Unbelieveable...incredible...mind-boggling

[sandynn]

I know I said this before but we have talked about selling in maybe the next year. If you are interested in buying. I know it is going to happen but not sure just when I will be ready to go.

Yes yes online booking is so important. We get 95% of you bookings online. I would not even think of not having it..

Selling next year??? How about Listing next year? My friend is just starting the process to list his and the realtor said nothing is moving. People are looking, but just say B & B to a bank or mortgage company and they say NO!!!
.

Very good point. We will see how the market goes.

 

[gillumhouse]

I know I said this before but we have talked about selling in maybe the next year. If you are interested in buying. I know it is going to happen but not sure just when I will be ready to go.

Yes yes online booking is so important. We get 95% of you bookings online. I would not even think of not having it..

I am planning to put mine on the market in 2 years. I figure by then the political dust will have settled and people will have at least an idea of what is happening - what the rules will be, etc. I do not expect it to sell quickly but I want it to stay a B & B. After I die I have no control over ehat happens to it - unless DH beats me there and then I am thinking of leaving it to the City so they can do a deal like Carole has. My kids would never be happy here and I do not have enough to make a difference for any of them. Thank goodness ALL of my kids have made their own way and are doing OK.

 

[Suzie Q]

And you then wonder if that has anything to do with why they are for sale. They are not maximizing the potential for guests to book.
As a test, you may wish to email and see how long it takes for them to get back to you. You may find your attention to the details is good for a 20% increase in occupancy right off the bat..

As a test, you may wish to email and see how long it takes for them to get back to you
That's a good idea, as I'm very interested in more information about these two. However, what would I say so that I am not being a pest or being dishonest? I'm stumped.
.

As a test, you may wish to email and see how long it takes for them to get back to you
That's a good idea, as I'm very interested in more information about these two. However, what would I say so that I am not being a pest or being dishonest? I'm stumped.

Do a simple rate inquiry for some upcoming month. No need to explain or feel guilty about being a pest or being dishonest. This is a business you might look at to buy. You want to know how it looks from the customer's persepctive.
.

I sent them each an email at essentially the same time. I wonder what I'll hear back...interesting experiment.
I've researched a few other inns in the NE...it seems to me that they all had online SOMETHING! I liked being able to see how full they were at different points in time. It is a heck of a lot more accurate to see their actualy calendar than to just take their word for it.
.

I receive fully 90%ish of my bookings through online. Sometimes I answer them immediately, other times I'm away for a few hours. Sometimes I will drop them a quick note, confirming, then get back to them with the details within 12 hours.
C

 

[Suzie Q]

I know I said this before but we have talked about selling in maybe the next year. If you are interested in buying. I know it is going to happen but not sure just when I will be ready to go.

Yes yes online booking is so important. We get 95% of you bookings online. I would not even think of not having it..

Selling next year??? How about Listing next year? My friend is just starting the process to list his and the realtor said nothing is moving. People are looking, but just say B & B to a bank or mortgage company and they say NO!!!
.

We did a refinance on our home to pay for the new addition. They were aware of it being a bnb, but since it is our residence, they financed it as a residence.
C

 

[wendydk]

I know I said this before but we have talked about selling in maybe the next year. If you are interested in buying. I know it is going to happen but not sure just when I will be ready to go.

Yes yes online booking is so important. We get 95% of you bookings online. I would not even think of not having it..

Selling next year??? How about Listing next year? My friend is just starting the process to list his and the realtor said nothing is moving. People are looking, but just say B & B to a bank or mortgage company and they say NO!!!
.

We did a refinance on our home to pay for the new addition. They were aware of it being a bnb, but since it is our residence, they financed it as a residence.
C
.

Was this a local small bank?

 

[Suzie Q]

I know I said this before but we have talked about selling in maybe the next year. If you are interested in buying. I know it is going to happen but not sure just when I will be ready to go.

Yes yes online booking is so important. We get 95% of you bookings online. I would not even think of not having it..

Selling next year??? How about Listing next year? My friend is just starting the process to list his and the realtor said nothing is moving. People are looking, but just say B & B to a bank or mortgage company and they say NO!!!
.

We did a refinance on our home to pay for the new addition. They were aware of it being a bnb, but since it is our residence, they financed it as a residence.
C
.

Was this a local small bank?
.

It is a local bank, somewhat regional. They probably have about 20 branches in the town next to us, with about 6 locations in the surrounding area. They go back perhaps 100 years.

