Anybody Join "Select Registry"

[trishany]

This was a reply to Trishny, but her post has disappeared...
It would not be up to me to recommend you. We are not in your SR region (our states are VA, WV, DE and MD), and I have never stayed at your B&B. If you are really interested I would talk to a nearby SR inn - the Mill House Inn in East Hampton is the only one close to you. It's not that easy to get accepted - there are several inns in VA who applied this year who didn't make it. You would need the support of a member inn in your region to get in, in my opinion..

Muirford -- Thank you so much! Sooooo, if we got accepted at "Select Registry", would that be the "icing on the cake"!! ?
Really, what do you think ?
.

Really, what I think (and I've said this in two previous posts) - you are not qualified to be in Select Registry. There are several requirements you don't meet. Period, end of my input on the matter. If you want to pursue it further, do your research and figure it out.
.

Muirford -- you sound like the Dean of Disipline of Select Registry., lol!!! Are they paying you "???
I'll let you know when we are accepted.
.

TrishaNY, You asked what she thought. She quoted the rules 3 times. You continued to ask what she thought, and she specifically said that it was not up to her and continued to quote the rules. You didn't like the content of her answers and are going out of your way to feel slighted.
You seem to be trolling for a disagreement. Knock it off, or we are done here.
.

Swirt, the rules quoted are very incorrect. One innkeeper cannot ASSURE another that they don't qualify or that they don't meet requirements to join a certain group.
when the content of the answer was questionned by me, the result was very distasteful postings. And I know you don't agree with unresearched postings that are posted as fact.
I'm not just disagreeing, I'm saying the answer was wrong.
Can't knock off free speech.
.

TrishaNY knock it off! Muirford is able to read and quote with the best of us. Just because you seem to have selective reading is no need to go saying things like "the rules quoted are very incorrect."
Taken directly from
http://www.selectregistry.com/application/default.aspx
Criteria #5 The property should have been in operation for a minimum of two years at the time of application THIS IS NOT YOU. In one more year, this could be you.
Criteria #6 The owner/operator or innkeeper should have at least three years of documented lodging management experience. THIS IS NOT YOU. In two more years time, it could be you.
Notice that there is no criteria #8 that says if you were written up in a local magazine you get an automatic pass to skip #5 and #6.
Muirford was trying to save you $1500 in application fees ($3000 application fee - the $1500 refundable portion they give back when your application is denied because you missed 2 out of 7 of the criteria). IF you want to persist with the assumption that they will make an exception to the criteria because you were written up in a local magazine, by all means, send them the check and start the process. Let us know how it turns out.
Please keep in mind that it is very easy to misread the tone of a response. I think you completely misread Muriford's tone if you think her original responses to your questions were distasteful. Just so there are no misunderstandings, my tone right now, should not be read as happy. If you want to test your theory of "Can't knock off free speech", continue with your tone of accusing other members of not knowing their facts. You can say what you want, but that does not mean I have to provide you the platform to say it.
.

Swirt, It's very simple -- members who don't know their facts should make a phone call. Do you think I'm making this up?!! SR CHANGED THEIR RULES. Being in four magazines (not one) has nothing to do with it at all.
But your answer is to banish the one who made you feel "slighted"?
And maybe, rename the site -- DON'T Chat, DON'T Vent, DON'T disagree with members, DON'T tell any member they're wrong when they are.
Don't "misread" anyone's "tone"?. Tone?!! There are typed words -- no chance of "misreading".
If this is the type of forum you want to run, then so be it.

 

[trishany]

One more thing - application fee is a NON-REFUNDABLE $2,000.

 

[swirt]

This was a reply to Trishny, but her post has disappeared...
It would not be up to me to recommend you. We are not in your SR region (our states are VA, WV, DE and MD), and I have never stayed at your B&B. If you are really interested I would talk to a nearby SR inn - the Mill House Inn in East Hampton is the only one close to you. It's not that easy to get accepted - there are several inns in VA who applied this year who didn't make it. You would need the support of a member inn in your region to get in, in my opinion..

Muirford -- Thank you so much! Sooooo, if we got accepted at "Select Registry", would that be the "icing on the cake"!! ?
Really, what do you think ?
.

Really, what I think (and I've said this in two previous posts) - you are not qualified to be in Select Registry. There are several requirements you don't meet. Period, end of my input on the matter. If you want to pursue it further, do your research and figure it out.
.

Muirford -- you sound like the Dean of Disipline of Select Registry., lol!!! Are they paying you "???
I'll let you know when we are accepted.
.

TrishaNY, You asked what she thought. She quoted the rules 3 times. You continued to ask what she thought, and she specifically said that it was not up to her and continued to quote the rules. You didn't like the content of her answers and are going out of your way to feel slighted.
You seem to be trolling for a disagreement. Knock it off, or we are done here.
.

Swirt, the rules quoted are very incorrect. One innkeeper cannot ASSURE another that they don't qualify or that they don't meet requirements to join a certain group.
when the content of the answer was questionned by me, the result was very distasteful postings. And I know you don't agree with unresearched postings that are posted as fact.
I'm not just disagreeing, I'm saying the answer was wrong.
Can't knock off free speech.
.

