Luxury B&B Mag September 2018

ATTRACT MORE GUESTS ONLINE

PRACTICAL TIPS ON MANAGING YOUR PROFILE WITH SOCIAL MEDIA

LUXURY FURNISHINGS

EASING THE PATH TO PRESENTING SHEER ELEGANCE

PLUS!

GLASSWARE

THE IMPORTANCE OF SERVING DRINKS IN A GLASS YOUR GUESTS WILL APPRECIATE

UK’S FIRST

LUXURY

B&B MAGAZINE WWW.LUXURYBBMAG.CO.UK • ISSUE 30 • SEPTEMBER 2018

HiH33

HBN22

HWL83

A WAKE-UP OPTION FOR EVERY HOTEL. HiH33: Patented triple display alarm clock with individual dimmer control and dual USB ports for convenient charging.

HBN22: NFC Bluetooth FM clock radio with speakerphone and dual USB charging. Space-saving design ďŹ ts into any room.

HWL83: Patented triple display NFC Bluetooth alarm clock with Qi Wireless charging pad, speakerphone and dual USB ports.

Room Solutions For more information, contact Chris Brunt at cbrunt@hoteltech.com 888-74HOTEL, ext. 370 www.hoteltechnologies.com Š Hotel Technologies, LLC. iHome is a registered trademark of SDI Technologies, Inc. iPhone, and iPod are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.

All other marks are trademarks of their respective owners.

this month...

Welcome To the owners of many luxury B&Bs, the most upsetting aspect of your business today is the way in which online travel agents have muscled in on the traditional booking territory, taking a hefty chunk of your turnover while putting out misleading information on your business along the way. ΖQ RXU SURČ´OH RI :RRGODQG &RXQWU\ +RXVH RQ WKH north coast of Cornwall, after 16 years in the business owner Hugo Woolley describes OTAs as “the only unpleasant thing to have happened recentlyâ€? (page 16). %XW FRPLQJ XS WR VSHHG ZLWK D VXÉ?FLHQW XQGHUVWDQGing of the technology with which to respond competitively is more easily said than done.

In order to try to help overcome fear, inertia or sheer irritation at the barrage of clichĂŠs to associated with digital technology marketing, in this issue there are a number of articles that endeavour to put into perspective various issues relating to the deployment of social media and bookings-related technology. )LUVW RÎ? ZH UHSRUW RQ WKH ODWHVW HYHQW KRVWHG E\ specialist hospitality sector digital marketing specialist *XHVWOLQH IRU JHQHUDWLQJ SURČ´W IURP URRPV SUHGRPLnantly through technology. The event was a presentation and discussion forum for participants in the sector, but while Guestline is a service provider to your sector, you are the actual participants, and it is from you that they would like to hear (page 8).

Alliance Online marketing manager Mike Hardman WKHQ SURYLGHV Č´YH ZD\V WR DWWUDFW QHZ JXHVWV WR \RXU luxury B&B using a combination of your website and social media (page 12).

And social media specialist John MacDonald then details the ways in which the three visuals of social media GLÎ?HU DQG KRZ WR H[SORLW WKHP LQ \RXU % % SDJH

OTAs may be on notice from the Competition mp & Markets Authority ority but they aren’t gong away way anytime soon. I hope this his issue provides some e helpful tips on accelerating rating your businesss and d furfurnishing your strategy strateg with a few techniques hniques to get ahead of the competition online.

NEWS

4

10 12

Industry news from around the UK

14

16

22

24

26

30

34

COMMENT B&B Association chairman David Weston

ATTRACTING NEW GUESTS Mike Hardman of catering and hospitality wholesaler Alliance 2QOLQH SURYLGHV Č´YH WRS WLSV RQ DWWUDFWLQJ JXHVWV WR \RXU % %

THE THREE VISUALS John MacDonald presents practical techniques to exploit Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook

WOODLANDS COUNTRY HOUSE Co-owner Hugo Woolley talks about the ambitions he and wife Pippa had for their Cornish B&B and how they have achieved them

HOUSEKEEPING & LAUNDRY Eco-friendly laundry machines takes up space and are very costly, but is a pooled laundry service for luxury B&Bs an option?

GAMECHANGERS FOR CHANGEOVERS Out of Eden’s Holly Alderson presents some ingenious time and money saving products to ensure your turnover days run as smoothly as possible

LUXURY FURNISHINGS Navigating the task of refurbishing your luxury property can be daunting, but there are some legitimate shortcuts you can take

GLASSWARE 7KH WHFKQRORJ\ EHKLQG JODVVZDUH KDV LPSURYHG VLJQLČ´FDQWO\ LQ recent years, and fashionable and elegant can now also be space-saving

INFLUENCER MARKETING $QJKDUDG 0LOOHU H[SODLQV KRZ WR H[SORLW LQČľXHQFHU PDUNHWLQJ WR DFKLHYH RQOLQH YLVLELOLW\ GLUHFW ERRNLQJV DQG D SRVLWLYH RQOLQH SURČ´OH

26

Bill Lumley

Editor

16

- News -

BE MY GUEST ANNOUNCES ASSESSMENT SCHEME DISCOUNTS Be My Guest, a series of one-day, free-toattend business development events for independent accommodation providers, has announced an expansion in exhibitors, partnerships and assessment scheme discounts for its upcoming regional events.

In this Autumn's series of Be My Guest events AA Hotel and Hospitality Services will EH RÎ?HULQJ GHOHJDWHV D GLVFRXQW RQ Č´UVW time applicants to their Quality Assessment Scheme courtesy of the subsidy invested by WKH %H 0\ *XHVW PDQDJHPHQW WHDP The Be My Guest team have funded a simLODU GLVFRXQW RQ WKH 9LVLW(QJODQG $VVHVVPHQW 6FKHPH DQG WKH\ ZLOO EH WDONLQJ WR SHRSOH about the rich depth of business support they FDQ JLYH DFFRPPRGDWLRQ RZQHUV LQFOXGLQJ D show-only discount on the Pink Book, which is D PXVW UHDG IRU EXVLQHVVHV ZDQWLQJ WR EH RQ WKH IURQW IRRW ZKHQ LW FRPHV WR UHJXODWLRQV ([SHGLD &RWWDJHV FRP ΖQWHUKRPH *ODPSVLWHV FRP DQG )UHHWRERRN ZLOO EH DW DOO WKH VKRZV ORRNLQJ IRU QHZ ZD\V IRU DFFRPPRGDWLRQ EXVLQHVV WR JDLQ PRUH ERRNLQJV DQG LQFUHDVH UHYHQXHV RI WKHLU EXVLQHVV

Be My Guest spokesman Jim Curry said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are really pleased to welcome EnviBE MY GUEST EVENTS roVent who are booked for all South West edition Č&#x201A; 7RUTXD\ 2FWREHU VKRZV Î&#x2013;Q WKH ULVH RI VHOI FDNorth West edition Č&#x201A; &DUOLVOH 2FWREHU WHULQJ DQG KROLGD\ UHQWDOV Lincolnshire coast edition Č&#x201A; 1RYHPEHU WKLV FRPSDQ\ LV OHDGLQJ WKH South Coast edition Č&#x201A; )HEUXDU\ way to ensure that the air Yorkshire & Humber edition Č&#x201A; 0DUFK TXDOLW\ DQG WKH LQWHJULW\ RI Welsh edition Č&#x201A; $SULO WKH EXLOGLQJ LV LQWDFW WKURXJK the avoidance of damp and )RU \RXU IUHH WLFNHW WR DWWHQG DQ\ RI WKH %H 0\ *XHVW VWDOH FRQGLWLRQV 6LPLODUO\ events click here www.bemyguest.live/attend &RGHORFNV ZLOO EH VKRZFDVLQJ their products to ensure that SXVK IRUZDUG LQFOXGLQJ &XPEHUODQG %XLOGLQJ WKH JXHVW DQG KRVW VDIHW\ DQG VHFXULW\ LV RI 6RFLHW\ DQG 6LOOV %HWWHULGJH //3 WKH KLJKHVW VWDQGDUGV Č&#x160;7KH WHFKQRORJ\ SOD\HUV DUH DOVR FRPLQJ WR Č&#x160;$W 7RUTXD\ DQG 6NHJQHVV ZH ZLOO EH KRVWWKH %H 0\ *XHVW HYHQWV 5HJDOR ZLOO EH DW WKH LQJ D )DUPHUV 0DUNHW IRU WKH YLVLWRU WR WDON WR &DUOLVOH HYHQW DQG ZLOO EH VKRZLQJ DFFRPPRlocal food and drink providers and enforce dation businesses how voucher platforms RXU FRPPLWPHQW WR VXSSRUW ORFDO EXVLQHVVHV DQG JLIWLQJ FDQ EULQJ QHZ UHYHQXHV DQG QHZ $ORQJVLGH WKH PDUNHW ZLOO EH HVWDEOLVKHG IRRG FXVWRPHUV WR WKH SURSHUW\ ZKLOVW *HQLXV :L )L QHWZRUNV OLNH 1HVWOÂŤ DQG %ODNHPRUH )RRGVHUZLOO EH GHPRQVWUDWLQJ KRZ HYHQ VPDOO SURSHUYLFHV ZKLFK FRYHU DQ DUUD\ RI RÎ?HULQJV WLHV FDQ WDNH DGYDQWDJH RI :L )L VROXWLRQV IRU Č&#x160;:H DOVR KDYH D KRVW RI Č´QDQFLDO DQG OHJDO JXHVWV ZKLFK SURYLGH DQ LQFRPH Č&#x2039; VDLG &XUU\ advisors who are there to help businesses *RRJOH ZLOO EH SURYLGLQJ IUHH GLJLWDO 0DVterclasses for accommodation owners and PDQDJHUV DQG ZH DUH SOHDVHG WR DGG D IHZ QHZ QDPHV WR WKH VSHDNHU OLQH XS LQFOXGLQJ .DWH 0RUHO DQG /HRQD 0LOOV ZKR ZLOO EH WDONLQJ DERXW JODPSLQJ DQG WKH RSSRUWXQLWLHV that exist for traditional accommodation proYLGHUV ZKR DUH ORRNLQJ WR DGG WKH JODPSLQJ H[SHULHQFH WR WKHLU RÎ?HULQJ :HOO NQRZQ % % FRDFK <YRQQH +DOOLQJ ZKR ZLOO EH OHWWLQJ YLVLWRUV NQRZ WKH VHFUHWV RI DGGLQJ H[WUD LQFRPH WR WKHLU EXVLQHVVHV LQ MXVW RQH \HDU $OVR QHZ WR LV 7LQD %RGHQ ZKR LV WKH JR WR SHUVRQ ZKHQ LW FRPHV WR PLFUR EXVLQHVVHV DQG VKH ZLOO EH H[SODLQLQJ KRZ ORRNLQJ DIWHU \RXUVHOI LV WKH EHVW ZD\ WR EDODQFH WKH ERRNV )LQDOO\ 'DYLG :HVWRQ &KDLUPDQ RI WKH %HG DQG %UHDNIDVW $VVRFLDWLRQ ZLOO EH WDONLQJ about Brexit and the impact that could have RQ WKH VHFWRU QH[W \HDU Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 4 - September 2018

- News -

B&B owners still split over Brexit A two-year study published this month reveals Britainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hospitality industry continues to be split when it comes to membership of the EU B&B owners across the country took part LQ WKH VWXG\ FRQGXFWHG E\ RQOLQH ERRNLQJ specialist eviivo, which reveals they are as GLYLGHG DV WKH UHVW RI WKH 8.

