One thing you would do this year to bring in more guests

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JBloggs

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If there was one thing you would do this year to bring in more guests what would it be? Please be specific. If there is cost involved let us know approx cost you would estimate. It might be good bang for our buck and we might not even know about it.
I am trying to be proactive here and forward thinking - -maybe a consortium of ideas will be helpful to some or all of us! If you have people knocking your door down - what have you done to get to this point? We would like to hear this as well.
 
I have been thinking that with the love of coffee that is taking place these days - perhaps a 2-night or longer stay gets a roast of coffee of their choice to take home. I have been thinking about this since first readung this thread (a couple hours now with interruptions) and I think I am going to post it on my web site.
 
I have been thinking that with the love of coffee that is taking place these days - perhaps a 2-night or longer stay gets a roast of coffee of their choice to take home. I have been thinking about this since first readung this thread (a couple hours now with interruptions) and I think I am going to post it on my web site..
I like it.
 
OK, Folks, I am running the verbiage past you. Have at it!
Do you love coffee? Gillum House Bed & Breakfast has decided 2010 is the year of the COFFEE. Any 2-consecutive night or longer reservation may choose a country of coffee of green coffee beans from the current in-house list and we will do one roast for you as a gift of the Gillum House. (We will grind it for you if you do not have a coffee grinder.)
 
OK, Folks, I am running the verbiage past you. Have at it!
Do you love coffee? Gillum House Bed & Breakfast has decided 2010 is the year of the COFFEE. Any 2-consecutive night or longer reservation may choose a country of coffee of green coffee beans from the current in-house list and we will do one roast for you as a gift of the Gillum House. (We will grind it for you if you do not have a coffee grinder.).
gillumhouse said:
OK, Folks, I am running the verbiage past you. Have at it!
Do you love coffee? Gillum House Bed & Breakfast has decided 2010 is the year of the COFFEE. Any 2-consecutive night or longer reservation may choose a country of coffee of green coffee beans from the current in-house list and we will do one roast for you as a gift of the Gillum House. (We will grind it for you if you do not have a coffee grinder.)
.
How much coffee is in "a roast"
 
OK, Folks, I am running the verbiage past you. Have at it!
Do you love coffee? Gillum House Bed & Breakfast has decided 2010 is the year of the COFFEE. Any 2-consecutive night or longer reservation may choose a country of coffee of green coffee beans from the current in-house list and we will do one roast for you as a gift of the Gillum House. (We will grind it for you if you do not have a coffee grinder.).
gillumhouse said:
OK, Folks, I am running the verbiage past you. Have at it!
Do you love coffee? Gillum House Bed & Breakfast has decided 2010 is the year of the COFFEE. Any 2-consecutive night or longer reservation may choose a country of coffee of green coffee beans from the current in-house list and we will do one roast for you as a gift of the Gillum House. (We will grind it for you if you do not have a coffee grinder.)
.
How much coffee is in "a roast"
.
Roasted - about 4 oz. (about 5 oz of green beans). Enough for 2 pots of coffee (8-10 cup pots).
 
I mentioned this in another thread:
Small Elopements / Wedding / Vow Renewal Packages.
This basic one below runs $139 weekdays; $159 Weekends. Packages can be embellished with all sorts of bells and whistles up to $1000.
Our elegant and affordable ceremony with no overnight stay:
Marriage by the innkeeper in the living room, in the garden or at our beautiful outdoor wedding pavilion
Attendance by up to 10 guests at a fee of $10 per guest
Cake for 2 or to include guests
A pair of crystal champagne flutes and sparkling cider toast
Use of our silk rose bouquet for the ceremony and photographs
Keepsake copy of the marriage vows in gold embossed cover
Digital video recording of ceremonies
 
OK, Folks, I am running the verbiage past you. Have at it!
Do you love coffee? Gillum House Bed & Breakfast has decided 2010 is the year of the COFFEE. Any 2-consecutive night or longer reservation may choose a country of coffee of green coffee beans from the current in-house list and we will do one roast for you as a gift of the Gillum House. (We will grind it for you if you do not have a coffee grinder.).
I'm confused. I know what you're saying but it's too convoluted.
Coffee on My Mind:
We are all about coffee at Gillum House. Coffee from (list a bunch of countries here). Savor it during your breakfast with us and remember your stay with a pound of your favorite coffee, compliments of Gillum House with your 2-night stay.
Sorry, just realized you didn't say 'pound'. So, whatever your amount is, put it in the sentence. Like Bob said, No one knows what a 'roast' is so tell them in ounces or pounds or cups.
 
