant flux of people through our inns does not substitute for good friends, productive relationships, and genuine connectedness. I believe that when PAII started those many years ago, much of the driver was not that we needed help marketing, or choosing guidebooks, but much more that we needed to know there were others out there in the same boat, others who lived our life and "knew" us. The Innkeeping newsletter put us in touch with each other and later on, the discussion group allowed us to talk regularly. Conference provided a venue to meet them face-to-face and truly establish connections. It encouraged us in ways we could not find elsewhere.

This connectedness in an industry that is as small as ours is crucial. It starts whenever we refer guests to neighboring inns when we are full. But it grows as we meet at local associations, working with our CVBs, and determining who our guest is and how to market to them. In our towns and cities, we band together to promote holiday tours and special events, collaborating with local wineries or museums.

A perfect example of this is the Blue Ridge Wine festival in North Carolina. Last year, for the first time, the inns banded with restaurants and local businesses to put together a wine festival on a weekend that would otherwise have been dead. Scott Seaman and Chris Brantley at the Blowing Rock Victorian Inn in NC were instrumental in putting it together with the local chamber. They reported a 22% increase in occupancy, not just for their inn but across the lodging community, as well as full restaurants that would have otherwise had few tables booked. Thirteen wineries participated and 2000 people attended. It was counted a success by all.

We gather on a state level for many of the same reasons, but now we can cast a broader net and address broader issues. State associations often collaborate on statewide guidebooks; they do joint advertising in state tourism publications. My own state, Pennsylvania, has a unique lodging section that promotes inns in a very directed effort. It targets the PA visitor, county by county, and helps them find an inn in the county they wish to visit. At the same time, the State Tourism Department is out there promoting "Visit PA." These joint efforts are proven ways to fill rooms on the broader scale.

What about community at a national level? Here, we touch base with innkeepers and vendors from across the country and address the umbrella issues that face each one of us. It is true that associations such as Select Registry are primarily about marketing and do an excellent job of this on a national level, but there are many other reasons to join together on a national plane. Many aspects of running an inn are not defined by locality and can be communicated on a national basis. SEO, Search Engine Optimization, the use of pay-per-clicks, and website design, can all be discussed in a national forum. Size and participation allows for a high quality of speaker.

PAII's industry study is an excellent example of something that is far better and of more use when done nationally. Legislative issues, drawing media attention to the industry as a whole, and providing a spokesperson for inns in general are also important at this level. The importance of finding and addressing these opportunities is not lost on the various organizations.

But with so many associations out there for innkeepers, it is critical for us to reach out and identify the ways in which we all can work together. PAII, Select Registry and DIA are all meeting together in the near future to examine what the present and future may hold for us all individually and collectively. We need to clearly identify and grasp these opportunities to grow our entire sector. The results of this strategic planning effort will be important for PAII's future. Equally important will be member satisfaction surveys that PAII will be conducting later this year.

My job, along with that of my friends on the PAII Board and at DIA, is to take this information, and to think carefully about how we turn it all into goals that are reachable for PAII. I think it's going to be an exciting year—and I'm looking forward to seeing how it all turns out. I hope you are, too.

That is why we are here. Yes, we traveled miles to hear incredible speakers who will motivate us and give us new enthusiasm. We will attend workshops filled with ideas to put dollars to our bottom lines; and credit card in hand, visit vendors that give one-stop shopping new meaning. But we have also traveled miles to connect, to laugh, to make a new friend, or visit with an old one.

In this business, we cannot afford to stand alone. We need to take care of ourselves, as well as take care of each other, only then are we able to take care of our guests. We are too small of an industry to focus on the negatives and factions and waste energy on unhealthy competition and divisions.