The survey initially polled hosts and hoteliers on their opinions on Brexit months EHIRUH WKH UHIHUHQGXP LQ WR HVWDEOLVK their views towards the impact of Brexit on WKH KRVSLWDOLW\ VHFWRU 1RZ WZR \HDUV ODWHU WKH UHVHDUFK KDV EHHQ FDUULHG RXW DJDLQ to determine whether those views have FKDQJHG DV %UH[LW QHDUV The response from B&B owners was split, ZLWK QRZ YRWLQJ WR VWD\ YRWLQJ WR OHDYH DQG VD\LQJ WKH\ ZHUH XQVXUH 7KH JDS EHWZHHQ /HDYH DQG 5HPDLQ KDV narrowed considerably compared to the VWXG\ FRQGXFWHG LQ ZKLFK VKRZHG H[DFWO\ KDOI RI SDUWLFLSDQWV ZDQWLQJ WR OHDYH (XURSH DQG MXVW RYHU D WKLUG ZDQWLQJ WR UHPDLQ

The survey also found that three in ten B&B owners felt they were misled by politiFLDQV GXULQJ WKH FDPSDLJQ ZLWK EHOLHYLQJ WKHUH VKRXOG EH D VHFRQG UHIHUHQGXP DQG RYHU KDOI QRZ EHOLHYLQJ WKDW WKLQJV DUH EHVW OHIW ZLWK 3DUOLDPHQW When asked about the expected impact of %UH[LW RQ EXVLQHVV RI % % RZQHUV EHOLHYH the breakaway will be bad for business in the ORQJ UXQ +RZHYHU LWÈ&#x2021;V QRW DOO GRRP DQG JORRP ZLWK RI UHVSRQGHQWV EHOLHYLQJ ERRNLQJV from UK residents will increase in the wake of %UH[LW ZLWK KROLGD\ PDNHUV FKRRVLQJ WR UHGLVFRYHU WKH MR\V RI WKH VKRUW %ULWLVK EUHDN :KHQ LW FRPHV WR OHDGLQJ QHJRWLDWLRQV LQ Brussels, nearly two-thirds of B&B owners

ZHUH QRW FRQÈ´GHQW WKDW 7KHUHVD 0D\ ZDV WKH ULJKW SHUVRQ WR OHDG WKH %UH[LW SURFHVV EXW ZLWK WKH UHPDLQLQJ VWLOO VHHLQJ KHU D IDYRXUDEOH FDQGLGDWH )HOORZ &RQVHUYDWLYH 03 -DFRE 5HHV 0RJJ ZDV VHFRQG WR 0D\ ZLWK MXVW RI FRQÈ´GHQFH IURP WKRVH SROOHG 3ULRU WR KLV UHVLJQDWLRQ %RULV -RKQVRQÈ&#x2021;V DSSHDO ZDQHG VLJQLÈ´FDQWO\ LQ WKH SDVW WZR \HDUV Î&#x2013;Q WKH VXUYH\ È&#x201A; ZKLFK WRRN SODFH SULRU WR 0U -RKQVRQ GHFODULQJ LQ IDYRXU RI %UH[LW È&#x201A; D ZKRSSLQJ RI UHVSRQGHQWV EHOLHYHG WKDW he was the best person to lead the transition LQWR %UH[LW +RZHYHU WZR \HDUV RQ KLV DSSHDO KDV GUDPDWLFDOO\ GURSSHG WR $PXVLQJO\ IROORZLQJ D KHURLF :RUOG &XS FDPSDLJQ WKH VWXG\ UHYHDOHG PRUH RZQHUV IDYRXUHG *DUHWK 6RXWKJDWH WKDQ -HUHP\ &RUE\Q WR OHDG %UH[LW QHJRWLDWLRQV VXJJHVWLQJ WKDW WKH /DERXU OHDGHU PD\ want to make a few press trips to some ORFDO % %V LQ WKH QHDU IXWXUH

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have expressed concerns that, in the wake of Brexit, the cost of a croissant will increase when the UK departs from the EU LQ 0DUFK &(2 0LFKHOH )LW]SDWULFN VDLG È&#x160;Î&#x2013;W LV FOHDU WKDW %UH[LW LV FUHDWLQJ DQ XQFRPIRUWDEOH OHYHO of uncertainty, and that people would welFRPH VWURQJHU OHDGHUVKLS E\ 3DUOLDPHQW DQG RXU SROLWLFLDQV %UH[LW RU QRW WKH VHFWRU ZLOO MXVW FDUU\ RQ Î&#x2013;QGHSHQGHQW KRVWV DQG % %V are the heart of the UK, our national home really, and some of the most resilient people Î&#x2013; NQRZ Î&#x2013;I WKH\ FRQWLQXH WR IRFXV RQ ZKDW WKH\ GR EHVW EHLQJ WKH PRVW ZHOFRPLQJ hosts, I have no doubt that the UK will conWLQXH WR UHPDLQ D OHJHQGDU\ DQG DWWUDFWLYH GHVWLQDWLRQ IRU YLVLWRUV WKH ZRUOG RYHU

Since the Brexit vote the nationality of my guests has changed

Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 5 - September 2018

- News -

EDITOR

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

Caroline Sargent 07076 362082 CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

Matthew Attwood 01737 852 345 NORTHERN IRELAND EDITOR

Francis Higney 01737 852 345 SALES MANAGER

Frankie Butler frankie.butler@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 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.

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Luxury Bed & Breakfast JLD Media, 25 Clarendon Road, Redhill, Surrey RH1 1QZ www.luxurybbmag.co.uk All rights reserved Š JLD Media 2018

Plan to boost Scottish food and drink economy welcomed A Scottish government plan to develop food & drink tourism with the prospect of boosting Scotlandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s economy by ÂŁ1 billion by 2030 has received a warm reception from the industry.

7KH LQGXVWU\ OHG )RRG 7RXULVP 6FRWODQG $FWLRQ 3ODQ ZKLFK VHWV RXW D UDQJH RI DFWLRQV WR PD[LPLVH the potential of tourism and food & drink, has been ZHOFRPHG E\ LQGXVWU\ OREE\ JURXS 8.+RVSLWDOLW\ 9LVLWRUV WR 6FRWODQG DOUHDG\ VSHQG DURXQG e ELOOLRQ a year on food and drink, and the plan aims to unlock WKH JURZWK SRWHQWLDO DQG VHFXUH DQ H[WUD e ELOOLRQ VSHQG RQ ORFDO SURGXFH Measures in the plan include the creation of a IRRG WRXULVP DSSUHQWLFHVKLS SURJUDPPH LPSURYHG PDUNHWLQJ IRU IRRG DQG GULQN WRXULVP WKH FUHDWLRQ RI WKH QH[W JHQHUDWLRQ RI DJUL WRXULVP PRQLWRU IDUPV WR VWLPXODWH GLYHUVLČ´FDWLRQ DQG D IXUWKHU SURJUDPPH RI 6KRZFDVLQJ 6FRWODQG HYHQWV EULQJLQJ UHJLRQDO EX\HUV DQG VXSSOLHUV WRJHWKHU 0DNLQJ WKH DQQRXQFHPHQW RQ WKH HYH RI 1DWLRQDO )RRG DQG 'ULQN )RUWQLJKW )LUVW 0LQLVWHU )HUJXV (ZLQJ said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Scotland is already renowned as the land of food and drink, with our quality produce known WKURXJKRXW WKH ZRUOG :LWK DURXQG e ELOOLRQ EHLQJ spent on food on drink by visitors each year, the HFRQRPLF EHQHČ´WV DUH FOHDU Č&#x160;7KLV DFWLRQ SODQ ZLOO EULQJ WRJHWKHU HYHU\RQH LQ WKH IRRG DQG WRXULVP VHFWRUV WR EXLOG RQ WKDW VXFFHVV VWRU\ Č&#x160;0DQ\ JUHDW WKLQJV DUH DOUHDG\ KDSSHQLQJ KHUH LQ $UUDQ Î&#x2013;Č&#x2021;YH VHHQ KRZ TXDOLW\ ORFDO SURGXFH FDQ DWWUDFW YLVLWRUV DQG HQKDQFH WKHLU H[SHULHQFH RI 6FRWODQG 1RZ LV WKH WLPH IRU HYHU\RQH WR ZRUN WRJHWKHU WR PDNH VXUH WKDW ZH FDQ PDNH WKH PRVW RI HYHU\WKLQJ WKLV JURZLQJ VHFWRU KDV WR RÎ?HU Č&#x2039; UKHospitality executive director, Scotland, Willie 0DFOHRG VDLG Č&#x160;6FRWODQGČ&#x2021;V IDQWDVWLF IRRG DQG GULQN sector is one of its best tourism assets and is enthusiastically supported by many of our hospitality EXVLQHVVHV LQFOXGLQJ VRPH RI WKH PRVW H[FLWLQJ GULQNLQJ DQG GLQLQJ YHQXHV DQG FRQFHSWV LQ WKH 8.

Hospitality businesses in Scotland seek to use fresh, local produce wherever possible and enjoy close and ORQJ ODVWLQJ UHODWLRQVKLSV ZLWK WKHLU VXSSOLHUV â&#x20AC;&#x153;Support for this sector is very welcome, particularly support to create a new apprenticeship that will KHOS VHFXUH LWV IXWXUH SURVSHULW\ Č&#x2039; -DPHV :LWKHUV &KLHI ([HFXWLYH RI 6FRWODQG )RRG 'ULQN VDLG 6FRWWLVK IRRG DQG GULQN LV VROG DOO RYHU WKH ZRUOG IURP Č´YH VWDU KRWHOV LQ 'XEDL WR WRS EDUV LQ New York, but we want to ensure visitors in Scotland WR KDYH WKH VDPH ZRUOG FODVV HDWLQJ DQG GULQNLQJ H[SHULHQFH 7KHUH DUH DOUHDG\ PDQ\ SRFNHWV RI VXFFHVV but we want a new, nationwide approach to food

WRXULVP (DWLQJ DQG GULQNLQJ LV RQH JXDUDQWHHG DFWLYLW\ WKDW HYHU\ YLVLWRU LQ 6FRWODQG ZLOO XQGHUWDNH :H NQRZ WKDW D JRRG ORFDO IRRG DQG GULQN H[SHULHQFH is what visitors want, it drives spend in our tourism EXVLQHVVHV DQG LW VXSSRUWV ORFDO SURGXFHUV $ERYH DOO WKRXJK LW EXLOGV 6FRWODQG IRRG GULQN DQG WRXULVP UHSXWDWLRQ RQ WKH ZRUOG VWDJH Č&#x160;7KH KDUG ZRUN WR PDNH 6FRWODQG D JOREDO IRRG WRXULVP GHVWLQDWLRQ EHJLQV QRZ %XW ZLWK WZR SRZHUhouse industries of tourism and food and drink workLQJ WRJHWKHU DORQJVLGH JRYHUQPHQW ZH ZLOO PDNH LW KDSSHQ 7KHUH LV D KXJH HFRQRPLF DQG UHSXWDWLRQDO SUL]H DZDLWLQJ XV LI ZH JHW WKLV ULJKW Č&#x2039; Marc Crothall, chief executive of the Scottish TourLVP $OOLDQFH VDLG &ROODERUDWLRQ LV WKH IRXQGDWLRQ RI RXU QDWLRQDO WRXULVP VWUDWHJ\ DQG WKH 6FRWWLVK 7RXULVP $OOLDQFH DUH GHOLJKWHG WR EH ZRUNLQJ LQ SDUWQHUVKLS ZLWK RXU IULHQGV DQG FROOHDJXHV DW 6FRWODQG )RRG 'ULQN WR GHOLYHU WKLV Č´UVW )RRG 7RXULVP $FWLRQ 3ODQ IRU 6FRWODQG :H DUH FRQČ´GHQW WKDW DV WKH RYHUDUFKLQJ UHSUHVHQWDWLYH ERGLHV RI WZR RI 6FRWODQGČ&#x2021;V PRVW economically important sectors, collectively, and with WKH ULJKW VXSSRUW DQG EX\ LQ IURP DOO LQ WKH SXEOLF DQG SULYDWH VHFWRU ZH FDQ OHDG DQG GHOLYHU WKH JURZWK DPELWLRQ RI DQ H[WUD e ELOOLRQ EHLQJ VSHQW E\ YLVLWRUV RQ IRRG DQG GULQN E\ Č&#x2039;

Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 6 - September 2018

- News -

Guestline event delivers practical advice to boost guesthouse profits Hospitality industry digital marketing specialist Guestline is canvassing guesthouse operators for topics of interest or FRQFHUQ WR FRYHU DW LWV QH[W 3URČ´WDEOH %HGV HYHQW 7KLV VXPPHU WKH SURSHUW\ PDQDJHPHQW VROXWLRQV SURYLGHU FRPSDQ\ VWDJHG LWV WKLUG VXFK HYHQW 3URČ´WDEOH %HGV LQ 3XEV LQ FHQWUDO /RQGRQ 7RSLFV LQFOXGHG WKH XVH RI D JXHVWKRXVHČ&#x2021;V RQOLQH SUHVHQFH WR GULYH GLUHFW ERRNLQJV DQG PDQDJH DQG HQKDQFH WKH JXHVW H[SHULHQFH WKURXJK WHFKQRORJ\ $OWKRXJK IRFXVHG RQ WKRVH LQ FKDUJH RI SXEV ZLWK URRPV RU LQQNHHSHUV WKH PHVVDJHV RI WKH KDOI GD\ IRUXP DSSO\ WR DQ\ JXHVWKRXVH RU % % RZQHU 7KH HYHQW LQFOXGHG D ZLGH UDQJH RI WRSLFV LQFOXGLQJ D SUHVHQWDWLRQ IURP GLJLWDO PDUNHWLQJ DJHQF\ -RXUQH\Č&#x2021;V FRPPHUFLDO GLUHFWRU -XOLDQ 9DXJKDQ RQ KRZ WR GULYH GLUHFW ERRNLQJV DQG DGYLFH from Tourism Alliance director Kurt Jansen on the threats posed to small accommodation businesses by reYLVHG (XURSHDQ OHJLVODWLRQ LPSRVLQJ D PXFK ZLGHU GHČ´QLWLRQ RI D Č&#x2020;SDFNDJHČ&#x2021; SRWHQWLDOO\ UHQGHULQJ DOO 8. JXHVWKRXVH RZQHUV SDFNDJHG KROLGD\ RSHUDWRUV *XHVWOLQH PDUNHWLQJ PDQDJHU .DWH )XOOHU SLFWXUHG WROG Luxury Bed &

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Breakfast: â&#x20AC;&#x153;This was the third annual event, and they have all been really VXFFHVVIXO 7KH\ KDYH SURYLGHG DQ RSSRUWXQLW\ WR SXW D VSRWOLJKW RQ DFFRPPRGDWLRQ LQ WKH KRVSLWDOLW\ VHFWRU JLYLQJ RSHUDWRUV NH\ DGYLFH IURP VXSSOLHUV DQG IURP JXHVWKRXVH RSHUDWRUV RQ WKH RSSRUWXQLWLHV WR PD[LPLVH UHYHQXHV IURP SURYLGLQJ JXHVWURRP DFFRPPRGDWLRQ Č&#x2039; -RXUQH\Č&#x2021;V 9DXJKDQ JDYH GHOHJDWHV KLV YLHZ WKDW WKHUH DUH VL[ VWHSV WR GULYH GLUHFW ERRNLQJV LQ \RXU EXVLQHVV 7KH Č´UVW LV WR EXLOG \RXU RQOLQH SUHVHQFH VSUHDGLQJ \RXU PHGLD VSHQG DFURVV *RRJOH %LQJ )DFHERRN DQG SURJUDPPDWLF DGYHUWV IRU H[DPSOH 7KH VHFRQG LV WR JHW UHDG\ IRU EXVLQHVV E\ SRSXODWLQJ \RXU ZHEVLWH ZLWK DSSHDOLQJ LQIRUPDWLRQ YLGHRV UHDVRQV WR YLVLW DQG RQOLQH ERRNLQJ IDFLOLWLHV 7KH QH[W KH VDLG LV FRQYHUVLRQ SURYLGLQJ H[FOXVLYH RÎ?HUV VXFK DV WZR QLJKWV IRU WKH SULFH RI RQH IROORZHG FRQYHUVLRQ UDWH RSWLPLVDWLRQ SD\LQJ DWWHQWLRQ WR JXHVW IRFXV 7KH Č´IWK LV UHWHQWLRQ E\ ZHOFRPLQJ JXHVWV DQG PHHWLQJ DQG VXUSDVVLQJ WKHLU H[SHFWDWLRQV 7KH Č´QDO VWHS KH WROG GHOHJDWHV LV NQRZLQJ \RXU QXPEHUV DQG XVLQJ NH\ PHWULFV WR PHDVXUH WKH HÎ?HFWLYHQHVV RI GLJLWDO PDUNHWLQJ DQG ZHEVLWH SHUIRUPDQFH WR HQVXUH VXFFHVV The date of the next event is yet to be set, but the hitherto annual HYHQW FRXOG EHFRPH PRUH IUHTXHQW JLYHQ WKH KLJK OHYHO RI HQJDJHPHQW ERWK RI GHOHJDWHV DQG DUHDV RI LQWHUHVW DQG VKDUHG H[SHUWLVH )XOOHU VDLG â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are keen to hear ideas from this smaller end of the hospitality sector on any subjects that are pertinent to them and from which they ZRXOG EHQHČ´W IURP GLVFXVVLRQ DQG DQDO\VLV RU RQ ZKLFK WKH\ ZLVK WR NQRZ PRUH WKDW ZH FDQ SURYLGH DQ H[SHUW WR WDON RQ Č&#x2039; VKH VDLG 7KH HYHQWV KDYH HYROYHG IURP WKH Č´UVW RQH KHOG WZR \HDUV DJR ZKLFK VKH VD\V ZDV PRUH RI D URXQGWDEOH GLVFXVVLRQ WR JHW XQGHU WKH same roof pub companies that own inns to discuss the opportunities WKDW OLH ZLWKLQ WKH DFFRPPRGDWLRQ VHFWRU 7KH HYHQW VRXJKW WR H[SORUH the virtues of inns that are not features of normal hotels as well as LQQVČ&#x2021; ZHDNQHVVHV LQ WKH DFFRPPRGDWLRQ VHFWRU $ FRPPRQ WKHPH LV WKH DUHD RI GLJLWDO PDUNHWLQJ DQG GLUHFW ERRNLQJV DQG PDNLQJ WKHLU RQOLQH SODWIRUP ZRUN PRUH HÉ?FLHQWO\ IRU WKHP LQ GULYLQJ GLUHFW ERRNLQJV VKH VDLG Č&#x160;Î&#x2013;W ZRXOG EH ZLVH IRU JXHVW KRXVHV WR KDYH D GLYHUVH UDQJH RI SODWIRUPV EXW WKH\ DOVR QHHG WR JHW D JRRG GLUHFW ERRNLQJ PRGXOH RQ WKHLU RZQ ZHEVLWH WR PD[LPLVH WKH SURČ´WDELOLW\ RI WKHLU URRPV Č&#x2039; 6KH DGGHG Č&#x160;6RFLDO PHGLD LV DOVR YHU\ JRRG WR SURPRWH ZKDW LV JRLQJ RQ DW \RXU YHQXH LI \RX KDYH DQ\ HYHQWV RU RÎ?HUV IRU LQVWDQFH VR \RX can direct potential customers to your own website via any Twitter or )DFHERRN IHHG <RX FDQ DOVR FDSLWDOLVH RQ GLÎ?HUHQW VHDVRQV VXFK DV &KULVWPDV PD\EH RÎ?HULQJ D ODWH FKHFNRXW RU D GLVFRXQW RQ EUHDNIDVW Č&#x2039; $OWKRXJK WKH Č´UVW WKUHH 3URČ´WDEOH %HGV HYHQWV ZHUH KHOG LQ /RQGRQ WKHUH PD\ EH WKH FKDQFH LQ IXWXUH WR KROG PRUH UHJLRQDOO\ IRFXVHG HYHQWV LQ IXWXUH VKH VDLG Č&#x160;)XUWKHU GRZQ WKH OLQH LW PLJKW EH DQ LGHD WR UROO WKHP RXW UHJLRQDOO\ Č&#x2039; VKH VXJJHVWHG If you have any issues you would like future events to address contact kate.fuller@guestline.com.

Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 8 - September 2018

- News -

Independent Hotel Show returns for seventh year The Independent Hotel Show is returning to Olympia London on 16 and 17 October.

The show, now in its seventh year, will feature 300 premium suppliers presenting design-led furnishings, innovative products and the latest technology, while a programme of seminars and panel discussions with industry experts is planned to generate conversation and new ideas.

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For more information on the Independent Hotel Show 2018 and to register to attend for

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free, visit www.independenthotelshow.co.uk

16 â&#x20AC;&#x201C;17 O C T O B E R 2 0 1 8 O LY M P I A L O N D O N

Shortlist announced for the eviivo Awards 2018 The regional shortlists have been published for the 2018 eviivo Awards, the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Oscarsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; of the UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s independent accommodation sector, across a variety of categories including Tastiest Breakfast, Most Beautifully Presented and Sweetest Homestayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;.