I mentioned this in another thread:
Small Elopements / Wedding / Vow Renewal Packages.
This basic one below runs $139 weekdays; $159 Weekends. Packages can be embellished with all sorts of bells and whistles up to $1000.
Our elegant and affordable ceremony with no overnight stay:
Marriage by the innkeeper in the living room, in the garden or at our beautiful outdoor wedding pavilion
Attendance by up to 10 guests at a fee of $10 per guest
Cake for 2 or to include guests
A pair of crystal champagne flutes and sparkling cider toast
Use of our silk rose bouquet for the ceremony and photographs
Keepsake copy of the marriage vows in gold embossed cover
Digital video recording of ceremonies.
catlady said:
I mentioned this in another thread:
Small Elopements / Wedding / Vow Renewal Packages.
This basic one below runs $139 weekdays; $159 Weekends. Packages can be embellished with all sorts of bells and whistles up to $1000.
Our elegant and affordable ceremony with no overnight stay:
Marriage by the innkeeper in the living room, in the garden or at our beautiful outdoor wedding pavilion
Attendance by up to 10 guests at a fee of $10 per guest
Cake for 2 or to include guests
A pair of crystal champagne flutes and sparkling cider toast
Use of our silk rose bouquet for the ceremony and photographs
Keepsake copy of the marriage vows in gold embossed cover
Digital video recording of ceremonies
I'm working on an affordable Mini Vineyard Wedding package for no more than say 8 or 10, hoping to mostly get couples and their parents. My County in it's infinite wisedom, has all kinds of insane requirements for me to conduct the ceremony, so I'm forced to have the officiants who IF they will come without bringing all their photographers etc, which makes for an expensive package seems like will charge around $300.
In order for me to conduct the ceremony, for every wedding I have to write the head honcho, the couple has to write him, I have to fill out a form and I have to get another property owner to put up a bond. A BOND?????
County officials have nothing better to do with their time than to come up with this!!!
RIki
 
OK, Folks, I am running the verbiage past you. Have at it!
Do you love coffee? Gillum House Bed & Breakfast has decided 2010 is the year of the COFFEE. Any 2-consecutive night or longer reservation may choose a country of coffee of green coffee beans from the current in-house list and we will do one roast for you as a gift of the Gillum House. (We will grind it for you if you do not have a coffee grinder.).
I'm confused. I know what you're saying but it's too convoluted.
Coffee on My Mind:
We are all about coffee at Gillum House. Coffee from (list a bunch of countries here). Savor it during your breakfast with us and remember your stay with a pound of your favorite coffee, compliments of Gillum House with your 2-night stay.
Sorry, just realized you didn't say 'pound'. So, whatever your amount is, put it in the sentence. Like Bob said, No one knows what a 'roast' is so tell them in ounces or pounds or cups.
.
I really like Morticia's description. It reads well and I think guests who are coffee lovers (read ME!) will go for it.
In fact, it could be the basis of a quick press release, too. And I think it would get published as a blurb. Easily.
 
I mentioned this in another thread:
Small Elopements / Wedding / Vow Renewal Packages.
This basic one below runs $139 weekdays; $159 Weekends. Packages can be embellished with all sorts of bells and whistles up to $1000.
Our elegant and affordable ceremony with no overnight stay:
Marriage by the innkeeper in the living room, in the garden or at our beautiful outdoor wedding pavilion
Attendance by up to 10 guests at a fee of $10 per guest
Cake for 2 or to include guests
A pair of crystal champagne flutes and sparkling cider toast
Use of our silk rose bouquet for the ceremony and photographs
Keepsake copy of the marriage vows in gold embossed cover
Digital video recording of ceremonies.
I'm not seeing where this makes the innkeepers any money. Unless they have everything on hand- video recording capability, baking of cake, etc. I guess because I'm not set up for this, I look at it as a lot of work. If I had a separate space where I could host these things I definitely would.
 