TrishaNY knock it off! Muirford is able to read and quote with the best of us. Just because you seem to have selective reading is no need to go saying things like "the rules quoted are very incorrect."
Taken directly from
http://www.selectregistry.com/application/default.aspx
Criteria #5 The property should have been in operation for a minimum of two years at the time of application THIS IS NOT YOU. In one more year, this could be you.
Criteria #6 The owner/operator or innkeeper should have at least three years of documented lodging management experience. THIS IS NOT YOU. In two more years time, it could be you.
Notice that there is no criteria #8 that says if you were written up in a local magazine you get an automatic pass to skip #5 and #6.
Muirford was trying to save you $1500 in application fees ($3000 application fee - the $1500 refundable portion they give back when your application is denied because you missed 2 out of 7 of the criteria). IF you want to persist with the assumption that they will make an exception to the criteria because you were written up in a local magazine, by all means, send them the check and start the process. Let us know how it turns out.
Please keep in mind that it is very easy to misread the tone of a response. I think you completely misread Muriford's tone if you think her original responses to your questions were distasteful. Just so there are no misunderstandings, my tone right now, should not be read as happy. If you want to test your theory of "Can't knock off free speech", continue with your tone of accusing other members of not knowing their facts. You can say what you want, but that does not mean I have to provide you the platform to say it.
.

Swirt, It's very simple -- members who don't know their facts should make a phone call. Do you think I'm making this up?!! SR CHANGED THEIR RULES. Being in four magazines (not one) has nothing to do with it at all.
But your answer is to banish the one who made you feel "slighted"?
And maybe, rename the site -- DON'T Chat, DON'T Vent, DON'T disagree with members, DON'T tell any member they're wrong when they are.
Don't "misread" anyone's "tone"?. Tone?!! There are typed words -- no chance of "misreading".
If this is the type of forum you want to run, then so be it.
.

And maybe, rename the site -- DON'T Chat, DON'T Vent, DON'T disagree with members, DON'T tell any member they're wrong when they are.

You will find hundreds of instances on this forum where people disagree. Disagreement and questions are not the issue.
You started this thread by claiming to know nothing of SR and asked what people knew. Muirford gave you a lot of good information and questioned the value of joining. Instead of listening to one bit of information that described that there would probably be no strong benefit to being a member in addition to the fact that your situation does not match the written criteria, you chose to keep pressing the issue of whether she thought you could be a member. Then when she finally said no, you accused her of being rude. You baited her into that. She spent a lot of time answering your questions with great information and in one flash you turned on her for no good reason.

It's very simple -- members who don't know their facts should make a phone call.

You want Muirford, who is a member of SR and is fully capable of reading the SR website to call up just to check to see if perhaps the rules that are in place on the website may have changed, just to answer your question about "can i join?" That's an unrealistic expectation.

Do you think I'm making this up?!! SR CHANGED THEIR RULES.

So instead of coming back here and saying, I called SR and they told me they changed the rules and the new rules are...(explaining the new rules to everyone). You come here and declare that people are "very incorrect." That's not helpful and borders on derogatory.

Being in four magazines (not one) has nothing to do with it at all.

I know, that was my point. You were the one who kept bringing it up the argument of being in Distinction magazine as a defense of why you should be allowed into SR.

Don't "misread" anyone's "tone"?. Tone?!! There are typed words -- no chance of "misreading".

See this is where there ought to be some glimmer of recognition. Some chance to say, maybe this is a misunderstanding or misinterpretation, or somehow things got off on the wrong path. Instead, you put your blinders on and keep stomping on toes. Tone of words are misread and misinterpreted all the time on forums by everyone. For you to act like that is an impossibility indicates to me that things are not likely to improve.

 

[YellowSocks]

This was a reply to Trishny, but her post has disappeared...
It would not be up to me to recommend you. We are not in your SR region (our states are VA, WV, DE and MD), and I have never stayed at your B&B. If you are really interested I would talk to a nearby SR inn - the Mill House Inn in East Hampton is the only one close to you. It's not that easy to get accepted - there are several inns in VA who applied this year who didn't make it. You would need the support of a member inn in your region to get in, in my opinion..

Muirford -- Thank you so much! Sooooo, if we got accepted at "Select Registry", would that be the "icing on the cake"!! ?
Really, what do you think ?
.

Really, what I think (and I've said this in two previous posts) - you are not qualified to be in Select Registry. There are several requirements you don't meet. Period, end of my input on the matter. If you want to pursue it further, do your research and figure it out.
.

Muirford -- you sound like the Dean of Disipline of Select Registry., lol!!! Are they paying you "???
I'll let you know when we are accepted.
.

TrishaNY, You asked what she thought. She quoted the rules 3 times. You continued to ask what she thought, and she specifically said that it was not up to her and continued to quote the rules. You didn't like the content of her answers and are going out of your way to feel slighted.
You seem to be trolling for a disagreement. Knock it off, or we are done here.
.

Swirt, the rules quoted are very incorrect. One innkeeper cannot ASSURE another that they don't qualify or that they don't meet requirements to join a certain group.
when the content of the answer was questionned by me, the result was very distasteful postings. And I know you don't agree with unresearched postings that are posted as fact.
I'm not just disagreeing, I'm saying the answer was wrong.
Can't knock off free speech.
.

TrishaNY knock it off! Muirford is able to read and quote with the best of us. Just because you seem to have selective reading is no need to go saying things like "the rules quoted are very incorrect."
Taken directly from
http://www.selectregistry.com/application/default.aspx
Criteria #5 The property should have been in operation for a minimum of two years at the time of application THIS IS NOT YOU. In one more year, this could be you.
Criteria #6 The owner/operator or innkeeper should have at least three years of documented lodging management experience. THIS IS NOT YOU. In two more years time, it could be you.
Notice that there is no criteria #8 that says if you were written up in a local magazine you get an automatic pass to skip #5 and #6.
Muirford was trying to save you $1500 in application fees ($3000 application fee - the $1500 refundable portion they give back when your application is denied because you missed 2 out of 7 of the criteria). IF you want to persist with the assumption that they will make an exception to the criteria because you were written up in a local magazine, by all means, send them the check and start the process. Let us know how it turns out.
Please keep in mind that it is very easy to misread the tone of a response. I think you completely misread Muriford's tone if you think her original responses to your questions were distasteful. Just so there are no misunderstandings, my tone right now, should not be read as happy. If you want to test your theory of "Can't knock off free speech", continue with your tone of accusing other members of not knowing their facts. You can say what you want, but that does not mean I have to provide you the platform to say it.
.

