Thought on how to market this

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Don Draper

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In a typical off-season we will usually close out selected weekdays to get our maintenance done and do our own vacations. For the first time EVER this year we have very little inside maintenance to do and so we are considering staying open.
Because our off-season traffic is almost exclusively "quiet get-a-way" traffic, we're thinking of offering a deeply discounted weeknight rate and not providing breakfast (because we've found that these folks either skip breakfast all together or want to eat really late, and we're not willing to give away an entire morning just for one couple to eat). We would put out coffee/tea and probably mini-muffins or biscotti at a set time, and then the guests can access it all morning until check-out time.
My question is how to advertise this? I'm thinking along the lines of "no stress, no deadlines" kind of thing, "keep your own hours", etc. but I can't think of anything catchy. Any ideas? Thoughts on whether or not this will fly are appreciated as well.
Little Blue, if you're out there, I think you had offered something similar to this with no breakfast, or continental, and I seem to remember you were happy with results...anything I should know up front to get ready to put this out there?
 
De-Liteful De-Stress!!
Give your self a delightful weekend of destressing. Come visit _________ the weekend of _______ and have no schedule of any kind. Breakfast whenever you wish between 7 am and 11am. Coffee and yummy Continenal plus breakfast will be on the buffet for your schedule.
I would have juices, yogurt, hard boiled eggs, and cream in a bed of ice, and muffins or sweet rolls, bagels & cream cheese, banas, apples, and oranges, plums maybe ....coffee of course set out on the buffet. AND I would not do any deep discount either. Put a couple of stress-balls and a soothing sound CD with some other "relax": type items in a pretty basket as part of the package.
 
There are a few B&B's who offer continental midweek and full on weekends only. Wish I could find them. My thought on this is that those looking at your website for the rest of the year will not read and perceive this to be the case year round.
How? People ask, well a man standing right next to the coffee - coffee area, cups, sugars, creamers, coffee carafe and a light right on it asked "Where is the coffee?" today. You already know this. Case book dufus.
If you do a bunch of continental stuff, imo it will cost more than a reg hot breakfast and take just as long to set up.
 
De-Liteful De-Stress!!
Give your self a delightful weekend of destressing. Come visit _________ the weekend of _______ and have no schedule of any kind. Breakfast whenever you wish between 7 am and 11am. Coffee and yummy Continenal plus breakfast will be on the buffet for your schedule.
I would have juices, yogurt, hard boiled eggs, and cream in a bed of ice, and muffins or sweet rolls, bagels & cream cheese, banas, apples, and oranges, plums maybe ....coffee of course set out on the buffet. AND I would not do any deep discount either. Put a couple of stress-balls and a soothing sound CD with some other "relax": type items in a pretty basket as part of the package..
gillumhouse said:
De-Liteful De-Stress!!
Nice! Thank you!
No continental though...the whole point is to keep it inexpensive because the innkeepers will put coffee out EARLY and you can have it when you like, without me being involved! I'm also going to have them prepay when they book and key pick up any time after noon, so I will get check-ins done early and then be totally done.
 
There are a few B&B's who offer continental midweek and full on weekends only. Wish I could find them. My thought on this is that those looking at your website for the rest of the year will not read and perceive this to be the case year round.
How? People ask, well a man standing right next to the coffee - coffee area, cups, sugars, creamers, coffee carafe and a light right on it asked "Where is the coffee?" today. You already know this. Case book dufus.
If you do a bunch of continental stuff, imo it will cost more than a reg hot breakfast and take just as long to set up..
Joey Bloggs said:
My thought on this is that those looking at your website for the rest of the year will not read and perceive this to be the case year round.
You are likely right, we are looking at ways to minimize this. Part of it will be that this will almost be like a package or special that you have to specifically choose...
 
De-Liteful De-Stress!!
Give your self a delightful weekend of destressing. Come visit _________ the weekend of _______ and have no schedule of any kind. Breakfast whenever you wish between 7 am and 11am. Coffee and yummy Continenal plus breakfast will be on the buffet for your schedule.
I would have juices, yogurt, hard boiled eggs, and cream in a bed of ice, and muffins or sweet rolls, bagels & cream cheese, banas, apples, and oranges, plums maybe ....coffee of course set out on the buffet. AND I would not do any deep discount either. Put a couple of stress-balls and a soothing sound CD with some other "relax": type items in a pretty basket as part of the package..
gillumhouse said:
De-Liteful De-Stress!!
Nice! Thank you!
No continental though...the whole point is to keep it inexpensive because the innkeepers will put coffee out EARLY and you can have it when you like, without me being involved! I'm also going to have them prepay when they book and key pick up any time after noon, so I will get check-ins done early and then be totally done.
.
Fruit can be put out before you go to bed. You will have to be up to put the coffee out - premade muffins/rolls and eggs already boiled and a couple containers of yogurt should not take long OR it you have a guest fridge - stock it with these items for a help yourself....... Also should not cost a lot to do.
 
