Akwaaba Bed & Breakfast Inns, owned and operated by Monique Greenwood, was featured in Fodor’s Travel…
10 Stylish Black-Owned Boutique Hotels Across the U.S. to Book on Your Next Trip
Tom Werman, owner/innkeeper of Stonover Farm in Lenox, MA, was interviewed by ABC7 Chicago…
Famed rock producer finds 2nd act as bed and breakfast innkeeper
Don’t Miss “While You’re Here … Putting on Your Concierge Hat and Knowing Your Partners”
This year, the Association of Lodging Professionals (ALP) is holding their annual Conference & Marketplace as a virtual event, with the Lodging Professionals portion happening on Monday and Tuesday, February 22-23. ALP is the premier organization for independent innkeeping and they do a great job of providing information that is incredibly useful to innkeepers, especially at their annual conference. So, if you are not already attending, make sure you register for the 2021 ALP Virtual Conference & Marketplace here!
Along with the many insightful presentations being given by hospitality leaders during the event, Steve Short, Founder and CEO of the Frictionless Guest App will present “While You’re Here … Putting on Your Concierge Hat and Knowing Your Partners”. It takes place at 4pm on Tuesday, February 23, and focuses on how innkeepers can partner with local businesses to provide their guests with incredible experiences during their stay.
Today’s travelers want more than just a place to stay. They want to truly connect with a destination, and feel like a true local, with more integrated and authentic experiences. This means that innkeepers should consider identifying and developing mutually beneficial offerings with local businesses to provide guests with high-quality local experiences.
Steve is fortunate to have interviewed several lodging professionals who have a very successful track record of providing guests with partner experiences and their insights will be shared during his presentation. They include:
Don’t miss out on the opportunity to learn more about how you can leverage local partnerships for enhancing the guest experience and revenue generation. Go here to register for the 2021 ALP Virtual Conference & Marketplace!
Many innkeepers have found ways to open their properties in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, requiring changes to many aspects of their business. We thought it would be helpful to interview some of them and share their insights on how they are managing their businesses in today’s climate. This is one in a series of feature articles on Post-COVID Re-Opening.
For this installment of the article series, we interviewed Monique Greenwood, owner of the Akwaaba Bed & Breakfast Inns, and learned how she managed a business turnaround for her five properties through community support and creative offerings.
++++++++
For Monique Greenwood, owner of the Akwaaba Bed & Breakfast Inns, and star of the television reality show “Checked Inn” on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN), being able to pivot quickly and think creatively has often been the key to her success as an innkeeper, which is especially important in today’s COVID-19 environment.
As an owner of five different properties, Monique had to deal with a three-month shutdown of all of her inns when the pandemic first hit in March. Her portfolio is mainly urban-based locations with one of her properties, the Mansion at Noble Lane, being located in Pennsylvania’s Poconos Lake Region.
There was a dramatic difference in the bookings between the urban properties and the Mansion at Noble Lane.
“When COVID first started, we came to a complete stop in mid-March,” said Monique. “The first property to re-open was the Mansion at Noble Lane on Memorial Day weekend. From that moment until now, we have had 95 percent occupancy. Though our city locations have been much slower to return.”
Most of the guests staying at the urban locations have been locals looking to do “staycations,” with weekend occupancy around 80 percent, and slower during the week. Monique’s Cape May, NJ, location also performed well during the summer months.
For the urban locations, the Akwaaba team developed a wide-range of add-on services for guests, which includes in-suite breakfasts, picnic lunches for two, champagne turn-down services, as well as partnerships with local caterers for chef’s dinners and massage therapists.
As with other innkeepers we have interviewed for this article series, Monique was very proactive with communicating their COVID-19 policies through email marketing and social media. She also developed this landing page with a video of Monique discussing how they are keeping their full property portfolio clean and safe.
In addition, Monique found that the Black Lives Matter movement helped to contribute to an ongoing stream of guests that were motivated to support black-owned businesses.
“We had the Black Lives Matter movement happening at the same time as the pandemic,” said Monique. “Because the African American community, and their allies, were on a mission to patronize black-owned businesses, we had a rush of guests. And, we really appreciated this – it has helped tremendously.”
Finally, Monique was able to embrace a new revenue stream through her Shop at Akwaaba e-commerce site, which offers Akwaaba-branded products and other imported products handmade from African-American artisans – all “curated with love.”