I belong to several discussion groups both on a local and national level. PAII offers one that is active and informative. Some state associations have one such as CABBI. Some are focused on just innkeeping issues, others go beyond that and include personal things. Through the years, this connection to others has been key for me, personally. I started with PAII's original message board. Do any of you go back that far and remember Dreamweaver? In the interim, I have added several more and love them all! One of them is even a collection of innkeepers committed to losing weight! Some of you know that this past year, I have had both knees replaced—the first in August, the second the Monday before Thanksgiving. I am now a walking commercial for the "gender knee," a knee developed specifically for women (www.genderknee.com). That basically took 5 months from my life over the busiest months of the year. I will never forget telling some innkeeping friends on one of these boards that this was scheduled and receiving an e-mail the same day from a discussion group friend in Ithaca, New York, offering to get in the car and come run my inn for a time while I recouped. I did not need to take her up on it as my staff and dear husband stepped to the plate and kept everything running. But, Lynette would have come! Thank you, Lynette! I had met her once, but via some side group discussions had come to know her better via e-mail. I sat there thinking, how cool is this? This is what community is all about. I was tempted to take her up on her offer just to have her in the house to visit! I encourage you, if you have not already, sign on to PAII.org and go to forums. Lurk (a term for watch) for awhile and then wade in and say hello. You will not regret it!

We are what we think, what we do, and what we take time for. Let 2007 be the year that we take time, think, and care about others; that we take time for ourselves and that we allow the best that we are, the most positive that we can be, to perk to the top. Not only will we benefit by being happier, more content, balanced individuals, but we will have a reserve to give back to our guests. It will result in us being more productive, happier innkeepers, as well as individuals.

Thank you for making the 2007 PAII Convention and Trade Show in Myrtle Beach, SC, a huge success! Professional innkeepers from across the country (and Switzerland!) filled the Myrtle Beach Sheraton and Convention Center last week. With over 700 attendees, we made 2007 a great year for bringing innkeeping professionals together to learn, laugh, and shop! Visit PAII.org to view and download media from this year's convention.

"PAII 2007 was a great conference for me. The keynote speakers and the seminars were great. The weather was perfect. I just got back yesterday....There was a great turnout, one of the convention center employees commented that we (innkeepers)
were the nicest group of people that they had ever come across."
~Monica Edwards, Morehead Manor B&B in Durham, NC

"The 2007 Convention was excellent! There was so much information and the keynote speakers were superb. I really don't know how we survived with only bi-annual gatherings ( I do know we were on the edge by the 23rd month)....Ordering the CD package is a must: so many sessions, so much timely and essential information. The planning committee did a fine job in attracting a broad range of topics. One that was essential the Trip Advisor Tutorial."
~Andrea & Karen Fagnilli, Lakehouse Inn in Geneva-on-the-Lake, OH

Third Millennium Marketing

North American Country Inns Magazine

Private Quarters

The Tea House Times

NPC

American Egg Board

Home Depot Supply

Key Bank

Gore Bedding Protection

We look forward to seeing you all again in 2008, when the annual PAII Convention and Trade Show goes to the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, CA, to "make innkeeping magic"! Mark your calendars for April 7-10, 2008.

It's Easy Being Green:
Tips for Environmentally-Responsible Innkeeping
by Rose Forbes, CNC, HHP, Author, & Chef
Green Mountain B&B (Asheville, NC)

The lodging industry is a wasteful business. Guests often feel that when they pay for an accommodation, they have the right to treat it any way they wish. Guests who may use their towels several times at home suddenly seem inclined to expect new towels every day in a hotel or B&B. It is perceived as an entitlement, much as the extra shampoos and soaps that make their way into their luggage.

In an effort to break this trend and attract a more environmentally-conscious traveler, we have focused our bed and breakfast's philosophy on being organic and "green."

What's the Big Deal About Organics?
Organic food and products are certified to be free of pesticides, herbicides, antibiotics, hormones, and artificial ingredients of any kind. Organic farmers follow eco-friendly practices, growing foods without the use of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. Organic farms restore biodiversity, keep ground water and rivers free of harmful chemicals, and help ensure that open space will be respected by preventing loss of valuable farmland to urban sprawl. Organic foods are also free of GMOs (genetically modified organisms), irradiation, and cloning. Consumers who buy organic want to minimize personal exposure to harmful chemicals and toxins, and want to support humane and sustainable agricultural practices.