Swirt, It's very simple -- members who don't know their facts should make a phone call. Do you think I'm making this up?!! SR CHANGED THEIR RULES. Being in four magazines (not one) has nothing to do with it at all.
But your answer is to banish the one who made you feel "slighted"?
And maybe, rename the site -- DON'T Chat, DON'T Vent, DON'T disagree with members, DON'T tell any member they're wrong when they are.
Don't "misread" anyone's "tone"?. Tone?!! There are typed words -- no chance of "misreading".
If this is the type of forum you want to run, then so be it.
.

Trisha,
Try to put yourself in other's shoes... they're here, been running their inns a long time, know a lot about what they're doing, and deserve our respect. Muirford spent a lot of money, went through a lot of hassle, and spent a lot of time to be part of Select Registry. You come on saying, "what is this?" She took the time to tell you what it was. You were immediately off and running with, "I'll join it, too!" But according to the rules she joined by, and the rules posted on the website, you were ineligible. It wasn't anything personal, it was the facts as she understood them. After three times of trying to tell you that, everyone started to get frustrated and you got a warning from the site moderator. To which you replied:

Swirt, the rules quoted are very incorrect.

But you didn't give the new rules, or your source. So all anyone sees is an argument without any substance. Your post continued,

One innkeeper cannot ASSURE another that they don't qualify or that they don't meet requirements to join a certain group.

But this is exactly what you are doing to Muirford... assuring her that you DO qualify. She's in the group, has passed the test. If you can ASSURE her you can join, she can ASSURE you that you can't.

when the content of the answer was questionned by me, the result was very distasteful postings. And I know you don't agree with unresearched postings that are posted as fact.

You questioned it at least three times. That gets annoying. After so much questioning it was clear you blithely refused to believe Muirford knew what she was talking about even though she's actually a member of the group and as such is intimately familiar with the requirements she had to fulfill to join. The information on the website agreed with Muirford, lending even more weight to her argument. Your continuing to refuse to believe her or accept her answer was annoying at least, and rude in general. Posters on forums aren't usually very patient with being annoyed. That's why you started to get some distasteful postings.
Your post continued:

I'm not just disagreeing, I'm saying the answer was wrong.

What is your evidence that her answer was wrong? She's a member and the website backs her up! If you are going to say she's wrong, then you need to present your evidence, not make a general accusation.

You finished your post with:

Can't knock off free speech.

Speech here isn't free. Someone has to pay to maintain this website. Someone has to moderate it to keep spammers from posting X-rated crap and porn. There are Terms of Use which say, basically, be respectful. You can't just come on here and blast people as liars without giving your evidence.

So, finally, your most recent post says:

Swirt, It's very simple -- members who don't know their facts should make a phone call. Do you think I'm making this up?!! SR CHANGED THEIR RULES.

After all these posts, this is the first time you have informed us of the change. How would anyone know that? Muirford knows what she had to do to join, and we all can see what the website says. Why would we make a phone call? If you did, then you need to give us this evidence to support your position.

Being in four magazines (not one) has nothing to do with it at all. But your answer is to banish the one who made you feel "slighted"?

I agree that the magazines are not part of the argument. You might want to be aware that many innkeepers here have been in many magazines as well. You have the right to believe yourself to be the best B&B on the planet, but you should allow other innkeepers to have a high view of their own B&B as well. I don't think you slighted Swirt, or that he felt slighted. You have, however, persisted in questioning others to the point of rudeness, and generally stirring up frustration. As site owner Swirt hears from others, and does his best to keep the peace. It's his job to warn you to be nice. If you aren't "nice" then it's his job to ban you from the site, even if he himself doesn't feel slighted or annoyed.

And maybe, rename the site -- DON'T Chat, DON'T Vent, DON'T disagree with members, DON'T tell any member they're wrong when they are.
Don't "misread" anyone's "tone"?. Tone?!! There are typed words -- no chance of "misreading".

Look at what you typed above. Remember that ALL CAPS is the equivalent of screaming on the internet. So what you've written above has a lot of screaming. And where you have "Tone?!!" is the equivalent of indignation. There is a LOT of tone in your post. Swirt was trying to give you an "out." To say, "Oh, I must have misunderstood the tone of the posts to me."
It's "Chat, Vent, Laugh, Cry" not "Chat, Vent, Disagree, Disrespect." You can chat all day. You can vent all day. You can even disagree.... as long as you do it respectfully. If you're going to say Muirford is wrong, then you need to give evidence of why you say so. Muirford gave her evidence, you called her a liar. Who is a third party reading this thread going to support? If you want people to believe you, support your arguments.

If this is the type of forum you want to run, then so be it.

Again, here is a lot of tone. Swirt's just trying to keep the peace. I'd still like to see these new rules for SR... maybe I qualify now, too! All anyone is doing is asking you to take the time to support your claims, and be respectful of the innkeepers here who have been doing this for years and years.
That doesn't seem unreasonable to me.
=)
Kk.

 

[muirford]

This was a reply to Trishny, but her post has disappeared...
It would not be up to me to recommend you. We are not in your SR region (our states are VA, WV, DE and MD), and I have never stayed at your B&B. If you are really interested I would talk to a nearby SR inn - the Mill House Inn in East Hampton is the only one close to you. It's not that easy to get accepted - there are several inns in VA who applied this year who didn't make it. You would need the support of a member inn in your region to get in, in my opinion..

Muirford -- Thank you so much! Sooooo, if we got accepted at "Select Registry", would that be the "icing on the cake"!! ?
Really, what do you think ?
.