 

[egoodell]

Not only do we get 95% of our reservations online, they need to check the box that they have read our policy regarding no show and cancellation which gives us ammunition against a charge back. For that reason alone one should have online booking
RIki

 

[Penelope]

I've received back information to my requests. The first one responded within 2 hours; the second one, it took 8.5 hours. (In my opinion, that's a long time)
Interesting note: neither one of them has officially told me the rate for the weekend I am looking at. Both sites have a range, but neither email said: Room x will be at a nightly rate of $xxx for the nights you are requesting. I am still left to call them to make a reservation (becuase I wouldn't give my cc in an email). I don't think I would like this very much...
However, given your posts on how important at least something online is, I can see how both of these inns could be turned around quickly!

 

[gillumhouse]

Not only do we get 95% of our reservations online, they need to check the box that they have read our policy regarding no show and cancellation which gives us ammunition against a charge back. For that reason alone one should have online booking
RIki.

I do not take cc# online but they still have to check that policy box. That alone could be a big difference for an inn getting cancellations. As Riki says - Backup proof of knowledge.

 

[wendydk]

We have a lovely five-room seasonal Inn on a stream and across from the lake up the road that has been for sale for years. Their website was published in 2000, and has never been updated. They are on no directories, do no advertising at all, except with our local group and the state association. They do have a webervations link on our group website, but not on their website. When I asked them why, they said their webmaster is long gone (years ago), and they are not willing to hire someone else to do their site....or update it with a new one.
Their website does not even say WHERE they are, even what state, until you get to the bottom of the very last page. They live in another part of the country, and just swoop in to capture some of the area's summer business...basically July & August and then close up and head home.
Man, I would love to see someone get in there who was serious about it.

 

[MooseTrax]

I've received back information to my requests. The first one responded within 2 hours; the second one, it took 8.5 hours. (In my opinion, that's a long time)
Interesting note: neither one of them has officially told me the rate for the weekend I am looking at. Both sites have a range, but neither email said: Room x will be at a nightly rate of $xxx for the nights you are requesting. I am still left to call them to make a reservation (becuase I wouldn't give my cc in an email). I don't think I would like this very much...
However, given your posts on how important at least something online is, I can see how both of these inns could be turned around quickly!.

8 hours being long depends on when they got the email. I would hope to hear back in 1 day but I really like hearing back in minutes!
That neither of them answered your question is interesting. These places could be raking in the cash, one would think, if they got on the ball. It's obvious they think they can sway you to their price by talking to you. Or, as some say, talk you into a different room as an upgrade or a different weekend if that one is full.

 

[GeorgiaGirl]

I know I said this before but we have talked about selling in maybe the next year. If you are interested in buying. I know it is going to happen but not sure just when I will be ready to go.

Yes yes online booking is so important. We get 95% of you bookings online. I would not even think of not having it..

I know I said this before but we have talked about selling in maybe the next year. If you are interested in buying. I know it is going to happen but not sure just when I will be ready to go.

Yes yes online booking is so important. We get 95% of you bookings online. I would not even think of not having it.

You might have mentioned it before, but I can't remember where you are located. Neither one of us has an email icon under our names, so this conversation might have to be played out for the world to see.
.

I know I said this before but we have talked about selling in maybe the next year. If you are interested in buying. I know it is going to happen but not sure just when I will be ready to go.

Yes yes online booking is so important. We get 95% of you bookings online. I would not even think of not having it.

You might have mentioned it before, but I can't remember where you are located. Neither one of us has an email icon under our names, so this conversation might have to be played out for the world to see.
Click on her username and you can see her b&b by her email address. Hope that wasn't supposed to be a secret!

I did mention something about a different Inn that had their location listed and before I knew it my post was gone and the user changed their name......I guess they thought their info was not shown.

 

[YellowSocks]

We are going AWAY for three nights (YAY!!!!!!) in a week and a half and I've been researching places to stay on Kelleys Island... lots and lots of places with no rates posted, and pretty much no one with availability except the really big places (of which there are very few).
So, if no one else on the island is doing it, why should they waste the time and money?
Then there's the fact that while we here on the forum are a tech savvy bunch (or we wouldn't be here!) there are lots and lots of people out there who STILL don't fuss with a computer much... some of which are innkeepers.
It's scary, it costs money, no one else around bothers with it... lots of reasons for people not to do online availability or reservations.
So, we'll just have to keep preaching about the reasons for doing it: less phone interruptions, more accessibility, a more professional appearance.
Here we're probably getting 50-60% booking online (wild guesstimate), but if the online availability cuts down on phone calls, then even a smaller percentage would be worth it!
And yes... we do get the tech savvy crowd here...
=)
Kk.

