FRICTIONLESS POSTS
Innkeeper Insights
Why Automated Messaging Alone Is Not Enough for a Smart Guest Experience
Automated messages can be useful. They help lodging providers send check-in details, reminders, and important updates without having to type everything manually each time. But here’s the problem: sending information does not always mean guests can find...
The Positive Impact of Digital Concierge Apps on Lodging Property Operations
When we think about a digital concierge app, we usually think about what it does for guests. It helps them find information faster, feel more prepared, explore the local area with less stress, and enjoy a smoother stay. But that is only one side of the...
Key Hospitality Technology Trends Lodging Providers Should Actually Care About
Lodging providers are constantly being introduced to new tools, platforms, and software. Some are useful, but not every trend is worth chasing, especially for inns, B&Bs, and independent lodging properties working with small teams. What matters most...
How Small Guest Confusions Turn Into Big Service Interruptions
A small guest confusion can start with a simple question: “Where do I park?” “Which entrance do I use?” or “How does this work?” But when that question interrupts check-in, room prep, breakfast service, or after-hours rest, it becomes more than a quick...
The Value of a Frictionless Guest App for Lodging Properties
The value of Frictionless Guest is not just in adding another digital tool. It is in making everyday guest communication clearer, easier, and more manageable for lodging properties. For independent lodging providers, routine questions, scattered...
What Innkeepers Can Do When Guests Keep Missing Important Stay Details
Guests rarely miss stay details on purpose. More often, the information is buried in a long email or spread across too many places. For inns and B&Bs, this can lead to avoidable confusion around check-in, parking, Wi-Fi, breakfast, room...
Frictionless Guest App: Make Local Tips Easy for Guests to Find, Save, and Use
A digital concierge app should do more than show guests a list of nearby places. It should help them find useful local tips, save the places they like, and use those recommendations when they are actually out exploring. For inns, B&Bs, and...
The Hidden Cost of “Just One Quick Guest Question” for Innkeepers and B&B Owners
For innkeepers and B&B owners, a guest question can seem small in the moment. “What’s the Wi-Fi?” “Where should we park?” “How do we check in?” Each one sounds quick, but answering it often means stopping another task, checking details,...
What Features Should Lodging Providers Look for in a Concierge App?
When it comes to choosing the right concierge app, it should be simple for guests and manageable for the property staff For inns, B&Bs, and independent lodging providers, the best solution is not always the one with the most features. It is the one...
Guest App Without Installation: Why Browser-Based Access Works Better for Inns and B&Bs
Guests want helpful information quickly, especially during a short stay. A guest app without installation gives them that access without asking them to download an app or learn a new system. This matters for inns and B&Bs because many guests are...
How Inns Can Reduce Late-Night Guest Calls Without Losing the Personal Touch
Late-night guest calls often feel like part of running an inn, but many of them happen for a simple reason: guests cannot find the information they need when staff are least available. A question about entry instructions, Wi-Fi, parking, or room details...
How to Create a Signature Experience for Your Lodging Property
A signature experience is not a single special feature or a thoughtful touch. It is the clear, consistent impression guests take with them after the stay. For independent lodging providers, this matters because guests want a stay that feels intentional...
What Modern Travelers Value Most in Independent Lodging Experiences
A beautiful room may attract a guest’s attention, but the overall experience shapes their opinion. Modern travelers are looking at how easily the stay fits into their plans. They value clear communication, thoughtful details, local guidance, and a sense...
The Rise of Mobile-First Hospitality Experiences for Modern Travelers
Today’s travelers use their phones to plan every detail of their trip, from shortlisting the best places to stay and making decisions to finding directions and staying connected to the area throughout the journey. That behavior has changed what guests...
How the Frictionless Guest App Helps Promote Local Attractions and Businesses
Most guests choose inns, B&Bs, and boutique properties because they want a stay that feels connected to the place they are visiting. That connection often begins with local places. Where to eat, what to explore, which small shops are worth visiting,...
How to Handle Guest Complaints Without Damaging Your Reputation
Guest complaints are a normal part of running any lodging business. No matter how well a property is managed, issues can arise. What defines the outcome is not the complaint itself, but how it is handled in the moment. In today’s review-driven...
Choosing the Best Concierge App: Key Considerations for Lodging Providers
Digital concierge apps are becoming a standard part of modern hospitality. Many lodging providers are adopting them to improve guest experience and streamline communication. The challenge, however, is not finding a tool — it’s choosing the right one....
