Innkeeping

Thursday, August 2, 2007
Volume 1, Issue 7

On My Mind, by Jay Karen, PAII's President & CEO

I am what could be considered a fairly seasoned business traveler. In my professional career, I have been to over thirty states for business meetings, conferences, trade shows, etc. For the longest time, I was a loyalist with one of the big-box hoteliers, doing my best to rack up those points, so I could redeem one free night every two years. And since time is probably the most valuable currency these days, I tried spending as little time as possible finding and booking my lodging needs. I went directly to their web site, logged in, found the city, identified the best price, and hit click. While I have stayed at a number of bed and breakfast facilities with my wife on pleasure trips, I cannot remember once considering a bed and breakfast property for a business trip. Why is that? I can think of a few possible reasons, which I will get to in a minute.

Now that I am with PAII, I am making a commitment to stay at inns on business and pleasure trips whenever possible. What better primary research is there? But don't worry if you get a call from me to stay at your inn, I am not a quality control inspector. I simply want to talk with innkeepers to learn more about your businesses and needs. Since late June, I have stayed at inns in Marshall MI; St. Paul MN; and Cape May, NJ. I have one booked in Stony Brook, NY for an upcoming family wedding. I am enjoying my stays, but what's "on my mind" right now is our industry as it relates to the business traveler.

Now that I am actually pursuing inns for my business lodging needs, I am becoming aware of the various ways in which I can find and book my stays. To all those innkeepers who actively seek out opportunities to ensure your inn comes up in search engine results, and who participate in various industry-specific web portals—thank you! As a business traveler, it is essential that I can go to as few sites as possible to find as many inns as possible—and to find what features or amenities are most important to me. I consider myself a fairly typical business traveler, and here is what would make my experience (and probably many others) golden:

1) High speed Internet access in my room (Ethernet or wireless—doesn't really matter—as long as it's reliable and fast). It's nice to see from PAII's Industry Study that 85% of inns report offering wireless Internet access. If you can give me access to a printer for urgent needs, I would be in hog heaven.
2) The option of an express, to-go breakfast, in case I need to catch an early morning flight.
3) List of nearby dine-in or delivery options for late-night meals, in case I get in late.
4) Map of jogging routes, if I want to run 3 to 5 miles. Most inns do not have workout equipment (like many hotels), so I need help with finding safe exercise options. A deal with a nearby gym for your guests' use might be a good thing too.
5) An in-room desk is best for working on my computer, but if that's not possible, a lap-desk for use in the bed would suffice. Anything, so that I don't have to put my hot laptop directly on my lap.
6) Lastly, we business travelers enjoy having our very own iron and ironing board. If my room's closet or wardrobe cannot accommodate these items, it would be great if you would offer these at check-in, so I don't have to bother you at 11 p.m. or 5 a.m., when I actually do my ironing.

One question I plan to ask the opinion leaders in innkeeping world—what are we doing at the macro-level to attract the business traveler? I am sure there are thousands of inns across the country which are perfect for business travelers. We need to get the word out, and it’s starting! We have a great story to tell and fantastic product to sell. USA Today recently ran a story on B&Bs as an optimal choice for business travelers. Click here to read it.

What are you doing to attract the business traveler? Drop me a line at jay@paii.org.

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Innkeeping: The Noblest Occupation
by Richard Matthews, Hummingbird Inn www.hummingbirdinn.com

Of all the careers I've pursued—teacher, soldier, feature writer, reporter, newspaper publisher, editor—the title I relish most is innkeeper. The word has warmth about it, calling up a rotund, ruddy-cheeked proprietor full of mirth, ready to offer a snug haven to weary travelers. It evokes a fireplace, flagons of ale, and convivial guests sharing tales around a table laden with food.
Though the image is romanticized, it's not entirely inaccurate. There's something grand about being a host and solid satisfaction in providing service to those in pursuit of rest and respite. People need escapes and, as an innkeeper, you provide them; if you do your job right, you give your guests, for a few days at least, a home away from home without the annoyance of responsibility and with a touch of the exotic. An innkeeper is witness to a cross section of humanity, for through the inn's doors pass an ever changing parade of people, each with a story to tell, each with an experience to share.