“We decided to launch Show Akwaaba, and tap into the Black Lives Matter movement by selling products from African Americans,” said Monique. “It has been a great way to generate revenue when we could not put heads on beds. And as we go into the holiday season, we expect more people to shop online.”Be sure to listen to our previous two-part Frictionless Innkeeper podcast series with Monique here, and here.
As the United States experiences a resurgence in COVID-19 cases, many innkeepers are hoping to keep their properties open, as long as guests are willing to travel to their destination. Having experienced an initial COVID wave, guests are likely more conscious and knowledgeable than ever about finding lodging providers that are committed to cleaning and disinfecting to make their stay as safe as possible.
While all innkeepers have become more aware of the importance of cleaning because of the pandemic, it’s always worthwhile to continue learning about the topic. In addition, it’s essential to communicate your knowledge and how you apply it at your property when marketing to prospective guests through your website and other channels.
Showing that you understand some of the science behind your cleaning approach may actually differentiate your property from others and result in more bookings, as well as positive reviews if guests see your commitment to their safety in action during their stay.
So, to pass on some knowledge and suggestions that you may not have heard before, we’ve tapped Teresa Luttrell, owner of Enliven Bed and Breakfast. Teresa has done a few podcasts with us and we’ve been amazed with the depth and breath of her knowledge on the subject of cleaning and disinfecting.
That should come as no surprise, since Teresa is passionate about keeping her property safe for medical travelers staying with her while getting their respective treatments. She has also established chemicalfreeinns.com to advocate for chemical-free cleaning and help innkeepers interested in finding ways to do so. In other words, Teresa is a true hygiene expert – so much so that we’ve given her the endearing nickname of the “Queen of Hygiene”.
We have taken what we’ve learned from Teresa’s most recent podcast and condensed it into some basic ideas and suggestions, with the hope that you can use them to increase your knowledge, improve your cleaning processes, and better market your approach to prospective guests. Here they are:
Thanks to Teresa Luttrell, owner of Enliven Bed and Breakfast, and “Queen of Hygiene” for contributing to this Frictionless Innkeeper TIP by sharing insights during a Frictionless Innkeeper podcast.
Many owners have found ways to open their properties in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, requiring changes to many aspects of their business. We thought it would be helpful to interview some of them and share their insights on how they are managing their businesses in today’s climate. This is one in a series of feature articles on Post-COVID Re-Opening.
For this installment of the article series, in late July we interviewed Nancy Sullivan-Shener and Sam Shener, owners of the Lookout Point Lakeside Inn, located in Hot Springs, Arkansas and learned that they were able to see a significant business turnaround after the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic.
++++++++
When the Lookout Point Lakeside Inn officially reopened on May 21st, the property found itself with a high-level of bookings, experiencing a major turnaround after being closed for several months due to the pandemic.
Much of this success can be attributed to Lookout Point Lakeside Inn being located in a picturesque environment on Lake Hamilton, Arkansas, which is in driving distance from several major cities in Texas. The property owners also took extra steps to develop comprehensive COVID-19 protocols and cleaning strategies.
“When we announced our reopening plan in early May, we were inundated with guests calling us to both book rooms, and ask us about our COVID protocols,” said Nancy Sullivan-Shener. “The more questions we had, the better able we were at gathering information for helping us to shape these protocols.”
In addition, the property used its PMS system to send out emails to guests after they booked with a very dramatic subject-line to get guests to read more about their COVID protocols.
“We are now at record occupancy, and many of these guests chose to stay with us because of the safety protocols in place,” Nancy added. “This has definitely become a marketing tool for us.”
When it comes to bringing their protocols to life, the property adheres to the AHLA Safe Stay guidelines, and they sanitize all of the fabric in the guest rooms. They have also shut down their dining room completely, and converted each guest room to have private dining – leading to a more streamlined workflow for staff.
“We work equally hard to keep guests and staff safe,” said Sullivan-Shener. “We also converted dining to in-room only, and will keep it this way until there is a vaccine. Also, we are contactless when we deliver items such as wine to a guest room, where we leave the bottles on small tables outside of the guest rooms.”
Also, when guests check in and check out, no members of the cleaning staff enter their room, and rooms are only cleaned in between guest stays. Without the need to do daily room refreshes each day, the inn is able to further streamline the overall room cleaning workflow.
In terms of the future, Sullivan-Shener is hopeful that bookings will continue to be high, as many travelers continue to seek out drivable destinations.
