Michelle Higgins, Practical Traveler columnist for the New York Times, wrote an interesting story about hotel frequent stay programs this week.  Thanks to Amy at the Saratoga Arms for sharing this article with us. Entitled How to Attain Hotel Elite Status, the article outlined how frequent hotel goers who spend anywhere from 36 to 100 nights with certain brand hotels are more likely to get perks like free breakfasts, individualized concierge service, a break on the exorbitant wi-fi access or resort fees, and maybe if they’re very loyal a free bottle of water too!  She went on to say however, “But let’s face it: Unless you are practically living in hotels, you are not going to see any of those benefits”.  Hotel loyalty programs move aside.  B&Bs are the better way to stay!

Travelers, you don’t have to join a loyalty program to have elite status at any inn or B&B; you automatically get it.  Choose an inn or B&B and you’ll be treated to a scrumptious complimentary and homemade  breakfast, afternoon refreshments and plenty of individualized attention and pampering.  Add to that, fabulously comfortable beds, in-room fireplaces and deep whirlpool tubs (in some rooms) balconies and great views too.  Free wi-fi?  Count on it at more than 93-percent of inns and B&Bs , according to the Professional Association of Innkeepers International. But you want a TV?  No problem, more than 81-percent of inns and B&Bs offer TVs that are probably nicer than your typical hotel version. All these amenities come complimentary with a room which in many cases will run far less than the rates of city based hotels.

The other thing that amazes us is how hotels consistently strive to emulate the country inn model, but never make it there.  Heavenly beds?  We had those years before Westin capitalized on them, along with high thread count sheets and beautiful bed coverings too.  Free breakfast?  It’s been included with a stay at a B&B for years. After all, breakfast is the second B in our name.  Yet hospitality? This is where hotels  fall short.  When is the last time the owner of a hotel greeted you by name, made your coffee just the way you like it. If the hotel owner happened to bring you coffee, you can be assured it would be added to your bill.  Elite loyal hotel goers receive individualized concierge attention.  Heck, we have an individualized concierge at every inn and B&B. We called them innkeepers!

Hotel goers, forget the loyalty program that takes forever to qualify for and under delivers. Convert to the better way to stay and give inns and B&Bs a try.

Check out the video for more insight: Hotels Show No Love — Let an Innkeeper Welcome You on Your Next Vacation

BetterWayToStay.com - Experience Today's Inns and B&Bs

Recently, Distinctive Inns of New England offered an informal question asking Facebook fans what they’d like for Valentine’s Day.  Four times more people responded they preferred a romantic getaway to flowers, chocolates or lingerie. One person  offered that all she wanted was for her husband to take the garbage out without being asked!  Clearly, women aren’t asking for much this Valentine’s day, but romantic getaways to today’s inns and B&Bs are on the top of the list for Valentine’s Day and beyond.  Whether it’s Valentine’s Day, a birthday, anniversary or other reason to celebrate, women want to go to inns and B&Bs.

Ladies, here’s another in our series of ways to convince your guy to fulfill your wish to be swept away on a romantic B&B escape.

It’s not Grandma’s Attic

For some reason, guys think they’ll be buried in teddy bears, lace and doilies when they visit a B&B. Popular TV shows like Parks and Recreation perpetuate this myth depicting B&Bs with harpsichord playing innkeepers surrounded by 15 cats offering gruel for breakfast. While B&Bs vary widely in their décor – which is actually one of their selling points – increasingly innkeepers are declaring death to doilies and replacing floral wallpapers with bold contemporary colors and urban chic furnishings.  Step aside Grandma’s attic; today’s inns and B&Bs offer everything from beer on tap to wine and cheese receptions, flat screen TVs and iPod docking stations. We’re actually even seeing a move toward inns and B&Bs offering iPads to guests with their own personalized app filled with customized itineraries and fun suggestions for places to go, see, and eat.

Today’s inns and B&Bs are as varied as snowflakes.  No two are alike and that’s what makes them fascinating.  You’ll find everything from traditional and historic decor – sometimes the kind you’d see in your grandmother’s house with historic significance.  You’ll also find hip, chic and avant guard decor at inns throughout North America.