An innkeeper is host, conversationalist, confidant, storyteller, maitre'd, concierge, bartender, companion, a worthy personage indeed, full of hearty friendliness and an all embracing good will.
All true…to a degree. But an innkeeper is often much more than that. Depending on the establishment he runs—its size, its profitability, his resources—he may also be cook, gardener, waiter, housecleaner, handyman, bookkeeper, dishwasher, errand runner, plumber, receptionist, launderer, electrician, quartermaster, and general all around drudge. On some days he is all of those at once. Then, God help him, he wonders what madness ever drove him to owning an inn?

My wife Pam and I have owned the Hummingbird Inn for four years. It's a small place as inns go, a bed and breakfast with five guest rooms. It has a rustic den with a wood-burning fireplace, a spacious parlor, a sun room, a large dining room, and a wrap-around veranda on three sides of a 5,500 square foot home. Except for our laundry room on the second floor and our private quarters on the third, guests have the run of the place, including an acre of lawn and gardens and the deck out on the creek. It's quite a charming establishment and it won our hearts when we found it.
And at times, it has been all we had wished for: it provides an escape from corporate America; we own it and can call the shots; it allows us to be together; and we can play innkeeper to our heart's content. Best of all, it feels comfortable, a place where we can be ourselves and make it into a reflection of who we are. But, like any inn, it's not without its demands.

Anyone who has kept an inn for long knows there's another side. Why else, when innkeepers get together, do they share war stories? Why is it that every innkeeper has a storehouse of "bad day" anecdotes? How is it that an innkeeper can be torn between filling rooms and boosting occupancy, yet yearn so fervently for a guestless night?

Innkeeping is a relentless occupation and the work is hard. The garden needs tending, rooms need cleaning, breakfast must be made, the gutter must be mended, walks must be swept. Windows need washing, there's always laundry, and however will you get those make-up stains off the pillowcase? Someone needs to run to the store, that drip in the Franklin room showerhead needs to be fixed, and you can't get the contractor who's supposed to fix the porch to return your calls. And the bookwork, and the website, and the bat that came down the chimney the night before. And then always, always there are the guests.

You may love people, yet after 35 days without a break you come to yearn for a night alone. If you're running the inn with your spouse, intimacy becomes a series of stolen moments. Energy is a commodity you hoard, and even when you do get a chance for a night out, often you're too tired to attend the dance.

And weekends? Those are for guests. Time off, when you have it, comes mid-week, and weekend events have to be forsaken so you can open the door when guests arrive. And while most guests measure up to what you hoped for when you first considered becoming an innkeeper—cheerful, ready to relax, grateful for what you do for them—there are those few who are less than gracious.
One of the best parts of innkeeping, of course, is that bed and breakfast guests are largely self-selecting. These are not motel road warriors looking just for a place to crash. Bed and breakfast guests are often well disposed folks seeking an experience as much as a night's stay; give them half a chance and they'll treat you as a friend, especially if you set the tone. But that's not true of every guest.

It's a curious fact that when innkeepers get together, it's not of the good experiences they speak. Because we remember our frustrations more readily than our pleasures, we tell "bad guest" stories. We all have them. We recite them with relish; our fellow innkeepers understand and sympathize with us. They recount their own horror stories; we understand and sympathize with them. It's a form, I suppose, of letting our hair down, having a catharsis, getting it off our chests. Few of us leave innkeeping because of such experiences, but the fact that we have them suggests it's not all fireplaces, flagons of ale, and convivial guests swapping amusing tales.

Some guests are demanding, some are rude, some are bores. Some come late: for check-in, for check-out, for breakfast, for lunch, for dinner. Some guests treat you like a servant. Some never offer praise or thanks, no matter what you do and some have nothing but criticism, despite your efforts to give them the most relaxing weekend of their lives. But—and this is innkeeping's saving grace—the mean-spirited are few and most guests are friendly, considerate, and grateful for the experience you provide them. They not only make your day, they confirm your choice. But make no mistake (pay attention aspiring innkeepers) there are days when you will wonder why you ever opted to run an inn. At the end of a harrowing day, one that began at 6:00 a.m. and ended at 11:00 p.m., one that saw you perform a thousand tasks with barely a thanks and a day when problems were rife and solutions few, you may have little but your dream of innkeeping to sustain you.