Really, what I think (and I've said this in two previous posts) - you are not qualified to be in Select Registry. There are several requirements you don't meet. Period, end of my input on the matter. If you want to pursue it further, do your research and figure it out.
.

Swirt, the rules quoted are very incorrect. One innkeeper cannot ASSURE another that they don't qualify or that they don't meet requirements to join a certain group.

I stand by my comments about joining SR - the requirements and the pros and cons. I hardly 'ASSURE'd anyone that they wouldn't qualify - my exact words were

Really, what I think (and I've said this in two previous posts) - you are not qualified to be in Select Registry.

If trish equates 'think' = 'ASSURE', well... that's her business, I guess. Other posts have proven that there's really no rhyme or reason in some posters' logic, deductive capabilities, or use of the English language.
What I did suggest -

If you want to pursue it further, do your research and figure it out.

- was exactly what she did with her phone call. The SR board is certainly allowed to change the criteria, and they leave themselves the ability to accept or reject anyone for any reason. Changes have NOT been communicated to the membership, and I hardly feel it is up to me to call to plead the case for someone else. As I stated, our initial application fee was much lower than the fee stated at the time because we were invited to join. That is but one example of the board's discretion in admitting properties.
All of that was in response to the direct question

Muirford -- Thank you so much! Sooooo, if we got accepted at "Select Registry", would that be the "icing on the cake"!! ?Really, what do you think ?

Question asked and answered.
I truly am done with dealing with the OP on any subject whatsoever, but I am not going to allow my integrity to be impugned by anyone, especially a poster whose mood swings from thankful to namecalling in a few hours.

 

[GeorgiaGirl]

I was curious, so I sent an email last night to SR and this is the reply that I received just now:
Karen,

Thank you for your inquiry regarding our criteria. Yes, the criteria was recently changed by our Board of Directors. Criteria 5, 6, and 7 are suggested but not required. I would be happy to send you a membership packet which outlines membership benefits, criteria and fees.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,
Carol Riggs
Membership/Quality Assurance Director
Select Registry, Distinguished Inns of North America

 

[muirford]

I was curious, so I sent an email last night to SR and this is the reply that I received just now:
Karen,

Thank you for your inquiry regarding our criteria. Yes, the criteria was recently changed by our Board of Directors. Criteria 5, 6, and 7 are suggested but not required. I would be happy to send you a membership packet which outlines membership benefits, criteria and fees.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,
Carol Riggs
Membership/Quality Assurance Director
Select Registry, Distinguished Inns of North America.

Thanks for the clarification, GG. They may be planning to tell the membership about the new guidelines at our annual conference in November. I saw the Director at a conference in January and the criteria were the same at that time.
In addition to the guidelines stated on the website, there is a much more detailed list - about four pages in total - of items that they rate your property on, including amenities, breakfasts, customer service, cleanliness, appearance and the quality of the local fine dining. That is sent along with the application so that you can see if you need to make any changes.

 

[user 26]

if the criteria have been changed, their website needs updating.
i think there is some ambiguity here ...
because this is in my head now, i emailed SR and asked two questions.
CAN a property that has been operating less than two years be a member or not? by saying 'should' instead of 'must' ... are they allowing some 'wiggle room'? 'should' to me implies 'preferred' and not an absolute.
CAN an owner/operator have less than three years documented lodging experience or not? again, they are saying 'should' instead of 'must' ...
for me, it's way too much money just to apply! assuming i met the criteria, which i don't.
just my two cents. this thread is getting out of hand.
EDITED TO SAY: MY POST WAS IN LIMBO FOR SOME REASON ... SORRY FOR THE DUPLICATE INFO.

 

[Samster]

I was curious, so I sent an email last night to SR and this is the reply that I received just now:
Karen,

Thank you for your inquiry regarding our criteria. Yes, the criteria was recently changed by our Board of Directors. Criteria 5, 6, and 7 are suggested but not required. I would be happy to send you a membership packet which outlines membership benefits, criteria and fees.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,
Carol Riggs
Membership/Quality Assurance Director
Select Registry, Distinguished Inns of North America.

Thanks for the clarification, GG. They may be planning to tell the membership about the new guidelines at our annual conference in November. I saw the Director at a conference in January and the criteria were the same at that time.
In addition to the guidelines stated on the website, there is a much more detailed list - about four pages in total - of items that they rate your property on, including amenities, breakfasts, customer service, cleanliness, appearance and the quality of the local fine dining. That is sent along with the application so that you can see if you need to make any changes.
.

Thank you, Muirford and GG, for taking the time to let the rest of the forum know about the change/flexibility in some of the requirements for application to Select Registry. I also appreciate the advice of an experienced innkeeper who is already a member regarding whether this would would be a good return on investment for me. As a newly opened property, my dollars are stretched thin enough and I greatly value this kind of input!

 

[GeorgiaGirl]

I was curious, so I sent an email last night to SR and this is the reply that I received just now:
Karen,

Thank you for your inquiry regarding our criteria. Yes, the criteria was recently changed by our Board of Directors. Criteria 5, 6, and 7 are suggested but not required. I would be happy to send you a membership packet which outlines membership benefits, criteria and fees.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,
Carol Riggs
Membership/Quality Assurance Director
Select Registry, Distinguished Inns of North America.

Thanks for the clarification, GG. They may be planning to tell the membership about the new guidelines at our annual conference in November. I saw the Director at a conference in January and the criteria were the same at that time.
In addition to the guidelines stated on the website, there is a much more detailed list - about four pages in total - of items that they rate your property on, including amenities, breakfasts, customer service, cleanliness, appearance and the quality of the local fine dining. That is sent along with the application so that you can see if you need to make any changes.
.