I mentioned this in another thread:
Small Elopements / Wedding / Vow Renewal Packages.
This basic one below runs $139 weekdays; $159 Weekends. Packages can be embellished with all sorts of bells and whistles up to $1000.
Our elegant and affordable ceremony with no overnight stay:
Marriage by the innkeeper in the living room, in the garden or at our beautiful outdoor wedding pavilion
Attendance by up to 10 guests at a fee of $10 per guest
Cake for 2 or to include guests
A pair of crystal champagne flutes and sparkling cider toast
Use of our silk rose bouquet for the ceremony and photographs
Keepsake copy of the marriage vows in gold embossed cover
Digital video recording of ceremonies.
I'm not seeing where this makes the innkeepers any money. Unless they have everything on hand- video recording capability, baking of cake, etc. I guess because I'm not set up for this, I look at it as a lot of work. If I had a separate space where I could host these things I definitely would.
.
Weddings are a lot of work. For inns that can book otherwise, I'd rather have my teeth pulled than deal with them.
But for inns that really need the bookings, they're a great avenue to pursue.
I agree, though, that they need to make money, too. To me they make much more sense when it's the whole weekend booked at X price and it includes X, Y, Z. With a couple of different options.
Weddings are expensive. Brides are looking to save money but they still want a nice wedding. If I were doing them at an inn, I would not hesitate to charge a decent price for the whole package.
IMHO.
 
I mentioned this in another thread:
Small Elopements / Wedding / Vow Renewal Packages.
This basic one below runs $139 weekdays; $159 Weekends. Packages can be embellished with all sorts of bells and whistles up to $1000.
Our elegant and affordable ceremony with no overnight stay:
Marriage by the innkeeper in the living room, in the garden or at our beautiful outdoor wedding pavilion
Attendance by up to 10 guests at a fee of $10 per guest
Cake for 2 or to include guests
A pair of crystal champagne flutes and sparkling cider toast
Use of our silk rose bouquet for the ceremony and photographs
Keepsake copy of the marriage vows in gold embossed cover
Digital video recording of ceremonies.
I'm not seeing where this makes the innkeepers any money. Unless they have everything on hand- video recording capability, baking of cake, etc. I guess because I'm not set up for this, I look at it as a lot of work. If I had a separate space where I could host these things I definitely would.
.
Weddings are a lot of work. For inns that can book otherwise, I'd rather have my teeth pulled than deal with them.
But for inns that really need the bookings, they're a great avenue to pursue.
I agree, though, that they need to make money, too. To me they make much more sense when it's the whole weekend booked at X price and it includes X, Y, Z. With a couple of different options.
Weddings are expensive. Brides are looking to save money but they still want a nice wedding. If I were doing them at an inn, I would not hesitate to charge a decent price for the whole package.
IMHO.
.
Innkeeper To Go said:
Weddings are a lot of work. For inns that can book otherwise, I'd rather have my teeth pulled than deal with them.
But for inns that really need the bookings, they're a great avenue to pursue.
I agree, though, that they need to make money, too. To me they make much more sense when it's the whole weekend booked at X price and it includes X, Y, Z. With a couple of different options.
Weddings are expensive. Brides are looking to save money but they still want a nice wedding. If I were doing them at an inn, I would not hesitate to charge a decent price for the whole package.
IMHO.
I do not plan to do weddings. I plan to do private vineyard wedding ceremonies. They get the inn, location for ceremony, they get the officiant from my list of contact links. I provide a beautiful cake that starts at $30 for a six inch with beautiful marzipan icing with a rose or a grape cluster (I don't plan to tell the bakery it's now a wedding cake from the birthday cake), flowers for bride and groom which will be seasonal and a list of colors from which they pick, bottle of champagne and a gift. Period. No mother of the bride contacting me for anything. I will purchase a good camera and do the photos like a friend of mine does, or I have a local photographer that can come for a good price.
They will pick options off a menu or they will not get married here.
Riki
 
