For episode #20 of the Frictionless Innkeeper podcast series, we speak with Monique Greenwood, Owner/Innkeeper of Akwaaba Bed & Breakfast Inns and star of the television reality show “Checked Inn” on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN). In Part 1 of a two part podcast, she discusses her personal and professional journey, how she built the Akwaaba empire of luxury properties, and much more.
It’s not often that we find an innkeeper who has built a reputation to the level that attracted the attention of Oprah Winfrey. Monique Greenwood is a highly regarded innkeeper who developed the Akwaaba empire of five properties, and has parlayed this experience into an OWN TV reality show called “Checked Inn.”
Prior to reaching these heights of innkeeping success, Monique started her career in journalism and achieved her dream of being the editor-in-chief of Essence Magazine. In 1995, she decided to move into the innkeeping arena, and realized that real estate investments were the key to success.
With her business plan tied to her overall lifestyle plan, she ultimately wanted to own properties in areas around the U.S. that she loved. She started with the first Akwaaba property in Brooklyn, and eventually used its increased equity value to help fund the acquisition of four other properties in the U.S. Today, there are Akwaaba inns in Brooklyn, NY; Washington, D.C.; Bethany, PA; Philadelphia, PA; and Cape May, NJ.
The property in Bethany PA, called The Mansion at Noble Lane, is the “crown jewel” for Akwaaba, and ended up being the location for the “Checked Inn” reality show. It was built and formerly owned by the Woolworth family, and carries significance for Monique that goes beyond its incredible architecture. As an African American business leader, owning a mansion that is connected to a company that would not serve her grandmother during segregation is a reminder of how much she has overcome and achieved in her career.
Monique’s background and how she came to be an innkeeper. (1:07)
About Monique’s strategy for owning Akwaaba inns, and more about the properties. (2:05)
How Monique made the transition from being a journalist to innkeeper. (10:07)
Insights into her “Having What Matters” book, and how it has guided her success. (16:39)
More about The Mansion at Noble Lane, and the newer Philadelphia property. (19:26)
We are very thankful to Monique for sharing her insights with us! You can learn more about Akwaaba Bed & Breakfast Inns by visiting their website. Stay tuned for Part 2 of this podcast, where Monique discusses “Checked Inn,” as well as her philosophy regarding enhancing the guest experience.
For episode #19 of the Frictionless Innkeeper podcast series, we speak with Monica Edwards, owner/innkeeper of Morehead Manor Bed & Breakfast in Durham, North Carolina, and Director of the African American Association of Innkeepers International. She discusses her experiences of being a B&B owner for more than 20 years, as well as her involvement with various innkeeper associations during that time.
Monica Edwards began her career as an innkeeper somewhat unexpectedly in 1997, when she and her husband opened the Morehead Manor Bed & Breakfast in Durham, North Carolina. Almost immediately, she chose to become involved with associations dedicated to helping the B&B industry and has continued to be a significant contributor to that cause ever since.
Monica continues to run Morehead Manor, while now also devoting her time to the African American Association of Innkeepers International (AAAii). Though only about one percent of all inns are owned by African Americans, AAAii is contributing to the success of existing owners and helping to build a community of aspiring innkeepers of color, with Monica at the helm.
In her 20-plus years as an innkeeper, she has learned that the guest experience is all about interacting with travelers through the entire booking process and sees herself as an ambassador for the Durham region. She excels at her craft, as is proven by her longevity and the fact that more than 90 percent of her guests book directly through the Morehead Manor website.
In this podcast, Monica discusses her career as an innkeeper, the mission of AAAii, how the role of B&B associations has evolved, and more.
Monica’s background and how she came to be an innkeeper. (1:03)
What she learned in her research about B&Bs prior to purchasing the Morehead Manor Bed & Breakfast. (2:30)
Some details about the Morehead Manor property. (3:19)
Insights into Monica’s work with various associations. (5:09)
How B&B associations have moved towards providing advocacy. (5:45)
All about AAAii and the organization’s mission. (10:21)
How Monica defines the guest experience, and what strategies she has used to improve it. (16:00)
Current innkeeping topics that are most important to Monica. (19:30)
Age demographics for guests who stay at the Morehead Manor Bed & Breakfast and how they are trending. (22:08)
We are very thankful to Monica for sharing her insights with us! You can learn more about the Morehead Manor Bed & Breakfast by visiting their website. You can also learn more about AAAii here.
For episode #18 of the Frictionless Innkeeper podcast series, we speak with Linda Hayes, a renowned innkeeping consultant with ijk Partners, an affiliate of the B&B team. She discusses creative investor/innkeeper start-ups, the opening of new boutique/upscale lodging properties, strategies for hiring General Managers, and her perspective on emerging innkeeping industry trends.
When people think of innkeepers, an image often comes to mind of a couple leaving the grind of the big city to own, operate and live at their property. While this is often the case, there has recently been a rise of investors/innkeepers that are purchasing and renovating unique properties, some of whom don’t live on-site or manage the day-to-day work.
For individuals taking this path, many don’t come from hospitality backgrounds, and need the right guidance for helping them make sound decisions to develop unique boutique/upscale properties that generate a solid return on their investment.
