by Steve Short | Feb 29, 2024 | Frictionless Guest App Posts, Frictionless Tips
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 creative to survive and thrive. One way to do this is by developing unique experiences for their guests that standout from other lodging properties and B&Bs in their area.
For example, Doug Bagnasco and Jim DeBlasi, the co-owners of the Devonfield Inn, have successfully put this kind of practice into place at their charming inn nestled in the beautiful hills of the Berkshires. By partnering with local businesses, here’s what they offered:
- Created a guided horseback trail ride package that provides stunning views of the Berkshire Mountains.
- Brought in local musicians to perform lawn concerts.
- Offered private yoga sessions from instructors from the Kripalu Center For Yoga & Health.
- Hosted kayaking tour down the Housatonic River.
- Created a fun ziplining package that has become quite popular.
Here are some other creative ideas for creating unique on-property experiences from innkeepers we’ve interviewed:
- Christine Boeke, former owner of the Westcott House Bed & Breakfast, would invite people who work at local attractions to have breakfast with her guests, so they could have an intimate conversation about the area.
- Share your passions with guests, and create an offering around it. For example, beer is the central attraction at WildManDan’s Beercentric B&B.
Much of this hard work does pay off. For example, The Devonfield Inn has been a repeated top-rated bed and breakfast by TripAdvisor and Expedia.
To learn more from Doug and Jim on how to create unique guest experiences that will attract and keep your guests coming back, listen to their podcast here.
by Steve Short | Feb 9, 2024 | Frictionless Innkeeper Podcasts
A number of years ago, aerospace engineer Craig Steele’s frustration over a malfunctioning hotel shower head led him on a journey to design a better version of a device typically taken for granted.
This quest led Craig to bootstrap Samson Shower Systems, which offers high pressure, water-saving shower heads that are made from quality, aerospace-grade materials and expected to outlast most products on the market. His offering can provide great value to lodging properties and his story should resonate with independent lodging professionals who will likely relate to his high level of commitment and persistence.
We are very thankful to Craig for sharing his insights with us. You can learn more about Samson Shower Systems at samsonshower.com.
by Steve Short | Jan 24, 2024 | Frictionless Innkeeper Podcasts
From hosting expanded educational events, enhancing partnerships, advancing regional efforts to increasing membership and launching a new website, it’s been a busy first year for Sarah Gazi in her role as the CEO of the Association of Lodging Professionals (ALP).
The must-attend 2024 ALP Conference & Marketplace is also around the corner on March 2nd to 6th in Orlando, Florida. In addition to the main conference, this year’s event will offer educational opportunities for new property owners, as well as culinary training in an on-site professional kitchen.
We are very thankful to Sarah and Erik for sharing their insights with us. You can learn more about ALP at alplodging.org.
by Steve Short | Jan 3, 2024 | Frictionless Innkeeper Podcasts
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has officially made its way into the hospitality industry with TakeUp, a recent start-up that offers a dynamic pricing platform which leverages the power of AI and machine learning to optimize room rates and increase revenue.
Patty Sung, Founder and CEO at TakeUp; and Chris McPherson, Founder & CTO at TakeUp, tell us about their offering, explain how they leverage AI to help lodging professionals, and make an excellent case for why their approach is the way of the future.
We are very thankful to Patty and Chris for sharing their insights with us. You can learn more about TakeUp at takeup.ai.
by Steve Short | Dec 5, 2023 | Frictionless Innkeeper Podcasts
Google Business Profile helps lodging professionals manage their business information across Google products like Search and Maps.
In addition to ensuring that potential guests can find information about their property and eventually book, lodging owners can use their account to review traffic metrics, gather customer insights, as well as view and respond to Google Reviews.
Annie Buck, Education and Local Marketing Manager at Acorn Marketing, breaks down everything lodging businesses need to know about leveraging Google Business Profile to maximize their bookings.
We are very thankful to Annie for sharing her insights with us. You can learn more about Acorn Marketing at acorn-is.com.
by Steve Short | Oct 25, 2023 | Frictionless Innkeeper Podcasts
Independent lodging properties are ideal destinations for weddings and those that offer wedding services, regardless of size and complexity, can attest that they are an excellent source of revenue. There is a range of options for a property to consider when deciding to offer on-site wedding services.
Lela Pohlmann is a Wedding Coordinator for Hermann Hill Weddings, which offers a full range of wedding services at Hermann Hill, a luxury boutique hotel in Hermann, Missouri. Hermann Hill hosted more than 130 weddings in 2022, and Lela’s experience provides great insights on how lodging professionals might start or expand wedding offerings at their property.
