by Steve Short | Jul 24, 2020 | Frictionless Innkeeper Podcasts
For episode #27 of the Frictionless Innkeeper podcast series, we speak with Jim Meade, the owner and operator of Bear Lodges, and author of the book “No Cooked Breakfast,” who discusses his non-traditional approach to innkeeping.
Editorial Note: This podcast was recorded before the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the innkeeping world, it’s often assumed that things need to be done in a certain way. From serving breakfast to continually socializing with guests, these are all great things to do – though this may not be the ideal path for all property owners.
For Jim Meade, the owner and operator of Bear Lodges, which is comprised of Bear Mountain Lodge, Bear Meadows Lodge, and 131 Main Street – three non-traditional B&Bs in the mountains of northern Pennsylvania – he chose to do things his own way.
He is also the author of “No Cooked Breakfast,” a book that offers a practical guide infused with a personal narrative about his life before, during, and after opening his B&Bs. The book also offers guest feedback from their in-room journals – and it shares his philosophy about why he does not offer a cooked breakfast. The book also discusses how following your own passion can lead to success as an innkeeper.
Following are highlights from our interview:
- About Jim’s background as a fisheries research biologist, and how he transitioned into being an innkeeper. (1:30)
- About the Bear Lodges portfolio of properties. (4:03)
- What drew Jim to innkeeping, and how his non-traditional approach to running his properties came about. (8:12)
- What Jim offers to guests instead of providing a sit-down, cooked breakfast. (11:20)
- About Jim’s book “No Cooked Breakfast.” (16:40)
- Jim’s tips for aspiring innkeepers, and why following your own passion is important for achieving long-term success. (25:04)
- How Jim defines the guest experience, and what strategies he has used to improve it. (31:40)
- The most important questions he would ask a leading expert/consultant in the B&B industry. (34:36)
- Age demographics for guests who stay at his properties and how they are trending. (35:30)
We are very thankful to Jim for sharing his insights with us! You can learn more about Bear Lodges by visiting their website.
by Steve Short | Jun 10, 2020 | Frictionless Innkeeper Podcasts
For episode #26 of the Frictionless Innkeeper podcast series, we speak with Teresa Luttrell, the owner of Enliven Bed and Breakfast. Located in Kenmore, Washington, Enliven Bed and Breakfast is a chemical- and fragrance-free inn, and Teresa provides some amazing cleaning and disinfecting tips for innkeepers looking to re-open their properties this summer.
With various U.S. states launching new COVID-19 guidelines for businesses to re-open, many innkeepers are developing strategies for opening their properties for the summer season.
Providing guests with the utmost confidence that their properties are clean, disinfected and safe is paramount for innkeepers. And, traditional cleaning strategies are just not enough in these challenging times.
As a pioneer in owning a chemical- and fragrance-free inn, Teresa Luttrell, the owner of Enliven Bed and Breakfast, provides a deep-dive take on what innkeepers can do to keep their properties safe for guests – from hard and soft surfaces, air, drains, and much more. Her kids have dubbed her the “Crazy Hygiene Lady” but we prefer to call her the “Queen of Hygiene.”
Teresa also runs chemicalfreeinns.com, a new online information resource that provides information on the best cleaning and filtration products for innkeepers.
Following are highlights from our interview:
- About Enliven Bed and Breakfast, and Teresa’s background as an expert in cleaning and disinfecting for keeping guests safe. (1:21)
- What biofilms are and why innkeepers need to embrace disinfection strategies for removing them. (3:55)
- About Hypochlorous Acid and why it’s a breakthrough cleaning ingredient for disinfecting surfaces, removing air-borne pathogens, and why it’s not harmful for guests. (11:34)
- Tips for cleaning surfaces through advanced steam vapor systems. (19:56)
- How much time it will take for innkeepers to use a steam vapor system to clean various areas in a property. (25:55)
- How much it costs to use a steam vapor system, and what solution is best for smaller inns. (30:52)
- What innkeepers can do to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 through the air. (35:55)
- Overlooked areas of an inn that should be cleaned and disinfected. (41:42)
- Why hygiene is the new luxury when it comes to innkeeping today. (43:42)
- How Teresa can help other innkeepers through her chemicalfreeinns.com website. (44:15)
We are very thankful to Teresa for sharing her insights with us! Be sure to listen to our previous podcast with Teresa here, and can learn more about Enliven Bed and Breakfast by visiting their website.
by Steve Short | May 26, 2020 | Frictionless Innkeeper Podcasts
For episode #25 of the Frictionless Innkeeper podcast series, we speak with Brian Ontiveros-Kersch, of Bed Bug Advisor, an organization that provides educational resources for the treatment and elimination of bed bugs.
While many people don’t often think about bed bugs, they can be a tremendous nuisance for independent hotels and inns. And unfortunately, they are on the rise, with a logical reason for their exponential growth over the years.
Between 1941 and 1982, the U.S. government launched a campaign to spray pesticides like DDT to manage mosquito populations to drive down the spread of West Nile Virus. This campaign also helped to eradicate the U.S. bed bug population.
Unfortunately though, DDT had a negative impact on bald eagle populations, and the U.S. government halted this effort. As a result, between 1982 and 2001, there was a 500 percent increase in the population size, and during 2004 to 2011, we saw 13,000 percent increase.