Why Go Green?
The basic principle of using green or environmentally-friendly practices for your business is, "Use less and save more." Any method you can find that can recycle waste; conserve water, energy, and open spaces; and make a smaller footprint on our planet is considered green. Caring about how you use the Earth's natural resources will result in a more sustainable future for the world, as well as your local community. Choosing organic or locally-grown food, buying from local suppliers, and making choices to use non-toxic and chemical-free products will support your local economy as well as the larger green market economy.

There are many decisions to make along the way to being green. I've focused on some of the easiest to incorporate into an already successful bed and breakfast business that can take you to the next level of environmental responsibility.

Providing Organic Sheets
Because of the nature of heavy usage for sheets, using 100% organic materials can be cost-prohibitive. At a minimum cost of $100 per set, it can add substantially to your linens budget. Most organic cotton sheets are sold in sets, which makes replacing just the fitted sheet (which is usually the first to be damaged) impossible. Other natural choices for sheets besides cotton include beechwood and bamboo, which are actually very soft and more affordable. Aiming for 100% cotton sheets, along with a few sets of organic cotton and beechwood for chemically-sensitive guests, rather than man-made blends, has been our choice to save money and still offer a quality product.

Deciding on Towels
The 100% organic cotton towels that we have experimented with have been lacking in luxurious feel and thickness. Towels are an important part of the bed and breakfast experience for most guests. It says a lot about the bed and breakfast and can reflect a satisfying feeling of luxury or a sad state of poor quality. Rather than sacrifice quality for organic, we have settled on 100% Egyptian cotton towels.

Serving Organic Foods
The majority of travelers do not expect to find organic foods on the breakfast menus of B&Bs. Guests who stay at the Green Mountain Bed and Breakfast have usually found us on the internet by searching for organic, healthy, or natural accommodations in Asheville. A discriminating traveler looking for a healthy experience is usually more educated and can afford a higher room rate than the general B&B traveler. We use tent cards on our tables to inform guests that their breakfasts have been prepared using natural and organic ingredients and they seem to be genuinely impressed by the gesture and the improved taste.

Because organic produce is not always available, we also offer local and seasonal fruits and vegetables. We live in a mountain region rich with organic and environmentally-conscious farmers. By supporting local food coops, small health food stores, and farmers markets, we are helping our local economy as well as obtaining a superior product for our guests that has not spent a lot of time and miles on the road getting to us.

Eggs. Organic eggs produced using organic vegetarian feed (instead of commercial feed which may have cow and pig parts included) and chickens that are allowed to roam free as nature intended (rather than stacking them in cages, trimming their beaks, and spending their lives in dirty and crowded conditions) taste much better. Conduct a taste test and you will see that the yolks are more orange-colored and the flavor is more intense and satisfying.

Coffee & Tea. Commercially grown coffee does not fairly support a coffee farmer's family. By choosing organic and free-trade certified coffee and tea, you are guaranteeing a fair wage to the farmers and keeping unnecessary chemical additives out of the drinks. The decaffeination process for organic and fair-trade coffee usually involves the Swiss water process, which is a chemical-free method to remove caffeine. You will find this type of coffee to be much more richly flavored and will probably use less than you do of a leading brand from the grocery store. Tea leaves produced using organic standards have not been sprayed with pesticides. Try offering a variety of organic herbal teas to guests as a way to let them experience organic products.

Purchasing Sustainably-Produced Furniture & Decor
Researching whether furniture and décor has been built using fair-trade practices and environmentally-friendly woods (hardwoods produced from regions that are not experiencing deforestation and endangered areas) and decor can be a full-time job. Many products offered by Pier 1 Imports and World Market are well labeled as to origin and materials. We are fortunate to have hardwood floors throughout the home and don't use rugs or carpeting to keep off-gassing odors from VOC's (volatile organic compounds found in synthetic rug fibers and laminate glues) out of the guest rooms.