The Better Way To Stay campaign is dedicated to busting the myths, one of which is that all inns and B&Bs look like Grandma’s attic.  Be on the lookout for a fun promotion coming up in April where we’ll bury the notion that all inns and B&Bs resemble Grandma’s Attic.  We’re about to launch a campaign that will offer brief pause from the Presidential race and plenty more humor!   Be on the lookout.

BetterWayToStay.com - Experience Today's Inns and B&Bs

Earlier this week we posted the first in a series of ideas on how to convince guys to choose a B&B.  We know that inns and B&Bs have a bad rap among some guys, so we’re offering some good fodder for how to convince him that he will not be buried in lace and doilies if he chooses a B&B.  No, he won’t have to eat with the preacher nor will he have to stay unplugged.  Today’s inns and B&Bs offer all the modern amenities and then some.

Here is reason #2 you can use to convince him that inns and B&Bs are the better way to stay.

No, you won’t have to go unplugged

Banish the idea that all inns and B&Bs are located on out-of-the-way farms or rural locations. While farmstays are still alive and thriving for those seeking that experience, the number one most popular amenity offered at inns and B&Bs today is complimentary wi-fi.  The 2011 Industry Study of Innkeeping Operations shows that more than 93-percent of inns and B&Bs offer wi-fi.  No matter if the B&B is rural or urban, he can count on getting a signal and staying plugged into home, the office or his favorite sports sites on your next B&B getaway.

Moreover, we’re hearing from innkeepers that iPod docking stations, guest computers and even i-Pads are being added to inns and B&Bs on a regular basis.  We’re even aware of a number of inns and B&Bs developing their own apps with customized itineraries for their guests.

If your guy is a techie and never wants to travel unplugged, have no fear, inns and B&Bs will be his refuge.  If you’re hoping he’ll leave the office behind, you’ll need to hide the phone.  Don’t worry, we won’t tell.

BetterWayToStay.com - Experience Today's Inns and B&Bs

With Valentine’s Day coming, we know there’s a large percentage of the population positioning for the perfect romantic idea to celebrate the month of love.  Chocolates won’t work for those on a diet, and flowers are so last year! What she really wants is a romantic getaway, but try convincing him that an inn or B&B is the perfect way to stay.  For all those B&B nay-sayers out there, this series of five ways to convince him that B&Bs are the ideal answer to the Valentine’s Day dilemma is a must-read for you.

We in the innkeeping industry know that when it comes to men, we have a few hurdles to overcome.  While women crave B&B getaways for the distinctive décor, intimate settings and the chance to get out of the breakfast duty, men foolishly fear they’ll be buried alive in doilies and lace.  Move aside B&B myths. Ladies, here are five ways to convince the guys that inns and B&Bs are not only the perfect way to make you happy, but might actually be worth his while too.

Argument #1: You can watch the game

Throw aside the idea B&Bs have no TVs. According to the 2011 Industry Study of Innkeeping Operations by the Professional Association of Innkeepers International, more than 80 percent of inns and B&Bs offer televisions in rooms and/or common areas.  Tell your guy he can watch the game from the comfort of his bed or with other guys in the living room; 8 out of 10 inns and B&Bs will have the game on and no one will mind if he yells when his team scores. Heck, speaking of scoring, tell him he’ll score points with you when he decides B&Bs are the better way to stay!

To find your better way to stay visit www.betterwaytostay.com.

BetterWayToStay.com - Experience Today's Inns and B&Bs

A recent HotelMarketing.com article outlined a story about the Hotels.com survey asking travelers about their favorite in-room amenities.  Throughout the survey travelers expressed that free wi-fi  is a make-or-break amenity  weighing heavily on deciding where to stay.  According to the article, “thirty-eight percent of travelers reported that free wi-fi played a part in their decision as a “must” to stay at a specific hotel, 35 percent reported it is the simple amenity they want to see more in hotels, with 31 percent wishing it would become a standard in all hotels in 2012”.

