Have You Marketed for Girlfriends' Getaways?

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Innkeep

Innkeep

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I'm revising my website and thinking about the cold months when there are fewer guests and when people around here get stir crazy. I'm thinking about offering a girlfriends' getaway that would require that they take all 4 rooms for two nights, no more than 2 per room, and discounting about 25%, which would still keep me about $100 per room per night.
Anybody that's tried to do this, what are the down sides? Are they too frugal to spend $100 each for the weekend? If I discount more I still am making money to pay the overhead, and this special would be limited to the bleak midwinter. I'm not thinking of add-ons at present, but will have plenty of soda and popcorn on hand.
Any thoughts / advice will be appreciated.
 
Cambs may bring up hen parties, but those pre-wedding bashes may be a lot different from girlfriend getaways.
Soda and popcorn? They'll want frozen margaritas!
 
Arks said:
Cambs may bring up hen parties, but those pre-wedding bashes may be a lot different from girlfriend getaways.
Soda and popcorn? They'll want frozen margaritas!.
Click to expand...
Arks said:
Soda and popcorn? They'll want frozen margaritas!
Click to expand...
that will fall under the BYOB category
 
Yes but they'll need a blender and salt. You can clean up, renting that stuff. Well, better SELL the salt.
 
If you provide amenities like coffee and tea and a microwave for them to use, that goes a long way to making these type of gatherings work. Wine glasses, margarita glasses, cheese boards.
If you can get any kind of freebie from a local restaurant (dessert) or a special deal at a store, that helps, too.
I know you said not a package but check into clubs in your area that might want to do an event at your place. Quilting, scrapbooking, knitting, that sort of thing.
Instead of discounting, add something in like an arrival cheese tray with chocolates.
Ok that said... We have a huge convention here in Feb. Those women want to pay $50 each for the weekend, breakfast included. They pack 4-6 to a room. They won't stay here. (Partly because they want to be right in the hotel where the events are, but price comes up a lot.)
They will stay 2 miles from the events if they only have to pay $50 or less.
 
Madeleine said:
If you provide amenities like coffee and tea and a microwave for them to use, that goes a long way to making these type of gatherings work. Wine glasses, margarita glasses, cheese boards.
If you can get any kind of freebie from a local restaurant (dessert) or a special deal at a store, that helps, too.
I know you said not a package but check into clubs in your area that might want to do an event at your place. Quilting, scrapbooking, knitting, that sort of thing.
Instead of discounting, add something in like an arrival cheese tray with chocolates.
Ok that said... We have a huge convention here in Feb. Those women want to pay $50 each for the weekend, breakfast included. They pack 4-6 to a room. They won't stay here. (Partly because they want to be right in the hotel where the events are, but price comes up a lot.)
They will stay 2 miles from the events if they only have to pay $50 or less..
Click to expand...
depends what you have around you as well - eg we have a bead shop and teaches jewellery classes right around the corner, pattisery school 5 mins walk, world famous cookery school 10 mins, indoor electronic golfcourse 10 in the car (ie perfect all year round)- make it so they have to book it themselves, just make sure they have the info
 
I say try it out and see how it works, but why limit it to girlfriends? I could see folks for a family reunion, a group of outdoor buddies (not sure where your location is), etc...be interested and it might make them feel awkward to book if it's just slated as a girlfriend's weekend.
When DH and I just got married, we once took advantage of an inn's fisherman's special though a fisherwoman I am not, as it came with a packed lunch, and I thought that would be perfect for hiking. I felt guilty for the deception, and was terrified that they would ask me about the day fishing, and had my cover story about how we were thinking about going fishing, but the weather was too bad....now I realize that they couldn't care less if I was fishing or not.
 
Try packaging it with something to do: tickets to the prominent family museum or the other local museum, pizza delivery of your unique type of pie in the region, or a chocolate fondue party.
 
We have had quilting and artist workshops. A fair amount of work, but fun, and lots of daytime food. Girls' weekends work with a little less of a package, but food is always involved, and often a fair amount of BYO alcohol which gives the B&B sleepover extra appeal. Price is a concern and we do not discount more than 10%, but it works especially when they can share a room and lower per person cost (one group had me take their facebook photo with three in one bed). Trick is how to market. Put it on your website for sure, but we have also had good luck emailing former quests who live in an easy day's drive. Describe a super special breakfast and offer an extended appetizer service to go with their cocktail hour.
 

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