Using Only Non-Toxic Cleaning Supplies
By incorporating one of the cheapest and effective cleaners—vinegar, we've not only reduced our cleaning budget and inventory, we are also keeping the indoor air chemical-free. Since some people do not care for the smell of vinegar (which usually evaporates within 30 minutes) we add a few drops of essential oils like orange or lemon to the vinegar for wood floor and surface cleaning. Using chlorine bleach in laundry for towels and sheets or as an additive in commercial cleaners and dishwashing detergents creates a toxic substance—dioxin, that is a nerve toxin and carcinogen that can result in immune system impairment, endometriosis, diabetes, neurotoxicity, birth defects, decreased fertility, and reproductive dysfunction in both women and men. Discontinuing use of chlorine bleach may go a long way to improve your own health, as well as those of your guests. You can substitute non-scratching Bon Ami for your Comet scrub and use vinegar and water for most other cleaning jobs in your home and B&B. Vinegar has been proven to kill 99% of bacteria, 82% of mold, and 80% of germs (viruses). In tests run at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, pairing both vinegar and hydrogen peroxide in separate bottles killed virtually all Salmonella, Shigella, or E. coli bacteria on heavily contaminated food and surfaces when used in this fashion, making this spray combination more effective at killing these potentially lethal bacteria than chlorine bleach or any commercially available kitchen cleaner. The best results came from using one mist right after the other: This is 10 times more effective than using either spray by itself and more effective than mixing the vinegar and hydrogen peroxide in one sprayer. Mixing them together can also result in a harmful chemical combination, so keep them separate. If you prefer not to use vinegar, there are many natural cleaners available at heath food stores.

Using Natural Laundry Detergents & Spot Removers
All commercially sold laundry detergents have hundreds of synthetic and natural chemicals used to make them foamy, smell good, and clean clothes. The biggest culprit to affect health is artificial fragrances, which are made from petroleum. Many may have toxic effects on both fish and mammals. Additionally, they often can cause allergies and skin or eye irritation. Switching to a fragrance-free natural laundry detergent from the health food store like Seventh Generation will eliminate irritation for guests and your own family.

Providing Natural Soaps & Shampoos to Guests
Environmental waste is created when providing bar soaps and individual shampoos and lotions for guests. In a typical stay, a guest will not use an entire bar of soap or the entire contents of a bottle of shampoo. You are paying for the plastic bottles as well as the liquid inside and the chances of those bottles being recycled by guests are slim. By switching to a bulk dispenser in the shower, you can buy natural or organic shampoos, conditioners, and shower gels when they are on sale and save over 20-30% over a year's time compared to the individually packaged products. You'll also eliminate the waste of plastic in landfills and unused soaps going in the garbage.

Posting Signs
We've created a sign in all guest rooms that ask for their cooperation in helping us conserve energy. Guests are asked to turn off the TV, A/C, and lights before they leave. We also inform them with tent cards on nightstands that sheets and towels are changed only between guests, unless they request otherwise. This helps us reduce energy consumption for laundry. Because most of our guests are well aware of our "green" philosophy before they arrive, they are (usually) happy to comply and appreciate the efforts we are making for the environment.

Take Small Steps Towards Change
After reading about all these ways to go organic, I hope you are not too overwhelmed. It's always best to make changes in little steps, choosing the categories that will be easiest for you to incorporate into your daily lives. Any small step you can make to help improve the quality of the planet, reduce green-house gasses, reduce pollution, and support your local and organic economy, will be appreciated by your guests as well as generations to come. For more information about going green, please check out the Green Hotels Association website at www.greenhotels.com, as well as www.environmentallyfriendlyhotels.com.

Rose Forbes, CNC, HHP, is a Board Certified Nutrition Consultant, Holistic Health Practitioner, Author, Chef, and Owner of the Green Mountain Bed and Breakfast in the Mountains of Asheville, North Carolina. She can be reached at 828.633.0232 and www.greenmountainbb.com.

Wow! The food we serve that isn't a sit down meal is a hot topic! I received more e-mail about this subject than any other in my years as Food Editor. Some very interesting things became clear as I waded through the messages. One was that an overwhelming majority of innkeepers who offer a snack bar with drinks and packaged snacks include that service in the room rate. Very few treat it as an honor bar. The other thing is that we ALL make cookies! Whether it is brownies, bars, or a signature cookie, we all recognize the homey, welcoming character of a plate of sweets (not to mention the benefit of the aroma floating through the inn).