Rather than searching for a hotel that will  no sooner offer free wi-fi than they’ll serve a great free hot breakfast, consider finding a better way to stay.  More than 93 percent of inns and B&Bs offer wi-fi to their according to the 2011 Industry Study of Operations and Finance by the Professional Association of Innkeepers International and corroborated by innkeeper surveys by BedandBreakfast.com, and more than 90 percent offer it fee-free.

In fact, wi-fi is the most popular amenity offered to guests by inns and B&Bs, followed by TVs, luxury linens, branded toiletries, robes and more.  When asked, innkeepers also told PAII that afternoon refreshments, tea and other beverages and goodies are available to B&B guests free of charge in more than one out of every two B&Bs. Review the following chart.  When was the last time your hotel sent you home with a take home gift or offered you complimentary afternoon hors d’oeuvres or snacks?

An even higher rate – virtually 97 percent of inns and B&B offer a complimentary breakfast included in the room rate.  Recently, Susan MacLaren, co-owner of the West Hill House in Warren, VT explained that “Do you serve breakfast?” is one of the most common questions she gets from younger travelers.  Banish the thought of a bed and breakfast not serving breakfast.  Breakfast is half their name and innkeepers take great pride in preparing a hearty and often gourmet start to the day for their guests.  Expect a set multi-course menu from seven out of ten B&Bs, but virtually all inns will accommodate special diets and dietary restrictions with tasty substitutes.

Travelers are seeking more bang for their buck, and they definitely want to depend on staying plugged in when they travel.  Next time you’re choosing where to stay, consider the better way to stay.  Free wi-fi, breakfast and plenty of additional treats and amenities are on the house when you choose an inn or B&B.

Visit www.BetterwaytoStay.com and click on FindA Location to find your better way to stay.

Note:  All charts included in this article may be found in the 2011 Industry Study of Operations and Finance published by the Professional Association of Innkeepers International.

BetterWayToStay.com - Experience Today's Inns and B&Bs

This is the time of year for after-holiday sales, white sales and luxe for less at inns and B&Bs throughout the U.S. and Canada.  For many the holidays are joyful, but they also bring  their share of pressure along with them.  Many are left feeling like they need a holiday from the holidays come January.  If you’ve resolved to make this your year of finding a better way to stay why not do it now? From coast to coast inns and B&Bs are offering quiet season rates, special offers and incentives for winter getaways and escapes.

We’re here to offer tips on how to find the savings at your favorite inns and B&Bs.

1)  Sign up to receive offers by email via newsletters and postcards.  You’ll be the first to hear about the special packages and incentives being offered at your favorite inn or B&B and perhaps also take home a nice recipe or two too.

2) Become a fan on your favorite inn or B&B’s Facebook page.  Often you’ll get in on promo codes and contests offering free stays or discounts on stays.  You may be the first to hear about openings during busy holiday or event weekends too. At a minimum, you’ll stay in touch with your favorite innkeeper.

3)  Visit directories like BedandBreakfast.com, Select Registry, BnBFinder.com or BBCanada.com where you’ll not only find extensive listings for packages and specials, but also directory-style offers on gift certificates and more.  For example, at BedandBreakfast.com you can sign up to receive weekly Hot Deal offers or seasonal promotional offers for free via email.

4)  Do you travel extensively in a certain state or province?  Most states have state-wide or province-wide  inn and B&B associations and guilds.  Simply search for the B&B or innkeepers association in the state or province where you travel and check out the packages or specials offered there.  Sign up for their facebook pages and blogs too for additional incentives and news.

5) Consult the Better Way To Stay campaign.  Click on the “Find a Location” tab for a map indicating inns and B&Bs participating in campaigns promoted by the Better Way To Stay.  You’ll find gas saving offers, offers for vets on Veteran’s Day and some exciting new promotions coming up soon.

Do you have other ways to save at B&Bs?  Post your savings tips on the Better Way To Stay Facebook Page or here.

