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Morticia

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OK, so we've all had semi (or really) famous guests. (Or will have at some point.) I have a few guests who are authors and we have their books. Today, a photographer's wife gave us his new book. He stayed with us last year while shooting the pix (some of them). He'll be here later on this summer (she thinks) so we'll get the book signed then.
Is it ok to blog about the book and mention he stayed here, or mention we know him? Just mention the book? Ask permission first? (I'd have to email for permission, I don't even have a phone number for them.)
I'm hoping we make it into the next book, he does mention other inns in this one, but they are located where he was taking the pix. He's not the kind of person you ask to swap room nights for inn photos, tho. But I wish he was.
BTW, great pix of SS's town (but not her place).
 
I think I would ask for his/her permission first. Better save then sorry.
But let me ask you a question about "He's not the kind of person you ask to swap room nights for inn photos, tho. But I wish he was."
How do you distinguish between free nights and pay. Who gets priveleged and who not?
Do you ask them for photos and mentioning in the new book ?
I had one travel writer stay here and I gave him a free night. Lets see what happens there.
 
I think I would ask for his/her permission first. Better save then sorry.
But let me ask you a question about "He's not the kind of person you ask to swap room nights for inn photos, tho. But I wish he was."
How do you distinguish between free nights and pay. Who gets priveleged and who not?
Do you ask them for photos and mentioning in the new book ?
I had one travel writer stay here and I gave him a free night. Lets see what happens there..
What I meant was, he's not the kind of person I would ask to take pix of my place in exchange for me giving him a free room.
There are guests who you just get a sense about who don't think of themselves in the bartering mode. I've only comped a few nights over the years but those were still 'barters' of some sort. I got something back in the exchange.
If this guy comes back this summer, I will ask him where he's shooting next. Then I might hint that the other inns in this book looked so nice. I think sometimes that guests forget that the place they stay would like a mention, not just the places the deliberately go out to photograph!
A travel writer is something else altogether. With them it's good to know WHY they are staying? Is there an article in the works? Can you help them find hidden gems they might not know about? Or are they just on vacation and trying to do it on the cheap?
 
I think I would ask for his/her permission first. Better save then sorry.
But let me ask you a question about "He's not the kind of person you ask to swap room nights for inn photos, tho. But I wish he was."
How do you distinguish between free nights and pay. Who gets priveleged and who not?
Do you ask them for photos and mentioning in the new book ?
I had one travel writer stay here and I gave him a free night. Lets see what happens there..
Since I am not in an area that would be considered a "vacation" place by most travel writers I do not have to be as cautious as some here, but my travel writers have usually been vetted by the Tourism Division. They have called me several times about writers and asking about rooms - and not always looking for freebies. We are in several books because of freebies and have been mentioned in articles because of discounts we gave. We had one writer who told me up front he was a travel writer wannabe and I told him we all have to start somewhere and if he made it, I expected a great write-up. He was from Canada and I have no idea if he sold his article or future articles or not.
Ask where they have been published, what is the focus of this article and where will it be printed? If they are NOT freelance, they are not allowed to accept a freebie. That is what the writer for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette told me - I offered a freebie and she paid and the article she wrote more than doubled my revenues that year. I do wish she would come back....
 
I think I would ask for his/her permission first. Better save then sorry.
But let me ask you a question about "He's not the kind of person you ask to swap room nights for inn photos, tho. But I wish he was."
How do you distinguish between free nights and pay. Who gets priveleged and who not?
Do you ask them for photos and mentioning in the new book ?
I had one travel writer stay here and I gave him a free night. Lets see what happens there..
What I meant was, he's not the kind of person I would ask to take pix of my place in exchange for me giving him a free room.
There are guests who you just get a sense about who don't think of themselves in the bartering mode. I've only comped a few nights over the years but those were still 'barters' of some sort. I got something back in the exchange.
If this guy comes back this summer, I will ask him where he's shooting next. Then I might hint that the other inns in this book looked so nice. I think sometimes that guests forget that the place they stay would like a mention, not just the places the deliberately go out to photograph!
A travel writer is something else altogether. With them it's good to know WHY they are staying? Is there an article in the works? Can you help them find hidden gems they might not know about? Or are they just on vacation and trying to do it on the cheap?
.
This said writer is working on a new travel guide book for England. Europeans are on the rise....
 
I think I would ask for his/her permission first. Better save then sorry.
But let me ask you a question about "He's not the kind of person you ask to swap room nights for inn photos, tho. But I wish he was."
How do you distinguish between free nights and pay. Who gets priveleged and who not?
Do you ask them for photos and mentioning in the new book ?
I had one travel writer stay here and I gave him a free night. Lets see what happens there..
What I meant was, he's not the kind of person I would ask to take pix of my place in exchange for me giving him a free room.
There are guests who you just get a sense about who don't think of themselves in the bartering mode. I've only comped a few nights over the years but those were still 'barters' of some sort. I got something back in the exchange.
If this guy comes back this summer, I will ask him where he's shooting next. Then I might hint that the other inns in this book looked so nice. I think sometimes that guests forget that the place they stay would like a mention, not just the places the deliberately go out to photograph!
A travel writer is something else altogether. With them it's good to know WHY they are staying? Is there an article in the works? Can you help them find hidden gems they might not know about? Or are they just on vacation and trying to do it on the cheap?
.
This said writer is working on a new travel guide book for England. Europeans are on the rise....
.
I would do a free night on speculation. It did not cost me much if the eoom would be empty otherwise.
One way to have a better guess as to legit or not; legit will not (usually) try to book during the busy season.
 