Self-service snacks and beverages are available at most of the 70+ inns I spoke with. The space innkeepers devote ranges from a simple buffet with a small fridge nearby to a guest kitchen, or even a converted butler's pantry, complete with silverware and plates. At the Avenue Inn (New Orleans, LA), Joe Rabhan put his pet peeve about access to food snacks in hotels to good use. The inn has a snack tower, an 8-foot wrought iron column of baskets overflowing with toaster pastries, cereal bars, granola bars, bagged cookies, Rice Crispy Treats, Kashi Bars, high-protein bars, Moon Pies, mini pecan pies, peanuts, chips, pretzels, etc., at an average cost of about $2.50 per day per guest.

Marv and Carol Eggert (Hillcrest Hide-Away, Lanesboro, MN) have cookie jars in every guest room and bring a loaf of freshly baked bread to the guest room in the morning with beverages before breakfast. Other great snack ideas include sliced sausage, cheese, yogurt, and applesauce in the guest-room fridge (Bill and Sandra Wayne, Cedarcroft Farm, Warrensburg, MO).

Many inns host an afternoon or evening social hour, serving everything from a cheese tray to a full blown tapas menu (Stroudsmoor Inn, Stroudsburg, PA) served every Wednesday night. Ray and Kristie Rosset (Lookout Point Inn, Hot Springs, AR) serve cheeses, crackers, wine and tea, and dessert. The reception is from 4:00-5:00 p.m., and they leave the dessert out all evening. At the William Henry Miller Inn (Ithaca, NY), Lynette Scofield serves an evening dessert buffet with assorted cookies, fruit crisps, and other homemade desserts. She also includes Chai among the hot beverages available. In Millersburg, OH (Garden Gate Get-A-Way B&B), Carol Steffey does nightly campfires and bakes Dutch-oven cobblers and cakes for her guests' evening snack. At the Inn at Round Barn Farm (Waitsfield, VT), AnneMarie Defreest focuses on local products, using them in her evening hors d'oeuvres, and serving Vermont-brewed sodas and Vermont spring water in the game room.

Good variations on the turndown chocolate: Eldon Nattier at the Rose Bed Inn (Cape Girardeau, MO) puts Chef James Coley's beautiful fudge roses under a glass dome. At the Pillars of Plainfield (Plainfield, NJ), Lamont Blowe and Nancy Fiske put four different varieties of locally made chocolate bark, wrapped in their signature colors, on the bed as a welcome. Meredith Rowe-Neumann and Terry Neumann have a truffle business in addition to Mrs. B's Historic Lanesboro Inn (Lanesboro, MN). Not only do their guests get to enjoy the truffles, other area B&Bs purchase them as well.

Other nice touches innkeepers are doing: Marilyn Gordon (Candlelite Inn, Bradford NH) serves seasonal marshmallows on her hot chocolate: pink and green Christmas trees and stars at Christmas and heart shapes around Valentine's Day. At the House on Cherry (Jacksonville, FL), Victoria Freeman serves refreshing peppermint water with Annie's Ginger Thins. Diane Reed (Biscuit Hill, Canyon Lake, TX) stocks the mini freezers in her guest rooms with Dove Bars and Blue Bell Bars.

Great breakfast to-go ideas: From Jan Barrett (Ware Street Inn, Lewiston, ME), a travel mug (with their logo), a bag (with their logo) with a banana, granola bar, slices of their fresh home-made sweetbread, paper napkins, wet nap, and hard candies. At the Wonderland Inn (Kissimmee, FL), Rosemarie O'Shaughnessy puts cups of whole-grain Post cereals in her guest rooms for guests in a hurry. Stu and Charlotte Fyfe (Candleberry Inn, Brewster, MA) let guests know that if they want breakfast before the dining room opens, they can have a Bag-Breakfast-To-Go. They take an attractive bag with a rope handle, fill it with a wrapped homemade muffin, plastic cup of fresh fruit salad, bottle of juice, color coordinated napkin and utensils. They tie it up with a bow, a card with the guest's name and a little note, and place it in the fridge in the guest self service area. At the Sundance Bear Lodge (Mancos, CO), Susan Scott includes yogurt and chocolate because most of her early risers are headed for a long ride on the Durango train. Julie Pierce (Sunrise Farm B&B, Salem, SC) offers made-to-order picnic baskets.