How to Create a Smart Guest Experience with Hospitality Technology
Guest expectations have shifted in a very practical way. Today’s travelers are looking for experiences that feel clear, fast, and easy to navigate. In this context, “smart” does not mean high-tech; it means well-organized. It means guests know what to...
How B&Bs and Inns Can Use a Guest App to Earn More 5-Star Reviews
For B&Bs and inns, 5-star reviews are one of the most important drivers of bookings. Unlike large hotel brands, independent properties rely heavily on online reputation to build trust with potential guests. A strong review profile directly...
How B&Bs and Inns Can Tap Into the Growing Workcation Market
Remote work is no longer a temporary shift. It has changed how people plan their time, including how and where they travel. A growing number of US travelers are now combining work and leisure, choosing stays where they can remain productive while...
Designing a Stay That Guests Talk About Long After Checkout
Most stays meet all the necessary expectations of the guests. The room is clean, the service is friendly, check-in goes as planned, but only a few of those stays are remembered. What guests talk about later (what they recommend to others and come back...
Why Every Boutique Property Needs a Digital Concierge in 2026
Guest behavior has changed completely. Today’s travelers don’t want to reach out for every basic piece of information. They don’t want to ask for Wi-Fi details, confirm check-in steps, or wait for local recommendations. They expect everything to be...
How to Maintain Service Quality During Busy Seasons: Key Tips for Inns and B&Bs
Peak season is when independent lodging either proves its consistency or starts to show cracks. Higher occupancy generates more than just revenue; it brings increased pace and complexity. With more arrivals to manage, more questions to answer, and more...
How to Anticipate Guest Needs Before They Ask: Tips for Lodging Providers
The most memorable stays often share one simple quality: things just work. Guests don’t have to stop and ask where to park, how to connect to Wi-Fi, or what time breakfast begins. The details are already clear, and the stay unfolds naturally. What...
Why Emotional Connection Is the Real Luxury in Independent Lodging Hospitality
Luxury in the hospitality industry is being redefined. It’s no longer just about high-end amenities, elaborate decor, or premium room features. Today’s travelers are far more likely to remember how a place made them feel, whether they felt welcomed,...
How Regional Tourism Trends Impact Independent Lodging Properties
Travel patterns across the US have become increasingly regional. Guests are planning shorter stays and timing trips around festivals, outdoor seasons, and regional experiences. According to recent industry research, more than 70% of US travelers are...
How Virtual Concierge Solutions Fit Naturally into Modern Hospitality Technology
Most independent lodging owners aren’t in favor of adding another system to manage. They’re looking for something that reduces friction for their guests and for their teams. In 2025 and heading into 2026, hospitality technology has moved away from...
How Hospitality Concierge Solutions Enhance the Guest Experience During the Stay
For independent lodging, the guest experience doesn’t begin and end at check-in. That moment matters, but opinions are mostly formed when guests are settling in and figuring out what to do next. Most guest questions, emotions, and minor frustrations...
What Gen Z and Millennials Expect from Independent Lodging Experiences?
Gen Z and Millennials represent a growing share of guests choosing independent lodging across the US hospitality industry. According to recent industry data, young travelers make up a significant and steadily increasing share of bookings at...
ALP Unlocked 2026: Your Backstage Pass to What’s Next in Lodging
In just a few weeks — before the travel season kicks into high gear—the Association of Lodging Professionals (ALP) will host its annual industry conference, ALP Unlocked 2026. As part of the lead-up to the conference, we recently sat down with ALP...
Top Hospitality Trends for Boutique Hotels, Inns, and B&Bs in 2026
The past year quietly changed what guests expect from their stay. In 2025, clarity, speed, and trust became just as important as comfort; sometimes more so. Multiple surveys and research studies showed that travelers weren’t asking for more luxury...
What Factors Influence Guests’ First Impression and How to Improve Them?
Guests begin to form their opinions long before they actually enter your property. From the moment they book, they’re picking up cues. For example, how clear your communication is, how easy it feels to plan their arrival, and whether they feel confident...
How Boutique Hotels Can Deliver High-Touch Services with Limited Staff?
Boutique hotels are chosen for a reason. Guests are drawn to their warmth, unique personality, and the personalized experience they offer, which sets them apart from big-box hotels. However, delivering that level of care with a small team isn’t always...
Curating Local Experiences for Different Guest Types: Families, Couples, Solo Travelers
Research studies have shown that more than 70 percent of global travelers now prioritize authentic, local experiences, choosing independently owned properties over cookie-cutter accommodations. It means that travelers are no longer looking for...
What Today’s Travelers Really Want: Guest Behaviors Every Innkeeper Should Know
At its core, great hospitality hasn’t changed. It’s still about making guests feel welcome, comfortable, and cared for. What has changed is the guest. Today’s travelers come prepared with greater knowledge, a defined purpose, and clearer...