Thank you, Muirford and GG, for taking the time to let the rest of the forum know about the change/flexibility in some of the requirements for application to Select Registry. I also appreciate the advice of an experienced innkeeper who is already a member regarding whether this would would be a good return on investment for me. As a newly opened property, my dollars are stretched thin enough and I greatly value this kind of input!
.

Like I said previously, as a traveler I have never been on SR to look for an Inn to book...even thought I heard about them in 06 until this thread I had never been to their website.
As a member of SR do you get more bookings? How do you know they booked because you are a member if they don't go through the SR website, do they normally tell you that's where they found you?
When we booked for our trip we looked on many different places. When we saw something we were interested in we wrote down their names, etc., and visited their websites. We booked all our stays directly through each Inn's website and only had 1 Innkeeper ask where we found them.

 

[JunieBJones (JBJ)]

I was curious, so I sent an email last night to SR and this is the reply that I received just now:
Karen,

Thank you for your inquiry regarding our criteria. Yes, the criteria was recently changed by our Board of Directors. Criteria 5, 6, and 7 are suggested but not required. I would be happy to send you a membership packet which outlines membership benefits, criteria and fees.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,
Carol Riggs
Membership/Quality Assurance Director
Select Registry, Distinguished Inns of North America.

Thanks for the clarification, GG. They may be planning to tell the membership about the new guidelines at our annual conference in November. I saw the Director at a conference in January and the criteria were the same at that time.
In addition to the guidelines stated on the website, there is a much more detailed list - about four pages in total - of items that they rate your property on, including amenities, breakfasts, customer service, cleanliness, appearance and the quality of the local fine dining. That is sent along with the application so that you can see if you need to make any changes.
.

Thank you, Muirford and GG, for taking the time to let the rest of the forum know about the change/flexibility in some of the requirements for application to Select Registry. I also appreciate the advice of an experienced innkeeper who is already a member regarding whether this would would be a good return on investment for me. As a newly opened property, my dollars are stretched thin enough and I greatly value this kind of input!
.

Like I said previously, as a traveler I have never been on SR to look for an Inn to book...even thought I heard about them in 06 until this thread I had never been to their website.
As a member of SR do you get more bookings? How do you know they booked because you are a member if they don't go through the SR website, do they normally tell you that's where they found you?
When we booked for our trip we looked on many different places. When we saw something we were interested in we wrote down their names, etc., and visited their websites. We booked all our stays directly through each Inn's website and only had 1 Innkeeper ask where we found them.
.

Like I said previously, as a traveler I have never been on SR to look for an Inn to book...even thought I heard about them in 06 until this thread I had never been to their website.
As a member of SR do you get more bookings? How do you know they booked because you are a member if they don't go through the SR website, do they normally tell you that's where they found you?
When we booked for our trip we looked on many different places. When we saw something we were interested in we wrote down their names, etc., and visited their websites. We booked all our stays directly through each Inn's website and only had 1 Innkeeper ask where we found them.

Our website asks you that question, so I would never ask in person. It is a check list - you select where you found us, same as REASON FOR THE VISIT - Getaway, anniversary, college, etc
The reason innkeepers don't ask is this is the answer they get 99.9% of the time "on line"

 

[muirford]

I was curious, so I sent an email last night to SR and this is the reply that I received just now:
Karen,

Thank you for your inquiry regarding our criteria. Yes, the criteria was recently changed by our Board of Directors. Criteria 5, 6, and 7 are suggested but not required. I would be happy to send you a membership packet which outlines membership benefits, criteria and fees.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,
Carol Riggs
Membership/Quality Assurance Director
Select Registry, Distinguished Inns of North America.

Thanks for the clarification, GG. They may be planning to tell the membership about the new guidelines at our annual conference in November. I saw the Director at a conference in January and the criteria were the same at that time.
In addition to the guidelines stated on the website, there is a much more detailed list - about four pages in total - of items that they rate your property on, including amenities, breakfasts, customer service, cleanliness, appearance and the quality of the local fine dining. That is sent along with the application so that you can see if you need to make any changes.
.

Thank you, Muirford and GG, for taking the time to let the rest of the forum know about the change/flexibility in some of the requirements for application to Select Registry. I also appreciate the advice of an experienced innkeeper who is already a member regarding whether this would would be a good return on investment for me. As a newly opened property, my dollars are stretched thin enough and I greatly value this kind of input!
.

Like I said previously, as a traveler I have never been on SR to look for an Inn to book...even thought I heard about them in 06 until this thread I had never been to their website.
As a member of SR do you get more bookings? How do you know they booked because you are a member if they don't go through the SR website, do they normally tell you that's where they found you?
When we booked for our trip we looked on many different places. When we saw something we were interested in we wrote down their names, etc., and visited their websites. We booked all our stays directly through each Inn's website and only had 1 Innkeeper ask where we found them.
.

The first year we were in SR, we did not get enough bookings through SR to pay the cost of membership; in fact, we introduced many of our repeat guests to SR who had never heard about it. This year, and last year, we are seeing many more bookings that have come through Select Registry. We can tell because they say so when they book online (they select Select Registry as the referral source) or they bring their book when they arrive for an additional stamp. We have probably redeemed about 6 of the SR completion awards this year and several SR gift certificates (which costs us 10% of the face value). In addition, this year we see more people during the week (the hardest time to fill our vacancies) who are SR guests - so that's good.
Really, most people don't use the SR website - they use the SR book. It's a very high-quality marketing piece. I have had guests say they never stay at a B&B that isn't Select Registry (I always tell them there are very nice B&Bs not listed in SR for one reason or another). In addition, SR has advertising opportunities with magazines like Ideal Destinations and BMW.
Still, it's a long payback period for the initial and annual fees. There may be an intangible aspect as well, which will be helpful when we decide to sell the Inn. But I couldn't put a $$ amount on that.
ETA - This is MY experience with SR. Other SR innkeepers may have different results.