I mentioned this in another thread:
Small Elopements / Wedding / Vow Renewal Packages.
This basic one below runs $139 weekdays; $159 Weekends. Packages can be embellished with all sorts of bells and whistles up to $1000.
Our elegant and affordable ceremony with no overnight stay:
Marriage by the innkeeper in the living room, in the garden or at our beautiful outdoor wedding pavilion
Attendance by up to 10 guests at a fee of $10 per guest
Cake for 2 or to include guests
A pair of crystal champagne flutes and sparkling cider toast
Use of our silk rose bouquet for the ceremony and photographs
Keepsake copy of the marriage vows in gold embossed cover
Digital video recording of ceremonies.
I'm not seeing where this makes the innkeepers any money. Unless they have everything on hand- video recording capability, baking of cake, etc. I guess because I'm not set up for this, I look at it as a lot of work. If I had a separate space where I could host these things I definitely would.
.
Weddings are a lot of work. For inns that can book otherwise, I'd rather have my teeth pulled than deal with them.
But for inns that really need the bookings, they're a great avenue to pursue.
I agree, though, that they need to make money, too. To me they make much more sense when it's the whole weekend booked at X price and it includes X, Y, Z. With a couple of different options.
Weddings are expensive. Brides are looking to save money but they still want a nice wedding. If I were doing them at an inn, I would not hesitate to charge a decent price for the whole package.
IMHO.
.
Innkeeper To Go said:
Weddings are a lot of work. For inns that can book otherwise, I'd rather have my teeth pulled than deal with them.
But for inns that really need the bookings, they're a great avenue to pursue.
I agree, though, that they need to make money, too. To me they make much more sense when it's the whole weekend booked at X price and it includes X, Y, Z. With a couple of different options.
Weddings are expensive. Brides are looking to save money but they still want a nice wedding. If I were doing them at an inn, I would not hesitate to charge a decent price for the whole package.
IMHO.
I do not plan to do weddings. I plan to do private vineyard wedding ceremonies. They get the inn, location for ceremony, they get the officiant from my list of contact links. I provide a beautiful cake that starts at $30 for a six inch with beautiful marzipan icing with a rose or a grape cluster (I don't plan to tell the bakery it's now a wedding cake from the birthday cake), flowers for bride and groom which will be seasonal and a list of colors from which they pick, bottle of champagne and a gift. Period. No mother of the bride contacting me for anything. I will purchase a good camera and do the photos like a friend of mine does, or I have a local photographer that can come for a good price.
They will pick options off a menu or they will not get married here.
Riki
.
egoodell said:
I No mother of the bride contacting me for anything.
Riki, I hope that works out for you. But I just have to say that it is generally not easy to keep the mother of the bride from contacting you. They're going to. In my experience, anyway.
It's an important day. They are going to follow up over and over again on everything.
It's the nature of the beast.
 
OK, Folks, I am running the verbiage past you. Have at it!
Do you love coffee? Gillum House Bed & Breakfast has decided 2010 is the year of the COFFEE. Any 2-consecutive night or longer reservation may choose a country of coffee of green coffee beans from the current in-house list and we will do one roast for you as a gift of the Gillum House. (We will grind it for you if you do not have a coffee grinder.).
I'm confused. I know what you're saying but it's too convoluted.
Coffee on My Mind:
We are all about coffee at Gillum House. Coffee from (list a bunch of countries here). Savor it during your breakfast with us and remember your stay with a pound of your favorite coffee, compliments of Gillum House with your 2-night stay.
Sorry, just realized you didn't say 'pound'. So, whatever your amount is, put it in the sentence. Like Bob said, No one knows what a 'roast' is so tell them in ounces or pounds or cups.
.
See why I put it here first? Thank you.
Revised revision:

We are all about coffee at Gillum House Bed & Breakfast. Coffee from Brazil, Panama, Kenya, Hawaii, New Guinea, Peru – approximately 16 countries of regular green coffee beans in house (4 Decafe). Savor it during your breakfast with us and remember your stay with enough fresh-roasted of your favorite coffee for two 10–12 cup pots of coffee at home, compliments of the Gillum House with your 2-night stay.
 