7KH DZDUGV SURJUDPPH QRZ LQ LWV Č´IWK \HDU UHFRJQLVHV WKH EHVW RI WKH 8.Č&#x2021;V ZRUOG FODVV % %V JXHVW KRXVHV LQQV VHUYLFHG DSDUWPHQWV VHOI FDWHULQJ XQLWV DQG VPDOO LQGHSHQGHQW KRWHOV IURP DOO RYHU WKH FRXQWU\ 7KLV \HDUČ&#x2021;V VKRUWOLVW KDV VHHQ PRUH WKDQ SURSHUWLHV PDNH WKH FXW Î&#x2013;Q DGGLWLRQ WR XQFRYHULQJ WKH TXLUNLHVW DFFRPPRGDWLRQ WKH 8. KDV WR RÎ?HU WKH eviivo Awards also features a variety of RWKHU LQWHUHVWLQJ FDWHJRULHV LQFOXGLQJ 0RVW Beautifully Presented, Tastiest Breakfast and %XGJHW :LWK $ 7ZLVW eviivo reports that year-on-year, properties that were shortlisted in previous years FRPPDQG SULFHV WKDW DUH KLJKHU WKDQ WKH UHVW RI WKH VHFWRU DQG HQMR\ KLJKHU RFFXSDQF\ OHYHO DFURVV WKH UDQJH RI QRPLQHHV UHJDUGOHVV RI WKH ORFDWLRQ JUDGH RU W\SH RI DFFRPPRGDWLRQ WKH\ RÎ?HU 'DYLG :HVWRQ DZDUGV MXGJH DQG &KDLUman of the Bed & Breakfast Association FRPPHQWHG Č&#x160;:LWK RYHU % %V RSHQLQJ VLQFH LW LV JUHDW WR VHH WKDW WKH VHFWRU LV HQMR\LQJ D UHYLYDO 7KHVH EULOOLDQW % %V RÎ?HU D JOLPSVH RI WKH IDQWDVWLF UDQJH RI DFFRPPRGDWLRQ WKLV FRXQWU\ KDV WR RÎ?HU LWV YLVLWRUV

THE REGIONAL SHORTLISTS INCLUDE:

North West UHJLRQ ZLWK % %V PRUH WKDQ KDOI RI WKHP LQ %ODFNSRRO LQFOXGLQJ *URVYHQRU 9LHZ DQG 2DVLV *XHVWKRXVH (LJKW RI Scotlandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Č´QHVW % %V LQFOXGLQJ WZR LQ *DOORZD\ WKH 9LOODJH Î&#x2013;QQ DQG 5LJJ House B&B South East UHJLRQ ZLWK SURSHUWLHV LQFOXGLQJ 'HODPHUH )DUP %HG DQG %UHDNIDVW LQ 3HWHUERURXJK DQG $EEH\ JXHVWKRXVH LQ $EELQJGRQ South West UHJLRQ ZLWK SURSHUWLHV LQFOXGLQJ Č´YH LQ &RUQZDOO The Midlands UHJLRQ ZLWK SURSHUWLHV LQFOXGLQJ 7KH $JHQWČ&#x2021;V +RXVH %HG %UHDNIDVW in Whitney-on-Wye in Herefordshire ZKHWKHU WKH\ EH GRPHVWLF RU LQWHUQDWLRQDO Č&#x2039; )HOORZ MXGJH IRUPHU DZDUG ZLQQLQJ % % RZQHU OHDGLQJ FRQVXOWDQW DQG PHQWRU WR WKH KRVSLWDOLW\ VHFWRU <YRQQH +DOOLQJ SLFWXUHG

DGGHG Č&#x160;5XQQLQJ D % % LQ WKH VW FHQWXU\ LV GHPDQGLQJ DQG UHTXLUHV PXOWLSOH VNLOOV KDUG work and dedication - these awards help to VKLQH D OLJKW RQ DQG LGHQWLI\ WKH Č´QHVW EXVLQHVVHV ZLWKLQ WKH 8.Č&#x2021;V KRVSLWDOLW\ VHFWRU Č&#x2039; The awards take place on the 16 October at Quaglinoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s on Bury Street, London. To view the full list of UK shortlisted properties, visit: https://eviivo.com/awards/

Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 7 - September 2018

Ten in Yorkshire LQFOXGLQJ 1R LQ <RUN LQ 5RVVO\Q +RXVH LQ :KLWE\ Ten in Wales DPRQJ WKHP <U +DIRG &RXQWU\ House in Betws-y-Coed, Conwy and The 'RJKRXVH LQ /ODQGHJOD 'HQELJKVKLUH (LJKW SURSHUWLHV LQ WKH North East UHJLRQ VL[ RI WKHVH LQ 1RUWKXPEHUODQG LQFOXGLQJ :\GRQ )DUP % % LQ +DOWZKVWOH Six in Northern Ireland, half of them LQ &RXQW\ $QWULP LQFOXGLQJ 7HDFK DQG Cheoil in Ballycastle

- News -

Training course launches for B&B first timers All too regularly people seem to enter the hospitality trade with little or no experience and even less idea of what a commitment theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re taking on. How often have you heard your guests say theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re thinking of â&#x20AC;&#x153;retiring to a B&Bâ&#x20AC;?, or comment, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I suppose you have the day to yourself after breakfast?â&#x20AC;?.

7KHUH ZDV D WLPH ZKHQ WKDW ZDVQČ&#x2021;W WRR PXFK RI DQ LVVXH \RX SLFNHG WKLQJV XS DV \RX ZHQW DORQJ DQG OHDUQW E\ \RXU PLVWDNHV DQG HYHQWXDOO\ WKH KRSH ZDV WKDW \RXČ&#x2021;G HQG XS ZLWK D SUHWW\ GHFHQW XQGHUVWDQGLQJ RI ZKDW \RXČ&#x2021;UH GRLQJ DQG \RXČ&#x2021;G GR LW WR D OHYHO WKDW NHHSV \RXU FXVWRPHUV VDWLVČ´HG 1RZDGD\V KRZHYHU LWČ&#x2021;V QR ORQJHU JRRG HQRXJK WR OHDUQ RQ WKH MRE GXH WR WKH love-hate relationship we have with review ZHEVLWHV VXFK DV 7ULS$GYLVRU *HW D IHZ EDG UHYLHZV RU HYHQ DYHUDJH UHYLHZV GXULQJ \RXU Č&#x160;EHGGLQJ LQČ&#x2039; SHULRG DQG LW FRXOG DÎ?HFW \RXU EXVLQHVV IRUHYHU 7ULS$GYLVRU GRHVQČ&#x2021;W currently delete its reviews at all, and alWKRXJK WKH\ DSSDUHQWO\ GRQČ&#x2021;W FRXQW DV PXFK WRZDUGV \RXU UDQNLQJ DV WLPH SDVVHV WKH\ DUH VWLOO WKHUH IRU DOO WR VHH :KDW \RX QHHG WR GR LV KLW WKH JURXQG UXQQLQJ FRQČ´GHQW LQ ZKDW \RXČ&#x2021;UH GRLQJ DQG NQRZLQJ WKH WULFNV RI WKH WUDGH EHIRUH \RX HYHQ VWDUW 7KHUH LV WKH UHQRZQHG SXEOLFDWLRQ +RZ WR 6WDUW 5XQ D %HG DQG %UHDNIDVW IURP KRZWRUXQDEDQGE FRP EXW SUDFWLFDO

help is also now at hand in the form of a WUDLQLQJ FRXUVH DLPHG DW EXGGLQJ % %HUV recently set up by multi-national award-winQLQJ KRWHOLHU $QG\ %DQQHU 3ULFH His two-day course takes place at luxury 7KH %RXWLTXH % % LQ 7RUTXD\ ZKLFK KH UXQV ZLWK KXVEDQG -XOLDQ 'D\ RQH FRQFHQWUDWHV RQ WKH SXUFKDVH 'HVSLWH SUREDEO\ EHLQJ WKH ODUJHVW RQH \RXČ&#x2021;OO HYHU PDNH LWČ&#x2021;V DQ RIWHQ RYHUORRNHG VXEMHFW Andy told Luxury Bed & Breakfast: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Too many purchasers look at their dream property with the eyes of a domestic home purchasHU SODFLQJ ZHLJKW RQ ORRNV DQG WKHLU RZQ needs rather than the needs of the business DQG KRZ WKH VSDFH ZRUNV IRU D % % (YHQ D UXQQLQJ % % PD\ QHHG XSGDWLQJ DQG IRU LQVWDQFH LI WKHUHČ&#x2021;V QRW WKH URRP WR PDNH HQVXLWHV ELJJHU ZLOO LW EH D VXFFHVV LQ WKH ORQJ UXQ"Č&#x2039; $QG\ DLPV WR JLYH D ZDUWV DQG DOO YLHZ RI WKH LQGXVWU\ QRW WR SXW SHRSOH RÎ? EXW MXVW to open their eyes so they know what they VKRXOG H[SHFW +H VDLG Č&#x160;2QFH \RXČ&#x2021;YH ERXJKW \RXU EXVLQHVV LWČ&#x2021;V WRR ODWH WR UHDOLVH \RX GRQČ&#x2021;W OLNH FOHDQLQJ WRLOHWV RU JHWWLQJ XS HDUO\ RU WKDW \RX GRQČ&#x2021;W KDYH WKH VNLOOV UHTXLUHG WR PDNH LW D VXFFHVV <RX DOVR GRQČ&#x2021;W ZDQW WR end up in a property that was ideal on paper EXW DWWUDFWV QR JXHVWV GXH WR LWV ORFDWLRQ RU FLUFXPVWDQFHV %\ WKHQ \RX FRXOG KDYH spent tens of thousands in stamp duty,

Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 9 - September 2018

VROLFLWRUV PRYLQJ FRVWV DQG HYHQ JLYHQ XS D JRRG FDUHHU Î&#x2013;WČ&#x2021;V EHWWHU WR ZDON DZD\ EHIRUH WKH SXUFKDVH LI LWČ&#x2021;V QRW IRU \RX WKDQ WR EX\ EOLQGO\ WKHQ UHJUHW LW ODWHU Č&#x2039; The rest of day one is about the B&B set-up: Should you be star-rated, and if so at ZKDW OHYHO" +DYH \RX WKRXJKW DERXW EHLQJ OLFHQFHG" :KDW ZLOO \RXU PDUNHW EH DQG KRZ WR DWWUDFW LW" 'D\ WZR PRYHV PRUH LQWR WKH GD\ WR GD\ operations and how to make sure you start RXW FRQČ´GHQW LQ ZKDW \RXU SODQ RI DFWLRQ HQWDLOV $QG\ GLVFXVVHV UHYLHZ ZHEVLWHV DQG customer satisfaction â&#x20AC;&#x201C; he and Julian have HDUQHG D 7ULS$GYLVRU 7UDYHOOHUVČ&#x2021; &KRLFH $ZDUG WZR \HDUV LQ D URZ QRZ SODFLQJ WKHP DV fourth best B&B in the UK, and ninth best LQ WKH :RUOG VR KH NQRZV ZKDW KHČ&#x2021;V WDONLQJ DERXW +H DOVR FRYHUV PDQ\ RWKHU DUHDV OLNH ZRUNLQJ ZLWK RQOLQH WUDYHO DJHQWV PDUNHWLQJ ZHEVLWHV VHWWLQJ SULFHV DQG FXVWRPHU VHUYLFH +H DGPLWV WKDW RYHU WKH WZHOYH \HDUV KHČ&#x2021;V EHHQ LQ WKH EXVLQHVV WKH\Č&#x2021;YH PDGH PDQ\ PLVWDNHV ZKHWKHU WKDW EH E\ EX\LQJ WKLQJV WKH\ GRQČ&#x2021;W QHHG EX\LQJ FKHDS DQG WKHUHIRUH EX\LQJ WZLFH RU E\ VLPSO\ VSHQGLQJ WRR PXFK PRQH\ LQ WKH ZURQJ DUHDV $QG\Č&#x2021;V QH[W FRXUVH ZLOO EH KHOG WKH ZHHNHQG RI 1RYHPEHU Î&#x2013;I \RX DUH QHZ to B&B you can view the course content in PRUH GHWDLO DQG JHW LQ WRXFK ZLWK $QG\ YLD KLV ZHEVLWH DW WUDLQLQJ WKH XN

- Comment / David Weston -

Come along and see us at a show near you A trade association is all about its members â&#x20AC;&#x201C; but the odd thing is that those of us running trade associations donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get to meet our members all that often.

David Weston Chairman of the Bed & Breakfast Association. partnership we will be giving the Association a platform to engage with their existing and potential members as well as listening to David as he takes part in our curated seminar sessions.â&#x20AC;?

We welcome Be My Guest as a new series RI HYHQWV DURXQG WKH FRXQWU\ IRU WKH EHQHČ´W of independent accommodation providers, and of all those who are considering starting an accommodation business and are seeking information, inspiration and practical help.