Does all of this sound ambivalent? Perhaps it is, but take heart, for innkeeping is a renewable occupation and each day is a starting over, a new beginning. Tomorrow the current guests will leave, different people will walk through your door, new faces will smile at you, and you can begin once more to be the innkeeper you want to be.

Richard Matthews, along with his wife Pam, have owned the Hummingbird Inn in Goshen, VA for four years. (www.hummingbirdinn.com).

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Kitchen Corner: Preserving the Bounty of Your Region
by Carol Edmondson, Innkeeping Specialists www.innseminars.com

As America rediscovers its culinary roots and the pleasure of experiencing unique regional ingredients, your guests are even more appreciative of the special things you do for them in your kitchen. One of these is preserving the bounty of your region and presenting it in unique and delicious ways. This can be something as simple as fresh blueberry jam from locally grown berries, fresh orange juice from your own fruit trees, or cranberry chutney simmered in your kitchen from berries picked at the local bog. Serving maple syrup from the sap of local trees is another form of preserving the bounty of your unique locale.

A wonderful example of preserving local bounty is an innkeeper who harvests mesquite beans from her mesquite trees and grinds them to a meal for her mesquite, apple, and nut muffins. This unique renewable food source is a signature southwestern ingredient that the innkeeper uses in many recipes.

Besides the obvious benefit of wowing your guests with something special, preserving is an economical approach to using food when serving a crowd. We often have fruit left over that is too ripe to serve. This becomes the base for homemade preserves, made from our 100 year old recipe We don't "put them up" due to local health department restrictions on home canned items being served to guests. If you plan to can your bounty check with local authorities before serving home canned items. We serve our preserves fresh. Preserves keep in the refrigerator for up to 10 days (although they rarely last that long) or we freeze part of larger batches for the winter months.

Preserving fresh grown herbs is a popular idea. You can freeze fresh herbs in ice cubes of water or broth to be added to soups and sauces as needed. You can also dry your own herbs picked from the garden. Try creating a wreath of your favorite herbs by tying bunches of freshly picked herbs to a coiled grape vine base and letting them dry into a beautiful decorative wall hanging that you can pick herbs from every day. The best herbs for wreaths are the hearty leaves like rosemary, bay laurel, lavender, thyme and oregano.

Fresh herbs can enhance oils and vinegars infused with their flavor which can add a little magic to any dish. Our homegrown raspberry thyme vinegar is made by infusing gathered wild berries found at the edge of our woods and cultivated thyme from the inn's herb garden in white vinegar. A favorite vinegar is pineapple with fresh bay laurel leaves. We serve fresh berries and peaches splashed with a bit of our fruit vinegar to brighten their flavor.

Infusing is a simple kitchen method of preserving, which involves heating vinegar in a non reactive pan until just boiling. Fruit, such as raspberries or finely diced fresh pineapple, are added and simmered for 5 minutes. Vinegar is strained into a clean glass container and fresh herbs are added while the vinegar is still warm. Because of their high acid level which prevents bacterial growth these vinegars will keep for months at room temperature or up to a year in the refrigerator. If you are giving these as gifts or selling them in your gift shop add a few raspberries or pineapple slices and a sprig of the fresh herb used to the bottle before you seal it.

To create infused oils, a slightly different technique can be used. To get both the wonderful flavor and bright green color of fresh herbs purée the herb leaves with a few tablespoons of oil until smooth. Then you can add the remaining oil until the color and consistency you want is achieved. These brightly colored oils are wonderful added to egg soufflés or mashed potatoes or as a flavorful garnish added from a plastic squeeze bottle as you serve. Try basil, cilantro, parsley, or any soft leaf herb. Infused oils will keep for a week or two in the refrigerator. We store them in their squeeze bottles for fast easy use and less clean up. Bring to room temperature before using.

Chutneys, salsas, and pickles are a great sweet and savory addition to your repertoire. Talk about economical—try pickled water melon rind as a sweet side dish with sausage and egg dishes. Our guests love green tomato chutney omelets from those last tomatoes in the fall garden.

Imagination and nature's bounty are the two main ingredients in preserving. If you have a local farmers market, look for flats of overripe fruits that are waiting to be scooped up at bargain prices and turned into a gift from your kitchen. Overripe apples and pears make perfect fruit butters with some "back of the stove" slow cooking with sugar and spices. Try 8 cups of peeled pears, 4 cups of sugar, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, and ½ teaspoon each nutmeg, cloves, and allspice. Add a sprig of fresh rosemary or lavender and cook until thick. Purée and cool.