BetterWayToStay.com - Experience Today's Inns and B&Bs

Each year just about this time we begin formulating our new years resolutions.  For many, the pledge comes down to one concept:  Live better, love more, laugh often.  Luckily for all you resolute do-betters, today’s inns and B&Bs offer the ideal resolution solution.

We turned to USA.gov for a list of the most popular New Years resolutions and it became quickly obvious that today’s inns and B&Bs offer the answer.  Let’s take a look.

1. Take A Trip: Here’s the most obvious one.  If you’re looking for more travel, discover a better way to say by kissing the hotel or motel goodbye and opting for a B&B this time around.  With 25,000 inns and B&Bs in the U.S. and Canada, each offering different décor and hospitality experiences, you’re bound to find enough choices nearby offering just what you want for a year’s worth of  trips.

2. Eat Healthy Food: Innkeepers know the way to their guests’ heart is through their stomachs.  Breakfast is half the B&B’s name and innkeepers make providing a healthy and hearty start to the day their priority.  Surveys of innkeepers show that a focus on serving locally produced, healthy foods is a priority for innkeepers.  Plus, all innkeepers are always happy to accommodate vegan, gluten free and low calorie preferences when guests ask.  Their recipe box is filled to the brim with versatile recipes and their sources are local and often farm-to-table.

3. Manage Stress:  Here’s the place inns and B&Bs really shine. Leave all the stress behind and discover how innkeepers provide the better way to stay.  From a relaxed check in process to offering excellent insight into local attractions, restaurants and fun, innkeepers focus on all the small deals to deliver the most stress-free and relaxing getaway possible.  Add distinctive décor, plenty of romantic amenities, fabulous food, and all the stress-points hotels and motels throw at you are eliminated in today’s inns and B&Bs.

4.Save Money: Take a trip and the extras add up quickly anywhere else but at an inn or B&B. Leave your wallet in your pocket because breakfast, beverages and snacks are all on the house.  On top of that more than 95% of inns offer free wi-fi and parking.  No need to tip the bellman; your innkeeper will help with the luggage too.  When all is said and done, the savings add up to as much as $150 savings over a hotel stay when you choose the right inn or B&B.

If we’ve got you convinced, visit www.BetterWayToStay.com and click on Find a Location.  This year, make finding a better way to stay your resolution solution.

BetterWayToStay.com - Experience Today's Inns and B&Bs

Ten top reasons a B&B beats Mom’s lumpy sofabed

It’s countdown to the holidays and while the family gathering is supposed to be joyful, the anticipation of sleepless nights on the sofabed…or worse yet blow up mattress… is not putting visions of sugarplums in your head.   While it takes less energy to smile than frown at family gatherings, sleepless nights in the uncomfortable guest bed – whatever it may be – means you’d better use caution that you don’t fall asleep while roasting chestnuts near the open fire.

No need to lose any more sleep thinking about how to explain the dark circles under your eyes to Mom and the family.  There’s surely still plenty of room at the inn nearby.  Consider these ten reasons a B&B is the better way to stay this holiday season.

1.       Their walls don’t talk:    Everyone needs time to process that insensitive comment from the sister-in-law, crazy Aunt Helen’s antics or the re-gifting of the blue scarf you gave your brother last year.  Rather than being overheard at Mom’s house, retreat to a quiet B&B where you can rehash all the family fun with your spouse later in the evening.

2.       A place for your toothbrush:  Pet peeve #21 about staying at Mom’s: no room for the toilet kit.  Book a holiday stay at an inn or B&B close to Mom’s and you’ll have a private bath all to yourself.  And you don’t even have to put the toilet seat down if you don’t want to!

3.       Start the day out right:  While you know Mom wants you to get plenty of fiber, her idea of soupy oatmeal is not your idea of the perfect breakfast.  Since breakfast is the half the B&B’s name you can count on a delicious and hearty start to your day if you book a stay this holiday season.

4.       Greetings with a smile:  The holidays can take their toll on Mom and Dad, especially when company is involved.  Check into a nearby B&B and you’ll be greeted with a smile from an innkeeper who’s happy to welcome you home.