The innkeepers contributing to this article are committed to their guests never going hungry! I am very impressed at the creative way we are accomplishing that goal.

Question: I have two cats and most of the guests love them. The problem is that guests let the cats inside the inn even though I tell each and every guest as part of check-in to simply pick up their room phone and call my extension if/when a cat slips inside the inn. Asking the guests to call me is not working. And of course, we all know that signs do not work either. There is no garage on the premises so I cannot lock them up at night. This might sound like a silly problem, but I need some ideas rather quickly because I want to be able to sleep uninterrupted most nights. What do you do?

Answer: Post what you would do in the "Question of the Month" thread on the Member Forum and your response will be included in next month's issue of innkeeping. Also, do you have a nut-picker, a loud-snorer, or another scenario you'd like to ask other innkeepers "What do you do?" If so, please post your scenario in the "Question of the Month" thread on the Member Forum and your question will be included in a future issue of innkeeping!

Q&A Last Month
Question:
A young couple is staying with you, and you happen to hear a fight between them: The guy was talking about spilling wine. When they stepped out later that night, you went into the room to assess the damage done. You were expecting a simple stain on a sheet, but found large stains on two sheets, the sham, the coverlet, two robes, and three towels—essentially damage amounting to about $600. Normally, you do your best to get out wine stains, and if you can't, you simply chalk it up to the cost of doing business. This seems extreme to you, however. What do you do?

Answers:
Sandra Schrawder
from Inn at Buena Vista in Buena Vista, CO
I serve wine and cheese as a reception in the living room. In my tour, I ask them not to have red wine in their room. I don't police it, but they understand what could happen and most honor my wishes. The few times I have found a red wine bottle in the room, it was on a table in a seating area far from the bed along with the glasses. Walking out without telling you about it so you could mitigate the damage is thoughtless and careless. If confronted with this mess, I would let them know that if the stains didn't come out with regular cleaning, I would be charging them for the exterior bed linens. I would just buy another robe and replace the sheets and towels. I expect that they will be replaced on a more regular basis than my coverlets and shams.

Larry Marino
from Edison Street Inn in Santa Ynez, CA
Red wine stains, along with other food items, can be stubborn even when noted immediately and the damages to bedding, upholstery, and carpet can often far exceed what one feels is the "cost of doing business." I believe that guests should assume a reasonable standard of responsibility when visiting a B&B and a simple, courteously written reminder, either on the guest registration or a room card, indicating that guests are responsible for damages, including food or beverage stains, should suffice.

Marsha Burton
from 1853 Inn at Woodhaven in Louisville, KY
We just had this happen to us. A couple stayed for four days and when we went in to clean the room after the first night we found red wine stains all over the bed coverlet, down blanket and 450 thread count linens and mattress pad (missed the pillow cases). They also hung wet clothes on the foot of the wood bed and left a curling iron on in the bathroom! We left them a note that they would be responsible for charges if we were unable to get the stains out. We tossed the mattress pad but our marvelous coin laundry—who does all our linens—was able to get the rest clean. They have saved us many times in the past, too. I did charge them $25, but that was for the key that they took off with and have not sent back.

Website Makeover: West Hill House B&B
If you'd like to share the evolution of your own website with us, please drop a line to stacey@paii.org.
You'll be sent a short questionnaire to fill out and you'll be in the next issue of innkeeping....It's that simple!

