Luxury B&B March2018 Issue

TABLE LINEN

FIRST LOOKS COUNT AT BREAKFAST

FURNISHING OVERHAUL

PLUS! HOT TUBS - A SENSATIONAL TOUCH TO ENHANCE YOUR OUTDOOR OFFERING

Transforming the guest experience

UK’S FIRST

LUXURY

B&B MAGAZINE WWW.LUXURYBBMAG.CO.UK • ISSUE 24 • MARCH 2018

- In Depth / Sofa b beds eds d -

Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 36 - March 2018

this month...

Welcome

NEWS

4

Winter struck back with vengeance at the beginning of March, paralysing the ambitions of all but the hardiest of travellers and eradicating much of the sense of fun associated with the idea of an away break, even at a luxury guest house.

Working on the assumption that the freezing conditions will ease during the course of the month, now would be the time to focus on making the best out of B&B Day. Saturday 24 March has been pitched by the B&B Association as the ideal date this year for promoting the virtues of B&Bs in the UK. As chairman David Weston explains on page 14, the GDWH PDUNV WKH HQG RI WKH RÎ? SHDN VHDVRQ DQG WKH association is inviting B&Bs, guest houses and indeSHQGHQW KRWHOV WR HQWLFH SHRSOH WR ERRN E\ RÎ?HULQJ something special for guests booking that weekend.

Luxury B&Bs have the edge when it comes to a special weekend away and have as good a chance as any category of hospitality to entice those wishing to celebrate the imminent arrival of Spring with a premium stay in high-end accommodation. $WWHQWLRQ WR GHWDLO DQG WKH Č´UVW FODVV VHUYLFH RI OX[XU\ B&Bs will of course greet these guests, bolstering the word-of-mouth recommendation that generally follows the experience.

7KLV LV WKH Č´UVW VXFK HYHQW LQ WKH 8. ΖQ ΖWDO\ % % 'D\ RFFXUV VRRQHU WKH Č´UVW ZHHNHQG RI 0DUFK ZLWK D QHWZRUN RI % %V RÎ?HULQJ D IUHH VWD\ RQ 0DUFK IRU WKRVH ERRNLQJ D ORQJ ZHHNHQG WR 0DUFK 2Î?HUV of this kind may be the type of approach to follow here in the UK. Luxury Bed & Breakfast magazine will be monitoring the success of the initiative here and hope that it delivers the traction the sector needs.

We would love to hear from you on this or any other matter relating to your business.

12

Industry news from around the UK

14

16

20

24

28

32

36

40

core issues Insight and analysis of the critical issues confronting luxury B&B owners

COMMENT Bed & Breakfast Association chairman David Weston

HOT TUBS

Installing a hot tub can dramatically enhance your luxury B&B for year-round outdoors fun

TABLE LINEN The table linen on which you serve your guests is important to the overall impression they will form

OUTDOOR CLEANING You vacuum your carpet every day, but how much attention do you pay to the upkeep of the outside of your property?

INDOOR CLEANING While focusing on cleaning, some tips on vacuuming the interior of your luxury B&B

TRANSFORMING THE GUEST EXPERIENCE Stunning ideas to boost the attraction of your guest house by transforming your furnishings

SOFA BEDS 7KH ČľH[LELOLW\ RI D OX[XU\ QRQ FXPEHUVRPH FKDLU EHG RU VRID bed means it can pay for itself in just a few months

FINANCE BROKING Seeking a broker specialising in the luxury hospitality sector can ensure you get the best deal in the quickest time

Bill Lumley

Editor

32

16 Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 3 - March 2018

- News -

Welsh pub and restaurant reopens as a luxury B&B A former Denbighshire pub and restaurant has been renamed and transformed into a luxury guest house that opened at the beginning of this month.

Some 18 months after the closure of the Plough Inn in the Welsh village of Llandegla, work began on converting the business into a luxury B&B, renamed the Grousemoor, a five-bedroom luxury B&B, wedding and events venue.

The property owners behind the renovations are Brian Jones and his sister Pamela Brian Morris with the help of a small business grant from Denbighshire County Council and support from the Council’s Economic and Business Development team.

The name change arose from a need for the fresh image and the venue’s new life as a luxury guest house, according to Jones.

Morris is no stranger to hospitality, running for a number of years her other property, an award-winning guest house, Willington Lodge in Horseman’s Green, near Whitchurch (pictured below). The

siblings grew up in Llandegla and the Plough Inn was their village pub, she says.

“I bought it with my brother,” she told Luxury Bed & Breakfast magazine. “We are initially opening with five superior guest bedrooms and will be working on a further five rooms over the next 12 months.

“A lot of hard work has gone into the renovation. We are proud to be opening a business in Llandegla and adding to the tourism offer in the area,” she added.

The area is known for cycling, fishing, shooting and spectacular countryside.

The Grousemoor will not be opening as a restaurant, but we will be offering pre-booked afternoon teas and private parties/functions within the dining rooms.

She said they will be looking to use local produce to help other local businesses.

The smoke-free B&B has outdoor barbecue grills and a picnic area.

Guests at the formal opening on 2 March included Welsh government cabinet secretary for economy and transport Ken Skates.

Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 4 - March 2018

- News -

EDITOR

Bill Lumley bill.lumley@jld-media.co.uk 01737 852 345 CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

Tourism industry heads north to showcase Britain

Caroline Sargent 07076 362082 CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

Matthew Attwood 01737 852 345 NORTHERN IRELAND EDITOR

Francis Higney 01737 852 345 SALES MANAGER

Dywayne Ramsundar dywayne.ramsundar@jld-media.co.uk 01737 852 342 DESIGN & PRODUCTION

Stuart West stuart.west@jld-media.co.uk 01737 852 343 DESIGN & PRODUCTION

Ryan Goble 01737 852 341 PUBLISHING DIRECTOR

helen.richmond@jld-media.co.uk 01737 852 344 No part of this publication may be reproduced, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system without the express prior written consent of the publisher.

We regret we cannot be liable for the safe custody or return of any solicited or unsolicited material. Contributors are advised to keep copies of all materials submitted.

The opinions and views expressed in Luxury Bed & Breakfast are not necessarily those of JLD Media.

Being subject to the Advertising Standards Authority guidelines in place at the time of going to press, all data submitted by advertisers and contained in their advertising copy is accepted by JLD Media in good faith.

Luxury Bed & Breakfast is available on subscription. UK & Ireland ÂŁ65; Overseas ÂŁ98.

Luxury Bed & Breakfast is published monthly.

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Luxury Bed & Breakfast JLD Media, 25 Clarendon Road, Redhill, Surrey RH1 1QZ Tel: +44 (0) 1737 852 100 www.luxurybbmag.co.uk All rights reserved Š JLD Media 2018

9LVLW%ULWDLQ KRVWHG LWV DQQXDO ČľDJVKLS WUDYHO WUDGH HYHQW WR VHOO GHVWLQDWLRQ %ULWDLQ WR WKH ZRUOG As we went to press, ExploreGB was preparing to head north to NewcastleGateshead. More than 280 international travel buyers from 29 countries attended to do business with more than 330 tourism suppliers from across the UK at the two-day event, held earlier this month at the Metro Radio Arena.

Travel industry buyers and journalists from the UK’s largest and most valuable inbound visitor markets including Australia, France, Germany and the US attended, as well as delegates from high-spending markets including China and the Gulf countries.

Tourism Minister Michael Ellis said: “British tourism is thriving and is an increasingly important economic driver across the UK. The sector contributes billions of pounds to the economy every year, supports thousands RI MREV DQG EHQHČ´WV WKH 8.

V QDWLRQV DQG UHJLRQV “We want to build on this success and ExploreGB gives British businesses the opportunity to expand, increase inward investment and reach new international markets."

VisitBritain Chief Executive Sally Balcombe said: “We DUH GHOLJKWHG WR EULQJ RXU ČľDJVKLS WUDGH HYHQW ([SORUH*% to NewcastleGateshead and North East England, a fantastic destination and also a great base for our international buyers to start their tours across the UK.

“Tourism is one of the world’s most globally competitive industries and ExploreGB is an extremely important business tool to help us stay competitive.

It gives UK travel suppliers and local destinations the chance to get their products in front of hundreds of top global buyers, forge valuable business connections and ultimately inspire more visitors to book a trip.�

Chief Executive of NewcastleGateshead Initiative Sarah Stewart said: “In the year that Rough Guides named Newcastle as its number one place in the world to visit, it is great to be working with VisitBritain WR EULQJ LWV ČľDJVKLS HYHQW WR 1HZFDVWOH*DWHVKHDG Delegates will have the chance to explore the huge variety of experiences our city and the wider region KDV WR RÎ?HU YLVLWRUV DQG GLVFRYHU KRZ WKHVH ZLOO EH DPSOLČ´HG GXULQJ *UHDW ([KLELWLRQ RI WKH 1RUWK DQG we wish them an enjoyable stay.â€?

More than 32,000 business meetings took place across the two-day travel trade event. Buyers and international journalists will also get to experience WRXULVP SURGXFWV DQG VHUYLFHV Č´UVW KDQG ZLWK SUH and-post event trips to destinations across the UK. As well as doing business, delegates will attend seminars on innovations in tourism from the latest in luxury travel to food and drink products, as well as networking events to boost their knowledge of the UK as a tourist destination.

Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 6 - March 2018

- News -

B&B wi-fi networks enable fraud $ KLJK SURSRUWLRQ RI % % RZQHUV DUH XQDZDUH WKDW VKDULQJ WKHLU KRPH ZL ȴ QHWZRUNV ZLWK WKHLU SD\LQJ JXHVWV FDQ SXW WKHP DW ULVN RI ȴQDQFLDO ORVV DQG LGHQWLW\ IUDXG DFFRUGLQJ WR KRVSLWDOLW\ ZL ȴ VSHFLDOLVW (QVLJQ &RPPXQLFDWLRQV 7KH FRPSDQ\ȇV ZL ȴ WHDP LVVXHG WKH ZDUQing after exhibiting at the BeMyGuest hospitality roadshow in Southampton last month.

Ensign head of marketing Greg Meade told Luxury Bed & Breakfast magazine: “We undertook a lot of research ahead of the roadshow, and the conclusion we drew about the lack of awareness in the hospitality sector with regard WR ZL Č´ VHFXULW\ ZDV FRQČ´UPHG WR XV DIWHU MXVW a couple of hours when we spoke to many people at the event.â€?

He said many of the B&B owners the team VSRNH WR UXQ VR FDOOHG ČľDW QHWZRUNV DOORZLQJ guests to use the network all at the same time, with no level of encryption, and allowing them to exist on the network in the same IP range

as each other as well as the property owner.

Meade warned: “This is really quite dangerous in terms of their data. If a B&B owner lets guests use their own private network it could FRPSURPLVH WKHLU SHUVRQDO GDWD DQG FRQČ´GHQWLDO LQIRUPDWLRQ DQG UXQ WKH ULVN RI Č´QDQFLDO loss and identity fraud.â€?

He stressed: “Nobody could criticise a bed & breakfast owner for running their personal and guest wireless network in this way. It is just a matter of personal security that those we spoke to at the event were not aware of. ČŠ7KH UHDOLW\ IRU % % RZQHUV LV WKDW ČľDW QHWZRUNV RÎ?HU QR SULYDF\ PHDQLQJ LW LV QRW SRVVLble to keep personal or business information safe from guests with malicious intentions.

This is a major cause for concern.�

He added: “What was striking about the majority of the conversations that we had was just how similar the concerns were over connectivity. It became apparent that the independently owned end of the hospitality market

Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 7 - March 2018

is drastically under-served when it comes to wireless connectivity. Delegates at the event FRQȴUPHG WKH VHQVH WKDW ZL ȴ LV D UHDO FRQFHUQ for them. B&B owners are generally using their home routers for their business.�

- News -

Whisky brand embarks on a world tour

Loch Lomond whiskies signs partnership with The Open ΖQGHSHQGHQW 6FRWFK ZKLVN\ GLVWLOOHU /RFK /RPRQG *URXS KDV DJUHHG D SUHVWLJLRXV Č´YH \HDU SDUWQHUVKLS ZLWK 7KH 2SHQ JROIȇV RULJLQDO FKDPSLRQVKLS IRU LWV /RFK /RPRQG :KLVNLHV EUDQG The partnership with The R&A includes support of the Ricoh Women’s British Open and will showcase globally the full range of Loch Lomond Whiskies. The distiller’s range of single malts will become “The Spirit of The Openâ€?.

Known as “The Oneâ€?, The Open is the most international of the major championVKLSV ZLWK TXDOLI\LQJ HYHQWV DFURVV Č´YH FRQtinents. The Championship is also broadcast to 600m households in almost 200 countries around the world.

Whisky and golf are recognised as being among Scotland’s most famous products.

6WXGLHV VXJJHVW WKDW WKHUH LV D FORVH DÉ?QLW\ EHtween the two industries with many golf fans also demonstrating a passion for Scotch.