De-Liteful De-Stress!!
Give your self a delightful weekend of destressing. Come visit _________ the weekend of _______ and have no schedule of any kind. Breakfast whenever you wish between 7 am and 11am. Coffee and yummy Continenal plus breakfast will be on the buffet for your schedule.
I would have juices, yogurt, hard boiled eggs, and cream in a bed of ice, and muffins or sweet rolls, bagels & cream cheese, banas, apples, and oranges, plums maybe ....coffee of course set out on the buffet. AND I would not do any deep discount either. Put a couple of stress-balls and a soothing sound CD with some other "relax": type items in a pretty basket as part of the package..
gillumhouse said:
De-Liteful De-Stress!!
Nice! Thank you!
No continental though...the whole point is to keep it inexpensive because the innkeepers will put coffee out EARLY and you can have it when you like, without me being involved! I'm also going to have them prepay when they book and key pick up any time after noon, so I will get check-ins done early and then be totally done.
.
Fruit can be put out before you go to bed. You will have to be up to put the coffee out - premade muffins/rolls and eggs already boiled and a couple containers of yogurt should not take long OR it you have a guest fridge - stock it with these items for a help yourself....... Also should not cost a lot to do.
.
Coffee can be put out at 6 am when I am up anyway but I will be in my PJ's and will get to stay that way! The whole point is it will be cheap, because our hotels go down to $65/night here in the winter. So it'll be marketing a clean, quiet, private place to stay instead of a generic hotel room.
The crowd we get at that time of year tends to be young and looking for quiet...they wouldn't eat that kind of stuff for breakfast and it would get wasted 'cause I wouldn't eat it either. I will do some premade mini-muffins so there's something to snack on if they like, and the coffee.
I guess I'm essentially changing for the winter from a B&B to just a B...so that I will be less of a B!
teeth_smile.gif

 
I know you can do it! Maybe in your response email to the guests who book during that time you can add a little reminder that coffee will be available at 6 along with mini muffins to enjoy at their leisure. There are alot of people who will love the great rate and may return during high season and soak up the breakfast then as well.
 
I know you can do it! Maybe in your response email to the guests who book during that time you can add a little reminder that coffee will be available at 6 along with mini muffins to enjoy at their leisure. There are alot of people who will love the great rate and may return during high season and soak up the breakfast then as well..
domsmom said:
I know you can do it! Maybe in your response email to the guests who book during that time you can add a little reminder that coffee will be available at 6 along with mini muffins to enjoy at their leisure. There are alot of people who will love the great rate and may return during high season and soak up the breakfast then as well.
Thanks, this is what I'm thinking!
I can set Webervations up for a date range and only pick certain days of the week to apply it to, and on those days guests would have to check a box indicating that it is a specail pre-paid rate with no breakfast. We're thinking the worst that can happen is it's a fiasco, we only have to live with it for a few months.
 
If it were me, I would do a BOGO or something other than a lower price, something enticing them to stay longer.
"STAY TWO NIGHTS FOR THE PRICE OF ONE!" Or
"2 for 1 Midweek Winter Special!"
 
Our special was in November, and I called it the "November Sleep-In Special". $75 a night for any room, with coffee and a basket of baked goodies out from 7am until 10am. I extolled the virtues of our pillowtop beds and fireplaces, and the luxury of being able to get up and partake whenever you wanted.
Got lots of young couples that would sleep late. Was just talking to the Inn's NO about that special this morning, sounds like she is going to go with it. I did it because David was always gone hunting half the month, and he was the breakfast cook. Doing this brought a little extra revenue to our slowest month, and made my life much easier!!
 