“With our specific demographic within driving distance, we have a huge audience that we market to, and we have not needed to dial up our marketing,” she said. “Now we are even seeing people drive here from further away places like Chicago. All we can do is keep doing what we are doing, and we are at record-breaking bookings right now.”
Much like the way toilet paper and hand sanitizers became very scarce during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, some are predicting that there will be a run on humidifiers in the coming winter months.
Dry air and low humidity are an ideal breeding ground for the virus. According to a study that was published in Transboundary and Emerging Diseases, for every 1 percent decrease in relative humidity, COVID-19 cases can increase by 7 percent to 8 percent. A 10 percent drop in relative humidity could double COVID-19 infections.
According to Hartford Healthcare, an increase in humidity makes infectious particles both bigger and heavier, causing them to drop from the air and land on hard surfaces.
As such, innkeepers should consider purchasing humidifiers for their properties NOW – in preparation for the winter months. The use of humidifiers adds to the many things you can do to put your guests at ease by showing them you are taking steps to prevent the spread of COVID at your property.
If you are unable to purchase humidifiers, scientists recommend keeping a large pot of water carefully kept at a low boil, which can also humidify dry winter air to healthy levels. If your establishment has hot water heat, consider water vessels on the radiators.
Communicating to potential guests how to use a humidifier and the science behind them is also very important. This can be done through updating your COVID-19 policies, e-blasts and social media.
Thank to Tobias Bray, a marketing expert for the Frictionless Guest App, for providing us with this tip!
Many innkeepers have found ways to open their properties in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, requiring changes to many aspects of their business. We thought it would be helpful to interview some of them and share their insights on how they are managing their businesses in today’s climate. This is one in a series of feature articles on Post-COVID Re-Opening.
For this installment of the article series, we highlight the challenges that Julio Torres, owner of the Carriage Way Inn Bed and Breakfast in St. Augustine, Florida faced with the pandemic, and how his property has adjusted its operations to overcome them.
++++++++
During the early summer months, the pandemic started to have an impact on Florida, at a time when regions like the Northeast were seeing a decline in cases.
As a result, innkeepers in St. Augustine, Florida were facing challenges at a time when innkeepers in other regions across the country were exploring opportunities to re-open.
“It’s been a roller coaster ride in Florida,” said Torres. “Things started out well in Florida. Then as we moved from phase one to phase two, the enthusiasm for travel dampened. It was not as bad as things were in March, but not as good as we wanted.”
For Florida inns, the busy season tends to be from Thanksgiving through April and May. But this year, due to the pandemic, most inns were closed. The Carriage Way Inn Bed and Breakfast took the time however to ramp up both its cleaning and communications to potential guests.
It also reconfigured its dining room to be socially distanced, set up outdoor dining, and eliminated self-service touch-points on the property. Now, all food and beverage are brought to guest tables by staff wearing masks.
“We shortened the check-in process, and we are no longer doing room refreshes,” added Torres. “In addition, we have done many mass emails to potential guests, and posted information to our website about how we are keeping them safe. Also, guests feel comforted seeing the staff wearing masks. We have received lots of praise from our guests.”
In June, bookings turned around for the Carriage Way Inn Bed and Breakfast, driven by a discount promotion that resulted in 184 guest registrations.
“We have a lot of people who have been impacted by the pandemic, and we wanted to roll out a discount to our loyal clientele,” said Torres. “As a result, we topped last June in terms of booking, though we experienced a drop in July due to a surge in COVID-19 cases.”
When looking to the future, Torres hopes for brighter days where he can be more connected with guests during their stays.
“We would like to go back to a highly personalized way of greeting guests, and we are all again sitting elbow to elbow at a bar,” said Torres. “I’d like to see the day where we can shake hands, and if a guest gives us a hug, we are comfortable hugging them back.”
New Launch Will Greatly Improve Innkeeper Revenues and the Guest Service Experience – with New Property Offerings Information, Touchless Guest Ordering, and More
When the Frictionless Guest App first launched, it was built on the premise that innkeepers can enhance the guest experience by offering recommendations on the best places to eat, play and shop during their stay.
With the rising need for guests and innkeepers to communicate with minimal physical interaction due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are making major improvements to the Frictionless Guest App to enhance a touchless connection with guests. And the great news is that innkeepers will have the added benefit of generating additional revenue through the app while improving the guest experience!