Preserving brings out the best flavor in your local food treasures and brings your guests back for more. You can also put up your preserves in pretty jars and sell them in your gift shop. Homemade items bring a premium as take home gifts and remembrances of your hospitality.

Mesquite Muffins with Apples and Nuts
from Laurie Haskett, of the Congenial Quail B&B in Tucson, Arizona

Ingredients:
½ cup mesquite bean meal
2 eggs plus 1 yolk
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup whole wheat flour
½ cup evaporated milk
¼ teaspoon salt
1/3 cup oil
6 tablespoons sugar
1 cup roughly chopped apples
¼ cup chopped nuts

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift dry ingredients together. Add apples and nuts. In a separate bowl beat eggs, vanilla, evaporated milk, and oil.

Add half the egg mixture to the dry ingredients, mix well, then add remaining mixture and mix just until combined.

Pour muffin batter into greased muffin pans and bake for 25 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Homemade Preserves
from Carol Edmondson, Innkeeping Specialists

Ingredients:
8 cups very ripe fruit like peaches, strawberries, raspberries, pineapple or you can combine fruits like peaches and pineapple
4 cups sugar
2 tablespoons fresh thyme or rosemary leaves (chop rosemary leaves very fine)
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar or fruit flavored vinegar

Preparation:
Chop fruit into ¼ inch dice. Add all ingredients into a large heavy bottomed pot.
Slowly bring to a full boil so that the sugar can dissolve in the natural juices of the fruit.
Skim the foam off the top. It's an old tradition that children (or the chef) get to eat the warm foam from a spoon or drizzled over ice cream.

Reduce to a simmer and continue to cook until thickened, stirring every 15 minutes. The time will depend on the fruit used. For example, berries have more water content and take longer than peaches to thicken. Preserves will continue to thicken as they cool so turn them off when the juices thickly coat a spoon.

Carol Edmondson owned and operated an award winning 14 room B&B Inn on Cape Cod for 12 years. Carol and her husband Tom, a commercial real estate broker, formed Innkeeping Specialists in 1994, a consulting partnership focussed on finding inns for their clients and teaching innkeeping from their own experience. They developed the "Innkeeping From the Innside" seminar which they have taught for the past thirteen years. The "Innkeeping from the Innside" seminar provides a comprehensive view of acquiring and operating a highly successful B&B business. Before innkeeping Carol was a marketing executive with a Fortune 500 high tech firm and holds a degree in finance and marketing. Carol has developed and presented in several PAII conference workshops over the past 15 years. Carol currently chairs the Cape Cod Bed and Breakfast Committee and is a member of the PAII Advisory Board.

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Question of the Month: What Do You Do?
From Rick & Cheri Rojek, Heartstone Inn & Cottages in Eureka Springs, AR www.heartstoneinn.com

Question: Cookie Exchange/Open House Event
Wondering if anyone has participated in a holiday open house/cookie exchange for potential guests? There are ten B&B's here that would like to organize & advertise an event this fall/winter that would encompass guests visiting each B&B and receiving cookies and the recipe as a marketing tool with a mini-tour of the inns. I've read about these before in magazines, but couldn't find a thread about them in the archives. Wondering if anyone has participated, if it proved fruitful, and any advice in the planning of such an event. We'd appreciate any feedback.

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
From Sue Ann Croft, Canyon Creek Chalets, Glacier, WA www.canyoncreekchalets.com
Question: Our tax rate is increasing by 2% July 1st. I have several reservations that will be affected by the increase. Would you charge the lower rate because that is what was quoted or would you charge the higher rate?

Answers:
Shirley Price
From Foxtrot Bed & Breakfast in Gatlinburg, TN www.thefoxtrot.com
We just had a 3% tax hike on July 1st. Our rates have always been posted $X plus tax. That way you never have to change anything or explain to anybody. If they ask what the tax rate is, I tell them what is currently and that it is subject to change at the goverenments whim.