How Digital Concierge Solutions Improve Guest Experiences?
Not long ago, the guest experience truly began at check-in. A warm welcome, a friendly smile, and a quick orientation set the tone for the stay. While those moments still matter deeply, today’s guests arrive with different expectations. Throughout their...
Turn First-Time Guests into Lifelong Regulars
Getting a guest through your doors once is great—but getting them to return is where the real value lies. Repeat guests cost significantly less to acquire, tend to spend more during each stay, and are among your most powerful marketers, often...
Wellness Is the New Luxury: Small-Scale Ways to Tap Into the Trend
Today’s travelers are redefining what luxury means — and it’s not all about thread counts or marble bathrooms. Increasingly, guests crave wellness experiences that help them relax, recharge, and reconnect. For small lodging properties, this is good...
Why Micro-Cations Are the New Weekend Reset—And How Independent Lodging Is Perfectly Poised to Deliver
When the workweek feels endless and PTO is scarce, today’s travelers aren’t waiting for their “big trip.” Instead, they’re sneaking away for something simpler: the micro-cation. These short, purposeful getaways—typically one to three nights—offer a...
The Future of Hospitality: Personalized, Purposeful and Powered by Tech
The hospitality industry is evolving quickly in response to shifting traveler expectations. In 2025, guests are looking for more than comfort—they want meaning, connection, and convenience, all tailored to their individual needs. For independent lodging...
Why B&B Owners Shouldn’t Skip Regional and National Conferences
Running a B&B can feel all-consuming—but stepping away to attend an industry conference might be the smartest move you make all year. Whether it’s a state or regional association gathering or a national one, these gatherings are packed with...
Billion Dollar Gold Mine: Women Travelers 50+ Are Reshaping the Travel Industry
For years, Millennials have been seen as the “sweet spot” for travel brands—and with good reason. As the largest generation in the workforce, they’re projected to spend a staggering $268 billion on travel in 2025 alone. But there’s another powerhouse...
Bleisure Travel: The Future of Hospitality
Bleisure travel—a blend of business and leisure—is rapidly reshaping the way people travel. No longer confined to strictly work or play, today’s travelers are looking for ways to extend business trips into personal getaways. With this shift, the lodging...
Rising Costs, Rising Expectations: Managing Food Inflation and Guest Demands
Inns and B&Bs have always been known for their warm hospitality and home-cooked meals. But in today’s climate, small lodging providers are navigating a tricky balancing act: rising food costs paired with increasingly high guest expectations. How can...
Give Your Guests Authentic Local Experiences
Cookie-cutter travel experiences are a thing of the past. Today’s travelers want more than just a place to stay—they want to be immersed in the local culture. They crave authentic experiences, from hidden gem eateries to one-of-a-kind attractions, and...
Fall Into Networking: The Start of Lodging Conference Season is Upon Us
It’s hard to believe that fall is upon us. It’s time to put away the sunscreen and pull out the sweaters! To many, it will be a welcome relief from those 100+ degree days. There’s nothing better than crisp autumn days and all things pumpkin! Fall not...
Frictionless TIP #12: Create Unique On-Property Guest Experiences
Attracting new guests and keeping them coming back has always been an ongoing challenge for the independent lodging industry. This was especially true during the COVID-19 pandemic, and it remains true today. Property owners and managers have to get...
Increase Guest Bookings with Curated Local Partner Experiences
Photo by Anna Tarazevich In order to increase guest bookings, independent lodging providers need to focus on providing guests with unique local experience outside of the confines of their property. Today’s travelers want more than just a place to stay....
Choosing the Right Local Partners to Enhance the Guest Experience
Photo by RDNE Stock project Lodging providers typically do an excellent job of delighting guests with their comfortable accommodations, quality food offerings and luxury amenities. However, what guests experience during their stay isn’t limited to their...
Conference Time Will Soon Be Upon Us!
Professional lodging conference time will be here before you know it. Which ones will you be attending? Starting in late October, the Frictionless team will be packing their bags and hitting the skyways and the roadways. Oct 30th - 31st ...
Exciting News! Announcing Frictionless’ First Ever 2nd Cup Series
Do you ever find yourself wondering how to use certain features in the Frictionless App but can't remember or aren't sure where to start? Or do you simply want to reach out and say hi to fellow lodging professionals? Well, we've got some great news for...