The launch of the new Frictionless Guest App will include many new features and benefits, and we are excited to highlight some of them here:
Ready to enable your guests to truly connect with you in a touchless way? Please contact us here to learn more about our amazing new version of the Frictionless Guest App!
Without a doubt, 2020 will go down as a very strange, and difficult year for the travel sector.
Almost overnight, lodging properties around the world were shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and these challenges live on today with new hotspots emerging throughout the United States.
Clearly, larger hotel chains are the most impacted, but how are things looking for independent innkeepers? Surprisingly (or perhaps not,) things may be looking up for many inns and B&Bs – especially those located in rural areas.
According to a recent American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) survey, only 44 percent of Americans are planning overnight vacation or leisure travel in 2020.
However, the good news is that 68 percent of these expectant travelers are likely to stay in a hotel, and only nine percent plan to stay at a short-term rental such as Airbnb or VRBO. With many travelers concerned about the safety of larger hotels – especially those with elevators – it seems reasonable to believe that travelers are more apt to stay at smaller properties, such as boutique hotels, inns, or B&Bs.
While our analysis may seem speculative on the surface, we have recently spoken to several innkeepers and industry consultants, and discovered that many inns are seeing a significant surge in new guests. This especially appears to be a trend with properties located outside of urban areas.
In addition, the vast majority of guests are driving to these properties, sometimes many hours away from their homes. It’s clear that Americans have not lost their desire to travel.
“Travel is part of the fabric of who we are,” said Lori Pennington-Gray, Director of the Tourism Crisis Management Initiative, in this recent CNN article. “There’s this innate desire to travel and explore, and when we’re asked to stay home and not engage in that part of our life it becomes more evident how important it is to us.”
Americans also want to feel confident in the safety of their destinations. With short-term rentals, it’s not always clear how well hosts are cleaning the properties, and if there are long enough disinfection periods between guest stays.
Again, it may be a leap but we believe that travelers are more likely to trust innkeepers to keep their properties disinfected compared to short-term rentals or larger hotels, because innkeepers are concerned with their own health while spending time at their property. In addition, innkeepers often have hands-on or oversight responsibility of the actual cleaning and disinfecting that happens at their inn or B&B.
For innkeepers, there’s an opportunity to reinforce this trust and show how you have the guest’s best interest, and safety at heart. This can be achieved through embracing the best cleaning and disinfection strategies available (see our recent post about this topic here) and openly communicating your approach to your current and prospective guests.
So, while the COVID-19 pandemic has had a huge impact on independent innkeepers, we’re hopeful that there is a trend toward people who want to get away and are willing to drive a reasonable distance to visit an independent property. And though we can expect demand to vary with the ebb and flow of the news cycle, we’re optimistic that the elevated trust that travelers have in innkeepers of smaller properties will have them choosing to stay at inns, B&Bs, and boutique hotels above other lodging options.
Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
As the COVID-19 pandemic winds down, and the summer season is upon us, many innkeepers are developing strategies for re-opening their properties.
In addition to properly disinfecting your property (see our recent podcast), the right digital marketing efforts can help to expand awareness and drive future bookings for guests.
According to Kent Schnepp, CEO of Odysys, while there is no silver-bullet marketing campaign that will restore your business to the pre-COVID levels, there are three key areas that innkeepers should focus on right now as they reopen their properties:
1) Foundational Marketing: Focus on understanding your ideal guest, and then market to them based on what originally attracted them to your property. Once you understand the guest, the next step is implementing SEO, local search marketing, email marketing and content development efforts.
2) Co-Marketing Strategies: Now is also the ideal time to seek out co-marketing partnerships with businesses in your area – such as joint podcasts and other content marketing efforts with local wineries, restaurants or regional associations. This allows for these partner organizations to jointly market your destination and region first, and then you can focus on marketing your property.
3) Learning New Digital Marketing Skills/Tools: While innkeepers are most likely busier now than they were two months ago, it is still recommended to use any remaining COVID-19 related downtime to learn new marketing skills. This can include focusing on learning how to best leverage Google Analytics, MailChimp, and even do a complete website refresh.
Thanks to Kent Schnepp, CEO of Odysys, for contributing to this Frictionless Innkeeper TIP by sharing insights during a Frictionless Innkeeper podcast.
Odysys offers a software-as-a-service (SaaS) marketing and technology platform that helps innkeepers and independent hotels to significantly reduce their guest acquisition costs. The company also hosts the InnSpeak Podcast.