Karen Morella
From Serendipity B&B in Ocean City, NJ www.serendipitynj.com
I ran into this problem last year when NJ raised the sales tax rate. I sent postcards to those affected informing them of the increase in sales tax and how it would affect them. I did not use their actual rate but used an example. I did not have any complaints. A few guests thanked me for letting them know prior to check-in. Although it is only a few dollars per reservation, it will add up for you. You should not be expected to "eat" the increase. Our state made it clear that this affected reservations made prior to the increase and I stated that in the postcard.

David Reid
From Fontenay, LLC in Kennebunkport, ME www.fontenaymotel.com
There is some anticipation of a lodging tax increase in Maine. I always state my rate plus tax, so that if the tax goes up, I can reflect the increase as a tax increase and not a rate increase. Last year Maine began charging sales tax on someone who rents their house for seasonal rentals. I told the owners to state that it was changed by Maine so they didn't have to eat the tax. (Save copies of bulletins notifying you of the increase.)

Greg & Mary McNair
From Montrose Hideaway Bed-and-Breakfast Retreat Inc. in Daphne, AL www.montrosehideaway.com
It's a matter of whether you want to absorb the tax increase out of your profits. I don't think anyone expects you to do that. We had to deal with this issue last year when we learned that we needed to be collecting for the City of Fairhope at the 2% jurisdictional rate. I sent a note to each guest that would need to pay the higher rate with a revised reservation confirmation reflecting the extra tax being added to the balance due on arrival. I didn't have a single person complain.

As long as you tell people what the increase is for, they are reasonable. It's not like you have raised your room rates and are trying to change the basis under which they entered into contract with you. That is within your control; tax rates are not.

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How Do Your Rates and Revenues Compare?
by Sandy Soule, BedandBreakfast.com

Whether you’re an aspiring, perspiring, or retiring innkeeper, nothing is more important than knowing how your property compares in terms of occupancy rates and room revenues, as well as operational costs and income. The biannual Bed & Breakfast / Country Inns Industry Study of Operations and Finance, 2007-2008 released by PAII shows that occupancy rates and room revenues continue a steady climb for the B&Bs and country inns in the United States.

Rates/occupancies improving slowly: The Industry Study of Operations and Finance shows that annual occupancy for B&Bs in the U.S. rose to 43 percent in 2006, a growth rate of about 5 percent over 2005. Occupancy has risen slowly but steadily every year since 2002, when it stood at 38 percent. Overall, this five-year increase (2002 through 2006) represents a net gain for the industry of about 13 percent.

Except in a small number of travel markets, occupancy rates at B&Bs and country inns tend to lag behind that of hotels and motels, because many properties cater primarily to leisure travelers and are located in destination areas with strong weekend business and/or relatively brief "high" seasons. The occupancy figure for the overall lodging industry in 2006 was 63.4 percent, according to Smith Travel Research. “The growth over the past year was modest but suggests that our segment of the lodging industry is holding its own, even as chain hotels and motels step up the competition by imitating some of the quality amenities that B&Bs and country inns have been lavishing on their guests for many years,” explains Jay Karen, PAII President and CEO.

Inns compensate for their comparatively low occupancies by charging higher rates and providing more personalized services than do most of their hotel competitors. In 2006, according to the PAII study, the average daily rate (ADR) at B&Bs in the study was $166, a 3.5 percent increase over the previous year. The ADR for country inns (inns with full-service restaurants) was $153, an increase of 3 percent over 2005. For the U.S. lodging industry generally, the ADR in 2006 was $97.31, according to Smith Travel Research. This was a 7 percent increase over 2005, suggesting that many lodging properties boosted rates as the economy improved in recent years.

Another key performance metric in the lodging industry is Revenue Per Available Room (RevPar). This number is arrived at by dividing total annual room revenue by the number of rooms available for rent during the year—giving a good picture of both income and occupancy. By this measure, the B&Bs in the PAII study experienced a 6 percent increase in RevPar from 2005 to 2006, reaching an average annual rate of $69.81. Overall, RevPar at B&Bs has increased by 34.3 percent since 2001, representing solid growth in both rates and occupancy. RevPar was highest in the Western states ($81.48 in 2006) and in the Northeast ($74.25), and lower in the Southeast ($60.96) and Midwest ($55.60).