 

[JBloggs]

We are going AWAY for three nights (YAY!!!!!!) in a week and a half and I've been researching places to stay on Kelleys Island... lots and lots of places with no rates posted, and pretty much no one with availability except the really big places (of which there are very few).
So, if no one else on the island is doing it, why should they waste the time and money?
Then there's the fact that while we here on the forum are a tech savvy bunch (or we wouldn't be here!) there are lots and lots of people out there who STILL don't fuss with a computer much... some of which are innkeepers.
It's scary, it costs money, no one else around bothers with it... lots of reasons for people not to do online availability or reservations.
So, we'll just have to keep preaching about the reasons for doing it: less phone interruptions, more accessibility, a more professional appearance.
Here we're probably getting 50-60% booking online (wild guesstimate), but if the online availability cuts down on phone calls, then even a smaller percentage would be worth it!
And yes... we do get the tech savvy crowd here...
=)
Kk..

So, if no one else on the island is doing it, why should they waste the time and money?

Because they would rake in all the guests. No time is wasted after that. You already know that...just reitertating.
Where is that island, I have no idea?

 

[wendydk]

We are going AWAY for three nights (YAY!!!!!!) in a week and a half and I've been researching places to stay on Kelleys Island... lots and lots of places with no rates posted, and pretty much no one with availability except the really big places (of which there are very few).
So, if no one else on the island is doing it, why should they waste the time and money?
Then there's the fact that while we here on the forum are a tech savvy bunch (or we wouldn't be here!) there are lots and lots of people out there who STILL don't fuss with a computer much... some of which are innkeepers.
It's scary, it costs money, no one else around bothers with it... lots of reasons for people not to do online availability or reservations.
So, we'll just have to keep preaching about the reasons for doing it: less phone interruptions, more accessibility, a more professional appearance.
Here we're probably getting 50-60% booking online (wild guesstimate), but if the online availability cuts down on phone calls, then even a smaller percentage would be worth it!
And yes... we do get the tech savvy crowd here...
=)
Kk..

So, if no one else on the island is doing it, why should they waste the time and money?

Because they would rake in all the guests. No time is wasted after that. You already know that...just reitertating.
Where is that island, I have no idea?
.

I agree with Joe! Could you imagine being the one Inn on the island with online booking? Wahoo! I know that Mackinac Island in Michigan is that way. While they all have websites, you have to call for availability and, sometimes, even rates. Very annoying.

 

[gillumhouse]

We are going AWAY for three nights (YAY!!!!!!) in a week and a half and I've been researching places to stay on Kelleys Island... lots and lots of places with no rates posted, and pretty much no one with availability except the really big places (of which there are very few).
So, if no one else on the island is doing it, why should they waste the time and money?
Then there's the fact that while we here on the forum are a tech savvy bunch (or we wouldn't be here!) there are lots and lots of people out there who STILL don't fuss with a computer much... some of which are innkeepers.
It's scary, it costs money, no one else around bothers with it... lots of reasons for people not to do online availability or reservations.
So, we'll just have to keep preaching about the reasons for doing it: less phone interruptions, more accessibility, a more professional appearance.
Here we're probably getting 50-60% booking online (wild guesstimate), but if the online availability cuts down on phone calls, then even a smaller percentage would be worth it!
And yes... we do get the tech savvy crowd here...
=)
Kk..

So, if no one else on the island is doing it, why should they waste the time and money?

Because they would rake in all the guests. No time is wasted after that. You already know that...just reitertating.
Where is that island, I have no idea?
.

Kelley Island is in Lake Erie, near Put-in-Bay.

 

[YellowSocks]

We are going AWAY for three nights (YAY!!!!!!) in a week and a half and I've been researching places to stay on Kelleys Island... lots and lots of places with no rates posted, and pretty much no one with availability except the really big places (of which there are very few).
So, if no one else on the island is doing it, why should they waste the time and money?
Then there's the fact that while we here on the forum are a tech savvy bunch (or we wouldn't be here!) there are lots and lots of people out there who STILL don't fuss with a computer much... some of which are innkeepers.
It's scary, it costs money, no one else around bothers with it... lots of reasons for people not to do online availability or reservations.
So, we'll just have to keep preaching about the reasons for doing it: less phone interruptions, more accessibility, a more professional appearance.
Here we're probably getting 50-60% booking online (wild guesstimate), but if the online availability cuts down on phone calls, then even a smaller percentage would be worth it!
And yes... we do get the tech savvy crowd here...
=)
Kk..

So, if no one else on the island is doing it, why should they waste the time and money?

Because they would rake in all the guests. No time is wasted after that. You already know that...just reitertating.
Where is that island, I have no idea?
.

Where is that island, I have no idea?

Yes, in Lake Erie (western part). The ferry leaves from Marblehead, Ohio, which is where my mom graduated high school, about an hour and fifteen minutes north of where we are.
We took a day trip to Put-in-Bay (which is actually South Bass Island but everyone calls it by the name of the town on the island) in July and had such a great time we decided to go back up for an overnight trip. I had a guy on PIB tell me that "no one takes their kids to PIB on a Saturday night." Apparently it's quite the girls-gone-wild-party-place on weekends. So instead we're doing Kelley's Island (home to the world's best glacial grooves and a nice beach) with a day trip over to PIB on Monday (when the coast is clear!).
We're getting an entire house for the cost of a B&B stay... we'll eat pop tarts for breakfast and ride bikes around the island and makes s'mores... and sleep past 6 a.m.!
Did I mention that I just can't wait!!!!
=)
Kk.