BIG Event of the Year! The 2023 ALP Conference and Marketplace, February 25th to March 1st in Phoenix, AZ
The independent lodging industry event of the year, the 2023 ALP Conference and Marketplace, will take place from February 25th to March 1st in Phoenix, Arizona!! This event will bring together hundreds of Innkeepers, Licensed Short Term &...
Michigan Here We Come! MBBA Innkeeping Conference November 1-2 in Grand Rapids, MI
The Michigan Bed and Breakfast Association (MBBA) 34th Annual Innkeeping Conference is happening from Tuesday, November 1 through Wednesday, November 2, in Grand Rapids, Michigan and the Frictionless Guest App is looking forward to being there!...
Leveraging the Power of Local Partnerships
Partnering with local businesses to enhance your guests’ stay is a must in today’s experience-based economy. Travelers want more than just a place to stay. They want to connect with a destination, and live like a local, through genuinely authentic...
2022 ALP Conference & Marketplace Comes to Baltimore, February 5-9!
A message from Steve Short, Founder & CEO, Frictionless Guest App For lodging professionals of all types, the ability to advance educational opportunities in sales, finance, marketing, operations and technology is vital to long-term success....
Guests and Properties Can Now Text with the Newly-Released v5.0 of the Frictionless Guest App
Today we released v5.0 of the Frictionless Guest App, which allows properties and guests to use text messaging to communicate. The purpose of the Frictionless Guest App has always been to help lodging professionals connect with their guests so they can...
Frictionless TIP #11: Lessons in Vision and Perseverance
Whether you are a seasoned lodging professional trying to emerge from the ruins of the COVID pandemic or recently starting out as a new innkeeper, success can seem nearly unachievable. And while the journey may be long and daunting, the good news...
Frictionless TIP #10: Creative Ways to Differentiate Your Property
It is often the most challenging times that spark a creative movement. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to heavily impact the lodging industry, it presents the opportunity for innkeepers and boutique hotel owners to develop new ways to differentiate...
Frictionless Friends Recently in the News…
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...
2021 ALP Virtual Conference & Marketplace for Lodging Professionals: February 22-23!
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...
Post-COVID Re-Opening Part 3: Monique Greenwood, Owner of the Akwaaba Bed & Breakfast Inns, Discusses Creativity and Community
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...
Frictionless TIP #9: Learn and Promote Some Amazing COVID-19 Cleaning and Disinfecting Ideas
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...
Post-COVID Re-Opening Part 2: Lookout Point Lakeside Inn Experiences Summer Booking Successes
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...
A Touchless Guest Experience with the new Frictionless Guest App v4.0
Photo by Breakslow on Unsplash Today we released v4.0 of the Frictionless Guest App, which greatly helps Innkeepers to improve revenue and the touchless guest experience When the Frictionless Guest App first launched, it was built on the premise that...
Frictionless TIP #8: Put Guests’ COVID Concerns at Ease During Winter Months by Purchasing Humidifiers 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...
Post-COVID Re-Opening Part 1: Carriage Way Inn Bed and Breakfast Shares Operational Strategies
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...
Enabling Innkeepers to Connect with Guests in a Touchless Way: New Features for the Frictionless Guest App
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...
Finally, Some Good News for Innkeepers? We Interpret the Latest AHLA Survey
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...
Frictionless TIP #7: Marketing Your Property as You Re-Open
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...
InnSpeak Podcast: The Frictionless Guest App Connects Guests to Other Local Businesses in Your Destination
The value of the guest experience, and being connected with other businesses in your community, has always been vital for innkeepers. But now with the COVID-19 pandemic potentially winding down, and as innkeepers consider re-opening their...
Keep Your Inn Top-of-Mind During COVID-19
Although the entire travel sector has been crippled by the COVID-19 pandemic, forward-thinking innkeepers are getting creative to make sure their properties stay top-of-mind with guests and help drive demand when the economy begins to reopen. From...
Less Obvious Tax Benefits of Owning a B&B
Many people pursue the dream of owning a B&B to gain more independence, live in tourist destinations, and lead a lifestyle outside of the traditional corporate world. In addition to these intangibles, there are also quite a number of tax benefits...
Frictionless TIP #6: Funding Expansion Through Your Inn’s Equity
Many innkeepers aim to continually expand the offerings on their properties, whether it’s the addition of a barn for weddings and events or even acquiring other inns. Leveraging the equity in your property is one viable way to fund these types of...
Frictionless TIP #5: Great Ideas for Innkeepers to Increase Revenue
Remaining competitive in the innkeeping arena is no small challenge, especially in the face of multiple accommodation offerings, and Airbnb growing in popularity. One of the best ways to remain competitive, and achieve long-term business growth, is to...