Additional study findings: For more than a decade, owners of bed and breakfasts and country inns have led the lodging industry in providing upgraded amenities for their guests. Hotels, motels, and even resorts have imitated B&Bs by improving the quality and variety of amenities provided to guests, from soaps and shampoos to linens and mattresses.

Luxury and Comfort: According to the study, 76 percent of B&Bs reported having "luxury beds and linens," compared to 65 percent in 2004. Similarly, the proportion of B&Bs providing bathrobes for guests more than doubled, from 29 percent in 2004 to 68 percent in 2006. These upgrades carried across all U.S. regions and locations, from rural to urban. Not surprisingly, inns with higher room rates were more likely to provide luxury amenities than were those with lower rates.

Development and Use: The popularity of bed and breakfasts has led an increasing number of prospective innkeepers to construct new B&Bs. About three-fourths of the inns participating in the study are historic properties, but about 16 percent are now purpose-built structures, most of them constructed in the past decade. This new trend toward purpose-built B&Bs results from several factors: in some areas, particularly in the western states of the U.S., the supply of historic structures large enough to accommodate a B&B is very limited; in other areas, notably the Northeast, many historic structures suitable to use as B&B operations already have been converted to that use or have returned to use as private homes. Building a B&B from the ground up enables innkeepers to develop the property exactly as they want it, without having to retrofit an old building.

Modernization: The study disputed the out-of-date notion that B&Bs do not provide private bathrooms for their guests. Among participating inns, 94 percent of the bathrooms are private. This means that 6 percent of guest bathrooms are shared—a percentage that has declined steadily over the years. Another significant change was in the offering of wireless Internet service; in 2004, 60 percent of inns reported offering this service, rising to 85 percent in 2006.

Business of Innkeeping: No longer a short-term retirement option, innkeeping is becoming a long-term occupation, with 41 percent of innkeepers reporting that they’ve been in the business for seven or more years. In part, this reflects a trend of younger people entering innkeeping as a career. Another illustration of the maturation of the industry is shown in the finding that most innkeepers have adopted formal legal structures for their businesses, such as corporations, partnerships, or limited liability companies. Nearly 70 percent of inns are now owned by these types of organizations; in the past, sole proprietorships were more common in the B&B industry.

Expenses: Innkeepers are becoming more sophisticated in controlling their expenses to improve their bottom lines. For example, inns are spending more on payroll than in the past, but the increase lags behind overall revenues, suggesting that innkeepers are learning how to generate more business without adding staff. Innkeepers have also been successful in controlling such costs as commissions (including credit card fees), in part to offset more difficult-to-control expenses such as utility costs, which have risen sharply for innkeepers, as well as everyone else. The survey of capital expenditures by innkeepers found that many of them are investing thousands of dollars into new or upgraded guest rooms and common facilities. The study indicates the average cost of adding a guest room was $30,828 and the average cost of adding a guest bathroom was $13,853.

About the Inns

29% were in rural locations, 12% were urban, 5% suburban, and 54% were village
87% are tourist destination/resort properties
74% of the larger inns (21+ sleeping rooms) have meeting space
41% use outside caterers to handle food and beverage functions for guests
Overall average employees per inn is 4.3

About the Inn Owners

82% of inn owners are couples
88% of owners live on premises
58% of owners are dependent on outside income

PAII would like to thank the following sponsors of the
Bed & Breakfast / Country Inns
Industry Study of Operations and Finance, 2007-2008

Platinum Sponsor
Select Registry

Gold Sponsors
Third Millennium Marketing
BedandBreakfastFinancing.com
North Carolina Inn Brokers

Silver Sponsors
TMG, Inc - Virginia Inn Brokers
The B&B Team

Bronze Sponsors
Payment Alliance International Tom Weiskotten
Bedandbreakfast.com
Markel Insurance Company

Sandy Soule, BedandBreakfast.com © 2007 Reprinted with the permission of the author and BedandBreakfast.com.

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INNS in the News

Possible zoning changes in Westbrook, CT, could limit B&Bs from expanding. Area residents are fed up with noise from weddings and events. Click here to read the full story.

Bed and breakfast option promoted in New York City as great alternative to typical hotels. Click here to read the full story.