As part of the partnership with The Open, Loch Lomond Whiskies will create a variety of highly covetable limited editions, aimed at ERWK JROI IDQV DQG ZKLVN\ DČ´FLRQDGRV DOLNH Loch Lomond Whiskies can trace its roots back to the Littlemill distillery, which was

established in 1772 and is thought to be one of the oldest in the world. Its current malt and grain distilleries, in Alexandria, Dunbartonshire on the banks of Loch Lomond, were built in the 1960s and are among only a few in the industry to maintain an onsite cooperage. The malt distillery at Alexandria also features a unique combination of traditional swan neck and distinctive straight-necked pot stills, enabling it to SURGXFH D GLYHUVH UDQJH RI ČľDYRXU SURČ´OHV Colin Matthews, CEO of Loch Lomond Group, said: “We are extremely proud to have agreed this prestigious partnership and association with The R&A for The Open and the Ricoh Women’s British Open. There is an incredibly strong alignment between the worlds of whisky and golf, two of Scotland’s most iconic JLIWV WR WKH ZRUOG 7KHUH LV DOVR D JUHDW Č´W EHtween those who follow golf and whisky, with research showing clearly that many golfers across the world enjoy a regular dram. “Our partnership with The R&A is the perfect means for Loch Lomond Whiskies to use the fabulous platforms of both championships to grow further, both in the UK and internationally, and it also demonstrates our strong commitment and ambition to becoming a premium global brand.â€?

Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 8 - March 2018

'LVWLOOHU *OHQ 6FRWLD LV WR VWDJH D WRXU WKDW ZLOO HQDEOH ZKLVN\ IDQV DURXQG WKH ZRUOG WR H[SHULHQFH WKH HVVHQFH RI &DPSEHOWRZQ 6FRWODQGȇV VPDOOHVW 6FRWFK SURGXFLQJ UHJLRQ 7KH *OHQ 6FRWLD *UDQG 7RXU NLFNV RÎ? LQ London this month before being rolled out internationally to countries including the US. It aims to transport whisky lovers to the Glen Scotia distillery on the Mull of Kintyre and replicate the experience of visiting the distinctive Campbeltown whisky region.

Attendees will be fully immersed in the Campbeltown environment via an interactive pop-up event reproducing the sights of the Glen Scotia distillery and the surronding, seaside town. The 60-minute experience, begins with whisky-based cocktails and canapes, inspired by local producers, in the Victorian WKHPHG 'LVWLOOHU\ 0DQDJHUȇV RÉ?FH 1H[W JXHVWV will experience Glen Scotia’s dunnage warehouse, tasting a variety of expressions from the independent distiller including a whisky exclusive to the Glen Scotia Grand Tour.

Each space has been carefully designed for an authentic experience with windows looking out on to the Kintyre Peninsula.

The Victorian themed room exudes the classic style of the era, and the furniture and artefacts have been hand-chosen to create a comfortable and inviting atmosphere. ΖQ WKH GXQQDJH ZDUHKRXVH JXHVWV ZLOO ȴQG original whisky barrels from the Glen Scotia Distillery, and will sample drams straight from the cask. During the experience, attendees will be transported to the costal town through virtual projections which will light up the surronding walls.

The Glen Scotia distillery, which has a history dating back to 1832, is located in Campbeltown, on the Kintyre Peninsula.

Iain McAlister, Distillery Manager at Glen 6FRWLD VDLG Ȋ:H DUH WKH ȴUVW WR DGPLW WKDW Campbeltown isn’t the easiest to get to, but when whisky fans visit Glen Scotia they are deeply impressed by our whiskies and the unique character of the region. Our Glen Scotia Grand Tour will allow whisky lovers to share that sense of discovery and experience the lure of Campbeltown for themselves.�

- News -

Hospitality roadshow proves to be a hit 7KH Č´UVW WKUHH HYHQWV RQ WKH %H 0\ *XHVW URDGVKRZ WRRN SODFH LQ )HEUXDU\ ZLWK PRUH WKDQ VPDOO DFFRPPRGDWLRQ SURYLGHUV WXUQLQJ XS WR PHHW QHZ VXSSOLHUV OLVWHQ WR H[SHUWV DQG QHWZRUN DPRQJVW HDFK RWKHU WR LPSURYH their businesses.

The events, which are supported by Luxury Bed & Breakfast magazine and Innkeeper magazine, were a runaway success as feedback from both exhibitors and visitors was overwhelming positive for the new concept.

6RXWKDPSWRQ ZDV WKH Č´UVW VWRS RQ WKH 8. nationwide tour last month, followed by editions of the event in Harrogate and Glasgow.

The free-to-attend regional event series is a brand-new concept which is being supported by event partners including The AA, Barclays, Google Digital Garage and Dreams Beds.

The events are designed to help enable owners and managers of independent hotels, B&Bs, guest houses, holiday rentals, campsites, glamping sites and other hospitality enterprises to have a productive and immersive day out to learn, network and innovate.

The events incorporated a well-attended conference stacked with big names helping visitors learn by best practice. Taking to stage to impart valuable knowledge in Southampton included speakers from companies including Booking.com and Google as well as trendsetters in the hospitality space such as Ensign Communications and YourWelcome.

The marketplace, where visitors could touch and see new products and services, was also a big hit with visitors who were able to mix with industry stakeholders such as The AA as well as innovative new companies and concepts. Companies that joined in the roadshow journey included Nescafe, Heineken and Sage Appliances.

The Be My Guest roadshow was developed by the Quartz Smart Events team and is led by Diane Sheppard, who said: “We couldn’t be KDSSLHU ZLWK KRZ WKH Č´UVW HYHQW ZHQW Č‚ LW ZDV IDQWDVWLF :H ORYH ZRUNLQJ in this sector. The people are super-friendly and we love providing an event platform where visitors can learn, improve their businesses and network with other owners and managers. ČŠ7KH Č´UVW VKRZ Č´QLVKHG MXVW D IHZ GD\V DJR EXW RXU HYHQW EUDLQV DUH already buzzing and whirring with new ideas and features we can add to make it even better.â€?

The next stop on the tour is Harrogate and Glasgow. All editions of the roadshow receive business support from local destination organisations, which is a key point for the visitors since it allows them to meet and grow local networks to improve key business aspects like occupancy rates, revenue streams and online visibility.

The next events will be staged in Bristol (31 October) Penrith (20 November) and Norwich (27 November) The one day shows are free to attend and people can sign up by visiting ZZZ EHP\JXHVW OLYH DWWHQG

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Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 9 - March 2018

- News -

ALMR welcomes T-level proposals and underlines urgent need for implementation in hospitality %HG EUHDNIDVW DQG RWKHU KRVSLWDOLW\ EXVLQHVVHV LQ DUHDV RI WKH 8. ZLWK DERYH DYHUDJH XQHPSOR\PHQW KDYH EHHQ LQYLWHG WR SDUWLFLSDWH LQ D GLVFXVVLRQ ZLWK MREVHHNHUV DERXW WKH SRWHQWLDO RI D FDUHHU LQ WKH VHFWRU The initiative in Pembrokeshire is organised by the British Hospitality Association (BHA) and is aimed at addressing growing employment concerns, one of these being that the end of free movement when we leave the EU will give rise to a shortage of workers available to support he hospitality sector.

Hospitality businesses in Pembrokeshire will have the opportunity to inspire young jobseekers to take up a career in the industry at the Big Hospitality Conversation due to be held at Bluestone Resorts on Monday 12 March.

216 Č´JXUHV VKRZ 8. XQHPSOR\PHQW OHYHOV are continuing at a record low of 4.6%, and with freedom of movement set to end in 2019 on our departure from the EU, businesses are IDFLQJ LQFUHDVLQJ GLÉ?FXOWLHV LQ Č´QGLQJ VNLOOHG VWDÎ? DQG WKH GHPDQG DPRQJ RSHUDWRUV LV DW an all-time high.

7KH %+$ LV DGGUHVVLQJ WKHVH GLÉ?FXOWLHV through conversations with government urging for hospitality T-levels to be brought forward from its scheduled roll-out in 2022, and with initiatives such as the Big Hospitality Conversation; bringing hospitality leaders and young people together to showcase the potentials of a career in hospitality.

To highlight the choice available to young jobseekers, the BHA together with Departnet for Work & Pensions (DWP) and Springboard are bringing the Big Hospitality Conversation to Pembrokeshire, where youth unemployment is at 25%. Local businesses will have the chance to talk to jobseekers about the great prospects available and discuss the enormous possibilities for professional development and advancement within the sector.

The Big Hospitality Conversation, which provides a setting that encourages discussion between businesses and jobseekers, has already connected over 4,000 executives and HR directors across the UK with young

jobseekers to facilitate 67,000 new hospitality career starts since its inception in 2015.

8Č´ ΖEUDKLP FKLHI H[HFXWLYH RI WKH %ULWLVK Hospitality Association said: “There are few industries that can match the career prospects RÎ?HUHG E\ KRVSLWDOLW\ WR HQWUDQWV RI DOO VNLOO levels, but hospitality careers are not actively promoted in the UK as much as they should be. Given the right support from businesses and government, prioritising hospitality recruitment and development of British ZRUNHUV WKH LQGXVWU\ KDV WKH SRWHQWLDO WR Č´OO the gap left by EU workers once freedom of movement has stopped.â€?

Bluestone CEO William McNamara said: "When the British Hospitality Association asked us to host this event, naturally we were delighted. We see this as a wonderful opportunity to work with the BHA and its many members to find positive solutions to the challenges we all face within the industry. Here in Wales we have the advantage of a great holiday environment, with beautiful countryside and some of the world’s most stunning beaches. The Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 10 - March 2018

people of Wales are also naturally warm and welcoming. “What we lack sometimes, however, is a positive outlook for the industry and a belief that a career in tourism can be one of the most rewarding. By joining at the Big Conversation event, we can tap into our collective passion for tourism and hospitality, and recognise that together we can create an exceptional resource for all tourism businesses across Wales.�

Anne Pierce, chief executive of Springboard added: “We are pleased to be a partner once again in this important initiative, at a time of particularly acute skills shortages and uncertainty about the economic future. Springboard is positioned well to connect its employer partners with people looking to gain work experience, learn about apprenticeships or gain employment. The Big Hospitality Conversation and the associated wider communications, provide a valuable opportunity to amplify the voice of the industry and the great work that we do to support it.�

- News -

Struggling families charity seeks B&B support 8. FKDULW\ WKH )DPLO\ +ROLGD\ $VVRFLDWLRQ LV DSSHDOLQJ WR EHG EUHDNIDVW RZQHUV WR GRQDWH EUHDNV IRU VWUXJJOLQJ IDPLOLHV According to the charity support from the travel and tourism industry helped it to provide vital breaks to 4,137 struggling families last year. This was the second year running that the charity has been able to help more than 4,000 families with a day trip or short break away from home.

More than 9,000 children and almost DGXOWV EHQHČ´WHG LQ ZLWK QHDUO\ WZR WKLUGV KDYLQJ D EUHDN WRJHWKHU IRU WKH Č´UVW WLPH )DPLO\ +ROLGD\ $VVRFLDWLRQ UHVHDUFK IRXQG that virtually all families (99%) had fun and created happy memories, with 93% reporting reduced stress and worries and the same number felt better able to cope after their break. “These results are an important and tangible indication of the importance of breaks away from home,â€? stated John Kinnear, the charity’s head of programmes. $ WUHQG LGHQWLČ´HG ODVW \HDU ZDV D PRYH WRZDUGV LQFUHDVHG FROlaboration with the travel and tourism industry. Highlights include

a record number of children and families helped in Scotland through the pioneering ScotSpirit breaks project, and more attractions taking part in The Big Weekend in Kent and Hertfordshire.

Charity Director John McDonald said: “2017 has proved another hugely successful year for the Family Holiday Association and we are extremely proud of what we’ve achieved.

"The travel and tourism industry has always been central to our charity’s activities, and the growth in donated breaks and attraction tickets is hugely positive. As ever, there is much more that can be done but with continued support and collaboration we believe we are in a great SRVLWLRQ WR VHH IXUWKHU VLJQLČ´FDQW JURZWK LQ WKH \HDUV DKHDG Č‹ He said traditional breaks have been seaside trips, but recently the charity has invested in technology that has allowed it to broaden WKH UDQJH RI EUHDNV LW FDQ RÎ?HU KDYLQJ IDPLOLHV LQ YDULRXV GLÉ?FXOW circumstances. “Not every family is the same so a wider choice is helpful for struggling families,â€? he said.

Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 11 - March 2018

- Core Issues / Insight -

Be My Guest The Be My Guest event held in Southampton last month featured well-attended conference sessions throughout the day.

