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#051: How Travel Influencers can Increase Bookings for your Property with Travel Blogger Valerie Stimac

#051: How Travel Influencers can Increase Bookings for your Property with Travel Blogger Valerie Stimac

Working with a travel influencer may seem like something only larger hotel brands can afford. In reality, independent lodging properties can also leverage travel influencers to increase visibility for their area and bookings for their property.

Valerie Stimac, a travel blogger and founder of Valerie & Valise, works with a variety of clients and offers an incredibly insightful perspective on how lodging professionals might best engage with travel influencers to benefit their property.

We are very thankful to Valerie for sharing her insights with us. You can learn more about Valerie & Valise at velisemag.com.

#050: Enhancing Direct and Online Bookings with Ben Ollic, Sr. Digital Marketing Specialist, and Kyle Collins, Sales Representative of Q4Launch

#050: Enhancing Direct and Online Bookings with Ben Ollic, Sr. Digital Marketing Specialist, and Kyle Collins, Sales Representative of Q4Launch

Enhancing direct and online bookings is paramount for any hospitality provider. Success often comes down to taking advantage of modern, digital marketing strategies. 

For nearly 14 years, Q4Launch has helped property owners leverage multiple channels for driving additional revenue. Service offerings include marketing strategy development, web design, content development, search engine optimization (SEO), social media, paid ads, email marketing, lead generation, and revenue management.

We are very thankful to Ben Ollic and Kyle Collins for sharing their insights with us. You can learn more about Q4Launch at q4launch.com.

#049: Accommodating Vegan Guests with Michele Salisbury, Owner & Chef of Salisbury House at Bethany Beach

#049: Accommodating Vegan Guests with Michele Salisbury, Owner & Chef of Salisbury House at Bethany Beach

It is estimated that there are more than 10 million vegans in the United States. For Michele Salisbury, Owner & Chef of Salisbury House at Bethany Beach, this presents an opportunity for differentiation – as her property offers three-course gourmet vegan breakfasts for guests. Michele discusses her new vegan-only bed and breakfast, and how other lodging professionals can accommodate their guests who are vegan.

We are very thankful to Michele for sharing her insights with us. You can learn more about the Salisbury House at Bethany Beach at bethanybeachbb.com.

#048: Why the Guest Experience is Always Paramount, with Steve Short, Founder and CEO of the Frictionless Guest App

#048: Why the Guest Experience is Always Paramount, with Steve Short, Founder and CEO of the Frictionless Guest App

In a very unusual twist in the Frictionless Innkeeper podcast series, this special episode flips things around where the spotlight is being shown on Steve Short, Founder and CEO of the Frictionless Guest App.

Samantha Irwin, owner of Kaizen Business Coaching and Consulting, interviews Steve about the Frictionless Guest App origin story, Steve’s love for B&Bs and why the guest experience is always paramount.  

We are very thankful to Samantha for hosting this podcast. You can learn more about Kaizen Business Coaching and Consulting at kaizen.zone, and the Frictionless Guest App at frictionlessguest.com.

#047: Why Outdoor Lighting is Important with Mike Glaeser, Field Support Consultant of Outdoor Lighting Perspectives

#047: Why Outdoor Lighting is Important with Mike Glaeser, Field Support Consultant of Outdoor Lighting Perspectives

In the lodging arena, an often overlooked and important aspect to enhancing a property’s overall aesthetic is outdoor lighting. 

Mike Glaeser, Field Support Consultant at Outdoor Lighting Perspectives, works with many properties to develop customized outdoor lighting solutions that can transform any location. Outdoor Lighting Perspectives is the number one low-voltage outdoor lighting provider in the United States.

We are very thankful to Mike for sharing his insights with us.  You can learn more about Outdoor Lighting Perspectives at outdoorlights.com.

#046: Challenging the Status Quo with Eben Viens, Owner of The B&B Team

#046: Challenging the Status Quo with Eben Viens, Owner of The B&B Team

The B&B Team provides real estate brokerage and consulting services in the lodging arena, and has its finger on the pulse of where the industry is headed. 

Eben Viens, the Owner of The B&B Team, works with a wide range of property owners and prospective innkeepers, and sees many younger buyers entering the market. Taking a page from boutique hotels, these property owners are challenging the status quo by selling experiences and creating memories – all great ideas to implement at any property.

We are very thankful to Eben for sharing his insights with us. You can learn more about The B&B Team at bbteam.com.

#045: Supporting the Entire Guest Journey with Christian Holmsen, CEO, and Jeff Hebrink, Customer Success Consultant, of rezStream

#045: Supporting the Entire Guest Journey with Christian Holmsen, CEO, and Jeff Hebrink, Customer Success Consultant, of rezStream

Supporting the entire guest journey, rezStream offers a wide-range of critical operational and marketing tools for lodging providers – from reservation software to booking engines, websites, and digital marketing.

The company partners with its lodging customers to develop customized plans, as well as offers à la carte solutions. rezStream’s property management software and marketing services position properties for long-term growth both in revenue and how they operate their business.

We are very thankful to Christian Holmsen and Jeff Hebrink for sharing their insights with us. You can learn more about rezStream at rezstream.com.

#044: Unleashing the Power of a Great Guest Service Experience with Samantha Irwin, Owner of Kaizen Business Coaching and Consulting

#044: Unleashing the Power of a Great Guest Service Experience with Samantha Irwin, Owner of Kaizen Business Coaching and Consulting

In 2006, Samantha Irwin bought the Historic Balch Hotel in the small town of Dufur, Oregon, an 18-room property devoid of furniture which had not been open consistently since the 1940’s.  Over the next ten years, the former middle school teacher built a stellar reputation for the boutique property by training her staff to provide their guests with a phenomenal service experience.

Now, as the owner of Kaizen Business Coaching and Consulting, Samantha leverages her unique educational and entrepreneurial background to help small business owners train their staff to enhance the service experiences of their customers.  Her high-energy, passionate approach and insightful suggestions for lodging professionals looking to improve their guest service offering makes this interview worth the listen!

We are very thankful to Samantha for sharing her insights with us. You can learn more about Kaizen Business Coaching and Consulting at kaizen.zone.

#043: Nathan Mayfield, Vice President of ResNexus, Discusses Their Extensive Offering

#043: Nathan Mayfield, Vice President of ResNexus, Discusses Their Extensive Offering

For Frictionless Innkeeper Podcast #43, Nathan Mayfield, Vice President of ResNexus, speaks about his company’s extensive offerings for the lodging sector, how ResNexus helped property owners during the COVID-19 pandemic, and much more.

ResNexus offers a comprehensive suite of solutions, which include a reservation/booking engine, property management system (PMS), website creation/hosting, digital marketing, payment processing, and a whole lot more.

During the initial stages of the COVID pandemic, the company went all-out to help its customers to update their cancellation policies and has since developed its Worry-Free Bookings™ voucher program in response to guest and property needs.

ResNexus is a customer-driven organization that provides a myriad of services to lodging professionals to help them ensure long-term success. 

We are very thankful to Nathan for sharing his insights with us. You can learn more about ResNexus here.

#042: Mark Reichle, CEO of Select Registry, Discusses Upcoming 50th Anniversary Conference and Gala, Feb. 5-6

#042: Mark Reichle, CEO of Select Registry, Discusses Upcoming 50th Anniversary Conference and Gala, Feb. 5-6

For episode #42 of the Frictionless Innkeeper podcast series, we speak with Mark Reichle, CEO of Select Registry, about his organization’s 50th Anniversary Conference and Gala in Baltimore, immediately preceding the 2022 ALP Conference and Marketplace.

For half of a century, Select Registry has created a network of properties that offer outstanding accommodations and one-of-a-kind experiences for lodging guests. For property owners, achieving the Select Registry “Distinguished Inn of North America” designation comes with many marketing and revenue-growth opportunities.

On February 5th and 6th, Select Registry is celebrating its 50th anniversary with an exclusive membership conference and gala celebration dinner right before the 2022 ALP Conference and Marketplace in Baltimore. The event will offer a wide-range of educational and networking opportunities, as well as an awards program and a chance to connect with Select Registry board members.

For Select Registry members, this event will further align and advance their connection to this special organization.

We are very thankful to Mark for sharing his insights with us. You can learn more about Select Registry here.