5.       No need to make the bed:  You don’t make your bed at home but when you stay at Mom’s it’s not only a requirement it has to be done to her specs.  Leave the bed making to your innkeeper, and spend your holiday making holiday pies not beds.

6.       Room to breathe:  It can get awfully crowded during holiday gatherings and especially tough when Aunt Mildred insists on dousing herself in Eau de Toilette.  Take refuge at a nearby B&B and you’ll have plenty of room to spread out and breathe.

7.       Guilt free:  While there’s nothing better than being home for the holidays, there’s bound to be a reminder or two from one or another family member of something you’d rather forget. Check into a B&B and get a warm welcome from an innkeeper who’ll carry your baggage, not remind you about it.

8.       Turn down the heat:  It’s often too hot at Mom’s house.  You’re used to your 60-degree home where you throw an extra blanket on rather than bust the heating budget.  This year, cool off after Mom’s house at a nearby inn or B&B where if it’s too hot, you don’t have to worry about asking to turn the heat down or open a window.

9.       Silence:  Do your ears ring after an evening of family reminiscing?  Retreat to a B&B and you’ll savor the silence in your private room.

10.   And last but not least…Best reason to stay at a B&B rather than Mom’s house is a good night’s sleep on fabulously comfortable beds with clean, comfortable linens and comfy pillows.

To find a better way to stay this holiday season, visit http://www.betterwaytostay.com/map/ and click on the state where your Mom lives, or where you’ll be traveling.   This holiday season, consider staying at an inn or B&B near Mom’s so you can really enjoy your time at home.

BetterWayToStay.com - Experience Today's Inns and B&Bs

BedandBreakfast.com announced its Best of BedandBreakfast.com award winners yesterday recognizing the top inns around the world providing the best travel experience, hospitality and customer service..  Hat’s off from the Better Way To Stay campaign to all those who received an award.

BedandBreakfast.com analyzed the quality and quantity of the traveler reviews from the past year on BedandBreakfast.com to select the inns providing superior travel experiences and hospitality. It also considered the quality of inns’ photos, listing descriptions and overall online customer experience on BedandBreakfast.com.

“The Best of BedandBreakfast.com Award winners really exemplify the special experience, hospitality and service that travelers expect from staying in a bed and breakfast,” says Martin Slagter, vice president of HomeAway, Inc, which owns BedandBreakfast.com. “Take one look at our guest reviews and you’ll see that travelers discover every day that B&Bs offer personalized and unique experiences, from gourmet breakfast and other amenities like free Internet and refreshments, to concierge-like attention to detail that makes weekend getaways so memorable.”

In addition, Slagter says BedandBreakfast.com plans to initiate a new monthly awards program to recognize exemplary inns in a variety of categories, from Top B&Bs for Skiing and Most Romantic Inns to Top Urban Inns to showcase the special and distinctive features offered by bed and breakfasts.

Here are the Best of BedandBreakfast.com 2011-2012 Award Winners:

Top 10 B&Bs in the United States

A Storybook Inn in Versailles, KY

Atlantis House in Key West, FL

Berry Manor Inn in Rockland, ME

Cameo Heights Mansion in Touchet, WA

Chocolate Turtle Bed & Breakfast in Corrales, NM

Hilltop Manor Bed and Breakfast  in Hot Springs, AR

Park Avenue Manor in Savannah, GA

Rabbit Hill Inn in Lower Waterford, VT

The Carriage House Inn Bed & Breakfast in Lynchburg, VA

The Columns Bed and Breakfast Inn in Dillon, SC

Top 10 B&Bs in Canada

Sweet Dreams Luxury Inn in Abbotsford, BC

Bee & Thistle Guest House in Vancouver, BC

Cherry Blossom Bed and Breakfast in Vancouver, BC

Abbeymoore Manor Bed and Breakfast Inn in Victoria, BC

Fisher House Bed and Breakfast in Victoria, BC

Hillsdale House Inn in Annapolis Royal, NS

Graystone B&B in Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON

The Refuge Bed and Breakfast in Mont Tremblant, QC

A la Carte B&B in Montreal, QC

Atmosphere in Montreal, QC

Top 10 International B&Bs

Club Arias in Savaneta, Aruba

The Sallerhof in Salzburg, Austria

Cachoeira Inn in Buzios, Brazil

LIPPERGÜT’L in Fussen, Germany

Villa Wastra in Ubud, Indonesia

N4U Guest House in Florence, Italy

RetRome Colosseum Garden in Rome, Italy

Casa Virgilios in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico

Guest House Douro in Porto, Portugal

Valencia Mansion Bed and Breakfast in Valencia, Spain

Travelers’ Choice B&B
Chestnut Street Inn in Sheffield, IL

Best B&B with Unique Animals
The Social Goat in Atlanta, GA

Best B&B If You Have a Special Diet
Chehalem Ridge Bed and Breakfast in Newberg, OR

Best B&B with a Pub
Forty Putney Road Bed & Breakfast in Brattleboro, VT

Best Boat & Breakfast
Sea Suites Boat & Breakfast in Saugatuck, MI

Best Architecture
Inn on the Lake in Amsterdam, Netherlands

Best Locavore B&B
Glasbern* in Fogelsville, PA

Best Themed B&B
Featherbed Railroad Bed and Breakfast Resort in Nice, CA

Best B&B for Finding Zen
Santosha on the Ridge in Shawnee on Delaware, PA

Best B&B for Tech Geeks
Bernerhof Inn Bed and Breakfast in Glen, NH

Best B&B for Motorcyclists
The Blue B&B in Savanna, IL

BetterWayToStay.com - Experience Today's Inns and B&Bs

Up against major competition in the world of traveler reviews, Scarborough Fair Bed & Breakfast, a six room B&B in Baltimore has received top ratings ratings on TripAdvisor earning more “excellent” votes than any of the corporately owned, larger hotels in the city. Privately owned by Barry Werner and his spouse Jeff Finlay since 2007, this small business, which has only two additional employees, is well known for imaginative homemade breakfasts and snacks and its’ consistently gracious hospitality. Yet now the inn is now adding one more qualifier to their prestigious reputation.  Scarborough Fair Bed & Breakfast has received more perfect “Excellent” scores on the popular travel review site, TripAdvisor.com than any other place to stay in the city, yet another reminder that B&Bs are the better way to stay.         

Achieving this milestone is especially surprising considering Scarborough Fair B&B is in direct competition with some of the largest world renowned names in high quality accommodations.  Not surprisingly, many of these high ranks have been given from couples seeking romantic getaways.  But yet another revelation is the ever increasing highly scored reviews from a growing number of business travelers, convention guests and those on family vacations.

“We have thankfully been seeing a growing trend of more and more business guests choosing the comfort and warmth of bed and breakfasts over the more emotionally sterile hotels,” Werner said.  He went on, “No matter what their reason for leaving home, many travelers are looking for unique experiences, and B&Bs are more naturally equipped to offer this in a more authentic way.”

When Werner was a child, his maternal grandmother and he would play bed and breakfast; certainly not the normal imaginative games of a child.  Werner would take out his markers and crayons and draw up little posters and brochures of what the rooms looked like and then make menus to hang up on his grandma’s kitchen door.  Then they would make pancakes and gobble them up and he would pretend to check her into her room.

Forward to January of 2007, Werner and Finlay were both getting burned out on the working environment of Washington, DC and needed a change in their careers. By March they were attending aspiring innkeeper workshops at the Professional Association of Innkeepers International conference, dedicated to delving deeply into all aspects of the life and business of innkeeping.  June 29, 2007 they moved into Scarborough Fair Bed & Breakfast and checked in their first guests.

“We are very proud of our many accomplishments,” Finlay said.

Only two and a half blocks from Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, Scarborough Fair Bed & Breakfast is located at 801 South Charles Street, in the charming and historic neighborhood of Federal Hill.  For more information, visit www.scarboroughfairbandb.com.

BetterWayToStay.com - Experience Today's Inns and B&Bs