Bed and breakfast inns in Ashland, OR are working together to win a share of city grants they help generate through a lodging tax. Click here to read full story.
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PAII People: Member Kudos, New Members

Member Kudos
Congratulations to Lori LeCount of Ocean Wilderness Inn www.oceanwildernessinn.com in Sooke, BC whose inn will be the setting for an upcoming segment of Project Mom on Country Music Television Canada, inspired by Terri Clark, in exchange for hosting the guest and crew.

Chimes Bed and Breakfast, www.chimesneworleans.com, in New Orleans, LA has received wonderful publicity in the last few months. One was a mention in the article "New Orleans Rebirth" in Wine Spectator's May issue and the other was for "Car-Free Summer & Fall Vacations" in the Travelsmart Newsletter.

Congratulations to Paula and Rob Fox of the Little River Bed and Breakfast, www.littleriverbedandbreakfast.com, in Peterborough, NH. Paula and Rob recently had their Grand Opening and were thrilled when their local newspaper did a feature on them. Following is the link to the story: http://www.ledgertranscript.com/2007/stories/2_feature_051507.shtml

Congratulations to our aspiring innkeepers who have purchased an inn and are now official innkeepers. All the best in your new venture!

Rick and Laura Carro
Fairville Inn, Chadds Ford, PA

Kris and Bill Stumpf
Ludington House Bed and Breakfast, Ludington, MI

New Inn Members

Artist's Studio Loft B&B
Jacqueline Clayton
Vashon Island, WA
www.vashonbedandbreakfast.com

Bentwood Inn
Keith Sproule
Jackson, WY
www.bentwoodinn.com

Bissell House Bed & Breakfast
Juli Hoyman
South Pasadena, CA
www.bissellhouse.com

Cape Arundel Inn
Jack Nahil
Kennebunkport, ME
www.CapeArundelInn.com

Goddard Mansion B&B
Scott Raymond
Claremont, NH
www.goddardmansion.com

Guest House at Field Farm/Trustees of Reservations
Robert Chok
Williamstown, MA
http://guesthouseatfieldfarm.thetrustees.org/

Inn at Valley Farms B&B, Cottages & Vacation Farm
Jacqueline Caserta
Walpole, NH
www.innatvalleyfarms.com

Loyd Hall, LLC
Rebecca Jarred
Cheneyville, LA

B&B and Model T-Tin Lizzie Inn
Sheran Woodworth
Fish Camp, CA
www.tinlizzieinn.com

The Oaks Bed and Breakfast
Donna Potruski
Saluda, NC
www.theoaksbedandbreakfast.com

Silver Wood Bed and Breakfast
Lawrence Oliver
Divide, CO
www.silverwoodinn.com

Stonehurst Place
Barbara Shadomy
Atlanta, GA
http://www.stonehurstbandb.com

A Suite Escape
Joanne Martin
East Earl, PA
www.asuiteescape.com

New Aspiring Members

Chatral A'dzé
Willowemoc, NY

Joann Berrian
Fort Collins, CO

Andrea Chase
Folsom, CA

Jodie Cook
New York, NY

Christine Ingleton
Hazlet, NJ

John Kalberer
Voorhees, NJ

Olive Lynch
Plainfield, NJ

Robert Nuey
Chicago, IL

Leanne Pantoliano
Bronxville, NY

Judy Payton
Virginia Beach, VA

Anthony Sexton
Lakeville, MA

Robert Short
Oklahoma City, OK



New Vendor Members

Boca Terry
3000 SW 15th Street, Suite H
Deerfield Beach, Florida 33442
877/421-6001 Extension # 207
954/312-4420
jrusso@bocaterry.com
www.bocaterry.com

We are the premier manufacturer of the most luxurious 100% cotton bathrobes and spa accessories in the world. Our bathrobes are available at the finest five star hotels, resorts and spas.
Scott Crumpton

White Stone Marketing
18 Luanaiki Place
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800.841.5448
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About innkeeping

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

Publisher
Professional Association of Innkeepers International (PAII)

Editor-in-Chief
Laura Middleton

Production Coordinator
Laura Middleton

Editorial Staff
Carol Edmondson, Karen Hudgeons, Jay Karen, Richard Matthews, Sandy Soule, Kristin Strong, 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 innkeeping, please contact innkeeping’s Editor-in-Chief, Laura Middleton, at 856.310.1102 or laura@paii.org.

Advertising Rates & Information
Monthly banner 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