 

[Samster]

I was curious, so I sent an email last night to SR and this is the reply that I received just now:
Karen,

Thank you for your inquiry regarding our criteria. Yes, the criteria was recently changed by our Board of Directors. Criteria 5, 6, and 7 are suggested but not required. I would be happy to send you a membership packet which outlines membership benefits, criteria and fees.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,
Carol Riggs
Membership/Quality Assurance Director
Select Registry, Distinguished Inns of North America.

Thanks for the clarification, GG. They may be planning to tell the membership about the new guidelines at our annual conference in November. I saw the Director at a conference in January and the criteria were the same at that time.
In addition to the guidelines stated on the website, there is a much more detailed list - about four pages in total - of items that they rate your property on, including amenities, breakfasts, customer service, cleanliness, appearance and the quality of the local fine dining. That is sent along with the application so that you can see if you need to make any changes.
.

Thank you, Muirford and GG, for taking the time to let the rest of the forum know about the change/flexibility in some of the requirements for application to Select Registry. I also appreciate the advice of an experienced innkeeper who is already a member regarding whether this would would be a good return on investment for me. As a newly opened property, my dollars are stretched thin enough and I greatly value this kind of input!
.

Like I said previously, as a traveler I have never been on SR to look for an Inn to book...even thought I heard about them in 06 until this thread I had never been to their website.
As a member of SR do you get more bookings? How do you know they booked because you are a member if they don't go through the SR website, do they normally tell you that's where they found you?
When we booked for our trip we looked on many different places. When we saw something we were interested in we wrote down their names, etc., and visited their websites. We booked all our stays directly through each Inn's website and only had 1 Innkeeper ask where we found them.
.

The first year we were in SR, we did not get enough bookings through SR to pay the cost of membership; in fact, we introduced many of our repeat guests to SR who had never heard about it. This year, and last year, we are seeing many more bookings that have come through Select Registry. We can tell because they say so when they book online (they select Select Registry as the referral source) or they bring their book when they arrive for an additional stamp. We have probably redeemed about 6 of the SR completion awards this year and several SR gift certificates (which costs us 10% of the face value). In addition, this year we see more people during the week (the hardest time to fill our vacancies) who are SR guests - so that's good.
Really, most people don't use the SR website - they use the SR book. It's a very high-quality marketing piece. I have had guests say they never stay at a B&B that isn't Select Registry (I always tell them there are very nice B&Bs not listed in SR for one reason or another). In addition, SR has advertising opportunities with magazines like Ideal Destinations and BMW.
Still, it's a long payback period for the initial and annual fees. There may be an intangible aspect as well, which will be helpful when we decide to sell the Inn. But I couldn't put a $$ amount on that.
ETA - This is MY experience with SR. Other SR innkeepers may have different results.
.

I have traveled with the SR book and the properties in the book are top notch. I agree it's a great marketing tool. I think that it's good to be open awhile to see if applying to them for selection is worth the investment. One of our B&Bs here was a member and dropped it after several years - she told me that she did not get one single direct booking from them. So, maybe it wouldn't be a good investment for my area? I don't know. I'd have to really look at it, if I thought that I was even eligible to apply. I could put those same dollars in directories, Google Adwords, and some other stuff, just to name a few. We are not rolling in dough here

 

[Samster]

if the criteria have been changed, their website needs updating.
i think there is some ambiguity here ...
because this is in my head now, i emailed SR and asked two questions.
CAN a property that has been operating less than two years be a member or not? by saying 'should' instead of 'must' ... are they allowing some 'wiggle room'? 'should' to me implies 'preferred' and not an absolute.
CAN an owner/operator have less than three years documented lodging experience or not? again, they are saying 'should' instead of 'must' ...
for me, it's way too much money just to apply! assuming i met the criteria, which i don't.
just my two cents. this thread is getting out of hand.
EDITED TO SAY: MY POST WAS IN LIMBO FOR SOME REASON ... SORRY FOR THE DUPLICATE INFO..

Updating their website? Might be up to their webmaster who is saying that they'll get to it

I am still not on our C&VB website! Ack!

 

[GeorgiaGirl]

I was curious, so I sent an email last night to SR and this is the reply that I received just now:
Karen,

Thank you for your inquiry regarding our criteria. Yes, the criteria was recently changed by our Board of Directors. Criteria 5, 6, and 7 are suggested but not required. I would be happy to send you a membership packet which outlines membership benefits, criteria and fees.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,
Carol Riggs
Membership/Quality Assurance Director
Select Registry, Distinguished Inns of North America.

Thanks for the clarification, GG. They may be planning to tell the membership about the new guidelines at our annual conference in November. I saw the Director at a conference in January and the criteria were the same at that time.
In addition to the guidelines stated on the website, there is a much more detailed list - about four pages in total - of items that they rate your property on, including amenities, breakfasts, customer service, cleanliness, appearance and the quality of the local fine dining. That is sent along with the application so that you can see if you need to make any changes.
.

Thank you, Muirford and GG, for taking the time to let the rest of the forum know about the change/flexibility in some of the requirements for application to Select Registry. I also appreciate the advice of an experienced innkeeper who is already a member regarding whether this would would be a good return on investment for me. As a newly opened property, my dollars are stretched thin enough and I greatly value this kind of input!
.

Like I said previously, as a traveler I have never been on SR to look for an Inn to book...even thought I heard about them in 06 until this thread I had never been to their website.
As a member of SR do you get more bookings? How do you know they booked because you are a member if they don't go through the SR website, do they normally tell you that's where they found you?
When we booked for our trip we looked on many different places. When we saw something we were interested in we wrote down their names, etc., and visited their websites. We booked all our stays directly through each Inn's website and only had 1 Innkeeper ask where we found them.
.