This tremendous growth was also a result of bed bugs spreading from more people traveling, both internationally and domestically, due to cheaper airfares available in the wake of 9/11. With more people flying during this time, there were more people staying in hotels, inns and home sharing offerings, making the spread even greater.
Comprised of the top researchers and entomologists in this specialized arena, Bed Bug Advisor is the preeminent organization that provides the best informational resources for bed bug mitigation.
According to Brian Ontiveros-Kersch, with Bed Bug Advisor, there is no “best treatment” when it comes to bed bugs. In this podcast, Brian provides detailed insights into the history of bed bugs, the psychological impact of bed bugs, the best mitigation strategies for innkeepers, and much more.
- The history of bed bugs in the U.S. (1:17)
- About Bed Bug Advisors. (6:10)
- The physical aspects of bed bugs. (11:00)
- How B&B owners can identify if they have a bed bug infestation. (17:20)
- The best options for bed bug identification and treatment. (19:17)
- The psychological impact of bed bugs. (30:55)
- How there is no “silver bullet” for proactively preventing bed bugs. (36:15)
- Insights on the best kind of bed bug traps and prevention tools available on the market. (38:40)
- How the global bed bug problem will be ongoing in the future. (46:09)
- Insights into the business model behind Bed Bug Advisor. (48:03)
- Why using rubbing alcohol for bed bug treatment is very dangerous. (52:49)
We are very thankful to Brian for sharing his insights with us! You can learn more about Bed Bug Advisor by visiting their website.
by Steve Short | Apr 29, 2020 | Frictionless Innkeeper Podcasts
For episode #24 of the Frictionless Innkeeper podcast series, we speak with Kent Schnepp, CEO of Odysys, who provides marketing strategies and tips for innkeepers as the COVID-19 pandemic begins to wind down.
As the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown continues, innkeepers are presented with a rare opportunity to use this down time to enhance their marketing efforts to help expand awareness and drive future bookings.
In this podcast, Kent Schnepp, CEO of Odysys, provides deep-dive insights into how innkeepers can develop marketing strategies to ramp up their businesses as the COVID-19 pandemic winds down. 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.
- About Odysys and its offerings for innkeepers. (1:09)
- The 3 things innkeepers can do now to improve their marketing and drive future bookings. (2:05)
- How and why Foundational Marketing is critical for innkeepers. (6:19)
- Why innkeepers should seek out co-marketing opportunities with businesses in their areas. (17:08)
- The right email marketing strategies as COVID-19 winds down. (23:19)
- Why now is the ideal time for innkeepers to learn new marketing skills or better use their existing marketing tools. (26:51)
- How Odysys works with its innkeeper customers to help improve their overall marketing performance. (34:22)
- Kent’s perspective on what the future holds for the travel sector when restrictions are lifted. (36:00)
We are very thankful to Kent for sharing his insights with us! You can learn more about Odysys by visiting their website. The company also offers a wide-range of marketing resources and guides to help innkeepers get a head start on getting back to normal.
by Steve Short | Apr 8, 2020 | Frictionless Innkeeper Podcasts
For episode #23 of the Frictionless Innkeeper podcast series, we speak with Teresa Luttrell, the owner of Enliven Bed and Breakfast. Located in Kenmore, Washington, Enliven Bed and Breakfast is a chemical- and fragrance-free inn, which is ideal for guests seeking out truly healthy accommodations.
Founded in 2009 by Teresa Luttrell, Enliven Bed and Breakfast offers accommodations that are ideal for guests who are sensitive to chemical-laden cleaning and fragrance products. The idea for the B&B came about from Teresa’s decades-long challenges with Lyme disease, when she decided to create a refuge for medical travelers coming to the Seattle area for their respective treatments.
The property offers highly filtered air and water, is annually tested for mold, and offers organic, non-GMO, gluten-free and dairy-free food for guests. Teresa also uses cutting-edge steam vapor systems for cleaning, and all bedding is made of organic and unbleached cotton.
In addition, Teresa is launching a new online resource called chemicalfreeinns.com, which will provide a list of all chemical- and fragrance-free in the U.S., as well as have information on the best cleaning and filtration products.
In this podcast, Teresa provides insights into how she has created a safe haven for patients, and chemically sensitive guests.
- Teresa’s background, her experience with Lyme disease, and how the idea for Enliven Bed and Breakfast came about. (1:07)
- A detailed look at all of the chemical-free aspects of the property. (4:12)
- The typical kinds of guests that visit Enliven Bed and Breakfast. (7:21)
- What other innkeepers can learn from Enliven Bed and Breakfast when it comes to being safe and chemical-free. (11:29)
- More about the vapor cleaning system that Teresa uses for advanced cleaning of her property. (17:24)
- How other innkeepers can be more considerate to guests by using cleaning products without fragrances. (19:49)
- Insights into the mission behind Teresa’s efforts with chemicalfreeinns.com. (23:53)
- An interesting anecdote about a current guest who has autism, who has seen an incredible turnaround in his health at the property. (32:54)
We are very thankful to Teresa for sharing her insights with us! You can learn more about Enliven Bed and Breakfast by visiting their website.
