by Steve Short | Oct 2, 2018 | Frictionless Innkeeper Podcasts
For Episode #4 of the Frictionless Innkeeper podcast series, we speak with Tom Werman, the Owner and Operator of Stonover Farm in Lenox, Massachusetts, about his move from world-renowned music producer to innkeeper.
Innkeepers are often very interesting people, with many having previous careers that make the most exciting of corporate jobs seem mundane.
Tom Werman, the owner and operator of Stonover Farm in Lenox, Mass., is a prime example of this type of innkeeper. He is a former A&R record executive – who produced 52 albums – and is associated with some of the biggest names in rock ‘n’ roll that include Cheap Trick, Boston, Ted Nugent, Mötley Crüe, and REO Speedwagon.
In the early 1990s, the music landscape changed, and Tom found himself at a crossroads. Rather than embracing the new Seattle grunge sound at the time, he decided to leave his life as a record producer in Los Angeles, and moved to Lenox to establish and run a luxury B&B.
Today, Stonover Farm is an award-winning property that is less than a mile from Tanglewood and other attractions in the Berkshires. The property offers all of the beauty and serenity of a country inn, while providing all the conveniences of a first class urban hotel.
In this podcast, Tom Werman shares his story about moving from being a music producer to being an innkeeper. Here some highlights from our conversation:
- Tom’s story about how he made the jump from being a music producer to being an innkeeper. (1:42)
- How the book “Who Moved My Cheese?” inspired Tom to make such a dramatic shift in his career. (6:45)
- How his attention to detail as a music producer benefits him as an innkeeper. (10:30)
- More about Stonover Farm and Tom’s approach to innkeeping. (13:00)
- How Stonover Farm is geared towards guests that see musical performances at Tanglewood, and other cultural attractions. (19:07)
- Tom’s love of customized cooking and taking care of his guests. (24:30)
- Tom’s view on overall breakfast trends for B&Bs. (27:25)
- Why Tom likes to be accessible to guests, but gives them space as well. (31:21)
- How Tom prices his offerings to best appeal to guests, and why this is ideal for his business. (34:40)
We would like to thank Tom for sharing his insights and special innkeeper story. You can learn more about Stonover Farm by visiting their website.
by Steve Short | Sep 11, 2018 | Frictionless Innkeeper Podcasts
For Episode #3 of the Frictionless Innkeeper podcast series, we speak with Jim Belote, the owner of The Beall Mansion in the St. Louis region, about what it takes to operate an award-winning B&B.
Being named one of the top B&Bs in the U.S. is an accolade that most property owners strive to achieve. The Beall Mansion, an Elegant Bed & Breakfast Inn, is the prime example of a B&B that continually tops these types of annual lists.
Recently, HotelsCombined awarded the property the 2018 HotelsCombined Recognition of Excellence, which is based on achieving the highest rankings on customer satisfaction through customer opinions online.
Based on an analysis of more than 1,000,000 hotels worldwide, The Beall Mansion scored a 10 out of 10, representing the top 3 percent of accommodations worldwide for customer satisfaction.
Previous 2018 Beall Mansion honors and awards include the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence, TripAdvisor Hall of Fame, 50 Best B&Bs in America, and the Best B&B in Illinois (according to The Daily Meal).
In this podcast, Jim Belote discusses the secret to running an award-winning property. Here are key highlights from this interview:
- The overall history of The Beall Mansion. (:45)
- The elegance of the property. (3:20)
- How The Beall Mansion was able to rank high with HotelsCombined. (5:00)
- The Beall Mansion’s secret for achieving high guest satisfaction. (7:00)
- How and why Jim and his wife Sandy made the shift to being innkeepers. (10:33)
- Jim’s joys and challenges of being a B&B owner. (19:20)
- Insights into the tourism landscape in the region. (20:50)
- The initial and ongoing restoration of the property. (21:54)
We would like to thank Jim for sharing his insights into the secrets of guest satisfaction. You can learn more about The Beall Mansion by visiting their website.
by Steve Short | Sep 6, 2018 | Frictionless Innkeeper Podcasts
For Episode #2 of the Frictionless Innkeeper podcast series, we speak with Christine Boeke, the owner of the Westcott House Bed & Breakfast, who shares her story about leaving a high-profile media career to pursue the dream of being an innkeeper in Hudson, New York.
Many innkeepers have backgrounds in the corporate world and make the leap to owning a B&B as a means to finding a more fulfilling way to make a living. The idea behind the 80s hit TV show Newhart follows this very premise.
Christine Boeke, the owner of the Westcott House B&B in Hudson, NY, fits this bill perfectly. Coming from a high-profile career in media and marketing with Newsweek and CBS, she decided to make a career-switch to being an innkeeper about four years ago. This has enabled Christine to follow her true passion, which is all about helping guests and travelers make memories in the Hudson region.
Here are some highlights from our conversation:
- Christine’s background and how she became an innkeeper. (1:15)
- Insights into the history of the Westcott House. (2:30)
- More about Hudson and what drew Christine to the region. (4:27)
- Insights into other local businesses, and how Christine is a part of the Hudson Business Coalition. (8:25)
- Christine’s biggest joys and challenges of being an innkeeper. (10:25)
- How Christine creates truly positive experiences for guests. (12:20)
- How Christine has created a unique brand promise for her property. (16:03)
We would like to thank Christine for sharing her special story. You can learn more about the Westcott House B&B by visiting their website.
by Steve Short | Jun 21, 2018 | Frictionless Innkeeper Podcasts
For our premier Episode #1 of the Frictionless Innkeeper podcast series, we speak with Michelle Heurung, the owner and operator of the Lamberson Guest House in Galena Illinois, who shares her story of tragedy and triumph.
Living the dream of opening and operating a B&B comes with many exciting challenging and life-changing opportunities – many that are completely unexpected.
As the owner of Lamberson Guest House, a bed and breakfast in Galena, Illinois, a historic town with 32 B&Bs and a large Main Street area that has a diverse offering of local restaurants, shops, and other attractions, Michelle’s story is truly remarkable.
Having opened her B&B about 18 months ago, Michelle is relatively new to the world of innkeeping. She and her husband, Brian, fulfilled their decades-long dream of owning a B&B in Galena when they purchased the home that ultimately became the Lamberson Guest House.
After a whirlwind renovation, they opened their doors to guests just 4 months after they bought it. Then, only 6 weeks later, Brian – Michelle’s husband, partner, and the love of her life – passed away unexpectedly. Her story is one of passion, tragedy, community support, perseverance, and triumph, which she has been kind enough to share in this podcast.
Here are some highlights from our conversation:
- How Michelle got into the B&B business and purchased the Lamberson Guest House. (1:55)
- Some of the early challenges that Michelle faced when she purchased the property. (6:11)
- Insights into how Michelle handled the business in the wake of her husband’s death. (8:36)
- How she has tapped into other business owners and the community in Galena, who helped her get through this tough time in her life. (11:54)
- Her greatest joys and challenges of being a B&B owner today. (17:07)
- What Michelle would have done differently in hindsight during this challenging time. (20:11)
- How she got connected with the larger Galena business community. (38:50)
- How her connections with local businesses help enhance her guests’ stays. (41:11)
- How the Frictionless Guest App helps strengthen Michelle’s ties with area businesses. (43:51)
We would like to thank Michelle for sharing her special story. You can learn more about the Lamberson Guest House by visiting their website.