Linda Hayes lends her highly-experienced advice to these complex start-up ventures to enable investors/innkeepers to develop successful properties. She also provides consultation services to aspiring innkeepers searching for existing properties and existing innkeepers looking to improve operational systems, marketing, and the selection/development of support staff.
In this podcast, Linda discusses the various consulting services she provides, the rise of investors/innkeepers, and how the lodging arena needs to move beyond being “merchants of sleep” to focus on providing quality guest experiences.
Linda’s background and how she has worked “full circle” in her initial career and the innkeeping world. (1:00)
A rundown on the types of consulting services that Linda offers for investors/innkeepers and aspiring innkeepers. (3:15)
Insights into her work with investors/innkeepers and how her experience owning and selling the Inn at Riverbend in Pearisburg, Virginia. (5:04)
How Linda works in helping with the design, zoning/planning, and re-use of older structures that transform into lodging offerings. (8:57)
The services Linda provides that enhance overall operations for property owners. (16:36)
Insights into hiring GMs and partial exit strategies for innkeepers to bring staff to free up their time and resources. (20:40)
Where Linda sees the innkeeping industry heading, the rise of Gen A, and how today’s travelers are seeking out unique experiences. (26:46)
We are very thankful to Linda for sharing her insights with us! You can learn more about Linda’s consulting services, by visiting her website.
For episode #17 of the Frictionless Innkeeper podcast series, we speak with Megan Smith, a renowned innkeeping expert and consultant, as well as the host of the popular “Inside Innkeeping” podcast series. She discusses how innkeepers can increase revenues, improve operations, and remain competitive.
Remaining competitive in the innkeeping arena is no small challenge, especially in the face of multiple accommodation offerings, and Airbnb growing in popularity.
However, now is actually a great time for innkeepers to adapt to the changing tourism landscape by pursuing new revenue streams. For example, rather than swimming against the tide of short-term rentals, Megan suggests that many innkeepers consider embracing this change by putting some of their rooms on the Airbnb platform.
She also asserts that there are many great strategies that can help innkeepers greatly improve revenue generation. These include hosting events, mixers, concerts, and weddings, as well as partnering with golf courses, transportation providers, wineries, museums, and art galleries on referral arrangements.
Another idea is to co-brand and sell local products, as well as focus on your passions – offering surfing lessons as an example.
In this podcast, Megan, who also co-owned and operated The Vermont Inn for 13 years, and served as Vermont’s State Tourism Director, discusses how innkeepers can increase their revenues, improve their operations, and remain competitive:
Megan’s background in the innkeeping industry. (1:05)
Insights into Megan’s consulting work. (2:40)
How innkeepers can leverage Airbnb. (4:23)
Other consulting services and ideas Megan has shared with innkeepers to improve operations. (7:14)
Some creative ideas and advice for innkeepers to improve their revenue. (11:20)
Insights into how weddings can help drive additional revenue. (15:38)
How to secure partnerships with local businesses to create revenue opportunities. (19:32)
·Why this is a good time for innkeepers to be creative and focus on differentiating themselves. (24:03)
We are very thankful to Megan for sharing her insights with us! You can learn more about Megan’s consulting services, by visiting her website.
For episode #16 of the Frictionless Innkeeper podcast series, we speak with Rob Fulton, CEO of the Association of Independent Hospitality Professionals (AIHP) about the upcoming AIHP 2019 State of B&Bs Report and the future of independent hospitality – in part two of this two-part podcast series.
The Association of Independent Hospitality Professionals (AIHP) is a nonprofit organization that represents, supports, educates, and advocates for independent hospitality professionals to enhance their personal satisfaction and business success. Founded in 2015, AIHP has seen phenomenal growth over the last four years and continues to gain traction as a key voice for independent lodging.
Last year, the organization issued its in-depth “B&B’s UNBOUND – The State of B&B’s in the U.S.” study, and is gearing up to launch 2019 version of this study. The updated report will dive deeper into topics around everyday operations, occupancy levels and financial efforts at B&Bs – to allow AIHP members to benchmark and compare their businesses to their peers.
AIHP is also working to help B&Bs best manage some of the most significant changes impacting the future of the industry. For example, the organization is continually seeking to level the playing field for B&Bs with it comes to short-term rental providers, as well as providing educational resources to help properties enhance direct bookings.
In this podcast, Rob shares insights into the upcoming State of B&Bs Study, the future of the industry, and how owning the localized guest experience is important:
Insights into the 2019 version of the State of B&Bs Study. (1:05)
More about AIHP’s role in helping innkeepers deal with short-term rentals and OTAs. (5:32)
How AIHP is helping innkeepers to enhance overall direct bookings. (7:26)
How owning the local guest experience is important for innkeepers. (12:18)
What the future holds for the independent lodging industry overall. (17:45)
How the sector is embracing new innovations that enhance the guest experience. (21:24)
We are very thankful to Rob for sharing his insights with us! Be sure to listen to part one of this podcast series here. You can learn more about AIHP by visiting its website.