Like many innkeepers in a new inn, Peter and Susan MacLaren not only took over the inn...they took over the previous innkeepers' website. Their first

handlings of this inherited website for their West Hill House B&B in Warren, VT, was based on prior content. But once they started to get their feet wet with web design, Peter and Susan decided to make the most of this internet marketing medium by completely revamping their website to have a more contemporary, streamlined look and feel.

From the old website design, they only wanted to keep the links. For the new design, they commissioned Inside Out Solutions (www.insideout.com) to help them attain their new internet marketing strategy of a website that is easier to navigate, has less text and more photos, and incorporates their new pricing packages for their niche markets.

By the end of the 2006, Peter and Susan had done it. After investing 2 months' time, $1,500 in professional photos, and $3,000 in professional website design, their website makeover was launched. Both Peter and Susan are extremely pleased with their website makeover and have enjoyed a tremendous increase in the number of unique website visitors per month: from 3,000 to 6,000!

PAII People:
Member Kudos, New Members, & New Vendors

Member Kudos
PAII vendor member, Karen MacInerney of Austin, TX, is the author of the Gray Whale Inn mystery series which is set on Cranberry Island, Maine. We have just learned that Karen has been nominated for an Agatha Award for "Best First Novel" for Murder on the Rocks. The Agatha Award, which is named in honor of Agatha Christie, is a prestigious national award honoring the traditional mystery; the winner will be selected in May at the annual Malice Domestic conference in Crystal City, VA. Her second book, Dead and Berried, was just released in February. If you have any great stories to share about guests, ghosts, or other unusual inn happenings (including kitchen disasters) e-mail Karen at karen@karenmacinerney.com. If you would like to get some books for your gift shop, call 800.THE.MOON or visit www.midnightinkbooks.com.

Our special thanks to the following members who referred new members to PAII. Each received two months free membership as part of our Member-Get-A-Member campaign:

Wendy Tamiso of the Candlelight Inn in Napa, CA
referred aspiring innkeeper Wanda Walker of Chehalis, WA

Dottie Musser of the Bradford Place Inn & Gardens, Sonora, CA
referred Larry Marino of the Edison Street Inn, Santa Ynez, CA

Congratulations to the following aspiring innkeepers who have become inn owners.
All the best in your new venture!

Country Charm Historic Farmhouse B&B
David & LaVonna Snell
Paris, KY 40361
www.countrycharm.com

Stone Crest York Bed & Breakfast and Retreat Center
George Simpson, Jr.
York, PA
www.stonecrestyork.com

Serge Devieux
Washington, DC

Debra Doyle
Rochester, MN

Joanne Durham
Charlotte, NC

Robert & Gloria Evans
Glen Burnie, MD

Josie Garcia
Palm Coast, FL

Deatria Harris
District Heights, MD

Daneisha Hazard
Warwick, RI

Nancy Hetherington
Bridgewater, NJ

Dave Lanford
Keswick, VA

Theresa Netzel
Macungie, PA

Verna Slaughter
Jonesboro, GA

Tony Thelen
Martinez, GA

Bob Thibeault
Barrington, RI

Matt Walters
Seattle, WA

Lisa Weaver
Lancaster, PA

Barry Werner & Jeff Finlay
Germantown, MD

Peter Ziehl
Easton, CT

New Vendor Members
Bed Bath & Beyond
Adam Schnauffer
11 Taft Road
Totowa, NJ 07512
973.785.4333
adam.schnaffer@bedbath.com
www.bedbathandbeyond.com
Fortune 500 retailer known for better home furnishings with 800 locations across the country.

Granny's Tea Cozies & Gifts
Sharon Hahn
5300 E Desert Inn Road #36
Las Vegas, NV 89122
919.683.3107
granny@grannysteacozies.com
www.grannysteacozies.com
Insulated, reversible tea cozies, scented hot pads, tea pots and cups, scone mix, red hat items, crystal and gold sun catchers, hat stands.

The Insurance Link
Jeff Parkinson
PO Box 290934
Nashville, TN 37229
800.813.7889
Fax: 615.889.6720
jeff@theinsurancelink.com
www.theinsurancelink.com
Affordable Health packages for group and individuals, including plans for the uninsurable.