We are thankful to Lela for sharing her insights with us. You can learn more about Hermann Hill Weddings at hermannmoweddings.com.
by Steve Short | Oct 15, 2023 | Frictionless Innkeeper Posts
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. They want a guest experience that connects them with a destination. Guests want to feel like a local and have genuinely authentic experiences.
Independent lodging providers have a distinct advantage over chain hotels for travelers who are looking for more than just a place to sleep. When they curate and enhance the local guest experience off-site, they differentiate their offering from other providers, increase bookings, and guests are willing to pay a premium for their stay.
Curating Off-site Experiences that Match the Uniqueness and Quality of Your On-site Offering
When it comes to crafting local off-site experiences for your guests, try to find ways to allow them to experience your town or area as if they are residents. Aside from simply recommending places to go, make sure you provide guests with valuable “insider information” about them that only you know as a local resident.
Even better, partner with local businesses and have them give your guests an experience that is unique to only your guests. Curate the experience, making certain that what your local partners provide to your guests off-site matches the quality of what you deliver on-site.
This can be accomplished through paid packages, scheduling your guests, or simply asking your guests to let your local partner know they are staying with you so they can be treated to a unique experience.
Local Partner Packages for Your Guests Only
Ken Conklin, former manager of three boutique Baltimore hotels, would create packages that could only be experienced by guests at his properties.
“It should be a package that is exclusive to your property and not something they can get just by searching online. For example, creating a wine tasting tour with a special French dinner, with wines specially curated for the restaurant – that was something unique and memorable we put together for our guests only.”
In her rural hotel in the Poconos, Monique Greenwood, owner of Akwaaba Bed & Breakfast Inns, creates one-of-a-kind experiences that go beyond just recommending a restaurant or where to go horse-back riding.
“You want to make a package that is an ‘Instagram worthy’ experience. For example, I provide a ‘Green Acres for the City Girl’ package. Since a majority of my guests come from an urban area, they want an experience that is different. So, I partnered with a flower farm where guests cannot only pick flowers but create a bouquet with an expert using the flowers they picked,” said Monique.
She’s also partnered with a local farm where guests can milk a cow and participate in other farm activities, and then use the ingredients they gathered at the farm for a farm-to-table dinner made by a local chef. How many travelers have the opportunity to participate in something like this and how many people have they told about their experience?
For her New York City property, Monique offers a fashion shopping spree with a limo for the guests. Monique curates the shops herself and her guests get a 10 percent discount at those shops. They are sometimes chosen based upon a theme, such as Small Business Saturday or Black History Month, which provides a shared sense of purpose among her guests.
Guest Recommendations with Private Perks
Your guests are going to go out on their own, with or without getting recommendations from your property. If you give them recommendations, such as places to eat, they will feel delighted if the place gives them something extra simply because they are guests at your property.
This could be a free drink, special discount, or being sent to the front of a waiting line. By having your local partner treat your guests in a memorable, special way they will appreciate what you have done for them outside of your property.
Letting Guests Know About Your Unique Local Partner Offerings
Guests want to feel like VIPs. They want insider information and fantastic off-property experiences when they stay with you.
For guests to truly feel special, only they should have access to your insider recommendations and curated guest offerings. Enticing prospective guests with some local recommendations on your website may be necessary but only your true guests should have access to the valuable insider information and experiences you provide to them.
The Frictionless Guest App is a digital concierge that helps your guests live like locals and is a fantastic way to let only your guests know of your local recommendations and the curated VIP experiences you offer to them.
The App helps you connect with guests like never before, saving you time and allowing you to curate the guest experience both on and off the property.
Go to frictionlessguest.com to book a demo!
by Steve Short | Oct 4, 2023 | Frictionless Innkeeper Podcasts
State and regional independent lodging associations play a vital role in promoting properties in their areas, as well as ensuring quality lodging standards and providing educational opportunities for members.
As former innkeepers who had successes in owning two properties, Donna and Byron Cain became Co-Executive Directors at the Michigan Bed and Breakfast Association (MBBA) about two years ago. They discuss the role of the MBBA, the importance of communicating with members, and the MBBA Annual Conference 2023 being held in Grand Rapids at the end of this month, from October 30-31.