De-Liteful De-Stress!!
Give your self a delightful weekend of destressing. Come visit _________ the weekend of _______ and have no schedule of any kind. Breakfast whenever you wish between 7 am and 11am. Coffee and yummy Continenal plus breakfast will be on the buffet for your schedule.
I would have juices, yogurt, hard boiled eggs, and cream in a bed of ice, and muffins or sweet rolls, bagels & cream cheese, banas, apples, and oranges, plums maybe ....coffee of course set out on the buffet. AND I would not do any deep discount either. Put a couple of stress-balls and a soothing sound CD with some other "relax": type items in a pretty basket as part of the package..
gillumhouse said:
De-Liteful De-Stress!!
Nice! Thank you!
No continental though...the whole point is to keep it inexpensive because the innkeepers will put coffee out EARLY and you can have it when you like, without me being involved! I'm also going to have them prepay when they book and key pick up any time after noon, so I will get check-ins done early and then be totally done.
.
Fruit can be put out before you go to bed. You will have to be up to put the coffee out - premade muffins/rolls and eggs already boiled and a couple containers of yogurt should not take long OR it you have a guest fridge - stock it with these items for a help yourself....... Also should not cost a lot to do.
.
Coffee can be put out at 6 am when I am up anyway but I will be in my PJ's and will get to stay that way! The whole point is it will be cheap, because our hotels go down to $65/night here in the winter. So it'll be marketing a clean, quiet, private place to stay instead of a generic hotel room.
The crowd we get at that time of year tends to be young and looking for quiet...they wouldn't eat that kind of stuff for breakfast and it would get wasted 'cause I wouldn't eat it either. I will do some premade mini-muffins so there's something to snack on if they like, and the coffee.
I guess I'm essentially changing for the winter from a B&B to just a B...so that I will be less of a B!
teeth_smile.gif

.
Don Draper said:
I guess I'm essentially changing for the winter from a B&B to just a B...so that I will be less of a B!
teeth_smile.gif
OMG too funny!
 
"Quiet Season, Quiet Stay" - Enjoy our beautiful B&B in our prime location during our quiet season. Enjoy two nights for one mid-week. Sleep in and relax. This offer includes a continental breakfast only. Coffee and biscotti will be waiting for you when you are ready to greet the day in the morning before check-out. This is a limited time offer from _______ to __________. For full amenities of the inn, please visit us in ___________ during our regular season _______ through ______. Take time to slow down in our historic setting!
 
I know you can do it! Maybe in your response email to the guests who book during that time you can add a little reminder that coffee will be available at 6 along with mini muffins to enjoy at their leisure. There are alot of people who will love the great rate and may return during high season and soak up the breakfast then as well..
domsmom said:
I know you can do it! Maybe in your response email to the guests who book during that time you can add a little reminder that coffee will be available at 6 along with mini muffins to enjoy at their leisure. There are alot of people who will love the great rate and may return during high season and soak up the breakfast then as well.
Thanks, this is what I'm thinking!
I can set Webervations up for a date range and only pick certain days of the week to apply it to, and on those days guests would have to check a box indicating that it is a specail pre-paid rate with no breakfast. We're thinking the worst that can happen is it's a fiasco, we only have to live with it for a few months.
.
Don
That is exactly right. Try it, worst case you either don't get many takers or if it doesn't work out as you plan, you just don't do it again. I have stayed at b&b's where breakfast is a muffin and coffee. Totally acceptable.
 
Our special was in November, and I called it the "November Sleep-In Special". $75 a night for any room, with coffee and a basket of baked goodies out from 7am until 10am. I extolled the virtues of our pillowtop beds and fireplaces, and the luxury of being able to get up and partake whenever you wanted.
Got lots of young couples that would sleep late. Was just talking to the Inn's NO about that special this morning, sounds like she is going to go with it. I did it because David was always gone hunting half the month, and he was the breakfast cook. Doing this brought a little extra revenue to our slowest month, and made my life much easier!!.
wendydk said:
Our special was in November, and I called it the "November Sleep-In Special". $75 a night for any room, with coffee and a basket of baked goodies out from 7am until 10am. I extolled the virtues of our pillowtop beds and fireplaces, and the luxury of being able to get up and partake whenever you wanted.
Got lots of young couples that would sleep late. Was just talking to the Inn's NO about that special this morning, sounds like she is going to go with it. I did it because David was always gone hunting half the month, and he was the breakfast cook. Doing this brought a little extra revenue to our slowest month, and made my life much easier!!
I just looked at your website, I didn't realize your transition was complete, congratulations!!! That is so exciting. I LOVE the "Sleep-In Special", I might need to steal or make a new variation, that is exactly the vibe I am looking for.
Thanks!!!
 