International Cybertrans
Teresa Williams, Association Development Director
783 Old Hickory Blvd. Ste 263
Brentwood, Tennessee 37027
877.804.3300 ext. 116
twilliams@cybertrans.com
www.cybertrans.com
We offer true interchange plus credit card processing to association members. Call for a no cost, no obligation savings analysis and let us reduce your cost.

PetalSoft - Silk Petal Soaps
Cynthia and Mason Cobb
8 College Hill Road
Henniker, NH 03242
800.531.0330
Fax: 603.428.9218
petalsoftsoaps@yahoo.com
www.petalsoft.net
Rose Petals in pure glycerin soap for guest rooms, gift shops, and favors.

Sky V Spa/Sky Valley Farm
Caroline Poissonniz
16995 Sky Valley Dr
Ramona, CA 92065
760.788.3666
skyval@concentric.net
www.skyvspa.com/www.skyvallyfarm.com
Colorful, imaginative and incredibly fragrant amenities, Free private labels, all natural.

Letters to the Editor
Do you have something you'd like to share in the "Letters to the Editor" section of innkeeping?
If so, please e-mail your stories, thoughts, comments, rants, raves, or suggestions to stacey@paii.org. We look forward to hearing from you!

Dear Readers,
Last month we ran a letter to the editor from "Anonymous," who was concerned about participating in the new 2006 PAII Industry Study because of the sensitive financial information that is collected (albeit anonymously). This month, we are including two letters to the editor in response to "Anonymous." Thank you, all, for reading and writing!
Sincerely,
Stacey Bleistein
Editor

Dear Editor,
I just read the letter signed by "Anonymous" regarding the 2006 PAII Industry Study being "inappropriately invasive regarding financial information" and wanted to take a moment to respond.
Being an aspiring innkeeper, I had never thought about the survey from an innkeeper's perspective—that in putting together the study, so many had shared such personal information. I think I was just so relieved to have the information that I hadn't thought about what it really represented! I am in the process of trying to become an innkeeper and would be one by now were it not for all of the back and forth I've had with the county zoning office. Although I'm still fighting a number of issues, the key issue involving the number of guest rooms I can have seems to be resolved thanks to the PAII 2004 Industry Study. Because of this study, and only because of this study, I was able to show the county why the number of bedrooms they wanted to limit me to couldn't possibly work financially. This was a make-or-break issue for me. So, to all of the PAII innkeepers who have been willing to share this information in the study, I offer a very belated "thank you" from this aspiring innkeeper.
Sincerely,
Teresa Gregson
Aspiring Innkeeper

Dear Editor,
I would like to respond to the letter to the editor from "Anonymous." We have participated in the study every year we have been in business. Without innkeepers sharing the anonymous information contained in the study, we are all "in the dark" as to where we are in our business situation. The study shows us our weaknesses and our strengths, giving us goals to reach for and a business plan for the next year. As aspiring innkeepers, we used the PAII study to formulate our business plan. When we presented it to the SBA office, we were told it was the best business plan they had seen. Our financing was granted with no hassles, delays, or problems and, we believe, a lot of that was due to the fact that we knew our industry. As current innkeepers, we will always participate in the study for two reasons. Number one is a "thank you" to all those other innkeepers before us who made it possible for us to have such complete information. Number two is doing our part to keep the study a viable one for the nation's innkeeping industry. We study it thoroughly when our copy arrives and assess where we fit into the industry. Without innkeepers willing to give of their time and disclose information, there would be no study and the industry as a whole would suffer a great loss.
Sincerely,
Linda Humphrey
Shiloh Morning Inn in Ardmore, OK

innkeeping is published monthly. Annual subscription is included in the price of membership.

Editorial Staff
Stacey Bleistein, Laura Middleton, Debrah Mosimann, Karen Hudgeons, Jeanine Zeman, Liza Simpson

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 innkeeping, please contact innkeeping’s Editor-in-Chief, Stacey Bleistein, at 856.310.1102 or stacey@paii.org.

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Editorial Offices
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Phone: 856.310.1102 • Fax: 856.310.1105
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