Benefits of INN to INN packages

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JunieBJones (JBJ)

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Okay here is my question. I have contacted a wonderful inn about 3 or 4 hours from here in a town that seems to be collecting my guests. Either enroute to us or back North. I have had half a dozen go to this town in the last two weeks. A half a dozen to not notice the pattern.
I have looked at a couple of your INN to INN packages and am wondering this: What are the benefits of this package that are causing people to book with you? Versus just book separately at each Inn?
#1 Could it be just as beneficial if I list this other B&B on our website and they do the same? We can call it an Inn to Inn but not include lunch or dinner gc's etc/ (The reason I ask as I would like to catch people in the planning stage, as many shoot out of here to three or four of this other inns competitors and I know this Inn is much nicer, better place to stay.)
Have any of you tried that first before going full bore Inn to Inn prepaid package? I am worried that for our guests they will see the overall cost and be scared away. Sure they spend it anyway, but seeing it upfront can be frightening.
Any thoughts on this ARE APPRECIATED!
 
OK, my experience (limited tho it may be) is that guests are happy to take my advice on where to stay if they have not made their reservations in advance. Whether or not they actually GO to the places I recommend, I don't know unless they tell that innkeeper and that innkeeper tells me.
So, the inn to inn is working for me (us), I think, because of the DIFFERENCE in the inn locations AND because we planned the whole thing for them. Go here, do this. Go there, do that. And, OBTW, eat here on the way.
Yes, the initial price(s) may look scary, but so far no one has said, 'That's a bit pricey.' Then again, from the stats I have, around 30 people have looked at it (on the state website), 10 have printed it out (the state keeps good records) and 3 have booked. Some may have found it on my site, but I'm not sure about that. I think it's all been the state site. (Which got me to list more packages on there than I had before, and I'll add more later.)
I think a 10% buy-in on a package is terrific.
 
Ok so one benefit is marketing your inns on another website, state tourism website. That is a place people DO look for packages. Valuable information, thanks.
Has the one inn has a room open but the other does not, impacted any guests yet?
 
Ok so one benefit is marketing your inns on another website, state tourism website. That is a place people DO look for packages. Valuable information, thanks.
Has the one inn has a room open but the other does not, impacted any guests yet?.
OK, it's really tight here (not my place, I'm still pretty open) in August, which is when it seems the most (2) bookings are for. So, there was a bit of back and forth on whether to give one couple a smaller room or just say, 'Sorry, we're full.' They were fine with the smaller room (at a discount) and booked.
So that part worked out. I gotta say, bar none, this is the best package we've done in re the number of bookings, how quickly they came in and how long they are staying.
But, it IS tricky trying to book them. Looking at both rez calendars at the same time, trying to line up the dates, going back a week, forward a week to make it work is work.
The way we're doing it is the first inn in the line-up collects the money and the deposit and mails the share to the other inn once the guests check-in and pay. If the guest cancels inside the cancellation period, we split the deposit between us. Whoever has the 'attraction' at their end, buys the tix. (I buy the shopping coupons & dinner in my town, the other inn buys for that area.) Whoever gets the guests first buys the GC for lunch so they can stop and eat along the way and the tix for the attraction that's along the way.
The idea with us is that it keeps the guests busy for long enough so they're not showing up on the doorstep at noon.
 
My inn-to-inn packages are built around activities. The rail-trail package, after the article in the Pittsburgh paper more than doubled our revenues (both inns) that year. The entire time that package was available was successful. I did learn from that though - everyone does the same thing, build the rate per the most expensive inn room rate, split the money equally and the only difference is in the tax rates for each inn. The beginning inn runs the charge and sends a check to the other for their half.
Example - my rate is higher than the inn in Toronto (Ohio) so she actually make more profit on the package but I do not care because I got what I wanted from it. If she raises her rates we do not have to change the package price (unless I change my rates).
People do like the inn to-inn because everything is arranged. Write one check and be done. I got the TV gig on Speed Channel because I had the inn-to-inn. Publicity for the price of a couple rooms. We had several articles and got into several guide books because of the inn-to-inn rail-trail package.
 