Two of the key presentations were delivered by the owners of How to Run a Bed and Breakfast (HTRBB), which runs courses for those who are starting out in the B&B and holiday-let world, and provides bespoke consultancy for new owners or those who wish to improve their B&Bs. 7KH ȴUVW RI WKH WZR SUHVHQWDtions was delivered by Paula Hartley, focusing on the key aspects that most aspiring bed and breakfast owners attending their courses either don’t know or don’t ask.

These include: • How to project the income they expect to receive. She suggested this can be gauged by using a forecasting tool such as HTRBB’s projected income calculator, which enables B&B owners to play around with occupancy, pricing and expenses, in order WR FDOFXODWH KRZ PXFK QHW SURČ´W they might expect to make. • The importance of engaging a channel manager to manage bookings, update rates and availability in one place, not to mention having the prices of your rooms and combination of ways of selling them at your fingertips. • The types of guests B&B owners might expect to greet, including the ‘normal’, accounting for about 80% of guests; the demanding; and the rabbit-in-

and printers were considered in the context of adequate spares, backup facilities, threats to the business and reliable/easy to use anti-virus and malware applications. Availability of fast broadband and reliable mobile network signal strength was discussed in terms of the imSDFW RQ % % VWDÎ? WLPH DQG WKH guest experience.

the-headlights type of guests who, for whatever reason, look surprised when they arrive, either because they are disappointed with your place, or because perhaps they had a row before they arrived. • The time it takes to service and changeover a room, which can GLÎ?HU DFFRUGLQJ WR VHYHUDO IDFWRUV including how messy your guests DUH KRZ HÎ?HFWLYH \RX RU \RXU VWDÎ? DUH ZLWK D FOHDQLQJ UHJLPH and the quality standards you yourself expect. • Legislation and licencing information. HTRBB’s course delegates are often unaware of a need to have an alcohol licence even to give away free drinks: if this is considered part of the package that a B&B owner is RÎ?HULQJ WKHQ LW IDOOV XQGHU WKH licencing requirements. • The PRS and PPL licencing requirement for playing music in communal areas, how a registration form must be completed by every guest, and how a Commercial Waste Licence must be obtained if you are running a B&B and how it can be quite costly and

shouldn’t be forgotten when working out your projected income.

The second presentation was given by Ken Hartley, and highlighted the top tips that will save time and money running a bed and breakfast.

The tips included: • The rationale for not taking up the option of a Trip Advisor business listing. • Maximising direct website bookings by reducing the reliance on Booking.com, Expedia and other major OTAs to achieve in time 50%-plus direct bookings, saving commissions of 15-20%. • Maintenance issues to ensure WKH FULWLFDO DSSOLDQFHV ZRUN HÎ?HFtively, all of the time, illustrated E\ WKH FKRLFH DQG VSHFLČ´FDWLRQ RI the boiler, showers, fusebox and dishwasher. A low-maintenance approach to the outside spaces and in rooms and hallways was also recommended. • The technology options essential to operate a modern B&B business including PCs, iPads, mobile phones, card readers

Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 12 - March 2018

• Social Media Scheduling Tools such as Tweetdeck, Facebook, Hootsuite and Zoho were explained in terms of the control and planning of the amount of time you need to spend on social media in order to promote your B&B. • It was explained how Excel knowledge is essential for producing your management information, auditing your purchases, organising emails, understanding where your money is spent, and helping with tax returns and targeting future guests. • Attention was given to the HÎ?HFWLYHQHVV RI DGYHUWLVLQJ LQ hard copy print form via B&B guides and directories and specialist publications such as Sawdays, Farmstays etc. and also newspapers and magazines in today’s digital age. • The impact on your time and business of policy decisions such as check-in and check-out times DQG WD[L VHUYLFHV VWDÎ? GHSOR\ment and laundry options. Č? 7KH EHQHČ´WV RI KDYLQJ D EUHDNIDVW form, the downside of providing an alcoholic bar and the best ways to source room and food supplies.

- Core Issues / Insight -

Tourism spend Visit Britain head of research and forecasting Richard Nicholls gave a presentation on current and projected tourism trends to delegates attending the inaugural Be My Guest event in Southampton.

Growth in visitor numbers is expected to grow by 4% in 2018 with spending up 6% to £26.9bn according to VisitEngland.

But the pace of growth is expected to slow compared with last year, with risks to WKH GRZQVLGH 7KH ȴJXUHV DUH LQȵXHQFHG by the weakness of the pound versus the euro, althiough it has risen in recent months against the US dollar. The global outlook is benign and stable.

The UK saw a healthy growth in tourism last year by the end of the third quarter, with visits up 6% overall and spending up by 12% to £39.1bn.

Scotland LED the way with growth of LQERXQG WRXULVWV DW ΖQ WKH ȴUVW WKUHH quarters the South East saw growth of 5%, and London saw growth in visitor numbers RI LQ WKH ȴUVW QLQH PRQWKV GHVSLWH recording a dip of 1% in the third quarter.

The rest of England saw growth up by 4% for the period.

Despite the rise in tourism, growth slowed in the second half of the year.

VisitEngland’s analysis of visitor data shows leisure trips outstripped business trips with holidays up 13% in the period but business visits were down by 4%.

Visits from Europeans were up by 3% in the period and visitors from the US and Canada were up by 11% in the period, although VisitEngland reported the figures were showing signs of tailing off towards the end of the period. Rest of the world figures were up by 16% over the previous year.

The number of shoret breaks taken in England last year saw a recovery while longer trips also continued to grow, according to the analysis, which showed WKDW LQ WKH ȴUVW QLQH PRQWKV RI ODVW \HDU

breaks of one to three nights were up by 5% over the previous year while breaks of four nights or more were up by 2% in the same period.

Despite the endless resource offered by the internet, future travellers will live in a filter bubble created by personalisation algorithms and homogenous social networks. Tourism products will have to work hard to stay on the traveller’s radar, according to VisitEngland. Citing research from FF Online Research, VisitEngland claimed that location-based technology will help raise awareness of and increase engagement with tourism products by pushing content based on

Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 13 - March 2018

an individual traveller’s whereabouts.

For example, Geo-Tourist is an audio tour site and app that uses GPS data to play informative audio clips around touristic routes and advertise nearby offers and services to user.

“Travellers are looking for tourist products that can boost their social capital when sharing images or stories about them on social media platforms,” said Nicholls. He cited a female French tourist in her late 20s who said: “Checking in and sharing this on Facebook is seen as a status symbol and people usually only check in at glamorous, non-trivial places and when doing something special”.

- In Depth / Bed & Breakfast Association Comment -

Comment Are you taking advantage of the first National B&B Day? - it's on 24 March

A

David Weston Chairman of the Bed & Breakfast Association, reports.

s readers of previous issues will know, last October the then Tourism Minister, John Glen, stood up at our â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;B&B Summitâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; in London and anQRXQFHG WKDW WKH Č´UVW HYHU Č&#x2020;1DWLRQDO % % 'D\Č&#x2039; ZLOO EH RQ 6DWXUGD\ WK 0DUFK WKLV \HDU 7KLV will be the culmination of English Tourism Week (7: KHDYLO\ SURPRWHG E\ 9LVLW(QJODQG 6R Č&#x160;% % 'D\Č&#x2039; LV MXVW DURXQG WKH FRUQHU QRZ Č&#x201A; KDYH \RX EHHQ WR WKH ZHEVLWH ZZZ EDQGEGD\ FRP UHJLVWHUHG DQG DGGHG \RXU RZQ RÎ?HUV WKHUH WR NLFN RÎ? WKH SUH (DVWHU VHDVRQ" 7KH DLP RI 1DWLRQDO % % 'D\ LV QRW RQO\ WR VXSSRUW DQG FHOHEUDWH WKH KRVSLWDOLW\ LQGXVWU\ EXW DOVR WR JHW DV PDQ\ JXHVWV DV SRVVLEOH VWD\LQJ LQ 8. % %V RYHU WKH ZHHNHQG RI WK 0DUFK WKH ODVW ZHHNHQG RI WKH RÎ? SHDN VHDVRQ We are inviting all B&Bs, guest houses and LQGHSHQGHQW KRWHOV WR HQWLFH SHRSOH WR ERRN E\ RÎ?HULQJ JXHVWV VRPHWKLQJ VSHFLDO IRU % % 'D\ 9LVLW EDQGEGD\ FRP SDUWLFLSDWH WR VXEPLW \RXU RÎ?HUV DQG WDNH D ORRN DW WKH Č&#x2020;Î&#x2013;QVSLUDWLRQČ&#x2021; DQG Č&#x2020;%URZVHČ&#x2021; SDJHV IRU LGHDV Î&#x2013;W FRXOG EH D discount or special deal but doesn't have to be SULFH EDVHG *HW FUHDWLYH &RXOG \RX IRU LQVWDQFH RÎ?HU JXHVWV EUHDNIDVW LQ EHG D IUHH DIWHUQRRQ WHD IUHH EHDXW\ WUHDWPHQW RU D WDVWLQJ RI ORFDO SURGXFH RQ 1DWLRQDO % % 'D\" So do get thinking, get involved, and submit \RXU VSHFLDO GHDOV RU RÎ?HUV QRZ DW EDQGEGD\ FRP SDUWLFLSDWH $OO WKH RÎ?HUV ZLOO EH OLVWHG RQ WKH RÉ?FLDO % % 'D\ ZHEVLWH DW EDQGEGD\ FRP <RX FDQ DOVR SURPRWH WKHP WR \RXU JXHVWV RQ \RXU RZQ websites and social media channels using the KDVKWDJ %DQG%GD\ :K\ QRW WHOO \RXU ORFDO newspaper, radio station or visitor information FHQWUH ZKDW \RX UH GRLQJ DQG JHW WKHP VKRXWLQJ DERXW 1DWLRQDO % % 'D\ WRR" $ /RQGRQ 35 DJHQF\ KDV EHHQ HQJDJHG WR JHQHUDWH SXEOLFLW\ IRU WKH GD\ DQG ZH ZLOO EH KROGLQJ HYHQWV DW 3DUOLDPHQW DQG RU &LW\ +DOO WR SURPRWH % %V LQ WKH PHGLD :H DUH DOVR DVNLQJ 03V WR YLVLW % %V LQ WKHLU FRQVWLWXHQF\ RQ % % 'D\ WK 0DUFK :K\ QRW ZULWH WR RU HYHQ WZHHW \RXU RZQ 03 VXJJHVWLQJ WKH\ YLVLW \RX DQG TXRWLQJ %DQG%GD\ DQG (7: "

"Britain is best for B&B" said the World's ELJJHVW WUDYHO ZHEVLWH 7ULS$GYLVRU WKLV \HDU LQ WKHLU 7UDYHOOHUV &KRLFH $ZDUGV LQ ZKLFK WKH WRS % %V LQ (XURSH DQG RI WKH WRS LQ WKH ZRUOG DUH %ULWLVK And indeed, guests prefer B&Bs to hotels: Trip $GYLVRU DQDO\VHG D \HDU RI UHYLHZV IURP PLOOLRQV RI JXHVWV IURP DQG IRXQG WKDW RYHUDOO JXHVWV UDWH % %V RXW RI IRU JXHVW VDWLVIDFWLRQ ZKLOVW WKH\ UDWH KRWHOV

JLYLQJ DQ KLJKHU DSSURYDO UDWLQJ WR % %V WKDQ WR KRWHOV 3HUKDSV WKDW LV ZK\ JXHVWV FKRRVH WR VSHQG PLOOLRQ JXHVW QLJKWV LQ %ULWLVK % %V %HVLGHV LQLWLDWLYHV OLNH % % 'D\ WR SURPRWH % %V ZH DUH DOVR VWURQJO\ Č´JKWLQJ \RXU FRUQHU RQ LVVXHV OLNH WKH WUHDWPHQW RI % %V E\ 27$V

Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 14 - March 2018

DQG OHYHOLQJ WKH SOD\LQJ Č´HOG ZLWK $LUEQE DQG PDQ\ RWKHUV 7KLV PHDQV HQJDJLQJ ZLWK *RYernments (in Westminster, Edinburgh and the (8 LQ %UXVVHOV DQG ZLWK WKH UHJXODWRUV :H DUH \RXU WUDGH DVVRFLDWLRQ VWDUWHG E\ % % RZQHUV IRU % % RZQHUV DQG QRW IRU SURČ´W (YHU\WKLQJ ZH GR LV IXQGHG E\ PHPEHU VXEVFULSWLRQV DQG DQ\ DGYHUWLVLQJ LQ RXU PDJD]LQHV DQG VR IRUWK Î&#x2013;I \RX DUH DOUHDG\ D PHPEHU WKDQN \RX IRU \RXU VXSSRUW $Q\ LI \RX DUHQČ&#x2021;W \HW Î&#x2013; ORRN IRUZDUG WR ZHOFRPLQJ \RX LQWR PHPEHUVKLS YHU\ VRRQ The Bed & Breakfast Association is the UK trade association for B&B and guest house owners, and exists to inform, support & represent owners.

Membership costs ÂŁ60 a year. www.bandbassociation.org

- In Depth / Bed & Breakfast Association Comment -

Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 15 - March 2018

- Feature / Hot Tubs -

Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 16 - March 2018

- Feature / Hot Tubs -

Outdoor Luxury Spas and saunas have been growing in prominence among luxury B&B properties across the UK in recent years. Now as glamping rises in popularity B&B owners are being tempted to simulate the experience and to invest both in outdoor hot tubs and indoor jacuzzis to tempt prospective, adventurous guests.

L

uxury B&B owners who have created the perfect high-end environment for their guests and are looking to add a little more luxury into their RÎ?HULQJ FDQ FRQVLGHU ORRNLQJ RXWGRRUV IRU DQ answer, with the installation of a hot tub.

HOT TUBS - AN IRRESISTIBLE FEATURE FOR HOSPITALITY OPERATORS IN 2018 Research carried out by Outdoor Living has uncovered that commercial hospitality operators that install hot tubs in their accommodation have seen bookings double, customer reviews improve and repeat bookings soar.

The research surveyed 56 leading UK park and luxury lodge operators who have already taken the plunge by adding hot tubs to their accommodation. Yorkshire-based Outdoor Living has been supplying hot tubs across the county for 15 years.

More than 70% of holiday parks stated that their bookings had doubled after adding hot tubs to their accommodation. Gemma Cooling, corporate and development manager at Laceby Manor Golf Club claims: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our lodges donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t rent without a hot tub, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s that simple.

They provide a little bit of luxury that customers are looking for when booking a lodge break making them a must-have feature!â&#x20AC;?

ADDITIONAL HOT TUB BENEFITS Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not just an increase in occupancy, according to Outdoor Living. The survey also KLJKOLJKWHG WKH IROORZLQJ EHQHČ´WV An increase in rental income Many holiday park owners stated they could increase prices on accommodation that included a hot tub. Martin Newell, Managing Director at Croft Farm Waterpark in Tewkesbury had witnessed a 15% increase in sales and revenue from bookings with hot tubs.

An increase in positive guest reviews One holiday park owner stated since adding a hot tub to his holiday park that he has seen a higher number of customer reviews averaging a score of 9/10 on Reevoo.

Holiday parks have also seen bookings from larger parties dramatically increase too. Lynne /DNLQ RÉ?FH PDQDJHU DW +HURQ /DNHV LQ (DVW Yorkshire says: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Adding a hot tub to accommoGDWLRQ GHČ´QLWHO\ LQFUHDVH SDUW\ VL]HV )ULHQGV will tend to chip in together for a relaxing luxury break. This leads to more bookings in the future from returning customers.â&#x20AC;?

With so many options these days for luxury breaks and accommodation, standing out from the crowd is vital. And outdoor hot tub RU LQGRRU MDFX]]L DUH WKH NLQG RI OX[XU\ IDFLOLties many B&B owners might consider.

LIFESTYLE CHOICE Hot Tubs are usually associated with chamLuxury Bed & Breakfast - 17 - March 2018

pagne, parties and a lavish lifestyle.

So, it might come as a bit of a surprise to see that Bransholme has been named as the Č&#x2020;+RW 7XE &DSLWDOČ&#x2021; RI +XOO DQG (DVW <RUNVKLUH This is based on Outdoor Livingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s latest research from customers in Hull and surroundLQJ (DVW 5LGLQJ YLOODJHV RYHU WKH ODVW \HDUV Hull itself was the City of Culture last year.

Scrutinising available data even more closely, it transpires that it was in the HU7 postcode where most sales were recorded during this period â&#x20AC;&#x201C; but only by the narrowest of margins.

In total, 6.49% of overall hot tub sales were snapped up by home owners in the Wawne Road, Bude Road & Sutton Park area â&#x20AC;&#x201C; narURZO\ SLSSLQJ WKH YLOODJHV RI %URXJK (OORXJKWon, Welton & Melton (6.41%) into top spot by just one sale.

That left home owners from North Ferriby and Swanland back in third place, with 6.33%

- Feature / Hot Tubs -

of the overall hot tub sales, just one sale ahead of the Gillshill Road and Ings Road DUHD LQ HDVW +XOO ZKLFK DFFRXQWHG IRU of sales made.

Outdoor Living project manager Georgine Newby tells Luxury Bed & Breakfast PDJD]LQH â&#x20AC;&#x153;We were initially surprised by the results, but not by the increasing number of sales we're experiencing. We've sold a lot of hot tubs in DUHDV OLNH 2UFKDUG 3DUN DQG (DVW +XOO EXW WR have such a narrow margin of victory came as a bit of a surprise.â&#x20AC;?

She adds: â&#x20AC;&#x153;We always seem to do quite well with our sales in the villages, possibly because there are some bigger houses there with more room for a hot tub, but we have do have customers in all areas of Hull and WKH (DVW 5LGLQJ "When it comes to hot tub sales by area, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not really bothered where our customers live, as long as they continue to be happy with the products and service we provide.â&#x20AC;?

The companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hot tubs range dramatiFDOO\ LQ SULFH IURP e IRU WKH Č&#x2020;3OXJ DQG 3OD\Č&#x2021;2XWGRRU $GYHQWXUH XS WR e IRU WKH GHOX[H -DFX]]L PRGHOV Newby says: â&#x20AC;&#x153;The rise in hot tub sales could Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 18 - March 2018

- Feature / Hot Tubs -

be partly attributed to the fact that people in our region are very â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;house-proudâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, and our customers are often looking for a way to make their home as luxurious as possible so adding a hot tub is the perfect way to improve your guestsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; experience by adding a little bit of extra luxury.â&#x20AC;?

Another reason for the popularity of hot tubs in this part of Yorkshire she suggests LV WKDW KRXVLQJ LV VWLOO YHU\ DÎ?RUGDEOH LQ WKH region. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In our experience it means people do sometimes have a bit more disposable income to spend on little luxuries. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve certainly seen that in recent years because our business is doing well - long may it continue.â&#x20AC;?

HYDROTHERAPY HEALTH BENEFITS The company reports having seen an increase in of the number of people looking into the KHDOWK EHQHČ´WV RI KRW WXE K\GURWKHUDS\ DQG the impact It has on both body and mind.

Newby says: â&#x20AC;&#x153;The average modern life is full of daily stress and many people want to improve their quality of life through taking time to look after themselves. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As far back as the Greeks right through the Middle Ages and right up to today, water has always been used for relief or for the cure of illnesses, skin diseases and things like liver disorders.â&#x20AC;?

She concludes: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hot tubs use Hydrotherapy which involves the use of water for soothing an aching body or speeding the recovery of other muscular ailments. It combines water with air and heat to promote wellbeing. At the end of a long day, knowing you can go home and relax in your own hot tub as the jets gently massage your tension away is a great feeling.â&#x20AC;?

HQVXUH WKH ZDWHU LQ WKH SLSHV GRHVQČ&#x2021;W IUHH]H How much maintenance is required by the B&B owner, and how much can be delivered by the supplier?

Suppliers generally conduct an annual service on hot tubs and spas with the general maintenance carried out by the B&B owner. Ultimately the owner of the hot tub is responsible for the health and safety of bathers.

How much servicing do they need?

It is recommended that every hot tub is serviced annually.

Are there any particular premium/ultrapremium products that luxury hospitality owners would be attracted to beside the luxury jacuzzi?

In relation to hot tubs, it is recommended that B&B owners purchase a commercial rated hot tub/spa that provides a continuous feed to disinfect the water.

What are the space requirements for indoor and outdoor products?

This would depend on the hot tub chosen as WKH\ YDU\ LQ VL]H 2XU FRPPHUFLDO JUDGH KRW WXEV VWDUW IURP FP [ FP [ FP ZLWK WKH ODUJHVW EHLQJ FP [ FP [ FP Is Outdoor Living restricted to Yorkshire

HOT TUB Q&AS Why might a B&B want an outdoor hot tub?

Having a hot tub has been proven to improve occupancy rates and clearly allows owners to increase prices. In addition a high number of potential guests specify a hot tub when looking for accommodation, and those businesses without such facilities will not be shown in results.

Are they all year round or only summer facilities?

Studies have shown that some hot tub owners use them more in winter rather than summer, so they can be used all year round. More care is needed in winter months however to Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 19 - March 2018

or nationwide distribution?

Yes we only deliver in the Yorkshire region for hot tubs, however we supply all accessories & FKHPLFDOV QDWLRQZLGH DQG WR (XURSH What is the demographic appeal of the tubs â&#x20AC;&#x201C; do they mainly attract younger people or are there surprises they have found in the range of users?

Hot tubs in a B&B setting appeal to all demographics proving very popular with a younger audience who donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have a disposable income high enough to buy their own.

However, research we have conducted in the past has returned some surprising results with Bransholme, a known deprived area of Hull, being crowned the hot tub FDSLWDO RI +XOO (DVW <RUNVKLUH

- In Depth / Table Linen -

Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 20 - March 2018

- In Depth / Table Linen -

What table linen should you choose?

The table linen on which the breakfast you serve your guests is important to the overall impression that the most important meal of your business makes, reasons Out of Edenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Holly Alderson

a

side from providing lovely, fresh sheets and a comfy, cosy bed for your guests, the latter aspect of the term bed and breakfast is just as important as the former.

It is probably the full English you serve to your guests that will leave a lasting impression, EXW ZKDW DERXW WKHLU Č´UVW LPSUHVVLRQ RI EUHDNfast? Before your guests have even had chance to sample the food youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve prepared, their initial judgements of the dining experience will come from the appearance of your breakfast table.

In this article, therefore, we refer less to the food you provide, but rather the table linen on which your guestsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; breakfast sits, whether this be tablecloths, napkins, table runners or mats.

Choosing which style best suits your B&B can be something of a task, so here are a few pros, cons, considerations and hospitality tips to

make your decision easier when designing the perfect dining experience for your guests.

TRADITIONAL TABLECLOTHS There are several reasons why you might choose to use a tablecloth, but the main one is their appearance. Tablecloths can bring a particularly elegant, classy and sophisticated feel to your dining room, and they can work equally well at tying into the dĂŠcor/colour scheme of your B&B. Say, for instance, your coastal B&B hosts a nautical theme, a white tablecloth with navy napkins will really feed into the whole aesthetic. Tablecloths are also DQ HÎ?HFWLYH ZD\ RI KLGLQJ \RXU QRW VR HOHJDQW table with a lovely crisp, clean linen and your guests will be none the wiser!

So, what are the downsides to tablecloths?

Perhaps the biggest one is that the cleaning, Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 21 - March 2018

drying and laying out of the tablecloth every GD\ FDQ EH TXLWH WLPH FRQVXPLQJ DQG Č´GGO\ On the other hand, the consistent washing of the linens ensures that they are the most hygienic option for your guestâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s table. In order to counteract this somewhat time-consuming task, at Out of Eden we provide both pre-folded napkins to quickly pop your cutlery in, and table protectors that can be placed underneath your tablecloth, protecting your furniture from stains, heat damage and bumps DQG VFUDWFKHV ZKLOH HÎ?HFWLYHO\ GRXEOLQJ DV DQ anti-slip guard, giving you extra peace of mind when laying out your table.

Your main considerations when choosing taEOH OLQHQ VKRXOG LQYROYH WKUHH PDLQ IDFWRUV Č´UVWly, what is your table shape and size? Depending on the shape of your table you will need a circular, square or rectangular tablecloth, and

- In Depth / Table Linen you must also consider how much drop you need around the sides.

Secondly, you need to consider whether you want a white, coloured or patterned tablecloth.

While white tablecloths consistently remain the most popular and classic choice (and make it much easier to bleach out stains!), coloured and patterned tablecloths can bring a homely feel to your dining room – a huge reason why guests choose to stay in a B&B. Lastly, given that you will be repeat-washing table linen every bit as often as bed linen, the investment in quality fabric is absolutely worth it to ensure sturdiness and colour retention. We recommend 100% cotton for extra durability.

equally attractive, yet they add a more modern and minimalist feel to your dining room. Instead of the laborious task of washing, drying and laying out tablecloths, table runners are usually an easier-to-clean alternative as they generally only require wiping down after use. Furthermore, by using table runners instead of a tablecloth, you FDQ VKRZ R΍ WKDW ZRQGHUIXO WDEOH RI \RXUV LQstead of hiding it away. A table-runner can also be a nice way to bring colour into your dining room – and why not co-ordinate your runner with matching table mats or napkins? Tying the whole look together can really accentuate your attention to detail.

NOT FORGETTING NAPKINS TRENDY TABLE RUNNERS As an alternative to the traditional feel created with a crisp linen tablecloth, table-runners are

Whether you choose crisp tablecloths or contemporary table runners, napkins are an absolute necessity. Napkins work well as a

Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 22 - March 2018

dash of colour on your breakfast table, while doubling as an attractive way to present cutlery.

They are extremely convenient for your guests – and for you, too, when it comes to soaking up stains and catching crumbs. For a more personal touch, why not present your guests with a ‘Good Morning’ napkin to really lighten their PRRG ȴUVW WKLQJ LQ WKH PRUQLQJ"

REMEMBER THE BASICS Whichever style you choose, the most important thing to remember is keeping your dining room clean, fresh and well-presented. Don’t overlook the small but critical touches such as clean cutlery and glasses, as these can be the things that make or break a guest’s impression.

To bring the whole table together, add a small EXQFK RI VHDVRQDO ȵRZHUV WR \RXU WDEOH WR UHDOO\ showcase your attention-to-detail.

Subscribe today! to receive the UK's best targeted and most informed news and expert advice for owners and managers of bed and breakfasts.

Contact helen.richmond@jld-media.co.uk

- In Depth / Outdoor Cleaning -

Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 24 - March 2018

- Outdoor Cleaning -

A stitch in time The importance of outdoor cleaning is often underestimated by hospitality businesses.

Bill Lumley discovers many luxury B&B owners are overlooking the risks they face from neglecting regular upkeep of outdoor surfaces

a

neglect of outdoor cleaning is not unique to B&Bs but is common both to small businesses and big multi-national operations.

David Leopold owns and runs Ultimate Cleaning Solutions, which provides a wide range of outdoor cleaning services for hospitality businesses. +H VD\V KH LV EDÉ&#x17E;HG E\ WKH ODFN RI FRQFHUQ EXVLQHVVHV SD\ WRZDUGV ORRNLQJ DIWHU WKHLU H[WHrior areas. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If you go to just about any company DQG DVN KRZ PXFK WKH\ VSHQG RQ RXWGRRU FOHDQing, they wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be able to name a price,â&#x20AC;? he says.

7KH DPRXQW XVXDOO\ EXGJHWHG IRU H[WHUQDO cleaning is zero, he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;B&Bs will often pay no attention to the outside cleaning, yet as a EXVLQHVV WKH\ KDYH WR ORRN DIWHU WKH OLDELOLW\ RI WKHLU VWDÎ? ZDONLQJ RQ SDWKZD\V RQ GHFNLQJ DQG other areas on entering and leaving buildings. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If surfaces are slippery they have a liability to clean it, and this liability is more often than QRW RYHUORRNHG Č&#x2039; KH VD\V 7KH ULVN RI OLDELOLW\ LV JUHDWHU WKDQ WKDW RI simply getting caught out by inspections, he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Unless you have a really focused environmental health inspector the only place WKH\ ZRXOG UHDOO\ ORRN DW FOHDQLQJ LV ELQV DQG VWRUDJH Î&#x2013;W ZRXOGQČ&#x2021;W EH LQ WKHLU UHPLW WR ORRN around public spaces sturdily,â&#x20AC;? he says.

Yet it ought to be, he says, because it is a public health and safety issue. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Environmental health will go outside and inspect the bin area

and the area outside food storage, more interested in rodents and infestation. But where there is blame thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s claim,â&#x20AC;? he says.

CURB APPEAL High-end B&B owners can spend lavish amounts on interior furnishings, but any visit VWDUWV ZLWK FXUE DSSHDO KH VD\V Č&#x160;7KH Č´UVW WLPH D JXHVW SXOOV XS RXWVLGH WKH Č´UVW WKLQJ they see is the outside of the building. It FRXOG ZHOO EH ZHOO WHQGHG DQG NHSW WRJHWKHU well, but there are still many buildings of this nature that have algae growth and stains on WKHLU SDLQWZRUN JXWWHUV RYHUČľRZLQJ RU JUDVV in the gutters. Then around the building itself there are often lots of areas that are overORRNHG VXFK DV FRQVHUYDWRULHV Č&#x2039;

GUTTER CLEANING 0RVW RI WKH ZRUN KH XQGHUWDNHV LQYROYHV JXWWHU clearing, which he says ought to be an annual WDVN IRU DQ\ % % Č&#x160;*XWWHUV LQ SDUWLFXODU DUH RYHUORRNHG Č&#x2039; KH VD\V Č&#x160;7KH\ DUH RQ WKH RXWVLGH RI WKH building and nobody gives a second thought about them. But they are there to capture water and lead it away from the building. It can cause ingress, and nine times out of 10 it will cause GDPS LQ WKH ZDOOV ZKLFK LV WKHQ H[SHQVLYH WR treat,â&#x20AC;? he says. Č&#x160;$VN DQ\ % % DQG PDQ\ RI WKHLU URRPV ZLOO have damp issues, especially around the ceiling.

They can spend quite a few hundred pounds a year redecorating rooms because of damp, when all that is required to prevent a recurrence is ÂŁ100-200 gutter cleaning every year. Č&#x160;7KDW LV VRPHWKLQJ \RX FDQČ&#x2021;W H[SHFW \RXU RZQ VWDÎ? WR GR Č&#x2039; KH VWUHVVHV When it comes to guttering he carries the ZKROH WDVN RXW IURP JURXQG OHYHO Č&#x160;:H GRQČ&#x2021;W XVH ODGGHUV RU FKHUU\ SLFNHUV )URP JURXQG level we use a remote camera system so we FDQ VHH ZKDW ZH DUH FOHDQLQJ Č&#x2039; KH H[SODLQV Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 25 - March 2018

PATIO A nice stone patio can cost upwards of ÂŁ65 a metre to lay, but unfortunately patios are not self-cleaning, he says. Leopoldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s company charges ÂŁ2.50 a square metre. To emphasis WKH SRLQW KH VD\V Č&#x160;$ OX[XU\ EHG EUHDNIDVW owner may have spent ÂŁ40-50 a square metre on stair carpet, and that carpet will get cleaned once or twice a day. If they lay a lovely patio out more often than not they will neglect it altogether for the foreseeable future,â&#x20AC;? he says.

- In Depth / Outdoor Cleaning -

CONSERVATORIES

SUCTION

Conservatories are supposed to be light,

Î&#x2013;W LV EHVW WR XVH DQ HÉ?FLHQW VXFWLRQ V\VWHP to remove the grime from the inside rather than the equivalent to a simple wet-and-dry vacuum cleaner, he suggests. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We use carbon Č´EUH SROHV VR ZH FDQ JHW XS WR DERXW feet in height. A lot of people use aluminium poles, which are heavier and more unwieldy and prone to causing damage. If you have aluPLQLXP SROHV KDQJLQJ RÎ? D JXWWHU WKDW FDQ EH OEV RI ZHLJKW DQG WKH\ WHQG WR EUHDN FOLSV or gutters,â&#x20AC;? he warns.

bright rooms, but if the roof is dirty this

DRIVEWAY 7KH VDPH NLQG RI HTXDWLRQ DSSOLHV WR D driveway, he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A new driveway may cost ÂŁ45 to ÂŁ50 per square metres, and it Is ÂŁ3.50 a square metre to clean.â&#x20AC;? The procedure here LWVHOI LV QRW FRVWO\ KH H[SODLQV WKH\ XVH ZDWHU and a specialist surface-cleaning liquid. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If it is badly infested with weeds and grass ZH ZLOO DSSO\ ZHHG NLOOHU WR FOHDU LW DQG WKHQ we will use a pressure-washing system to clean the surface. Č&#x160;7KLQJV VXFK DV EORFNV RQ GULYHZD\V ZLOO be re-sanded afterwards. A driveway can be completely cleaned in no more than a day.

We have the capacity to clean 300 to 400 square metres a day,â&#x20AC;? says Leopold

ROOF CLEANING Compared to draining, roof cleaning is an DOWRJHWKHU GLÎ?HUHQW NHWWOH RI Č´VK KH VD\V Č&#x160;Î&#x2013;Q order to clean a roof you are going to need VFDÎ?ROGLQJ RU D PHFKDQLFDO OLIW VXFK DV D FKHUU\ SLFNHU 7KHVH DUH H[SHQVLYH WR GHSOR\ but it is scale of economies: if your roof really does need cleaning because it is covered in moss, what is the price of a new roof? Over time moss will cause a roof to decay. If you live in a wooded area a roof is going to be very susceptible to growth.â&#x20AC;?

He says he does not pressure-wash a roof as this can cause more damage than good. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get onto the roof either as they DUH QRW GHVLJQHG WR EH ZDONHG RQ :H XVH SHWURO GULYHQ HQJLQHV DQG ZDWHU SXPSV )RU a roof we will mechanically scrape it by hand and it will then be sprayed afterwards with a biocide and moss inhibitor.â&#x20AC;?

ZLOO WDNH DZD\ PXFK RI WKH OLJKW KH VD\V â&#x20AC;&#x153;I cannot understand why window cleaners donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t clean conservatory roofs, yet we use the same equipment as a window cleaner, including the long reach water SROHV :H DSSO\ D FOHDQHU ILUVW WR NLOO WKH DOJDH DQG EODFN PRXOG DQG WKHQ ZH XVH a special UPVC cleaner, which not only cleans the surface of the UPVC but puts a SURWHFWLYH ZD[ ILQLVK RQ LW WR PDNH LW VKLQH DQG VSDUNOH DQG \RX HQG XS ZLWK D ORYHO\ ORRNLQJ EXLOGLQJ DJDLQ â&#x20AC;&#x153;Some of your guestsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; rooms are going WR RYHUORRN D FRQVHUYDWRU\ DQG LI LW LV FOHDQ LW LV JRLQJ WR PDNH D ELJ GLIIHUHQFH to the view. The conservatory windows are usually cleaned but the roof is often left tarnished with growth on it,â&#x20AC;? he says.

WALL CLEANING &OHDQLQJ ZDOOV LV DQRWKHU WDVN WKDW LV GRQH from ground level, he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We use a solution WR NLOO WKH VXUIDFH RI WKH SDLQWZRUN RU WKH wall and a detergent to clean it, and we use a water-fed pole that window cleaners use. We can actually wash the wals for about a quarter of the price of getting the property repainted.â&#x20AC;?

DECKING

CONCLUSION

'HFNLQJ PDGH IURP ZRRG LQ WKH %ULWLVK FOLPDWH GRHV QRW ZRUN KH VD\V :KHQ LW JHWV wet it becomes slimy and slippery, and he EODPHV WKH IDVKLRQ IRU ZRRGHQ GHFNLQJ RQ television shows. Č&#x160;3URSHU ZRRGHQ GHFNLQJ LV YHU\ H[SHQsive, using really good quality timber, which is perhaps 10 times the cost of cheap pine wood. The worst material you FDQ KDYH LV ZRRG GHFNLQJ ZLWK JURRYHV LQ it, which is just a living space for algae.

The moisture stays in there longer and it becomes an environment where it just grows and grows. â&#x20AC;&#x153;To avoid this happening, simply get composite material. There is some fantastic stuff out there at the moment that acWXDOO\ ORRNV OLNH ZRRG <RX MXVW WUHDW LW OLNH \RX ZRXOG D IORRU LQ WKH KRXVH D EXFNHW of soapy water and a hosepipe. â&#x20AC;&#x153;At the end of the day you have to be DEOH WR FOHDQ LW :LWK GHFNLQJ RXU DSSURDFK LV WR NLOO WKH VXUIDFH IRU ZKLFK ZH use naturally found chemicals such as bleach, which at the end of the day preVHQWV QR HQYLURQPHQWDO GDQJHU Î&#x2013;I \RX NLOO WKH VXUIDFH \RX NLOO WKH DOJDH DQG LW ZLOO WDNH ORQJHU IRU LW WR FRPH EDFN EXW FRPH EDFN LW ZLOO Č&#x160;Î&#x2013;I \RX GRQČ&#x2021;W NLOO WKH VXUIDFH LW ZLOO VWDUW UHSRSXODWLQJ DV VRRQ DV \RX ZDON DZD\ EXW LI \RX NLOO LW ZLOO WDNH TXLWH D IHZ months before its starts to get established DJDLQ Č&#x2039; KH H[SODLQV

Leopold says it is about time that people ZRNH XS WR WKH IDFW WKDW D JRRG EXVLQHVV VWDUWV RQ WKH GRRUVWHS ZLWK Č´UVW LPSUHVVLRQV Č&#x160;7KH RWKHU WKLQJ LV WKDW QH[W WLPH D FRPSDQ\ ORRNV DW LWV EDODQFH VKHHW LW VKRXOG ORRN DW PDLQWHQDQFH FRVWV DQG DVN KRZ PXFK RI WKDW cost could have been avoided by preventative measures,â&#x20AC;? he concludes.

Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 26 - March 2018

The work pictured was carried out by: Ultimate Cleaning Solutions www.ultimatecleaningsolutions.co.uk Tel. 01594 844 344

- Advertorial -

Fine-Tuning Payments With Technology When you are busy managing your business, you want the reassurance that valued guests can pay conveniently perhaps with an online deposit upfront, the balance later and for extras when they stay with you, and securely. )RFXVHG RQ WKH XQLTXH QHHGV RI WKH hospitality sector, Kashing has a feature rich product line-up that combines online DQG RÉ&#x17E;LQH SD\PHQW IDFLOLWLHV LQWR D VLQJOH VHUYLFH ZLWK Č´[HG FRVWV 7KH EHDXW\ RI WKH WHFKQRORJ\ LV WKDW LW HOLPLQDWHV FRPSOH[ accounts with multiple service providers DQG GHOLYHUV D VLQJOH ČľH[LEOH RÎ?HULQJ WKDW manages all card payment processing QHHGV 3URYLGLQJ D TXLFN VLPSOH DQG VHFXUH payment solution, you do not have to worry about customer's card data security or compliance with card brands.

Accepting payment face-to-face, via a website or over the phone using Kashingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s branded card payment device could not be easier. The Kashing app provides everything you need to manage ERRNLQJV VWRFN LQYHQWRU\ DQG VDOHV

unique feature is the re-charge facility ZKHUHE\ UHSHDW FOLHQWV FDQ VLPSO\ DVN to have their card re-charged without having to submit their details again.

And, as all payments go through one accounting system you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need different providers.â&#x20AC;?

Using the mPOPâ&#x201E;˘ from Star you can EHQHČ´W IURP QRW RQO\ WKH YHU\ ODWHVW technology but also a compact and aesthetic tablet POS solution. As a combined Bluetooth printer and cash drawer system it is low cost, lightweight and space-saving at just 10cm high and 30cm wide. With front feed receipting, mPOP can easily be placed under the counter for enhanced space-saving. :RUNLQJ ZLWK DOO PDMRU RSHUDWLQJ V\VWHPV including Apple iOS, Android and Windows, mPOP provides a versatile system that LV UHDG\ WR ZRUN ZLWK .DVKLQJČ&#x2021;V SD\PHQW solution. Bluetooth connectivity results in only one mains cable for full operation

7KH SURSULHWRUV RI 7KH 5RVHOHLJK *XHVW +RXVH H[SODLQ KRZ WKH DSS KDV KHOSHG their business: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Kashing came on board with us and theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been tremendous with customer support. The online system is very good because it basically gives you a detailed report for each SD\PHQW \RX PDNH DQG LW LV HDV\ WR learn. Each day they provide a list of the transactions that occur and we can see how much each customer has paid as well as the total for the day. It just PDNHV RXU OLIH UHDOO\ HDV\ Č&#x2039; As Karen Rossouw, CEO, Kashing, says: â&#x20AC;&#x153;We want to change the way independent business owners feel about accepting payments and provide the facilities that were H[FOXVLYHO\ IRU ODUJHU FRPSDQLHV Č&#x2039; Karen adds: â&#x20AC;&#x153;The technology allows you to manage payments so you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to worry about card security or UK regulation. One

Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 27 - March 2018

ZKLOH WKH P323 /(' GLVSOD\ ZLOO TXLFNO\ determine pairing status as well as any issues such as paper out. With 4 USB ports, additional tablet, phone and scanner charging is available from the one cable. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are pleased to be partnering with Kashing. The simple yet secure features of Kashingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s payment solution combined with Starâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unique mPOPâ&#x201E;˘ provide the B&B industry with a tablet POS system that is not only innovative and versatile but also compact, stylish and easy to use,â&#x20AC;?

FRQFOXGHV $QQHWWH 7DUOWRQ 0DUNHWLQJ Director, Star Micronics EMEA. .DVKLQJ ZLOO DOVR EH H[KLELWLQJ DW WKH %H0\*XHVW 5RDGVKRZV Î&#x2013;I \RX DUH DWWHQGLQJ DQG ZRXOG OLNH WR PHHW WKH WHDP please feel free to stop by our stand and say hello, we will be happy to discuss our services and answer any questions you may have. )RU PRUH LQIRUPDWLRQ SOHDVH YLVLW ZZZ Star-EMEA.com/Kashing or contact .DVKLQJ RQ

- In Depth / Indoor Cleaning -

Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 28 - March 2018

- In Depth / Indoor Cleaning -

Time for a spring clean Spring is the key time to give your bed & breakfast a thorough, deep clean before the busy summer season arrives. Bill Lumley talks to vacuum manufacturer Vorwerk for some tips on making the clean more thorough.

t

a

he spring season is a great time to have a sort out and throw away any unnecessary items. Perhaps your cutlery and crockery are in need of a refresh, or maybe itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time to update your accommodation with more modern bed linen.

You wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be alone in your plans to carry out a spring clean. Domestically two thirds (67%) of homeowners and renters across the UK will be gearing up to give their homes a spring clean this year, research from Vorwerk suggests.

It is important to give your B&B accommodation a really thorough clean, covering every aspect of your business from carpets to mattresses, and sofas to sinks.

Vorwerk cleaning expert Peter Hollier tells Luxury Bed & Breakfast magazine: â&#x20AC;&#x153;We know what it means to have clean accommodation. Not only does it set the right impression, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also hygienic.â&#x20AC;?

According to the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s research, some 37% of people living in the UK state they would think that a homeowner was lazy if they had an unclean abode, and 28% say they would judge such hosts negatively, so it is easy to imagine what peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s opinions would be of an unclean Bed & Breakfast.

The research revealed biggest turn-offs to be a dirty toilet (71%), strong smells (61%) and a messy kitchen (55%), followed by an unkempt bathroom (49%) and pet hair all over (43%).

Hollier says: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Who knows what you might find on your spring clean and exactly how much it really does pay off too, as nearly a quarter (24%) of households have revealed that they found missing money during their clean.

Č&#x160;7KHUH KDYH EHHQ VRPH UHDOO\ EL]DUUH Č´QGV too according to the survey with people saying they found such things as a box of chocolates, medical records, a pair of secateurs and a wetsuit glove,â&#x20AC;? he adds.

CARPET CLEANING As the evenings get lighter, the survey says 45% of the nation will be reaching for the YDFXXP FOHDQHU DV WKHLU Č´UVW SRUW RI FDOO WR give their homes a fresher feel and a new look during the spring season. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The majority of bed & breakfast owners vacuum their carpets on a daily basis but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important to make sure you give them a

regular deep clean too,â&#x20AC;? says Hollier. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Carpets collect a lot of dirt and dust over time, particularly in bed & breakfasts, from children running in with their shoes on after theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been to the park, to the countless times food or drink has been spilt. All of this equates to the ideal breeding ground for bacteria in your carpet. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Regularly vacuuming your carpets will result in the top layer of dust and grime being sucked out, however, you are leaving behind worn in dirt and allergens that only a good deep clean can remove.â&#x20AC;?

In addition to regular vacuuming, your carpets and rugs need a deep clean that will last in order to remove stubborn dirt that KDV EHFRPH HPEHGGHG LQ WKH Č´EUHV

DO NOT WET CLEAN YOUR CARPET â&#x20AC;&#x153;Many people will turn to wet cleaning their carpets for their spring clean this year as they think using water to clean their carpets ZLOO PHDQ IUHVK EULJKW ČľRRUV +RZHYHU RYHU time the repeated wet cleaning can wash out ZRROČ&#x2021;V QDWXUDO ZDWHUSURRČ´QJ UHVXOWLQJ LQ the carpet acquiring a hard, crusty feel,â&#x20AC;? says Hollier.â&#x20AC;&#x153;At Vorwerk, we believe that dry cleaning is the best solution, with a powder-based cleaning agent that you sprinkle on the carpet, massage in and then vacuum away. It might take a little longer than other cleaning methods, but it will ensure you achieve the desired results without damaging your carpet in the process."

Hollier advises B&B operators to find an attachment that ensures your carpets stay beautiful for longer with a hygienic in-depth clean. By using a non-toxic conditioning cleaner that lifts allergens and makes your carpet soft and fluffy, you will notice the difference by sight and smell,â&#x20AC;? he says.

Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 29 - March 2018

- In Depth / Indoor Cleaning -

MATTRESS CLEANING Just like your carpets, upholstery needs a deep clean once in a while too. With different guests staying over each shedding skin cells and dust, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important to make

sure you give your mattress a regular deep clean.

Research from Vorwerk reveals that nearly a fifth of UK homes have never cleaned their mattress at all (17%). The East Midlands is the region with the highest percentage of people who have never cleaned their mattress (27%), closely followed by the South East (24%) and the South West (20%). â&#x20AC;&#x153;To keep your mattress clean, we recommend treating it like you would your carpet by vacuuming it regularly. A specialist mattress cleaning product will help speed up the job and will also dry clean your mattress,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Avoid using water to remove stains or marks on your upholstery â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a moist mattress is a breeding ground for mould and mildew. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You should also rotate and flip your mattress at least once every three months and deodorise your mattress regularly to keep it smelling fresh. We recommend a dry cleaning powder for mattresses to sanitise and add a fresh smell.â&#x20AC;?

Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 30 - March 2018

ORGANISATION IS THE KEY Vorwerk ambassador and star of Channel 4â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Obsessive Compulsive Cleaners, Lynsey â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Queen of Cleanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Crombie, adds: â&#x20AC;&#x153;A good plan goes a long way towards your spring clean and it can seem less daunting if you organise your routine into manageable chunks. You should take things room by room so itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s achievable and doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t seem like a chore.â&#x20AC;?

Vorwerk has launched what it calls the ultimate cleaning solution with its iconic Kobold VK200 Upright Vacuum Cleaner, which is a high-tech VROXWLRQ WR GHHS FOHDQ FDUSHWV KDUG ČľRRUV curtains, and mattresses.

The Kobold VK200 comes with numerous accessories including the SP600 head, which mops and vacuums hard floors at the same time, the EB400 Automatic Electric Brush head, which transitions seamlessly from hard floors to carpets, the PB440 Electric Upholstery Brush, the MP440 & MR440 Mattress Cleaning Set and the VF200 Carpet Freshener, which guarantees a unique in-depth, hygienic carpet clean.

- In Depth / Indoor Cleaning -

LYNSEYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S FIVE SPRING CLEANING SHORTCUTS 1. To deep clean your sinks, sprinkle some bicarbonate of soda over the plug hole, and then pour down some white wine vinegar. Follow this with some boiling ZDWHU WR ȵXVK RXW \RXU GUDLQ DQG OHDYH LW smelling fresh.

2. To get rid of those stubborn water marks on shower doors and tiles, cut a lemon in half and rub it directly onto the marks.

3. If your glassware has stubborn water stains, gently rub over them with potato skins to remove the grime and rinse as normal. They will come up as good as new.

4. Gently rub a tennis ball over marks on paintwork and watch them disappear.

5. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got watermark rings on your table, place some fabric on top of the mark and iron the surface on a low heat.

Insurance for Bed & Breakfast Owners >L \UKLYZ[HUK [OH[ L]LY` ) ) PZ \UPX\L [OH[ PZ ^O` ^L ZLHYJO [OL PUZ\YHUJL THYRL[ [V Ã&#x201E;UK [OL YPNO[ WVSPJ` MVY `V\Y WYVWLY[` 6\Y ZWLJPHSPZ[ PUZ\YHUJL IYVRLYZ WYV]PKL H KPZJYLL[ HUK WLYZVUHSPZLK ZLY]PJL HUK ^PSS SVVR H[ L]LY` HZWLJ[ VM `V\Y I\ZPULZZ [V Ã&#x201E;UK [OL YPNO[ JV]LY MVY `V\ HUK `V\Y OVTL ;V Ã&#x201E;UK V\[ TVYL HIV\[ OV^ ^L JHU OLSW `V\ WYV[LJ[ [OL [OPUNZ `V\ JHYL HIV\[ JVU[HJ[ \Z! 5H[HZOH :HKSLY VU VY UH[HZOH ZHKSLY'ZJY\[[VUISHUK JV \R *HSS! *HTIYPKNL!

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bland :JY\[[VU )SHUK -PUHUJPHS :LY]PJLZ 3PTP[LK PZ H\[OVYPZLK HUK YLN\SH[LK I` [OL -PUHUJPHS *VUK\J[ (\[OVYP[` *)

Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 31 - March 2018

- In Depth / Furnishing -

Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 32 - March 2018

- In Depth / Furnishing -

Transforming the guest experience: In the competitive hospitality marketplace, customers seek much more than just modern deco and good food and demand value at every stage of the guest experience from entering the establishment, to ordering a meal to post-service offerings, Liam O’Donnell investigates.

g

uests are constantly after the next big thing, whether it is the latest technology, the most original theme or the upmost best in customer service, so business owners must now be more diligent than ever when considering the guest experience. Customer service, brand new websites and extra parking might all play a role, but furnishings can truly set a place apart from the ordinary and wow guests at each stage of their stay. Furnishings are often overlooked but can be detrimental when done wrong, leaving guests feeling extremely underwhelmed and disappointed. Colour pallets, materials and lighting all contribute to the look and feel of a space, so just how do you strike the right balance with furnishings to achieve the ultimate oasis for customers? Here are some key ways to add value with furnishings.

appetites, so this can be the perfect pallet for a restaurant or bar area.

CREATING AMBIENCE WITH COLOUR

OBTAINING COMFORT AND STYLE WITH MATERIALS

Choosing the right colour pallet is an important part of a hospitality establishment and can promote a certain mood or atmosphere in a space, allowing owners to create a relaxed, exciting or luxurious setting. In light of this, consideration of the psychology behind a colour choice can help to construct the desired ambience. If you are opting for a natural earthy feel to mirror a tranquil outdoors or perhaps imitate a serene meditative atmosphere and a calm interior, choose a range of muted blue or green tones to keep visitors calm and relaxed. This can be a great choice for bedrooms as it allows customers to wind down after a busy day and will permit them to draw positive associations with the space. Moreover, if a warm, exciting and enjoyable feeling is desired, then opting for a bright colour pallet can truly make a room pop. Orange and red tones in particular can stimulate a range of positive emotions, such as excitement, creating an instant buzz for a space. These colours are also said to rouse

intrigue customers and give an outdoorsy feel to a space. This is particularly great for daytime spots that serve lunch and breakfast.

INVESTING IN TECH The ever-increasing trend of technology means that more hotels, restaurants and B&Bs are expected to use it to improve the customer experience. So, aside from updating the website and booking service, it is important to recognise that it can also mean more sophisticated furnishing options. Smart TVs are now making their way LQWR JXHVWV EHGURRPV DQG R΍HU HDV\ LQWHUDFWLYLty and personalisation, making guests feel more at home. They are also aesthetically pleasing with streamline edges and few unpleasant wires, making them an obvious choice for establishment owners. In addition, interactive lighting panels also create ease for guests and allow them to control the room from one place, ultimately making the stay as carefree as possible.

Selecting the correct materials for a space can also add to the guest experience and will help to construct a certain theme or atmosphere.

To create a feeling of luxury and sophistication, it is important to choose materials WR UHȵHFW WKLV WR PDNH JXHVWV IHHO HQWLUHO\ immersed in a luxurious experience, encouraging them return time and time again. Lavish embroidered upholstery and velvet textures can give an extra bit of sophistication to seating whilst also being extremely durable and comfortable. Moreover, those places truly looking to cement a luxurious theme can opt for a dramatic centrepiece wall that is papered in a deep gold or an embossed texture, leaving guests in awe and fabulous review pictures online. Conversely, natural materials FDQ HVWDEOLVK DQ HQWLUHO\ GL΍HUHQW YLEH DQG can accentuate other characteristics such as colour pallet, menu choices and an indoors/ outdoors theme. Natural wood tones and raw materials can create a modern look that will Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 33 - March 2018

FIT FOR PURPOSE FURNISHINGS Great furnishings can be jaw-dropping, but if they fail to serve the setting or are inappropriately placed, they can detract from the customer experience. For example, industrial-looking rustic steal seating might look great when creating a contemporary, raw and modern space, but if customers are expected to sit for long periods of time it might be uncomfortable, potentially leading to them feeling unfavourably about the establishment. If a dining space is utilised for three course meals, it is perhaps more suitable to opt for more comfortable upholstered seating that will allow customers to enjoy their meal and the surroundings.

Furthermore, the comfort of a mattress should never be overlooked as a bad night’s sleep can leave anyone feeling cranky DQG PLJKW D΍HFW SHUFHSWLRQV RI WKH HQWLUH experience. Consequently, the cheapest option might not always be the right one and you shouldn’t be afraid to pay extra for mattress quality – customers will thank you for it later!

- In Depth / Furnishing -

MAKE IT UNIQUE With plenty of hospitality spaces opting for VLPLODU GHFRU DQG WUHQGV LW FDQ EH GLÉ?FXOW WR truly stand out and set a space apart from the ordinary. But customers love something GLÎ?HUHQW VR RÎ?HULQJ VRPHWKLQJ D OLWWOH XQXVXDO interesting of outside of the norm can help you be remembered and will add to a guestâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s visit.

Large seating pods can create a fun, exciting and communal feel whilst hanging seats can inject entertainment into a room, thus enhancing the customer experience. Moreover, the unusual can extend beyond seating and transcend into centrepiece lighting that mirror art deco sculptures. Geometric box lighting and extravagant chandeliers can be a great way to grab attention and will certainly be unforgettable for customers.

STANDING THE TEST OF TIME Although this might not be the most exciting aspect of design, it is important that furnishings can withstand wear and tear and mainWDLQ DQ H[HPSODU\ Č´QLVK DW DOO WLPHV :RUQ down furnishings will certainly create negative opinions, making the customer experience less attractive and the stay less enjoyable.

8VLQJ GRXEOH WRS FRDWHG ZRRG Č´QLVK FDQ EH a great way to keep furniture pieces looking top-notch and will also make any spillages easier to clean. Furthermore, opting for a PHWDO Č´QLVK FDQ EH D JUHDW ZD\ WR FUHDWH D contemporary, industrial vibe whilst also being long-standing and durable. Moreover, to ensure that the space maintains its look, it is important to properly source furniture pieces from a knowledgeable manufacturer who places quality at the centre of each piece as excellent manufacturing means furnishings are more hard-wearing whilst looking great!

7KLV DOVR PHDQV WKDW ORQJ WHUP FRVW HÎ?HFtiveness is maintained as fewer repairs and refurbishments are required.

matte black. The tone of the lighting should also be considered, warm light can create a relaxed and cosy atmosphere whereas coloured bulbs, in pinks and blues, can capture a lively and festive space. This can really make a bar space pop and will leave customers wanting more. Similarly to the colour pallet, this can allow customers to feel a certain way allowing them to constructive a positive narrative of their experience whilst contributing to the overall value proposition.

THE IDEA BEHIND THE DESIGN Conscious consumerism shows no signs of putting the brakes on and with more customers paying attention to sustainability than ever before, hospitality establishments should be too. Through providing furnishings that contribute to a bigger picture or idea, customers can truly engage with an establishment and feel positively about their experience. &HUWLČ´HG IXUQLVKLQJV HQHUJ\ HÉ?FLHQW OLJKWLQJ and sustainable restaurant food schemes are just a few ways to develop a sustainable brand that puts added meaning behind hotel stays and hospitality design. Furniture in particular should now represent an ethical stance, with the use of environmentally certiČ´HG PDWHULDOV WKDW PLQLPLVH FDUERQ IRRWSULQWV making their way to the forefront of design.

About the author, Liam Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Donnell: Liam Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Donnell is the director of Valdivian Furniture, a British furniture manufacturer that specialises in bespoke, hand crafted contract furniture. Liam has deep rooted personal interest in environmental

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF LIGHTING Lighting is a fundamental aspect of any VSDFH DQG VKRXOGQČ&#x2021;W EH RYHUORRNHG (Î?HFWLYH lighting can invent an entirely new ambience and can change a chilled daytime cafĂŠ to a bustling night time spot. Geometric box styles and metal frames are pushing their way into hotels, bars and restaurants. Extravagant tripod spotlighting in polished metals can give a space a modern feel and open metalwork KDQJLQJ OLJKWV DUH PRVW GHČ´QLWHO\ RQ WUHQG This also gives establishments a chance to SOD\ DURXQG ZLWK GLÎ?HUHQW PHWDOV WR UHČľHFW RU absorb light, from copper, to bronze or even Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 34 - March 2018

issues and over 16 years of experience in manufacturing furniture. He is a highly experienced wood machinist and specialist joiner which translates into the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s meticulous and careful approach to furniture production.

Find out more at: www.valdivianfurniture.co.uk.

- In Depth / Sofa Beds -

Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 36 - March 2018

- In Depth / Sofa Beds -

Luxury Conversion

As the provider of luxury bed & breakfast accommodation you aim above all to offer a perfect and undisturbed night's sleep. You may have avoided the option of offering a sofa bed or chair bed because of the poor reputation they have for comfort. Bill Lumley finds a luxury sofabed range really does exist

t

o the owner of a luxury B&B the idea of equipping a bedroom with a sofa-bed may sound incongruous. You want to offer your guests a good nightâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sleep on a high quality bed.

The idea of putting a sofa bed or chair bed to use conjures up images of trying to get some kind of rest while supported by a mesh of knotty metal poking through a mattress not much thicker or denser than a duvet, with the sound of creaking springs jolting you awake each time you finally make it to sleep. This of course is after the tiresome and often farcical process of fathoming out how to pull out the mechanism that makes the bed without doing yourself serious injury or knocking into masonry or fragile objects in the room that ought not be disturbed.

In short, why on earth would a luxury % % RZQHU HYHQ GUHDP RI LQČľLFWLQJ VXFK DQ experience on his or her guests?

As it happens not all sofa beds are either so uncomfortable or so cumbersome to assemble. At last monthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Be My Guest event in Southampton Luxury Bed & Breakfast magazine chanced upon a representative from Commercial Sofabeds. He told us that his company, with showrooms across the south RI (QJODQG RÎ?HUV VRID EHGV WKDW JHQHUDWH extra revenue to all types of business within the hospitality sector. We were initially sceptical, given our exposure to sofa beds in the past and the limitations they impose not least with regard to luxury. But he assures us that his range of sofa beds and delivers style, space and, he claims, a perfect, undis-

turbed nightâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sleep. )LUVW RÎ? KH WDFNOHV WKH LVVXH RI FRPSOH[LW\ of assembly that forms a lasting impression on many people who have had to turn a chair into something resembling a bed. Citing the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Easy Glide range he tells Luxury Bed & Breakfast magazine: â&#x20AC;&#x153;With Easy Glide there is a two-fold unique proposition. It has a unique mechanism that can be opened with one hand and simply glides. It does not roll, and it is not a click mechanism.â&#x20AC;?

Within that system, he says, there is a 13 cm thick pocket-sprung mattress, which he claims is unique in a sofa bed. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There are many other features besides that are the same for all the ranges we sell beside the Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 37 - March 2018

Easy Glide mechanism including commercial Č´[WXUHV DQG Č´WWLQJV VSDFH VDYLQJ GHVLJQ and stain-resistant fabrics that are put to extreme durability tests.â&#x20AC;?

Citing the kind of sofa bed that is responsible for perpetuating this perception of sofa beds he says: â&#x20AC;&#x153;A lot of sofa beds get damaged because not everyone knows quite how to open them, and over time generating friction over the wrong part of the system can damage the mechanism.â&#x20AC;? As a company he says Commercial Sofabeds has tried and tested the units over the past four years domestically while selling to the public for that period. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This equates to four years of market research,â&#x20AC;? he says.

- In Depth / Sofa Beds -

“The units are built to an exceptionally high standard with commercial fittings, and the fabrics are exceedingly high wearing, stain resistant, easy-clean and some of them are water-resistant, as well as pet-friendly.

“They are designed for everyday use, and they pass high grade tests on durability.

They are not just for the occasional sleep.

We haven’t put a tiny little thin mattress on an uncomfortable base as an afterthought, for instance.”

In order to put the product into the context of a luxury B&B environment he explains: “Most B&B guest rooms have a chair.

If the property owners were to replace or supplement that existing chair with

Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 38 - March 2018

one of ours then they will get a fabulous return on investment,” he claims. How so?

“With the ordinary chair they are never going to get a return,” he suggests. In other words, he says, a standard double room can upgrade to a family room without the inconvenience associated with collecting and hauling a spare single bed from another room or from storage, and then maneuvering it into the bedroom.

Furthermore he says: “A lot of the B&Bs often bring low-grade beds into the bedroom when families book in for a night.

With our sofas If they wish to turn it into a family room then they can. There is a compact sofa and a large sofa.”

The Ascot Chair Bed for example is like a large single bed, with a mattress sleeping area of 72cm x 204cm He acknowledges that a sofa bed would not suit all bedrooms. “In a perfect world the B&B would have one in every guest room but not all rooms have the space. I envisage that in a 10-bedroom guesthouse I’d envisage there would perhaps be three guestrooms with the space and potential to upgrade,” he says.

- In Depth / Sofa Beds -

Moving up from the entry level of the Easy Glide, the next upgrade is the easy revolve and the evolution ragnges, which are very similar but from two different suppliers. The Evolution range entails the easy revolve system, a box mesh that aids the comfort os oyu are not sinking into any webbing and with the option of having a 12cm or a 16cm thick mattress, you don’t feel your back hitting anyting. 'That is a big deal,' he says. 'With the normal ones when you sleep on them you can feel every detail of the webbing on your back.

We think this is the most comfortable sofabed to sleep in,' he adds.

The beds are British standards compliant. 'Our fabrics are BS5852 source 0,1,5 (cigarette, match) and (crib 5) fire retardant. A lot of B&Bs don’t know they have to have furniture to such specification. They will go toi the cheap corner shop and buy a cheap sofga bed and their fire officer would go beserk,' he says.

The Martindale is a unit for quantifying the abrasion resistance of textiles, especially when used for upholstery.

The method, known as the Martindale rub test, simulates natural wear of a seat cover, where the textile sample is rubbed against D VWDQGDUG DEUDVLYH VXUIDFH ZLWK D VSHFLȴHG force. The test equipment works in intervals of 5000 cycles, totalling the wear number of abrasion cycles that leads to the material EHLQJ ZRUQ WR D VSHFLȴHG GHJUHH 7KH KLJKer the value, the more resistant the material is to abrasion [see below].

We met the Commercialsofabeds team at the Independent Hotel show when we were looking for a Murphy bed or similar but their fold out chair bed and sofa beds convinced us to try something else. Their products unlike most (cruel and unusual torture devices) were simple to use and very comfortable and believe me we tested them thoroughly! Swatches were looked at, colour decided and order put in – item delivered exactly as seen and we are very pleased with it. Mike and his team were clear and helpful and we would order from them again without hesitation.

Yours Kim and Simon (The Camberley and The Lodge : : k @Yjjg_Yl]!

THE EXCLUSIVE ASCOT CHAIR AIIIR R BED • Unique built in luxury pocket sprung 13cm mattress • Unique "Easy Glide" mechanism • Commercial Fixtures & Fittings • Space saving design • Stain resistant fabrics, tested for their durability Contact: Michael Pickett - Sales Director T: 02392 410100 • M: 0777997012 E: mike@commercialsofabeds.com • W: www.commercialsofabeds.com

Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 39 - March 2018

- Feature / Finance -

Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 40 - March 2018

- Feature / Finance -

Striking the best deal Start-ups or existing B&B owners looking for finance will often find the best route is via a specialist finance broker. Bill Lumley talks to Stewart Hindley

T

& Partners senior partner Chris McDonagh for a fuller picture.

here are plenty of reasons why new or existing luxury B&B owners may require an injection of capital.

McDonagh tells Luxury Bed and Breakfast magazine: â&#x20AC;&#x153;For high end and luxury B&Bs, the business needs to be refreshed on a regular basis, which might require ÂŁ100,000 Capex to upgrade the infrastructure, for exDPSOH ZLWK QHZ ZL Č´ HOHFWULF FKDUJLQJ SRLQWV for motor vehicles and so forth.â&#x20AC;?

Luuxury B&B owners might have an existing ORDQ DQG Č´QG WKHPVHOYHV LQ D SRVLWLRQ ZKHUH WKH\ QHHG PRUH ČľH[LELOLW\ LQ WHUPV RI WKHLU ORDQ repayments, such as seasonal repayments whereby they pay interest only in the quiet months and repayment with a higher payment schedule in the busy season. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If there is an element of refurbishment and capex is required then that might be a good RSSRUWXQLW\ WR ORRN LQWR UHČ´QDQFLQJ LQ JHQHUDO and to get a more competitive rate, and for some people it may be an opportunity for a bit of capital release as well. They might have run the B&B for 10 years for example and might now like to take some money out for, say, childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s university fees. That could be wrapped XS LQ D UHČ´QDQFLQJ PRGHO Č&#x2039; Stewart Hindley & Partners is focusing mostly in the B&B market today on new-to-trade operators. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d say that 70% of our business is new-to-trade operators,â&#x20AC;? says McDonagh. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They represent challenges in their own right, because banks are risk-averse, and they really prefer people with a proven track record in the hospitality sector. But if the applicants are of good commercial standing that will inevitably help the application.â&#x20AC;?

The broker generally produces a positioning document that gives the bank the assurance it needs that the applicants for the debt will have the wherewithal to be able to take the business forward, he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d generally suggest they go on a hospitality course before they actually engage with us and the bank. New-to-trade B&Bs in particular

present a challenge as they are generally attracted to businesses that are in decline. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not to say that the product itself is in decline, just that people are in retirement mode and rather than working the business YHU\ KDUG WKH\ KDYH OHW WKHLU IRRW RÎ? WKH SHGDO so the trade has declined and as a consequence WKH WUDGLQJ SURČ´W KDV GHFOLQHG WRR ZKLFK LV WKH driver to service the debt, and is therefore the number one factor.â&#x20AC;?

Although there are cases of existing B&Bs WKDW VHHN Č´QDQFH WR XSJUDGH WR WKH OX[XU\ OHYHO GRLQJ VR FDQ EH GLÉ?FXOW KH VD\V Č&#x160;2QH UHDVRQ LV that the majority of these owners generally live RXW RI WKH EXVLQHVV VR WKH QHW SURČ´W LVQČ&#x2021;W QHFHVVDULO\ D WUXH UHČľHFWLRQ RI WKH WUDGH 'HSHQGLQJ on lifestyle, that could be anything from ÂŁ5,000 to ÂŁ20,000 a year. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important therefore if existing operators are looking to leverage debt that they position their trading information in WKH PRVW HÎ?HFWLYH ZD\ LQ RUGHU WR SURGXFH WKH KLJKHVW OHYHO RI WUDGLQJ SURČ´W Č&#x2039; The reason for this he says is that although interest rates are generally at an all-time low, where typically a B&B might be looking at 3% JURVV IRU D UHČ´QDQFH GHDO WUDGLQJ SURČ´W KDV WR

Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 41 - March 2018

service the debt when it is stress-tested, and, generally banks will stress test at about 7.5 % WR RQ D IXOO UHSD\PHQW EDVLV 7KH SURČ´W DIWHU ownersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; drawings therefore has to be able to meet that stress test.

So why would a new to trade operator be EHVW RÎ? ORRNLQJ IRU D EURNHU" 0F'RQDJK VD\V â&#x20AC;&#x153;The banks over recent years have cut back on VWDÎ? DQG WKDWČ&#x2021;V WKH QXPEHU RQH LVVXH LW LV YHU\ GLÉ?FXOW WR JHW WR WKH ULJKW SHUVRQ 3HRSOH RIWHQ say they have a great relationship with their bank. They may well have, but it is a relationship, it is not a lending decision. Relatioship managers donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t often undertake lending but go to a separate lending manbasger. If you walk LQ RÎ? WKH VWUHHW WKH SURFHVV LV YHU\ HORQJDWHG It can take up to six months, and there is no guarantee that you would actually get a result at the end of the period,â&#x20AC;? he says.

By contrast a broker, particularly one regulated by the FCA or the NACFB, should be able to get a B&B owner a decision within 48 hours without obligation. â&#x20AC;&#x153;That provides certainty,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There are lots of issues that come into play â&#x20AC;&#x201C; trading accounts, serviceability, room rate â&#x20AC;&#x201C; all they key performance indicators that drive

- Feature / Finance -

WKH WUDGLQJ SULRČ´W Č&#x2039; There is also the issue about valuation, with GLÎ?HUHQW EDQNV XVLQJ GLÎ?HUHQW SDQHO YDOXHUV â&#x20AC;&#x153;Panel valuers have their own interpretation of WKH WUDGLQJ SURČ´W DQG WKH PXOWLSOLHU Č&#x2039; KH VD\V â&#x20AC;&#x153;For a high-end B&B you might be looking at a PXOWLSOH RI HLJKW WLPHV WUDGLQJ SURČ´W LQ WHUPV RI D QRWLRQDO YDOXH $ e WUDGLQJ SURČ´W would in theory equate to an ÂŁ800,000 valuation. This isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t always strictly true, because B&Bs have good residential residual use as well. It is therefore a bit of a dark horse when it comes to value, not valued as a commercial hotel for example.â&#x20AC;?

In addition the banks want you to undertake due diligence, he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If you go to a good broker they will do everything for you in this respect, but unless you are used to dealing with WKH EDQN GD\ LQ GD\ RXW IRU UDLVLQJ Č´QDQFH IRU hospitality it is unlikely to be positioned correctly to give you the best result. More importantly you would get the best rate by at least 2% if you actually go via a broker. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This also provides absolute certainty: we wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t take on anything in our own right if we werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t 99% certain to get it over the line, because we get paid on a no-win no-fee basis,â&#x20AC;? he adds.

There are a number of characteristics luxury B&B owners should look for in a broker, he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Firstly, the broker needs to specialise in the sector with a demonstrable track record.

Case studies and testimonials are very important. They need to be fully accredited and STA approved and a member of a national body like the NACFB, and they have to have good customer satisfaction. From our own part we are always willing to provide references for cases we have actually completed,â&#x20AC;? he says. +H VWUHVVHV WKDW KLV Č´UP GRHV QRW WDNH RQ ZRUN WKDW LW FDQQRW IXOČ´O Č&#x160;:H ZRXOG EH YHU\ honest to people and say that yes, we agree it is a good opportunity, but that it is not going to work for them for reasons we would specify. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We provide clarity and certainty, and we are highly regulated so there is no smoke and mirrors when it comes to the way in which the GHDO LV VWUXFWXUHG :H RÎ?HU LQGXVWU\ DGYLFH DQG business advice when we are actually putting the case together. We might for instance say that this place you are looking at the moment isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t going to make it with the bank: you need WR ORRN DW VRPHWKLQJ HOVH Î&#x2013;Q RXU Č´UP WKH\ are all ex-hoteliers, so they all understand the business inside out.â&#x20AC;?

That might be an example where McDonagh DGYLVHV D % % RZQHU QRW WR IROORZ WKH Č´QDQFH

route. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It could be that this business is not going to make money, or that even if it does it is going WR WDNH IRXU RU Č´YH \HDUV IRU WKDW WR KDSSHQ and within that period of time it is going to be projection led and the bank wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t like it,â&#x20AC;? he explains. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We do protection-led lending, where the business case demonstrates it. We do things like looking at comparables so we are generally pretty adept at saying if a opportunity would make a good lending case. Not all of them do, because they just donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have the accounts. If it goes to projection-led lending it has to present a strong case to the bank, based on comparable valuation opinion and the credibility of the applicants. We generally refer them to a CV-writer to ensure they are presented in the best possible way,â&#x20AC;? he adds..

Another reason for using a broker is that if you present anything to the bank they never forget it and it is on record and you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t then FKDQJH \RXU PLQG KH ZDUQV Č&#x160;2QFH LW KDV EHHQ presented, that is it. If an individual went rather than a broker and it was declined then we canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t go back in there once it has been declined.â&#x20AC;?

There are a minimal number of lenders in the UK that do specialise in hospitality, he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The big ones such as Lloyds, NatWest and Barclays, but if the individual goes in directly then we canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t go back in and change the lending decision.â&#x20AC;?

The key parameters a broker would use in er are term of debt. determining the best lender wer the repayments, The longer the term, the lower e lower on a 15-year so obviously they would be than a 20-year term. y cash is king, so we McDonagh says: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Initially rm to give maximum would look for a 20-year term HG ZLWK D VL[ RU EHQHČ´W IRU FDVK ČľRZ FRXSOHG ZLWK D VL[ RU riod while they 12-month interest-only period emselves with establish and assimilate themselves the trade. erest rate is â&#x20AC;&#x153;Clearly a competitive interest duce the paygoing to be important to reduce o looking for is ments, and what we are also speed of process. We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want a lending decision to take six months.. Generally speaking we can get a deal from them walkormal instruction ing through the door and formal in about 10 weeks,â&#x20AC;? he says..

FINANCIAL TRENDS Interest rates are going to rise, he says, and the issue is when and by how ow much. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They will rise in the same way that at they came down, by a quarter off a percent at a time over a period of time. My view Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 42 - March 2018

is that the Bank of England base rate may be at DERXW LQ WKH QH[W Č´YH \HDUV 7KH\ DUH QRW JRing to put them up dramatically because wage JURZWK LV QRW FXUUHQWO\ LQ H[FHVV RI LQČľDWLRQ Î&#x2013;I they put the rates up too quickly and too high then people wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be able to pay their mortgages , which is a no-no for any government.â&#x20AC;?

He advises B&B owners that they need to be light of foot when it comes to managing their average daily rate on their website. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They QHHG WR EH YHU\ ČľXLG LQ WKH ZD\ WKH\ SULFH WKHLU rooms, and they have to engage in social media DQG WKH OLNH EXW LQ WHUPV RI Č´QDQFLDO WUHQGV LW LV YHU\ GLÉ?FXOW WR SURMHFW 7KHUH LV D UHVXUJHQFH LQ the UK leisure market staycations that is without a doubt, the lower pound is encouraging more people from overseas to visit the UK and that is where it sits at the moment.â&#x20AC;?

CONCLUSIONS When people are considering purchasing a B&B ideally three years of trading accounts would have to be available. But McDonagh stresses: â&#x20AC;&#x153;As well as specialising in new-totrade operators, we also specialise in projection-led lending, so even if the trading accounts are non-existent or it is a start-up of WKH\ DUH QRW SURGXFLQJ HQRXJK WUDGLQJ SURČ´W ZH FDQ JHQHUDOO\ VD\ ZH FDQ EH SUHWW\ FRQČ´dent in getting the bank debt based on a reasonably competent operator producing a fair maintainable trade, trade,â&#x20AC;? he concludes.

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Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 36 - March 2018