Like I said previously, as a traveler I have never been on SR to look for an Inn to book...even thought I heard about them in 06 until this thread I had never been to their website.
As a member of SR do you get more bookings? How do you know they booked because you are a member if they don't go through the SR website, do they normally tell you that's where they found you?
When we booked for our trip we looked on many different places. When we saw something we were interested in we wrote down their names, etc., and visited their websites. We booked all our stays directly through each Inn's website and only had 1 Innkeeper ask where we found them.

Our website asks you that question, so I would never ask in person. It is a check list - you select where you found us, same as REASON FOR THE VISIT - Getaway, anniversary, college, etc
The reason innkeepers don't ask is this is the answer they get 99.9% of the time "on line"
.

I don't remember any of the websites when we booked asking us where we found their Inn... YEP, my response if you asked me would be "somewhere online" since I would have looked all over I wouldn't remember where I saw you

 

[Penelope]

I think it was last year when SR tried something new: putting their books onto a computer CD. I know we handed a few out to guests who preferred the CD to the book, but I don't know of many people who use the SR site to find a place to stay.

 

[GeorgiaGirl]

I was curious, so I sent an email last night to SR and this is the reply that I received just now:
Karen,

Thank you for your inquiry regarding our criteria. Yes, the criteria was recently changed by our Board of Directors. Criteria 5, 6, and 7 are suggested but not required. I would be happy to send you a membership packet which outlines membership benefits, criteria and fees.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,
Carol Riggs
Membership/Quality Assurance Director
Select Registry, Distinguished Inns of North America.

Thanks for the clarification, GG. They may be planning to tell the membership about the new guidelines at our annual conference in November. I saw the Director at a conference in January and the criteria were the same at that time.
In addition to the guidelines stated on the website, there is a much more detailed list - about four pages in total - of items that they rate your property on, including amenities, breakfasts, customer service, cleanliness, appearance and the quality of the local fine dining. That is sent along with the application so that you can see if you need to make any changes.
.

Thank you, Muirford and GG, for taking the time to let the rest of the forum know about the change/flexibility in some of the requirements for application to Select Registry. I also appreciate the advice of an experienced innkeeper who is already a member regarding whether this would would be a good return on investment for me. As a newly opened property, my dollars are stretched thin enough and I greatly value this kind of input!
.

Like I said previously, as a traveler I have never been on SR to look for an Inn to book...even thought I heard about them in 06 until this thread I had never been to their website.
As a member of SR do you get more bookings? How do you know they booked because you are a member if they don't go through the SR website, do they normally tell you that's where they found you?
When we booked for our trip we looked on many different places. When we saw something we were interested in we wrote down their names, etc., and visited their websites. We booked all our stays directly through each Inn's website and only had 1 Innkeeper ask where we found them.
.

The first year we were in SR, we did not get enough bookings through SR to pay the cost of membership; in fact, we introduced many of our repeat guests to SR who had never heard about it. This year, and last year, we are seeing many more bookings that have come through Select Registry. We can tell because they say so when they book online (they select Select Registry as the referral source) or they bring their book when they arrive for an additional stamp. We have probably redeemed about 6 of the SR completion awards this year and several SR gift certificates (which costs us 10% of the face value). In addition, this year we see more people during the week (the hardest time to fill our vacancies) who are SR guests - so that's good.
Really, most people don't use the SR website - they use the SR book. It's a very high-quality marketing piece. I have had guests say they never stay at a B&B that isn't Select Registry (I always tell them there are very nice B&Bs not listed in SR for one reason or another). In addition, SR has advertising opportunities with magazines like Ideal Destinations and BMW.
Still, it's a long payback period for the initial and annual fees. There may be an intangible aspect as well, which will be helpful when we decide to sell the Inn. But I couldn't put a $$ amount on that.
ETA - This is MY experience with SR. Other SR innkeepers may have different results.
.

Since you have to do a $25 Loyalty Reward with the 3 stamp Certificate, do you normally give them a discount or do some other upgrade? Personally I would prefer the discount but I know the certificate says you have the right to substitute for an upgrade or other $25 value item.
Also it states this offer can't be combined with any other discounts, special offers or gift certificates, does that mean someone can't use a bedandbreakfast dot com gift certificate or such?
Since I have the current SR book, I guess I might as well take a look

 

[muirford]

I was curious, so I sent an email last night to SR and this is the reply that I received just now:
Karen,

Thank you for your inquiry regarding our criteria. Yes, the criteria was recently changed by our Board of Directors. Criteria 5, 6, and 7 are suggested but not required. I would be happy to send you a membership packet which outlines membership benefits, criteria and fees.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,
Carol Riggs
Membership/Quality Assurance Director
Select Registry, Distinguished Inns of North America.

Thanks for the clarification, GG. They may be planning to tell the membership about the new guidelines at our annual conference in November. I saw the Director at a conference in January and the criteria were the same at that time.
In addition to the guidelines stated on the website, there is a much more detailed list - about four pages in total - of items that they rate your property on, including amenities, breakfasts, customer service, cleanliness, appearance and the quality of the local fine dining. That is sent along with the application so that you can see if you need to make any changes.
.

Thank you, Muirford and GG, for taking the time to let the rest of the forum know about the change/flexibility in some of the requirements for application to Select Registry. I also appreciate the advice of an experienced innkeeper who is already a member regarding whether this would would be a good return on investment for me. As a newly opened property, my dollars are stretched thin enough and I greatly value this kind of input!
.