We look forward to being part of the following events this Autumn â&#x20AC;&#x201C; do come and see us at one or more of them: -------------------------------------------Tuesday 2nd October: â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Be My Guestâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, Torquay, Devon www.bemyguest.live/attend

T

hey join online and mostly communicate by email, Twitter or phone. So it is always a joy to get out and about and meet members â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and prospective members â&#x20AC;&#x201C; around the country. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s great to put faces to names â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and we always learn a lot. There is no substitute for talking directly to B&B, guest house and hotel owners.

Over the past few years we have spoken and had stands at a number of exhibitions in England, Scotland and Wales â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and this Autumn we are stepping this up and you can come and see us at a lot more venues up and down Britain.

We have partnered with the Be My Guest shows nationally, and with the Independent Hotel Show in London.

Be My Guest director Diane Lloyd says: â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are so excited to have the B&B Association join us for our Autumn events. As part of the

Wednesday 10th October: â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Be My Guestâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, Carlisle, Cumbria www.bemyguest.live/attend

more â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and ask about the special memberVKLS RÎ?HUV ZH KDYH IRU WKRVH VLJQLQJ XS LQ person at any of the above shows.

So wherever you are, there should be an event in the list above which is not too far away. There are many reasons to come along â&#x20AC;&#x201C; meeting a range of potential suppliers to your business; listening to presentations and conference sessions on industry issues; the chance to ask questions; the opportunity to meet and network with other B&B and hotel owners - and of course, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s our opportunity to meet you!

David Weston speaking at Guest Scotland 2017, Edinburgh

Tuesday 16th & Wednesday 17th October: Independent Hotel Show, London www.independenthotelshow.co.uk Tuesday 13th November: â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Be My Guestâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, Skegness, Lincolnshire www.bemyguest.live/attend Wednesday 14th November: B&B Roadshow, Llandudno, Wales www.thebedandbreakfastshow.com/llandudno -------------------------------------------If you are already a member of the B&B Association, come and say hello â&#x20AC;&#x201C; weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d love to meet you! And if you are not yet a PHPEHU FRPH DQG WDON WR XV DQG Č´QG RXW Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 10 - September 2018

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The Bed & Breakfast Association is the UK trade association for B&B, guest house and independent hotel owners, and exists to inform, support & represent owners. Membership costs ÂŁ60 a year. The $VVRFLDWLRQ LV D QRQ SURČ´W RUJDQL]DWLRQ ZLWK no shareholders, dedicated solely to the interests of its members. www.bandbassociation.org

THE ONLY HOSPITALITY ROADSHOW FOR INDEPENDENT ACCOMMODATION PROVIDERS....JUST LIKE YOU

2nd OCT, TORQUAY 10th OCT, CARLISLE 13th NOV, SKEGNESS

BOOK FREE TICKETS AT:

BEMYGUEST.LIVE

- In Depth / Advice -

5 ways to attract new guests to your luxury B&B Mike Hardman is Marketing Manager at the catering and hospitality wholesaler Alliance Online.

Here, he shares his top tips for attracting more people to your luxury B&B.

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ou might have a steady stream of regulars who visit your B&B every once in a while. And you might be getting enough footfall to keep your business going, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't be trying to attract new customers.

Most B&B owners would prefer their rooms to

EH ȴOOHG DOO \HDU URXQG ȃ PRUH YLVLWRUV PHDQ more money, after all.

Here, I'm going to share my top tips that will help you to attract new customers to your B&B. Take these onboard and it shouldn't be long before you're getting plenty more unfamiliar faces WKURXJK \RXU GRRU 5HDG RQ WR ȴQG RXW PRUH

Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 12 - September 2018

- In Depth / Advice -

able while staying at your B&B. Future cusWRPHUV ZLOO EH IDU PRUH OLNHO\ WR ZULWH RÎ? D bad review they see if it's clear you've taken the criticism onboard.

MAKE SURE YOUR WEBSITE IS UP TO SCRATCH Up to 80% of people book their trips via the internet, according to Travel Weekly. So, it's important that your online presence is strong, and this should start with you having a good ZHEVLWH WKDW RÎ?HUV DOO RI WKH GHWDLOV SRWHQWLDO customers will need.

But what is a "good" website? Firstly, it should be responsive, which means it will work well, whether an online visitor is browsing on their desktop computer, their phone, RU D WDEOHW Î&#x2013;W DOVR QHHGV WR RÎ?HU D SRVLWLYH user experience, which means your site needs to be easy to navigate and should present all of the information people might be looking for in a clear and concise way. I would also highly recommend having a gallery of photos that have been taken of your B&B and providing plenty of information about the facilities that each room in your B&B comes with.

SET UP SOCIAL MEDIA PROFILES AND KEEP THEM UPDATED

There are also similar sites, such as Bed and %UHDNIDVW 1DWLRQZLGH WKDW VSHFLČ´FDOO\ WDUJHW people looking for B&Bs.

As well as setting up a responsive website, you should look at starting your own social PHGLD SURČ´OHV 8VH WKHVH WR NHHS SHRSOH XS to date with all of the latest information about your B&B, whether you're trying to promote a QHZ RÎ?HU ZRXOG OLNH WR OHW WKHP NQRZ DERXW any renovations you're having done, or want to advertise any upcoming events.

Facebook, Twitter and Instagram tend to be the most popular social media platforms among business owners, and they all have their own strengths. Facebook is great for when you have a lot of information you'd like to get across in one post. It's also a great platform if you'd like to host a competition

USE HIGH-QUALITY PHOTOS TO ADVERTISE YOUR B&B Î&#x2013;W V LQFUHGLEO\ LPSRUWDQW WKDW \RX Č´OO \RXU website and other online listings with photos that show your B&B in the best possible light. This is a particularly wise move if you're hoping to attract a younger crowd because LW KDV EHHQ IRXQG WKDW DURXQG WZR Č´IWKV RI millennials choose a travel spot or accommodation based on how good it's going to look on Instagram. But anyone who is considering staying at your B&B is going to want to get a good idea of what to expect. So, giving a clear look at how your B&B is presented will be guaranteed to help you secure more business. Investing in a good quality camera or enlisting the help of a professional photographer will help you to step up your game when it comes to imagery.

CREATE LISTINGS ON THE MOST POPULAR TRAVEL SITES

ASK YOUR GUESTS TO LEAVE REVIEWS

As I've previously mentioned, more people than ever before are booking their holidays online. And, rather than trawling through the individual websites of all the B&Bs in the area they might want to go to, travellers will often book through a third-party site that allows them to browse a wide range of options at once. So, to ensure you aren't missing out, it's vital that you set up a listing on the most popular comparison sites.

Booking.com,Trivago and Expedia are some of the best and most frequently used platforms, so it's a good idea to start with those.

Some 85 percent of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations, according to BrightLocal. Therefore to HQVXUH SRWHQWLDO FXVWRPHUV DUH FRQČ´GHQW about booking with you when they're browsing online, it's well worth encouraging your visitors to leave reviews both on your website and on third-party platforms like TripAdvisor.

It's also important that you respond to VRPH RI \RXU UHYLHZV Č&#x192; HVSHFLDOO\ LI WKH\ UH on the negative side. Addressing any concerns your visitors have will show that you truly care that they're happy and comfortLuxury Bed & Breakfast - 13 - September 2018

to bring more attention to your B&B, and it makes engaging with your community very easy. Twitter's ideal for when you have short snippets of information to share, while Instagram is a very visual platform that's perfect for when you want to share photos WKDW ZLOO KHOS WR VKRZ RÎ? \RXU % % 7R OHDUQ more about how putting some extra time into gram. But, anyone who is considering staying at your B&B is going to want to get a good idea of what to expect. So, giving a clear look at what your B&B is like will be guaranteed to help you secure more business. Investing in a good quality camera or enlisting the help of a professional photographer will help you to step up your game when it comes to imagery.

- New News Ne ews -

Luxury L Lu Lux u uxxury urry u ry Be Bed & Br Bed B Breakfast re ea eak akkfas a ffa asst - 14 a 14 - Se S September ept ptem pte mb be b er 2 201 01

- Guest Article -

The three visuals When it comes to social media, visual marketing is the way to draw guests to your luxury B&B. Social media specialist John MacDonald explains how to put Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook to work

v

LVXDO PDUNHWLQJ LV WKH PRVW HÎ?HFtive way of marketing your B&B, LUUHVSHFWLYH RI WKH W\SH RI JXHVW that tends to - or may in future book your venue. Whether it be for holiday, UHXQLRQ D IDPLO\ HYHQW VXFK DV D ZHGGLQJ RU retirement party or other events, what really ZRUNV PRVW HÎ?HFWLYHO\ LV WKH XVH RI Î&#x2013;QVWDJUDP 3LQWHUHVW DQG )DFHERRN WKH WKUHH YLVXDOV 7KH Č´UVW WZR RI WKHVH Î&#x2013;QVWDJUDP DQG 3LQWHUHVW ERWK UHFHLYH YDOXDEOH OHYHOV RI WUDFWLRQ IURP D PDUNHWLQJ SHUVSHFWLYH Î&#x2013;I \RXU % % KDV WKH IDFOLWLHV WR KRVW ZHGGLQJ UHFHSWLRQV WKH NLQG RI SHRSOH WKDW SODQ VXFK ORJLVWLFV WKH bride, mother of the bride or the wedding planner - tend to work via vision boards, ZKLFK DUH FHQWUDO WR WKH 3LQWHUHVW VHWXS <RX FDQ PDNH HÎ?HFWLYH XVH RI 3LQWHUHVW WR set up your vision boards online and to pull LPDJHV RQOLQH 7\SLFDOO\ WKHVH LPDJHV ZLOO EH SXOOHG IURP Î&#x2013;QVWDJUDP 2QH HÎ?HFWLYH XVH RI \RXU Î&#x2013;QVWDJUDP DFFRXQW LV WR IHDWXUH LPDJHV RI URRPV VHW XS IRU WKH IXQFWLRQ IRU ZKLFK WKH\ DUH WR EH XVHG )RU H[DPSOH \RX FRXOG VHW XS D URRP IRU D GLQQHU DQG WDNH D SLFWXUH RI LW WR SRVW RQ \RXU Î&#x2013;QVWDJUDP DFFRXQW Î&#x2013;I WKHUHČ&#x2021;V D ZHGGLQJ WDNLQJ SODFH WDNH D SLFWXUH Č&#x201A; EXW JHW SHUPLVVLRQ Č´UVW 7KH VDPH JRHV IRU WKH KRQH\PRRQ VXLWH WDNH D SLFWXUH RI LW GRQH XS IRU H[DPSOH ZLWK FDQGOHV DQG D ERWWOH RI FKDPSDJQH 9RLOD Î&#x2013;QVWDJUDP SKRWR (QFRXUDJH \RXU JXHVWV WR KDYH D KDVK WDJ Č&#x201A; IRU H[DPSOH MXOLHDQGMRHVZHGGLQJ Č&#x201A; DQG WKHQ XSORDG WKHLU Î&#x2013;QVWDJUDP VKRW RI WKH MDFX]]L ZLWK WKH FKDPSDJQH 7KDW ZLOO LPPHGLDWHO\ Č´QG LWV ZD\ RQWR VRFLDO PHGLD FRQYH\LQJ WKH PDUNHWLQJ OLQH RI Č&#x160;WKLV LV D IXQ SODFH WR EH Č&#x2039; :KDW \RX DUH VHOOLQJ LV D YHQXH Î&#x2013;I \RXU % % SURYLGHV HYHQW VHUYLFHV VXFK DV ZHGGLQJ UHFHSWLRQV EHDU LQ PLQG WKDW ZKHQ VRPHRQH books a venue for an event, they look for what the venue itself looks like. They want WR VHH ZKDW LW ORRNV OLNH LQ DFWLRQ 7KH\ YLVLW VRFLDO PHGLD VLWHV WKDW DUH EDVHG RQ YLVXDOV You should therefore display plenty of SLFWXUHV WKDW PDNH \RXU YHQXH DSSHDU IRU DOO the reasons anyone may wish to book it, at-