 

[Iris]

Not only do we get 95% of our reservations online, they need to check the box that they have read our policy regarding no show and cancellation which gives us ammunition against a charge back. For that reason alone one should have online booking
RIki.

Not only do we get 95% of our reservations online, they need to check the box that they have read our policy regarding no show and cancellation which gives us ammunition against a charge back. For that reason alone one should have online booking
RIki

Now this advice makes sense to me. I am one of those fuddy duddies that doesn't like the impersonal online booking thing. I have it through our CVB although very few would be guests use it. Most call or email. Anyway, your comment might push me over the edge

 

[wendydk]

Not only do we get 95% of our reservations online, they need to check the box that they have read our policy regarding no show and cancellation which gives us ammunition against a charge back. For that reason alone one should have online booking
RIki.

Not only do we get 95% of our reservations online, they need to check the box that they have read our policy regarding no show and cancellation which gives us ammunition against a charge back. For that reason alone one should have online booking
RIki

Now this advice makes sense to me. I am one of those fuddy duddies that doesn't like the impersonal online booking thing. I have it through our CVB although very few would be guests use it. Most call or email. Anyway, your comment might push me over the edge
.

Iris, I assume that your CVB is Benzie County CVB? The reason you get few online bookings from them is because their site does not come up AT ALL in the first five pages of the following google searches:

• Frankfort MI Cottages
• Frankfort MI B&B
• Frankfort MI lodging
• Frankfort MI motels
• Frankfort MI Inns
• frankfort michigan vacation rentals

However, your site does, on nearly every single one. How many people click on your website, but move on because they cannot check availability or reserve online? I think you are missing the boat by NOT having online booking, or at the very least, an online availability calendar.
If you can accept online reservations through your CVB, they WHY ON EARTH don't you at least make a new page on your site called "online reservations" and then link or forward that page to this one:
http://www.visitbenzie.com/inside.php?catid=83&set_property=148
My "Reservations" and "Check Availability" pages both take people right to our webervations inquiry page.

 

[Breakfast Diva]

Not only do we get 95% of our reservations online, they need to check the box that they have read our policy regarding no show and cancellation which gives us ammunition against a charge back. For that reason alone one should have online booking
RIki.

Not only do we get 95% of our reservations online, they need to check the box that they have read our policy regarding no show and cancellation which gives us ammunition against a charge back. For that reason alone one should have online booking
RIki

Now this advice makes sense to me. I am one of those fuddy duddies that doesn't like the impersonal online booking thing. I have it through our CVB although very few would be guests use it. Most call or email. Anyway, your comment might push me over the edge
.

Iris, I assume that your CVB is Benzie County CVB? The reason you get few online bookings from them is because their site does not come up AT ALL in the first five pages of the following google searches:

• Frankfort MI Cottages
• Frankfort MI B&B
• Frankfort MI lodging
• Frankfort MI motels
• Frankfort MI Inns
• frankfort michigan vacation rentals

However, your site does, on nearly every single one. How many people click on your website, but move on because they cannot check availability or reserve online? I think you are missing the boat by NOT having online booking, or at the very least, an online availability calendar.
If you can accept online reservations through your CVB, they WHY ON EARTH don't you at least make a new page on your site called "online reservations" and then link or forward that page to this one:
http://www.visitbenzie.com/inside.php?catid=83&set_property=148
My "Reservations" and "Check Availability" pages both take people right to our webervations inquiry page.
.

Iris, I assume that your CVB is Benzie County CVB? The reason you get few online bookings from them is because their site does not come up AT ALL in the first five pages of the following google searches:

• Frankfort MI Cottages
• Frankfort MI B&B
• Frankfort MI lodging
• Frankfort MI motels
• Frankfort MI Inns
• frankfort michigan vacation rentals

However, your site does, on nearly every single one. How many people click on your website, but move on because they cannot check availability or reserve online? I think you are missing the boat by NOT having online booking, or at the very least, an online availability calendar.
If you can accept online reservations through your CVB, they WHY ON EARTH don't you at least make a new page on your site called "online reservations" and then link or forward that page to this one:
http://www.visitbenzie.com/inside.php?catid=83&set_property=148
My "Reservations" and "Check Availability" pages both take people right to our webervations inquiry page.

Excellent points and suggestion! Iris...please, please, pleeeeeeease get online reservation/availablity on your website!