Like I said previously, as a traveler I have never been on SR to look for an Inn to book...even thought I heard about them in 06 until this thread I had never been to their website.
As a member of SR do you get more bookings? How do you know they booked because you are a member if they don't go through the SR website, do they normally tell you that's where they found you?
When we booked for our trip we looked on many different places. When we saw something we were interested in we wrote down their names, etc., and visited their websites. We booked all our stays directly through each Inn's website and only had 1 Innkeeper ask where we found them.
.

The first year we were in SR, we did not get enough bookings through SR to pay the cost of membership; in fact, we introduced many of our repeat guests to SR who had never heard about it. This year, and last year, we are seeing many more bookings that have come through Select Registry. We can tell because they say so when they book online (they select Select Registry as the referral source) or they bring their book when they arrive for an additional stamp. We have probably redeemed about 6 of the SR completion awards this year and several SR gift certificates (which costs us 10% of the face value). In addition, this year we see more people during the week (the hardest time to fill our vacancies) who are SR guests - so that's good.
Really, most people don't use the SR website - they use the SR book. It's a very high-quality marketing piece. I have had guests say they never stay at a B&B that isn't Select Registry (I always tell them there are very nice B&Bs not listed in SR for one reason or another). In addition, SR has advertising opportunities with magazines like Ideal Destinations and BMW.
Still, it's a long payback period for the initial and annual fees. There may be an intangible aspect as well, which will be helpful when we decide to sell the Inn. But I couldn't put a $$ amount on that.
ETA - This is MY experience with SR. Other SR innkeepers may have different results.
.

Since you have to do a $25 Loyalty Reward with the 3 stamp Certificate, do you normally give them a discount or do some other upgrade? Personally I would prefer the discount but I know the certificate says you have the right to substitute for an upgrade or other $25 value item.
Also it states this offer can't be combined with any other discounts, special offers or gift certificates, does that mean someone can't use a bedandbreakfast dot com gift certificate or such?
Since I have the current SR book, I guess I might as well take a look

.

Some SR innkeepers follow those rules very strictly and others are a bit more lenient. You don't have to give the discount with anything else and you can substitute a similarly priced upgrade or package. I have always done the discount, and one time I did it in conjunction with a SR gift certificate. But again, that is me and I'm not speaking for anybody else. Since it's my discount, I believe I can be more generous than the rules but not more strict.

 

[JunieBJones (JBJ)]

I was curious, so I sent an email last night to SR and this is the reply that I received just now:
Karen,

Thank you for your inquiry regarding our criteria. Yes, the criteria was recently changed by our Board of Directors. Criteria 5, 6, and 7 are suggested but not required. I would be happy to send you a membership packet which outlines membership benefits, criteria and fees.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,
Carol Riggs
Membership/Quality Assurance Director
Select Registry, Distinguished Inns of North America.

Thanks for the clarification, GG. They may be planning to tell the membership about the new guidelines at our annual conference in November. I saw the Director at a conference in January and the criteria were the same at that time.
In addition to the guidelines stated on the website, there is a much more detailed list - about four pages in total - of items that they rate your property on, including amenities, breakfasts, customer service, cleanliness, appearance and the quality of the local fine dining. That is sent along with the application so that you can see if you need to make any changes.
.

Thank you, Muirford and GG, for taking the time to let the rest of the forum know about the change/flexibility in some of the requirements for application to Select Registry. I also appreciate the advice of an experienced innkeeper who is already a member regarding whether this would would be a good return on investment for me. As a newly opened property, my dollars are stretched thin enough and I greatly value this kind of input!
.

Like I said previously, as a traveler I have never been on SR to look for an Inn to book...even thought I heard about them in 06 until this thread I had never been to their website.
As a member of SR do you get more bookings? How do you know they booked because you are a member if they don't go through the SR website, do they normally tell you that's where they found you?
When we booked for our trip we looked on many different places. When we saw something we were interested in we wrote down their names, etc., and visited their websites. We booked all our stays directly through each Inn's website and only had 1 Innkeeper ask where we found them.
.

Like I said previously, as a traveler I have never been on SR to look for an Inn to book...even thought I heard about them in 06 until this thread I had never been to their website.
As a member of SR do you get more bookings? How do you know they booked because you are a member if they don't go through the SR website, do they normally tell you that's where they found you?
When we booked for our trip we looked on many different places. When we saw something we were interested in we wrote down their names, etc., and visited their websites. We booked all our stays directly through each Inn's website and only had 1 Innkeeper ask where we found them.

Our website asks you that question, so I would never ask in person. It is a check list - you select where you found us, same as REASON FOR THE VISIT - Getaway, anniversary, college, etc
The reason innkeepers don't ask is this is the answer they get 99.9% of the time "on line"
.

I don't remember any of the websites when we booked asking us where we found their Inn... YEP, my response if you asked me would be "somewhere online" since I would have looked all over I wouldn't remember where I saw you

.

I don't remember any of the websites when we booked asking us where we found their Inn... YEP, my response if you asked me would be "somewhere online" since I would have looked all over I wouldn't remember where I saw you

It is set up automatically in WEBERVATIONS and a few of the other online booking services we use here.
EXample from my guests for tonight:
Why are you visiting the area: OTHER
How did you find us: Google
Why are you visiting the area: Anniversary
How did you find us: BnBFinder Web site,Bedandbreakfast.com
Why are you visiting the area: OTHER
How did you find us: a friend or co-worker
(PS the first and last other are here for a vintage gun shoot or something, I have the other in there for the one off's)

 

[muirford]

I think it was last year when SR tried something new: putting their books onto a computer CD. I know we handed a few out to guests who preferred the CD to the book, but I don't know of many people who use the SR site to find a place to stay..

I have had a few who say they check the website for new properties - this happened once or twice our first year, when we were members before the new books came out.
So you are an innkeeper at an SR inn? Would you email me offline as to which one?