WUDFWLYH HDVLO\ DFFHVVLEOH DQG RI WKH W\SH DQG feel that they are looking for when they hire LW 3RWHQWLDO FOLHQWV ZDQW WR NQRZ ZKDW WKH bedroom looks like, what the breakfast looks like, what your venue itself looks like. +DYLQJ EHHQ ZRQ RYHU E\ WKH DSSHDUDQFH QH[W WKH\ ZLOO VHH D OLVW RI WKH IDFLOLWLHV RSWLRQV DQG VR IRUWK WKDW \RX ZLOO RÎ?HU ZKHQ SHRSOH ERRN \RXU % % RU LWV IDFLOLWLHV $W WKH IRUHIURQW RI \RXU PDUNHWLQJ FRQVLGHUDWLRQ VKRXOG EH WKH OHYHO RI RÎ?HULQJ IRU \RXU guests, and you should give them that visual. Î&#x2013;Q RWKHU ZRUGV ZKHQ WKH\ ERRN D YHQXH WKHUH DUH YDULRXV OHYHOV WKH\ PD\ MXVW JHW D GU\ KLUH i.e. the venue and nothing else; or they may get IXOO SDFNDJH Č&#x201A; FDWHULQJ ZDLWLQJ VWDÎ? HWF DQG SHUKDSV WKH RSWLRQ WR LQFOXGH DQ HYHQW SODQQHU For all the above, people want to see what it looks like. :KHQHYHU \RX WHOO D VWRU\ ZLWK FRQWHQW marketing, you must have in mind an audiHQFH FRPSULVLQJ WKRVH WR ZKRP \RXČ&#x2021;UH WHOOLQJ WKH VWRU\ Î&#x2013;GHQWLI\ WKH DXGLHQFH \RX QHHG WR DWWUDFW XSGDWH UHJXODUO\ DQG IUDPH \RXU VWRU\ DURXQG WKDW DXGLHQFH 5HPHPEHU \RXU )DFHERRN SDJH Î&#x2013;QVWDJUDP FKDQQHO DQG 3LQWHUHVW SDJH DOO QHHG WR EH FRQVWDQWO\ PDLQWDLQHG DQG XSGDWHG )RU WKH )DFHERRN SDJH \RX VKRXOG FRQVWDQWO\ XSGDWH LW ZLWK SLFWXUHV DFWLYLWLHV XSGDWHV DQQRXQFLQJ D QHZ PHQX QHZ EUHDNIDVW RSWLRQV QHZ ORFDO VXSSOLHUV QHZ ZLQH RÎ?HUV DW WKH EDU DQG VR RQ You should also ensure you have someRQH LQ FKDUJH RI HQVXULQJ WKHVH VRFLDO PHGLD sites are updated and maintained regularly, WR HQVXUH FRQVWDQW PD[LPXP LPSDFW DQG PD[LPXP WUDÉ?F 3LQWHUHVW LV D VRFLDO PHGLD VLWH EDVHG DURXQG YLVLRQ ERDUGV Î&#x2013;W SXOOV YLVXDOV IURP RWKHU PHGLD As the operators of venue that hosts events, WKHVH VRFLDO PHGLD VLWHV ZLOO HQDEOH DQ HYHQW planner putting together an event for their FOLHQW WR PDNH WKH YHQXH ORRN EHDXWLIXO VR WKH\ FDQ SXW WRJHWKHU D YLVLRQ ERDUG VD\LQJ 7KLV LV your wedding, this is where the bride and her mother and the bridesmaids are staying. This LV ZKHUH WKH\Č&#x2021;UH JRLQJ WR JHW WKHLU QDLOV GRQH Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 15 - September 2018

ZKHUH WKH\Č&#x2021;UH JRLQJ WR JHW WKHLU KDLU GRQH WKLV LV WKH MDFX]]L EDWK WKLV LV WKH WHDURRP ZKHUH WKH\ DUH JRLQJ WR KDYH WHD WKLV LV WKH FKDPpagne breakfast they are going to have on the morning of the wedding. Pinterest will even SURPSW \RX ZLWK WKH ORFDWLRQ RI WKH % % DQG ask if you want it to be booked for you. Î&#x2013;QVWDJUDP LV D SRZHUIXO WRRO WKDW ZLOO GUDZ LQ ERRNLQJV Î&#x2013;W LV HVVHQWLDOO\ 7ZLWWHU IRU LPDJes. A great many people use it for anything that needs a visual.

7KRVH SHRSOH ZKR VXFFHHG LQ PDNLQJ PRQH\ RXW RI Î&#x2013;QVWDJUDP DUH WKRVH ZKR DUH VHOOLQJ PDNHXS EHDXW\ RU DWWUDFWLYH YHQXHV Č&#x201A; selling anything that requires you to look at it.

You need to make the images you put up look like you want to be there. )LQDOO\ EHDU LQ PLQG LW LV LPSRUWDQW WR FUHDWH VWRULHV VKRZ GRQČ&#x2021;W WHOO )LQG WKH DXGLHQFH \RX ZDQW WR PDUNHW WR DQG FUHDWH WKH VWRU\ LQ D YLVXDO WKDW \RX PDUNHW LQ D FRQWHQW DQG GLJLWDO ZD\ 3LFN DQ DXGLHQFH Č&#x201A; D UHWLUHPHQW SDUW\ D WK ZHGGLQJ $QQLYHUVDU\ D VFKRRO UHXQLRQ D KHQ QLJKW Č&#x201A;DQG FUHDWH WKDW FXVWRPHU MRXUQH\ 6KRZ KRZ D FXVWRPHU ZRXOG GLVFRYHU \RXU SURGXFW <RX QHHG WR Č´QG ZKDW FXVWRPHU \RX DUH DLPLQJ DW DQG FUHDWH D YLVXDO FRQWHQW PDUNHWLQJ MRXUQH\ WKDW \RX take someone through. *RRG OXFN RRG OXFN

- Feature / % % 3URČ´OH -

Woodlands Country House "We went into the B&B/hotel business on the north coast of Cornwall because, as a result of a car accident, my legs are full of metal, and freezing weather makes life very uncomfortable for me. The north coast of Cornwall hardly ever freezes! We both love our B&B/Guesthouse and take great pride in the wonderful accolades heaped upon us over the years."

Hugo Wooley gives us the benefit of his expereince.

Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 16 - September 2018

- Feature / % % 3URČ´OH -

W

e love meeting lots of people, have made good friends with some guests, and enjoy the variety of people who come through our doors. You must be a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;people personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; to be in this business. It is surprising how many proprietors are not! My wife DQG Î&#x2013; DQG RXU ORYHO\ VWDÎ? DUH IDQWDVWLF people persons.

The approach we took when we bought Woodlands Country House near Padstow in Cornwall was that we would make it the kind of place where we ourselves would love to stay. My wife and I were middle aged, not ZHDOWK\ EXW ZLWK VXÉ?FLHQW GLVSRVDEOH LQFRPH and we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t particularly like impersonal thirty-bedroom hotels. We wanted a place to feel relaxed, with some style, comfortable, decent personal service, with good local knowledge, DQG ZHOO WUDLQHG VWDÎ? ZKR WKLQN WKH VDPH DV XV $ERYH DOO ZH ZDQWHG D % % WKDW RÎ?HUV a wonderful breakfast. Something homefrom-home. So we developed Woodlands

Country House with those criteria in mind. Î&#x2013; ZDV RQFH WROG E\ -LOO 6WHLQ Č´UVW ZLIH WR 5LFN Stein and a very skilful interior designer, that wherever you turn in the hotel or B&B, there should be some kind of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;wow factorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. Unfortunately, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;wow factorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; can be very expensive, so imagination is crucial (unless you are stinking rich, of course). We have managed to collect a few pieces of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;wow-factorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; over the 16 years we have been here. We are also fortunate to have a nice house with inspiring â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;wowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; views.

My sister-in-law is a buyer for large department stores and online shops. She has always said that a bedroom should have SOHQW\ RI Č&#x2020;WXWČ&#x2021; Č&#x201A; WKRVH OLWWOH FXULRV DQG VWXÎ? that donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do anything but just sit there on the windowsill or shelf, such as a wig holder, a silver ship, old leather-bound books with funny book-ends, a Dinky toy collection of 51/Î&#x2013; YHKLFOHV RU HYHQ D OLIH VL]H PHWDO KHDG RI 3RVHLGRQ 5RRPV VKRXOG EH SHUVRQDOised, full of interesting things to look at. We bought loads of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;tutâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; from junk shops and Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 17 - September 2018

- Feature / % % 3URČ´OH antique markets for virtually nothing and scattered them around the house.

Being a Victorian house, with, thankfully, quite a lot of history â&#x20AC;&#x201C; it was built in 1887 by the top Cornish architect of the day, Sylvanus Trevail, and it served as a Fleet Air Arm Hospital during World War 2 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; we thought we should decorate accordingly, using Victorian colours with Victorian or pre-Victorian furniture, where possible. It was also fortunate â&#x20AC;&#x201C; if you can call it that â&#x20AC;&#x201C; that both our mothers died within a few years of each other and left two large houses-worth of lovely furniture!

Woodlands Country House was a rundown B&B trading within the VAT threshold by people who, basically, carried out the minimum of decoration. We had a little capital to start with, enough to get rid of the Anaglypta ZDOOSDSHU GDUN EURZQ ČľRUDO EDWKURRP WLOHV most of the electric showers, hanging Spider plants, and to replace the maroon and gold ČľRUDO FURFNHU\ 2XU RWKHU ELJ RXWOD\ DW WKH outset, was to buy Frette linen. The height of luxury, it certainly has a wow factor and

was a very good investment. We are told that Elton John and Joan Collins will sleep in no other linen but Frette. Also, I know they are a bit unsustainable, and expensive to launder, EXW RXU KXJH ČľXÎ?\ KLJK TXDOLW\ WRZHOV DUH always remarked upon, and score highly in guest approval. Furthermore, we provide ČľDQQHOV QRW RQO\ LQ WKH EDWKURRPV EXW DOVR as individual hand-towels in the guest loo instead of paper towels or a blower. This

Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 18 - September 2018

makes the place look more like a home.

It was great to start with a blank canvas.

2YHU WKH Č´UVW VL[ \HDUV ZH DGGHG DQG DGGHG to the house and its look, going without a KROLGD\ IRU HLJKW \HDUV DQG SXWWLQJ DOO SURČ´WV into bringing the property up to our high standard. I suppose it is all down to taste, one RI WKRVH WKLQJV WKDW LV YHU\ GLÉ?FXOW WR OHDUQ or quantify, to achieve the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;lookâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; that guests ZLOO HQMR\ :H WRRN LGHDV IURP PDJD]LQHV other boutique hotels, period television programmes, and by accident. I trawled reclamation yards and antique markets at the beginning. With the help of a very good painter and decorator, we found the courage to use very strong Victorian colours and paint HÎ?HFWV :H SDLQWHG WKH JXHVW VLWWLQJ URRP Č&#x201A; 7KH %OXH 5RRP WKUHH WLPHV EHIRUH ZH JRW WR the blue we wanted!

