by Steve Short | Nov 7, 2018 | Frictionless Innkeeper Podcasts
For Episode #7 of the Frictionless Innkeeper podcast series, we speak with Elaine Herbert, Owner and Operator of the Yelton Manor Bed & Breakfast in South Haven, Michigan, who discusses why innkeepers need to determine who their ideal guests are, and why Millennials fit the bill perfectly for her property.
A major component for developing a brand vision for any inn comes down to determining your ideal guest demographic. While it may sound cliché, different generations have personality traits, spending power, and guest preferences when they stay at independent properties.
Elaine finds that Millennial guests at the Yelton Manor Bed & Breakfast are ideal. She feels that these guests are trouble-free, respect policies and boundaries, and are warm and friendly overall. Conversely, she feels that Baby Boomers are not a perfect fit for her property, and have more specialized needs and demands.
In this podcast, Elaine shares her candid insights into why Millennials are the perfect guest for her property. Here some highlights from our conversation:
- The background and history of the Yelton Manor. (1:00)
- Elaine’s perspective on Millennial guests. (2:00)
- How Elaine markets to Millennials. (8:42)
- Insights into why Millennials want to stay at B&Bs. (16:50)
- Why trust is important for Millennials. (26:44)
As always, we would like to thank Elaine for sharing her candid insights, and be sure to listen to her previous interview about how Airbnb has ruined communities worldwide. You can also learn more about the Yelton Manor Bed & Breakfast by visiting their website.
by Steve Short | Oct 18, 2018 | Frictionless Innkeeper Podcasts
For Episode #6 of the Frictionless Innkeeper podcast series, we speak with Elaine Herbert, Owner and Operator of the Yelton Manor Bed and Breakfast in South Haven, Michigan, about the negative impact of Airbnb on her B&B, community, and tourist destinations around the world.
The impact of Airbnb on both innkeepers and their communities is not always apparent to most people, since much of the media focuses on how larger hoteliers deal with this competitive landscape.
The reality is that Airbnb can negatively affect innkeepers and communities throughout the world. As Elaine highlights in this podcast interview, the home-sharing provider has both challenged her B&B’s ability to thrive and had dire consequences on her community of South Haven, Michigan, where she and her husband have lived for more than 30 years.
The arrival of Airbnb has impacted South Haven in many ways — incentivizing long-term residents to sell their homes to investors, decreasing tax revenues in various forms, creating a tenuous and sometimes threatening local political atmosphere, and causing overcrowding by visitors with a penchant for partying — ultimately resulting in what Elaine describes as a true “battle for the soul of the town.”
In this podcast, Elaine shares her candid insights into how Airbnb’s home-sharing approach has changed the face of South Haven and impacted tourism-based communities around the world. Here are some highlights from our conversation:
- The background and creation of the Yelton Manor Bed and Breakfast. (:50)
- More about the Yelton Manor property and its extraordinary history of guests’ experiences. (5:52)
- Airbnb’s negative impact on the South Haven community and beyond. (9:30)
- How Elaine and other communities have fought to combat residential rentals. (20:50)
We would like to thank Elaine for sharing her candid insights about Airbnb. We look forward to providing a future podcast where she discusses the appeal and her admiration of Millennial guests. You can learn more about the Yelton Manor Bed and Breakfast by visiting their website.
by Steve Short | Oct 8, 2018 | Frictionless Innkeeper Podcasts
For Episode #5 of the Frictionless Innkeeper podcast series, we speak with Debbi Fotsh, the owner and operator of Woodridge B&B, located outside of Slidell, Louisiana, about the challenges and opportunities she faces in dealing with Online Travel Agencies (OTAs).
You can also listen to the podcast at blogtalkradio.
For many innkeepers, dealing with OTAs can be both a blessing and a curse. While these channels can help provide more booking opportunities, they often come with a price, which includes high commissions, lack of direct access to guest information, a slow payment cycle, and bookings coming from fraudulent credit cards.
On a more positive note, OTAs have the marketing resources and guest search traffic to help enhance overall bookings – especially during slower times of the year. Debbi has a great amount of experience dealing with these issues and opportunities since 2010.
In this podcast, Debbi shares her candid insights on utilizing OTAs to the maximum benefit of innkeepers. Here some highlights from our conversation:
- The background and history of Woodridge B&B. (1:00)
- Debbi’s experiences in working with OTAs. (2:40)
- Debbi’s timeline in working, and not working, with OTAs. (7:35)
- Fraudulent bookings and other OTA issues that Debbie had to manage. (15:23)
- Why innkeepers need to do things on their own behalf when dealing with OTAs. (19:24)
- Debbie’s tips for how innkeepers can improve their interactions with guests while working with OTAs. (27:16)
We would like to thank Debbi for sharing her candid insights about dealing with OTAs. You can learn more about Woodridge B&B by visiting their website.
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 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.