Alrighty I whipped out this INN TO INN page. We emailed back and forth and I decided that I would like to try a recommendation page first and see how it goes.
I am just not sure all the details can be ironed out that easily. So until we grasp them, this page will work.
I have links to it on 6 other pages within our website. I really am link happy on this website. I wish I could organize them better, but in another life!
If they agree with my snappy Thomas Jefferson Theme we might make the page a bit more interesting. But I think Blue Ridge is more sellable for a broader audience right now. But for now here it is. There are also links within their website to Riki's winery tours. So this world is a giant hyperlink isn't it.
 
Alrighty I whipped out this INN TO INN page. We emailed back and forth and I decided that I would like to try a recommendation page first and see how it goes.
I am just not sure all the details can be ironed out that easily. So until we grasp them, this page will work.
I have links to it on 6 other pages within our website. I really am link happy on this website. I wish I could organize them better, but in another life!
If they agree with my snappy Thomas Jefferson Theme we might make the page a bit more interesting. But I think Blue Ridge is more sellable for a broader audience right now. But for now here it is. There are also links within their website to Riki's winery tours. So this world is a giant hyperlink isn't it..
Very nice. I like the way you have put the Google map to show where each inn is in relation to the other. Good luck with it. Let us kow how it works.
 
Alrighty I whipped out this INN TO INN page. We emailed back and forth and I decided that I would like to try a recommendation page first and see how it goes.
I am just not sure all the details can be ironed out that easily. So until we grasp them, this page will work.
I have links to it on 6 other pages within our website. I really am link happy on this website. I wish I could organize them better, but in another life!
If they agree with my snappy Thomas Jefferson Theme we might make the page a bit more interesting. But I think Blue Ridge is more sellable for a broader audience right now. But for now here it is. There are also links within their website to Riki's winery tours. So this world is a giant hyperlink isn't it..
So they have the same page (more or less) recommending you?
I have a short blip at the end of my to do page with a link to my friends' inn in Camden. Pic of the dog on the porch. They have me on their links page. I do get a lot of incoming traffic from that link and I see a lot going out.
I like the map, good idea!
 
I sent them the link. They will have their webmaster put something together they mentioned the other day. I think we are both concerned with how the Inn to Inn thing all pans out, so for now I think this will be great.
Ya know people (ie guests) do not know, they pretty much pull a B&B out of a hat and HOPE for the best. We all do the same thing. Of course we can T.A. review check.
Like I mentioned, this was the area where guests went to an Inn I don't recommend and felt terrible not telling them. But it is not my business to do so.
From all of that I am gleaning info off of you especially Bree, and the other comments from the forum. I care about my guests. I don't want them going to an icky place where they will be ignored and not treated well. Charged for the air they breathe and water they drink.
 
I sent them the link. They will have their webmaster put something together they mentioned the other day. I think we are both concerned with how the Inn to Inn thing all pans out, so for now I think this will be great.
Ya know people (ie guests) do not know, they pretty much pull a B&B out of a hat and HOPE for the best. We all do the same thing. Of course we can T.A. review check.
Like I mentioned, this was the area where guests went to an Inn I don't recommend and felt terrible not telling them. But it is not my business to do so.
From all of that I am gleaning info off of you especially Bree, and the other comments from the forum. I care about my guests. I don't want them going to an icky place where they will be ignored and not treated well. Charged for the air they breathe and water they drink..
NIce job :) Looks like a nice place to recommend guests to. I like your map feature too...that is a great visual to see just how far the other inn is from you & how close to the Interstate & Parkway.
 
Alrighty I whipped out this INN TO INN page. We emailed back and forth and I decided that I would like to try a recommendation page first and see how it goes.
I am just not sure all the details can be ironed out that easily. So until we grasp them, this page will work.
I have links to it on 6 other pages within our website. I really am link happy on this website. I wish I could organize them better, but in another life!
If they agree with my snappy Thomas Jefferson Theme we might make the page a bit more interesting. But I think Blue Ridge is more sellable for a broader audience right now. But for now here it is. There are also links within their website to Riki's winery tours. So this world is a giant hyperlink isn't it..
we were talking about Inn to Inn events today at our regional BBAV meeting... like what you have done!!
 
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