Frictionless TIP #4: Ways to Go Green With Your Property and Improve Profitability
With environmental sustainability being a major trend in virtually every industry, there is often a disconnect between marketing and reality. In other words, many companies claim to be “green,” but don’t actually follow-up on this promise. Fortunately,...
Inside Innkeeping Podcast: Frictionless Guest App Drives the Guest Experience
At the AIHP 2019 Knowledge Sharing Summit & Marketplace, Steve Short, Founder & CEO of the Frictionless Guest App, participated in an Inside Innkeeping podcast interview hosted by Megan Smith. Megan is a renowned innkeeping consultant, who also...
PRESS RELEASE: Biltmore Greensboro Hotel Enhances Guest Experience with New App
Media Contact: Matt Langan L&R Communications 202-262-3340 matt@landrcomm.com Historic Boutique Hotel Provides Curated Guest Recommendations for Best Local Places to Eat, Play and Shop in Greensboro, North Carolina ALEXANDRIA, VA – August 12, 2019 –...
Frictionless TIP #3: Host Live Music to Increase Bookings of Returning Guests
The Frictionless Innkeeper TIP series is intended to provide practical suggestions to innkeepers. Oftentimes these ideas are provided by our guests on the Frictionless Innkeeper podcast series. If Bono was right in claiming that “music can change the...
Hospitality Upgrade’s Douglas Rice Gives Recognition to Frictionless Guest App
For more than 6 years, we have been building and improving the Frictionless Guest App with the core vision of giving innkeepers and hoteliers an app they can provide to their guests that recommends the best local places to eat, play and shop during...
Frictionless TIP #2: Offer Multiple Breakfast Options for Guests
The Frictionless Innkeeper TIP series is intended to provide practical strategic or tactical suggestions to innkeepers. Oftentimes these ideas are provided by our guests on the Frictionless Innkeeper podcast series. Serving breakfast has been such an...
Frictionless TIP #1: Invite People Who Work at Local Attractions to Have Breakfast with Your Guests
In our Frictionless Innkeeper podcast series, we share the stories behind how property owners became innkeepers, oftentimes discussing their challenges and the strategies they use for achieving long-term success. Along the way, we sometimes uncover...
Why Your B&B Should Have a Brand Promise
A brand promise is simple yet it influences everything from how B&B guests experience their stay to how they describe it to their friends and colleagues to how they comment about it on social media review sites. Although many innkeepers don’t think...
Lodging Magazine: Frictionless Guest App, a Curated Digital Concierge
In May 2018, Lodging Magazine, the official publication for the AH&LA, featured the Frictionless Guest App in its ongoing “App Watch” section. “Meant to take the place of brochures, the Frictionless Guest App is a 24/7, curated digital concierge...
Hotel Business Magazine: Local Recommendations Are an App Away
In May, Hotel Business Magazine published an in-depth feature on the launch and value that the new Frictionless Guest App offers to innkeepers, bed and breakfast owners, and hoteliers of all sizes. The article included a number of quotes from Steve...
Why Guest Trust is so Important for Innkeepers and How it Can be Gained
Guest trust has always been one of the most important intangibles for Innkeepers. It’s not always easy to determine what factors into a guest’s trust equation, since it’s a totally individual assessment -- one that is in the so-called “eyes of the...
How Two Buffalo Inns Create Guest Ambassadors for the Region
One of the goals of running an Inn or an independent hotel is to make guests fall in love with the region, recommend your property to others within their social circle, and keep coming back to the area. For Oscar’s Bed & Breakfast in Buffalo, NY,...
Independent Innkeepers: Own the Local Tourism Landscape
Many large hotel brands have been embracing the concept of training their staff to have a more personalized touch with guests through increased knowledge of their locale, as noted in this New York Times article. An integral part of this trend is the...
Hospitality Technology Magazine: Frictionless Guest App Empowers Innkeepers to Recommend Best Local Experiences
Since the Frictionless Guest App officially launched in February, it has captured the attention of several major hospitality trade magazines. Hospitality Technology Magazine was one of the publications that covered the initial launch -- pointing out how...
Connecting Your Guests with the Best Local Places
For any innkeeper or bed and breakfast owner, your network of local places to eat, play, shop, etc. can provide immense value, which is passed on to your guests and your local community. But that value can also be realized by you in an indirect, less...
Welcome to the Frictionless Guest App!
Welcome! We created the Frictionless Guest App to allow bed and breakfast owners, innkeepers, and hoteliers of all types to have an easy way to recommend the best local places for their guests to eat, play, shop, and do just about anything during their...