I think I would ask for his/her permission first. Better save then sorry.
But let me ask you a question about "He's not the kind of person you ask to swap room nights for inn photos, tho. But I wish he was."
How do you distinguish between free nights and pay. Who gets priveleged and who not?
Do you ask them for photos and mentioning in the new book ?
I had one travel writer stay here and I gave him a free night. Lets see what happens there..
What I meant was, he's not the kind of person I would ask to take pix of my place in exchange for me giving him a free room.
There are guests who you just get a sense about who don't think of themselves in the bartering mode. I've only comped a few nights over the years but those were still 'barters' of some sort. I got something back in the exchange.
If this guy comes back this summer, I will ask him where he's shooting next. Then I might hint that the other inns in this book looked so nice. I think sometimes that guests forget that the place they stay would like a mention, not just the places the deliberately go out to photograph!
A travel writer is something else altogether. With them it's good to know WHY they are staying? Is there an article in the works? Can you help them find hidden gems they might not know about? Or are they just on vacation and trying to do it on the cheap?
.
This said writer is working on a new travel guide book for England. Europeans are on the rise....
.
I would do a free night on speculation. It did not cost me much if the eoom would be empty otherwise.
One way to have a better guess as to legit or not; legit will not (usually) try to book during the busy season.
.
He stayed here at the end of May. I did check him out online and he seemed legit. He also asked many questions and took many many notes..
 
I am really cautious about guest annonimity. If you feel comfortable asking his permission then do so, but other than that I wouldn't mention it (but sometimes I'm tightly wrapped about privacy). If you mention once that you had a celeb stay, you might not get another ;)
On a public perception sort of thing I think some people avoid B&B's because they envision the innkeeper as being nosey. (this is across the board, not you specifically) So if he did give you permission to mention it, I would make sure I also mentioned in the post that he/she gave you permission.
 
If you mention once that you had a celeb stay, you might not get another
Celebs are further inbetween. I would rather get 10 reg bookings from them seeing we had a celeb, than the one celeb. That is with their permission to let people know they had stayed here. of course.
 
If you mention once that you had a celeb stay, you might not get another
Celebs are further inbetween. I would rather get 10 reg bookings from them seeing we had a celeb, than the one celeb. That is with their permission to let people know they had stayed here. of course..
Good point .... but when you write your tell all / exposé innkeeper book, those ten bookings won't make anywhere near as exciting a chapter as 2 or 3 celebs will
tounge_smile.gif

 
I had some artists stay with us last weekend. They were part of a juried museum exhibit (400+ entries & 11 were chosen). One of them, I am really sure, will be famous someday. I don't need to talk about it except maybe someday I can say, "I knew her when...." :)
 
Well, he's arrived. I've asked him to autograph the book. I'll mention the blog thing and see what he says.
 
Well, he's arrived. I've asked him to autograph the book. I'll mention the blog thing and see what he says..
Bree said:
Well, he's arrived. I've asked him to autograph the book. I'll mention the blog thing and see what he says.
I think if he has written about your place you should be able to put that on there and the website. I have a quote from an author on our website AND he stayed here. We are the only listing in his book with a photo. (Can you hear them knocking down my door to stay here now? NOT)
He said I could use it however I wanted.
The book was written after one of his associates stayed with us (I didn't know what she was up to), adn then he stayed with us AFTER it came out so I had him sign it for me.
He wrote something very personal in it after we talked for hours and hours, and it was very nice.
A guest last weekend TOOK MY autographed copy with them in their car. These were guests I didn't like, at all fling-a-ding-ding, I have the book out as it is regional and has us in it!
 
Well, he's arrived. I've asked him to autograph the book. I'll mention the blog thing and see what he says..
Bree said:
Well, he's arrived. I've asked him to autograph the book. I'll mention the blog thing and see what he says.
I think if he has written about your place you should be able to put that on there and the website. I have a quote from an author on our website AND he stayed here. We are the only listing in his book with a photo. (Can you hear them knocking down my door to stay here now? NOT)
He said I could use it however I wanted.
The book was written after one of his associates stayed with us (I didn't know what she was up to), adn then he stayed with us AFTER it came out so I had him sign it for me.
He wrote something very personal in it after we talked for hours and hours, and it was very nice.
A guest last weekend TOOK MY autographed copy with them in their car. These were guests I didn't like, at all fling-a-ding-ding, I have the book out as it is regional and has us in it!
.
Inquiring minds want to know...Did you get the book back??
 
Well, he's arrived. I've asked him to autograph the book. I'll mention the blog thing and see what he says..
Bree said:
Well, he's arrived. I've asked him to autograph the book. I'll mention the blog thing and see what he says.
I think if he has written about your place you should be able to put that on there and the website. I have a quote from an author on our website AND he stayed here. We are the only listing in his book with a photo. (Can you hear them knocking down my door to stay here now? NOT)
He said I could use it however I wanted.
The book was written after one of his associates stayed with us (I didn't know what she was up to), adn then he stayed with us AFTER it came out so I had him sign it for me.
He wrote something very personal in it after we talked for hours and hours, and it was very nice.
A guest last weekend TOOK MY autographed copy with them in their car. These were guests I didn't like, at all fling-a-ding-ding, I have the book out as it is regional and has us in it!
.
Inquiring minds want to know...Did you get the book back??
.
Samster said:
Inquiring minds want to know...Did you get the book back??
Sure! And you know us book people, we love em dog eared. ugh
 
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