If it were me, I would do a BOGO or something other than a lower price, something enticing them to stay longer.
"STAY TWO NIGHTS FOR THE PRICE OF ONE!" Or
"2 for 1 Midweek Winter Special!".
Joey Bloggs said:
If it were me, I would do a BOGO or something other than a lower price, something enticing them to stay longer.
"STAY TWO NIGHTS FOR THE PRICE OF ONE!" Or
"2 for 1 Midweek Winter Special!"
I understand where you are coming from on this, but the only way being open on the weekdays will work for us is if we are not doing the full song and dance for two people, it's just such a waste. BOGO would be cheaper than the rate we have in mind. And what we have found from winter guests in general is that they just want the quiet, it's almost forcing them to eat by setting a breakfast time. I know they will be happy with a fire at night, some tea and cookies in the afternoon, then coffee and a snack in the morning.
We KNOW what we will be getting in terms of "guest quality" with the low rate, we did it the first season and wanted to jump off a bridge. But if we can get the income without giving up too much of ourselves in the process it will be worth it to us.
 
"Quiet Season, Quiet Stay" - Enjoy our beautiful B&B in our prime location during our quiet season. Enjoy two nights for one mid-week. Sleep in and relax. This offer includes a continental breakfast only. Coffee and biscotti will be waiting for you when you are ready to greet the day in the morning before check-out. This is a limited time offer from _______ to __________. For full amenities of the inn, please visit us in ___________ during our regular season _______ through ______. Take time to slow down in our historic setting!.
Samster said:
"Quiet Season, Quiet Stay" - Enjoy our beautiful B&B in our prime location during our quiet season. Sleep in and relax. Coffee and biscotti will be waiting for you when you are ready to greet the day in the morning before check-out. This is a limited time offer from _______ to __________. For full amenities of the inn, please visit us in ___________ during our regular season _______ through ______. Take time to slow down in our historic setting!
THANK YOU!!!!!
 
Was just watching the hotel inspector and they were discussing Breakfast Bags with high quality Juice, High quality Baked item is Pain au Chocolate, Danish etc and Kind of power bar thing it went down well with the guests aparently they put it in a brown bag by each door. Don't know if you have tea and coffee making stuff in the room because if so they could easily make their own coffee. Love the De - De Catch phrase.
 
If it were me, I would do a BOGO or something other than a lower price, something enticing them to stay longer.
"STAY TWO NIGHTS FOR THE PRICE OF ONE!" Or
"2 for 1 Midweek Winter Special!".
Joey Bloggs said:
If it were me, I would do a BOGO or something other than a lower price, something enticing them to stay longer.
"STAY TWO NIGHTS FOR THE PRICE OF ONE!" Or
"2 for 1 Midweek Winter Special!"
I understand where you are coming from on this, but the only way being open on the weekdays will work for us is if we are not doing the full song and dance for two people, it's just such a waste. BOGO would be cheaper than the rate we have in mind. And what we have found from winter guests in general is that they just want the quiet, it's almost forcing them to eat by setting a breakfast time. I know they will be happy with a fire at night, some tea and cookies in the afternoon, then coffee and a snack in the morning.
We KNOW what we will be getting in terms of "guest quality" with the low rate, we did it the first season and wanted to jump off a bridge. But if we can get the income without giving up too much of ourselves in the process it will be worth it to us.
.
The other thing about the BOGO is that I get alot of one nighters in the off season. You totally eliminate anyone that can only get away for one night by requiring a 2 night minimum. Any you are right, you have a goal of less work, less maintenance while getting a some revenue. I have a 2 night requirement on one of my rooms with booking.com and honestly some of the people who have booked it have been the most trouble, I wish they have only booked one night.
 
The idea was to entice a two nighter vs a one nighter, there is a lot more expense involved in a one night stay vs a two night stay when you hire staff. I think the opposite to most of you, remember that and we will all be happy. haha Just kidding.
I have actually been to said Inn, so for my comments they are as one of those who wants to lay in that bed with a book looking out a window at the sunrise. Not all inns are one nighter inviters, some s/b two nights, the inn in question, imo s/b a two night stay. Midweek guests for a one night stay are travelers, and from what Don explained, they want to lay in and soak it all in, not jump off to the next inn. Just trying to express why I felt it could be a good bogo.
If we each evaluated our locations and draw for guests we could see if a cut rate would be better or a bogo would be better. Interesting consideration.
 
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