We wanted the feeling of a grand old house or stately home, with family portraits and ORYHO\ ROG IXUQLWXUH HYHU\ZKHUH 2XU JXHVWV DUH XVXDOO\ WKH W\SH ZKR HQMR\ VXFK DQ HÎ?HFW IURP ZHOO RÎ? \RXQJ SURIHVVLRQDOV WR FRPIRUW-

- Feature / % % 3URČ´OH -

DEO\ RÎ? UHWLUHG SHRSOH 2XU UDWHV DUH D OLWWOH PRUH WKDQ D VPDOOHU B&B, but cheaper than an hotel. If guests feel as though they are being treated like an important house-guest, rather than a fee-paying stranger, in a stylish establishment, they will be willing to pay a higher rate.

I believe that because our B&B looks luxurious, well-furnished and stylishly decorated, the guests seem to respect the house more.

7KH\ DUH PRUWLČ´HG LI WKH\ VSLOO FRÎ?HH RQ WKH duvet, devastated if they block the loo. They are far more respectful in a well-furnished house (I imagine) than one that looks like a run-down budget hotel or a studentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hostel.

In 16 years, we have had only one or two couples check out leaving a terrible mess behind â&#x20AC;&#x201C; but that is another story. Even children want to be on their best behaviour â&#x20AC;&#x201C; like visiting their grandparents.

2XU RWKHU JUHDW LQYHVWPHQW PDGH ZKHQ ZH Č´UVW RSHQHG ZDV LQ TXDOLW\ EHGV DQG PDWtresses. You can have quaint bed-heads and old four-poster beds, but no matter how gorgeous and old the bed looks, how great the breakfast, or luxurious the furnishings, if your

guest wakes up after an uncomfortable night, with a bad back, they will hit TripAdvisor with a vengeance! It is essential the mattresses are

"We wanted the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;feelingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; of a grand old house or stately home, with family portraits and lovely old furniture everywhere. Our guests are usually the type who enjoy the grand-old-house effect, from well-off young professionals to comfortably-off retired people" renewed, with top-of-the-range, multi-pocketed mattresses, and quality mattress â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;toppersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, SRVVLEO\ HYHU\ Č´YH \HDUV The only unpleasant part of this business KDV KDSSHQHG UHFHQWO\ WKH KXJH LQČľXHQFHV RI 2QOLQH 7UDYHO $JHQWV RU 27$V 2YHU WKH past seven or eight years, people now book WKURXJK WKHVH SRZHUIXO 27$V DQG ORVH WKH Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 19 - September 2018

personal service and help from us. The likes of Booking.com have squashed out traditional searches, taking over all direct bookings with false advertising and incorrect guidDQFH IRU RXU JXHVWV 27$V KDYH HQFRXUDJHG free cancellations, and they mislead people into booking rooms with the assumption it is cheaper to do so through them and not direct with us, the accommodation providers!

Apart from the Michelin Guide, we stopped membership of Visit England (and Cornwall), 6DZGD\Č&#x2021;V :ROVH\ /RGJHV DQG 7KH $$ DV ZH WRRN KDUGO\ DQ\ ERRNLQJV WKURXJK WKHP 1RZ our advertising budget is out of our control, SD\LQJ DURXQG RI WXUQRYHU WR 27$V $OVR

- Feature / % % 3URČ´OH -

the reliance on The Cloud and IT, along with social media marketing has slightly overtaken my wife and me, and I lag behind, badly, in modern methods in marketing a B&B. As we are getting on in age, and slightO\ IDOOLQJ WR ELWV ZH DUH GRZQ VL]LQJ DQG semi-retiring in 2019. We are going to just run two rooms (as opposed to the eight we have now), turning four rooms into two grand suites, with every mod-con â&#x20AC;&#x201C; smart 79V WKDW ORRN OLNH PLUURUV SRG FRÎ?HH PDchines, charging points in the power sockets, etc - but also retaining a luxury style and high-quality furnishings. We will stop using 27$V DQG KHQFHIRUWK UHO\ RQ RXU UHSXWDWLRQ our past guests, and we will advertise with the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;qualityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; guides like Michelin, Sawdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, :ROVH\ /RGJHV DQG 0U 0UV 6PLWK

a trickle of soothing music and the odd moo from the cows outside. And then, after a bowl of VRPHWKLQJ IURP WKH FROG EXÎ?HW WDEOH ZH RÎ?HU a well-cooked breakfast, from a subtly imagi-

QDWLYH PHQX 1RWKLQJ WRR IULJKWHQLQJ OLNH NDOH stir-fried, with a poached egg and served on pumpernickel (seen on a breakfast menu in Putney) or baby spinach, blueberry and wheatgrass smoothies! Just plain Cornish cooking.

We feel part of a good British breakfast must have a cooked element. I sometimes wonder what on earth some providers are thinking of when they decide just to serve a continental breakfast. I have seen it! A continental breakfast should be an option, especially in city-centre B&Bs where business SHRSOH KDYH RQO\ WLPH IRU D FXS RI FRÎ?HH DQG a cigarette â&#x20AC;&#x201C; like the French.

We also have a few USPs that guests enjoy: 7R DYRLG ČľREE\ WRDVW JXHVWV FDQ WRDVW WKHLU RZQ KDQG VOLFHG EUHDG DV ZHOO DV VTXHH]H their own oranges or grapefruit for juice. The ZDLWLQJ VWDÎ? ZLOO EH YHU\ ZLOOLQJ WR GR WKLV IRU the guest, but we think guests rather enjoy doing it for themselves. Mostly everything is homemade or locally produced.

Fiona Duncan of The Sunday Telegraph said of us: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Possibly the best breakfast in Britain: homemade compotes, granola, pastries and main dishes that include milk-poached VPRNHG KDGGRFN GHYLOOHG NLGQH\V DQG Č´VKcakes.â&#x20AC;? And BBC Good Food Magazine said; â&#x20AC;&#x153;Breakfast does not come much better than at Woodlands.â&#x20AC;?

Accolades from our guests on TripAdvisor are always much appreciated and enhance our reputation for a good breakfast.

Which, it seems, is as important to most guests as a comfortable night in a stylish, FOHDQ URRP /X[XU\ FDQ FRPH DW D FRVW EXW in the end, the investment is readily paid back in better rates, better profits and, to some extent, nicer guests!

A GOOD BREAKFAST: :H DUH ERWK FDWHUHUV DQG HQMR\ WKH Č´QHU things in food â&#x20AC;&#x201C; as do most of the people who visit this part of Cornwall. I have a particular enthusiasm for a good breakfast, and our aim, from when we started our B&B sixteen years ago, was to do for breakfast ZKDW 5LFN 6WHLQ GLG IRU Č´VK Î&#x2013; KDYH ZULWWHQ D breakfast book â&#x20AC;&#x201C; ages ago â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and I have done breakfast cooking demonstrations at the prestigious Padstow Christmas Festival for WHQ \HDUV DW WKH $OLVWDLU 6DZGD\ 2ZQHUV Conference in Bristol, and at various other venues.

2XU JXHVWV FDQ H[SHFW D VW\OLVK DQG GHOLFLRXV breakfast in the morning, in a comfortable dining room, with views of the countryside and WKH $WODQWLF FRDVWOLQH EH\RQG :H RÎ?HU D TXLHW service â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a gentle enquiry of what they would OLNH WHD RU FRÎ?HH W\SH RI HJJ DFFRPSDQLHG E\

Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 20 - September 2018

- Feature / % % 3URȴOH -

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Register for your complimentary pass now at Independenthotelshow.co.uk Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 21 - September 2018

- In Depth / Housekeeping & laundry -

Accessing industrial scale eco-friendly laundry machines One way of increasing the efficiency of your business is the concept of participating in a centralised laundry service that uses commercial machines dramatically more energyefficient than traditional ones, using a tiny fraction of the water, writes Bill Lumley.

o

wners of B&Bs often take their laundry to the nearest conventional laundry service. Sometimes they take a proportion of it and wash it in-house.

Pippa Woolley, co-owner of Woodlands Country +RXVH SURČ´OH SDJH IRU H[DPSOH ZDVKHV the towels herself, but sends the B&Bâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sheets WR D ODXQGU\ IRU ZDVKLQJ DQG LURQLQJ The establishment of a local centralised laundry service that uses polymer laundry EHDG FOHDQLQJ WHFKQRORJ\ DQG RQH WKDW LV H[FOXVLYH WR OX[XU\ % % RZQHUV VKRXOG QRW RQO\ JLYH \RX DFFHVV WR D KLJK VWDQGDUG RI HFRORJLFDOO\ VRXQG FOHDQLQJ EXW VKRXOG DOVR KHOS VHFXUH D VHW RI KLJK VWDQGDUGV 7KH LGHD LV DW OHDVW ZRUWK FRQVLGHULQJ DV WKH

JURZLQJ WUHQGV LQ HQYLURQPHQWDOO\ IULHQGO\ LQLWLDWLYHV GHYHORS XQDYRLGDEO\ LQČľXHQFLQJ \RXU SURIHVVLRQDO OLYHV )RU H[DPSOH LQ DQ DUHD ZLWK D KLJK FRQFHQWUDWLRQ RI OX[XU\ B&Bs, laundry could be collected, washed in D PHJD HÉ?FLHQW LQGXVWULDO VFDOH EXW HQYLronmentally friendly polymer bead laundry environment, and returned to your property ZLWKLQ D JXDUDQWHHG SHULRG 3RO\PHU EHDG WHFKQRORJ\ GHYHORSHG DW WKH 8QLYHUVLW\ RI /HHGVČ&#x2021; 6FKRRO RI 7H[WLOHV DQG patented by Xeros, is not cheap. The reality LV WKDW DOWKRXJK WKH PDUNHW VHFWRU RI OX[XU\ % %V ZRXOG VHH EHQHČ´WV IURP ZDVK TXDOLW\ DQG OLQHQ OLIH H[WHQVLRQ VXFK DV FRVW VDYLQJV RÎ?HUHG E\ JLDQW DQG KLJKO\ HÉ?FLHQW SRO\PHU Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 22 - September 2018

ODXQGU\ EHDG FOHDQLQJ WKH W\SLFDO VL]H RI WKH % % SURSHUWLHV ZRXOG QRW \LHOG D KLJK HQRXJK GHPDQG HFRQRPLFDOO\ IRU WKH XVH RI VXFK PDFKLQHV 7KH TXDQWLWLHV RI OLQHQ D % % typically wash is relatively small compared with the output of such a machine. This fact LQ WXUQ ZRXOG QRW JHW WKLV W\SH RI EXVLQHVV WR realise a sensible return on investment from WKH FDSH[ VSHQG RQ WKH PDFKLQH Furthermore, space is a serious issue.