We are very thankful to Donna and Byron for sharing their insights with us. You can learn more about the MBBA at laketolake.com.
by Steve Short | Sep 24, 2023 | Frictionless Innkeeper Podcasts
During the COVID-19 pandemic, lodging professionals often needed to find creative ways to incent guests to stay at their properties. Some owners and managers did so by developing new on-property experiences for their guests which they had never offered in the past.
Doug Bagnasco and Jim DeBlasi, the co-owners of the Devonfield Inn, were among that group of astute lodging professionals who focused their energies on developing a wide-range of on-site guest experiences, by leveraging the strengths of what their property has to offer and partnering with local businesses to bring unique services and activities to their Inn. Most of these offerings became so popular that they live on today as essential ways of providing unique guest experiences.
We are very thankful to Doug and Jim for sharing their insights with us. You can learn more about the Devonfield Inn at devonfield.com.
by Steve Short | Sep 10, 2023 | Frictionless Innkeeper Posts
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 on-site time at your property.
What happens off-site is a very important component of the entire guest experience and enhancing it is essential to improve ratings and increase new and recurring bookings.
To help guests have truly memorable off-site experiences, lodging professionals must partner with local businesses who will provide their guests with special offerings and attention. Curating these experiences starts with choosing the right partners and working with them to determine the unique offerings they will provide to your guests.
Curating Exclusive, Unique Offerings
Lodging providers should identify and arrange for activities that allow guests to experience the destination in a way that goes beyond what’s typically found online. For the best results, thorough research is needed before settling on partners.
Find unique local places for your guests to eat, shop, and have fun. Approach the business owner or manager and ask if they are willing to treat your guests to a special experience if you recommend them. From there, you can discuss and refine an offering that is exclusive to guests of your property.
“Anybody can make a recommendation, but when we recommended an activity, we wanted it to be unique to the guest and something that nobody else offers. For example, we had a package to visit the aquarium next to one of our hotels, and to make it exclusive, we worked with the attraction to have our guests not wait in line. Or at selected restaurants, guests at our hotel were given a free glass of wine when they arrived.”
~Ken Conklin, Owner and General Manager of Short Stay Florida, former manager three Baltimore Harbor Magic hotels
It’s About the Experience, Not Making Money
In most cases, lodging providers don’t directly make money from establishing local partnerships, but the experiences leave a positive, lasting impression on the guest which helps with repeat business and referrals.
Monique Greenwood, owner of Akwaaba Bed & Breakfast Inns, says there is so much outside of her urban properties for her guests to do, that they don’t usually need extra help in finding events and activities. For this reason, she invests time in discovering new places that are off the beaten path and often curates packages which are exclusive to her guests.
“Making money from the package doesn’t matter to me because I know the guest is going to get more out of their stay from the experience. This way they come back again and again,” said Monique. And they often post on social media about the fun they had, which spreads the word about Akwaaba and brings in new guests.
For former Vermont Inn owner Megan Smith, local business partnerships helped to build future occupancy for her property.
“I had a partnership with a local hospital which was always recruiting doctors, so we would host them and get them down to the hospital and provide anything else they needed. Then when they started working at the hospital, those doctors always came back to our inn to host holiday parties or to refer guests.”
It was a win-win situation for all involved.
Choosing the Right Partner
Choosing unique local places is an important starting point for determining potential partners but perhaps more pressing is for owners of those places to provide a level of service on par with your property. Monique refers to this as being “on brand” with your offering and this is her primary criteria selecting business partners.
“Are they hospitable? Are they as professional as you are? The goodwill gets passed down onto to you, but so does anything bad that happens. Be thoughtful of who you are picking because they are a reflection of you. Also, determine what’s the win for the partner too. They can’t just be doing you a favor,” says Monique.
In addition to choosing partners who are on brand with your property, it’s always helpful to look for partners that will mention you on their social media platforms and in their newsletters. Sometimes a partner will tag your property when talking about a guest experience there. This can add thousands of additional eyeballs to your reach and is good for both businesses!
Letting Guests Know About Your Unique Local Partner Offerings
Guests want to feel like VIPs. They want insider information and fantastic off-property experiences when they stay with you.
For guests to truly feel special, only they should have access to your insider recommendations and curated guest offerings. Enticing prospective guests with some local recommendations on your website may be necessary but only your true guests should have access to the valuable insider information and experiences you provide to them.
The Frictionless Guest App is a digital concierge that helps your guests live like locals and is a fantastic way to let only your guests know of your local recommendations and the curated VIP experiences you offer to them.
The App helps you connect with guests like never before, saving you time and allowing you to curate the guest experience both on and off the property.
Go to frictionlessguest.com to book a demo!