OK, Folks, I am running the verbiage past you. Have at it!
Do you love coffee? Gillum House Bed & Breakfast has decided 2010 is the year of the COFFEE. Any 2-consecutive night or longer reservation may choose a country of coffee of green coffee beans from the current in-house list and we will do one roast for you as a gift of the Gillum House. (We will grind it for you if you do not have a coffee grinder.).
I'm confused. I know what you're saying but it's too convoluted.
Coffee on My Mind:
We are all about coffee at Gillum House. Coffee from (list a bunch of countries here). Savor it during your breakfast with us and remember your stay with a pound of your favorite coffee, compliments of Gillum House with your 2-night stay.
Sorry, just realized you didn't say 'pound'. So, whatever your amount is, put it in the sentence. Like Bob said, No one knows what a 'roast' is so tell them in ounces or pounds or cups.
.
See why I put it here first? Thank you.
Revised revision:

We are all about coffee at Gillum House Bed & Breakfast. Coffee from Brazil, Panama, Kenya, Hawaii, New Guinea, Peru – approximately 16 countries of regular green coffee beans in house (4 Decafe). Savor it during your breakfast with us and remember your stay with enough fresh-roasted of your favorite coffee for two 10–12 cup pots of coffee at home, compliments of the Gillum House with your 2-night stay.
.
Very nice.
 
I mentioned this in another thread:
Small Elopements / Wedding / Vow Renewal Packages.
This basic one below runs $139 weekdays; $159 Weekends. Packages can be embellished with all sorts of bells and whistles up to $1000.
Our elegant and affordable ceremony with no overnight stay:
Marriage by the innkeeper in the living room, in the garden or at our beautiful outdoor wedding pavilion
Attendance by up to 10 guests at a fee of $10 per guest
Cake for 2 or to include guests
A pair of crystal champagne flutes and sparkling cider toast
Use of our silk rose bouquet for the ceremony and photographs
Keepsake copy of the marriage vows in gold embossed cover
Digital video recording of ceremonies.
I'm not seeing where this makes the innkeepers any money. Unless they have everything on hand- video recording capability, baking of cake, etc. I guess because I'm not set up for this, I look at it as a lot of work. If I had a separate space where I could host these things I definitely would.
.
HE and his wife have the cameras. She takes some and he takes some. The cake is from a bakery. If brides want flowers, the local florist does them at a special rate....because he does so many. They don't make alot..but with the quantity they do, it has kept up their bottom line. Max of 10. in the dining room. That is it. Their living room is huge.
 
Joey for you this year I would continue to make it all about the BRP...that is going to be getting a LOT of press and you are great at writing releases, etc. so I would milk the heck out of it. Your picnic package is awesome, are there other things with minimal investment in that same vein that you can capitalize on?
For us, the main thing we have done is upgrade our website. People will still be coming to our area, we just need to make sure they pick us when they stay. We put together a last minute package for President's Day weekend that we could cancel if it didn't sell, so if you have vendors in your area who are flexible you might consider that.
What I can tell you is NOT working here is lowering rates. We have watched one of our main competitors continue to lower their rates since late 2008 and their occupancy has plummeted with it.
 
Joey for you this year I would continue to make it all about the BRP...that is going to be getting a LOT of press and you are great at writing releases, etc. so I would milk the heck out of it. Your picnic package is awesome, are there other things with minimal investment in that same vein that you can capitalize on?
For us, the main thing we have done is upgrade our website. People will still be coming to our area, we just need to make sure they pick us when they stay. We put together a last minute package for President's Day weekend that we could cancel if it didn't sell, so if you have vendors in your area who are flexible you might consider that.
What I can tell you is NOT working here is lowering rates. We have watched one of our main competitors continue to lower their rates since late 2008 and their occupancy has plummeted with it..
Rupert said:
What I can tell you is NOT working here is lowering rates. We have watched one of our main competitors continue to lower their rates since late 2008 and their occupancy has plummeted with it.
I've seen the same thing in several places. It breaks my heart every time because, in most cases, it doesn't even work. And it just digs the inn into a hole that's going to be very difficult to climb back out of.
Folks want a bargain. Now more than ever. But looking desperate is never good.
 
Man, I would love to get that fourth room producing, especially for the busy summer and fall seasons. Could do it for about $5,000.00. Just have to determine how little space D. and I can get by with and still be happy doing this.
IE...We could make our living room also our bedroom, and with some minor painting and the addition of a fireplace and TV, our bedroom could be put into inventory as one of two shared bath rooms. I have a downstairs bathroom that is very large and could be turned into two smaller bathrooms. This means we could have our own bath with it's own convenient private entrance from the kitchen.
Might be a fair trade for us....$10k or so in additional income in exchange for our own bathroom and a chance to sleep away from guest rooms. The downside would be that aside from the kitchen, our personal space would be a 14x14 room for sleeping and living.
 
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