Our first quarter seems to be in line or slightly above the last couple of years, but definitely down from a few great years ten years ago, however our winter season depends heavily on the weather and recent years have not been friendly to the ski slopes.Hillbilly said:
I hate that. I guess thats the way its going to be. The new gen I think are scared of a B and B experience. I have a feeling its going to get a lot worse.
Arks, Im not more than an hour or so from you. Our town has been dead this Spring. Everyone is looking for the best deals and the Air B an d B is killing us I'm afraid. They have rates for $40 a night. We are now posting rates we had 15 years ago. This is really bad. We can't afford to hire any help. So we are doing everything now. Last year we had 2 employees working with us. Weekends aren't even full anymore.
Yes, they've picked up nicely here. But Jan. through April were horrible.innovermyhead said:
Yes, Jan-Apr were mediocre here too, but rest of the year is second best bookings in 14 years.Arks said:
In my 15+ years in the business I found this was true as well. I've always been in very popular touristy areas but I found that, from year-to-year, it was nearly impossible to predict which months would be "banner" months. As diligently as we tried to predict market trends, or as much as we focused on marketing, it would change. One year June would be phenomenal, and then the next, meh. Never failed. I learned to give up trying to figure it out and just kept my business running tip-top, and my marketing very consistent, and found out that over a year's time, my numbers would always increase just a little (unless the economy tanked of course, but that's a story for another post).gillumhouse said:
I agree, the travel industry can be brutal! That being said, there are more tools and resources than ever for small inn and B&Bs, many of them totally free and others, if selected wisely, truly affordable. Example: a superstar PMS will add value to every transaction if utilized to its fullest. Technology is, in my opinion, one of the best investments for high returns. Things I wouldn't necessarily recommend, and which are often a waste of hard-earned dollars, would be paid (print) advertising (no metrics? no thanks!), high thread-count linens (they no longer matter to the average traveler), and chamber of commerce memberships (tourism boards and industry associations can be great, on the other hand).
You hit the nail on the head @OntheShore! The experiential factor is one of the reasons I encourage my clients to consider 'add-ons' and packages. Every B&B out there, with rare exception I imagine, has something truly very special to offer, and partnering with a local tour provider, museum or attraction to create a package that's mutually beneficial and can drive both new business and is something that can be offered to repeat guests as a reason to return. Millennials tipped the scale on this experiential push, but guess what? The next generation, Gen-Y, will only take it to the next level.
I know it may seem like the younger generations aren't in tune with your charming inns and B&Bs, but this (and many other articles like it) would suggest otherwise, https://www.contentedtraveller.com/millennials-discovered-b-bs-loving/.Hillbilly said:
