It’s always a pleasure for me to find the BnBFinder innkeeping newsletter in my Inbox. While reading it this morning, I found myself nodding and saying, “Yes, exactly!” Mary has captured the essential difference of hotel vs bed and breakfast -not just in amenities, but in how we view our guests. Even upscale hotels, like the one Mary writes about, simply cannot provide the experience of a bed and breakfast… Their focus groups and market research, and determination to “break into our market” with B&B-styled packages, is completely missing the point. They can’t help it, really. Their focus is corporate and bottom-line, which is of course as it should be. Our focus is on our guests and you just can’t get that at a hotel.
A Note From Mary White –Mary is the President & Founder of BnBFinder
It was more than an “aha!” moment. It was an “Oh my gosh, hit me over the head, how can they not realize moment” when I once again grappled with the question, “Why do guests not realize how special B&Bs are?” The moment I’m referring to happened recently when I attended a conference with my husband held in a very nice and well-known hotel chain. To thank him for being an Preferred Guest, they gave us a card upon check-in entitling us to a free bottle of water at no charge (how generous). We needed to replace the small bottle of water in the mini-bar with the card so we wouldn’t be charged. Then, one evening we wanted to have a cup of coffee in the room. As a coffee snob, I don’t like the powdered creamer provided; so, in order to have milk or cream I would have to order room service, pay for the milk, and add a $4.99 delivery fee as well as a 20% gratuity (an additional tip also would be welcomed). These and similar experiences are all accepted in the hotel world and why, when guests try a B&B for the first time, they are blown away by the value not to mention the personalization, service, amenities and more.
This would be a good time to mention the Better Way to Stay campaign, being promoted world-wide. Tell your friends. Tell your neighbors. B&Bs truly are a better way to stay. And then…. take the time to treat yourself. Come see us. We’ll show you the difference.
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