Polymer bead machines have so far been GHVLJQHG IRU XVH LQ KLJK HQG KRWHOV ZLWK SOXV URRPV /X[XU\ % % EXVLQHVVHV WHQG WR RFFXS\ ROGHU EXLOGLQJV WKDW JHQHUDOO\ ZHUH RQFH GRPHVWLF GZHOOLQJV RU KDYH LQVXÉ?FLHQW FHOODU RU RXW EXLOGLQJ VSDFH WR DFFRPPRGDWH

- In Depth / Housekeeping & laundry VXFK PDFKLQHV ZKLFK DUH GHVLJQHG WR Č´W LQWR commercially planned laundries and accordLQJO\ KDYH D FDSDFLW\ WR GHDO ZLWK WKDW W\SH RI XVH DQG WKURXJKSXW +RZHYHU DOWKRXJK D VLQJOH % % VLWH ZRXOG probably not be suited to the installation RI D SRO\PHU EHDG PDFKLQH VZLWFKLQJ WR the use of a centralised laundry service that provides access to such a machine may make PRUH Č´QDQFLDO VHQVH WR DQ RZQHU QHHGLQJ D UHSODFHPHQW IRU D PDFKLQH WKDQ LQYHVWLQJ LQ D QHZ (OHFWUROX[ 7KH HFRORJLFDOO\ PLQGHG DQG JHQHUDOO\ \RXQJHU % % JXHVW ZLOO EH UHFHSWLYH WR WKH LGHD RI WKH SUHPLVHVČ&#x2021; ODXQGU\ EHLQJ ZDVKHG LQ an environmentally friendly way, which in turn VKRXOG FRQWULEXWH WR KLJKHU UHYLHZ VFRUHV (YHQ LI WKH 8. LV QRW D QDWLRQ WKDW JHQHUDOO\ QHHGV WR SUHVHUYH ZDWHU WKH OHYHO RI HQHUJ\ WR KHDW WKH ZDWHU LV KLJK DQG ZLOO REYLRXVO\ IDOO dramatically with the use of polymer beads.

The B&B sector however has its sceptics. :RRGODQGV &RXQWU\ +RXVHČ&#x2021;V +XJK :RROOH\ tells Luxury Bed & Breakfast: â&#x20AC;&#x153;The unsustainDEOH SDUW RI ODXQGU\ LV WKH HQHUJ\ UHTXLUHG to heat the water and, when there is no sun,

tumble-dry the towels and then iron the sheets ČľDW 7KDW LV ZK\ ODXQGU\ LV VR H[SHQVLYH He calculates their laundry bill for the sheets DORQH LV DERXW e SHU JXHVW DQG WKDW WRZHOV FRVW DERXW e D JXHVW EULQJLQJ WKH ODXQGU\ WRWDO WR e SHU JXHVW :KHQ WKH :RROOH\V Č´UVW VWDUWHG \HDUV DJR LW ZDV e SHU JXHVW KH VD\V â&#x20AC;&#x153;I know that most of our fellow B&Bs around us all do it themselves, some with WKHLU RZQ OLQHQ EXW WKH\ DUH ZDVKLQJ WKHLU RZQ VWXÎ? DV ZHOO 6RPH KLUH ODXQGHUHG OLQHQ from the laundry, which can be cheaper than GRLQJ LW \RXUVHOI Č&#x2039; KH VXJJHVWV Č&#x160;Î&#x2013; FDQ VHH WKDW KHDWLQJ RQO\ D OLWWOH ZDWHU DQG WKHQ GU\LQJ QRW VR GUHQFKHG OLQHQ ZLOO UHGXFH WKH HQHUJ\ FRVWV +RZHYHU Î&#x2013; NQRZ WKDW RXU OLWWOH ODXQGU\ DURXQG WKH FRUQHU LV VWUXJJOLQJ VLQFH WKH 6WHLQ HPSLUH KDV VWDUWHG ODXQGHULQJ themselves. I believe their costs are mainly ODERXU DQG QRW VR PXFK HOHFWULFLW\ HQHUJ\ 7KH RQO\ ZD\ Î&#x2013; VHH LW ZRUNLQJ ZLWK WKHVH QHZ machines is if the laundry used electric collect-and-delivery vans, and in the city. I doubt rural laundries would survive unless, like us on the North Cornish Coast, they are within a Č&#x2020;EXVLQHVV FOXVWHUČ&#x2021; Č&#x2039; KH DGGV Î&#x2013;Q GXH FRXUVH WKH WHFKQRORJ\ PD\ GURS LQ SULFH DQG LI WKH VL]H RI WKH PDFKLQHV VKULQNV WRR then you may one day have one of your own.

Of course, if you currently handle your own ODXQGU\ RQ \RXU SUHPLVHV WKHQ RXWVRXUFLQJ LW WR VXFK D FHQWUDOLVHG IDFLOLW\ PD\ RÎ?HU \RX WKH FKDQFH WR JHW PRUH WLPH WR \RXUVHOI HYHQ LI LW GRHVQČ&#x2021;W TXLWH PHDQ \RX FDQ EH RQ WKH JROI course or beach by lunchtime as you may once dreamt.

Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 23 September 2018

THE XEROS WASHING MACHINE This type of laundry technology cleans using primary nylon polymer beads and very little water. The machine releases nylon polymer beads into a main compartment where laundry is washed. These beads are small and super-absorbent, enabling them to pass through clothing to absorb dirt and stains.

In a traditional laundry machine, the primary agent for the removal of stains and odours is copious amounts of hot water. The Xeros machine replaces the bathfuls of hot water that these washing machines use with millions of polymer beads that are specially designed to soak up stains, loose dyes and other contaminants in a manner similar to a sponge. Some water is still used to carry the beads in and out of the washing drum, but it is no longer the active ingredient in the cleaning cycle.

Beads replace water in the cleaning cycle, so the machine only uses a fraction of the water. In addition, the water the machine uses does not have to be hot for the cleaning process to occur, which dramatically saves on heating costs as well as water consumption.

After the washing cycle is complete, the beads are recovered by the machine to be used again in the next load, and each bead will last for hundreds of washes before needing to be replaced. When the polymer beads finally do run through their useful cleaning life, they are collected and recycled to be used in, for example, the automotive industry. â&#x20AC;˘

Up to 80% savings across the board -The uplift in cleaning performance provided by XOrbs affords the ability to tune the Xeros system to give up to 80% reductions in water and 50% reductions temperature and/or chemistry use.

â&#x20AC;˘

Better fabric care â&#x20AC;&#x201C; More uniform, gentler mechanical action results in clothes that are less creased and look newer for longer.

â&#x20AC;˘

Stray dye capture â&#x20AC;&#x201C;XOrbs have been further engineered to help capture stray dyes. Thus, Xeros technology can help reduce dye transfer between garments.

â&#x20AC;˘

L`] Ă&#x161;jkl [gee]j[aYd afklYddYlagf g^ Y Xeros washing machine was completed in the UK in July 2011 and in the US in September 2012

- In Depth / Changeover -

Game changers for changeovers Changeover days can be one of the most challenging aspects of running a B&B, and the list of day-to-day housekeeping jobs you have to keep on top of can seem endless, writes Holly Alderson, Out Of Eden.

w

ith this in mind, at Out of Eden weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve spent the last 25 years producing a collection of time and money saving products to ensure your changeover days run as smoothly as possible.

SPOT THE SIZE IN SECONDS We believe that sometimes it can be the smallHVW H[WUD WRXFKHV WKDW PDNH DOO WKH GLÎ?HUHQFH when it comes to working towards a quick turnaround, which is why we consciously decided to make our super-soft 100% cotton J WRZHOV HDVLO\ LGHQWLČ´DEOH ZLWK RQH WZR RU WKUHH KHDGHU EDUV WR LQGLFDWH GLÎ?HUHQW WRZHO sizes. Not only that, our polycotton bed linen sets have sewn-in colour coded tabs allowing you to quickly distinguish if itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a single, double, king or super-king sized sheet, while all of our duvets, supplied by the luxury bedding company dĂšsal, have a handy label indicating the

bottom of the duvet to further speed up guest room preparation when changing the beds.

OPTIMISING OCCUPANCY Though you might have a certain target market in mind for your luxury B&B, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s inevitable that youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll have a variety of guests outside of this customer base staying with you too, including families, couples, groups of friends, or solo travellers. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s essential, therefore, to ensure that you can accommodate each and every guest in your rooms, whether this be a couple wanting to share a bed, or friends requiring twin beds. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s where the Quick Link comes in. Exclusive to Out of Eden, the Quick Link strap easily slips around two single beds, then once the fabric is clipped together and tightened, voila!

- you now have a super-king size bed. The Quick Link strap even comes with a handy washable polycotton strip to go along the middle of the Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 24 - September 2018

mattress, to avoid any unwanted gaps.

7R DFFRPSDQ\ WKH 4XLFN /LQN ZH DOVR RÎ?HU Zip & Link duvets. With their neatly concealed ]LS WZR VLQJOH GXYHWV FDQ HÎ?RUWOHVVO\ EH ]LSSHG together to provide a super-king size duvet. Not only will this save you from investing in separate duvets and having to constantly swap them over depending on your guestsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; preferences, EXW LQ RÎ?HULQJ WKLV YHUVDWLOLW\ LQ \RXU URRPV \RX can also vastly increase your occupancy rates with options bound to suit everyone.

LIGHTNING SPEED LAUNDERING Ironing is undoubtedly at the top of everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s list when it comes to time-consuming, menial housekeeping tasks. It can be monotonous when done in-house with a domestic iron yet deceptively pricey when sent to an external launderer, so why not try the Blanca Laundry Press instead? Specially

- In Dep Depth epth / Change Changeover geover manufactured for use in B&Bs, guesthouses and hotels, the press is small enough to be packed away after use and large enough to stand up to your ever-growing laundry pile in a commercial environment. With its ability to iron up to four layers of bed linen, sheets RU WDEOHFORWKV DW D WLPH ZKLOH HÎ?RUWOHVVO\ SURYLGLQJ WKDW HVVHQWLDO FULVS Č´QLVK QRW RQO\ ZLOO you save money in the long-run, but getting everything done in-house will provide an even quicker turnaround, and allow you to oversee every aspect of your B&B. www.outofeden.co.uk | T: 01768 372 939 | E: sales@outofeden.co.uk

01768 372 939

sales@outofeden.co.uk www.outofeden.co.uk Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 25 - September 2018

- In Depth / Luxury Furnishings -

Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 26 - September 2018

- In Depth / Luxury Furnishings -

Sourcing your B&Bâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s luxury furnishings The first hurdle when buying or replacing furnishings for your B&B is often establishing just where to begin. Bill Lumley looks for shortcuts

T

he planning stage of furnishing your multiple-bedroom high-end property can be daunting, but getting it right it is of critical imporWDQFH WR \RX DQG \RXU EXVLQHVV )XOČ´OOLQJ D project to furnish your luxury property is one RI WKRVH DUHDV ZKHUH LW LV YHU\ HDV\ WR Č´QG yourself unable to control the spend of alarmingly high sums of money that can mount up very quickly.

You may be fortunate enough to have no deadline and an unlimited budget to spend on ensuring you bring the furnishings in your property up to the levels you would like. However, such luxuries are uncommon, and early on in the process you need to work out what your budget is and try to stick to it.

You may have easy access to a high-volume antique furniture store, or you may have inherited a substantial number of well-kept furnishings. Otherwise you are pretty much on your own.

You can go online to visit companies such as made.com, which produces design-led IXUQLVKLQJV DW DÎ?RUGDEOH SULFHV RU LI \RXU budget allows, maisonsdumonde.com, which provides furnishings in a variety of styles including industrial, modern, seaside chic and vintage glamour.

ONE-STOP-SHOP Another solution to enriching your property with luxury furnishings that have the wow factor is to approach an all-encompassing, luxury one-stop operation to oversee the achievement of your furnishing goals.

Brentford-based RHA Furniture is a family business with 25 yearsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; experience in supplying contract furniture and custom-made joinery to the leisure, hospitality and luxury residential sectors. The company is thus Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 27 - September 2018

familiar with the needs and expectations of the kind of individual seeking to replace or upgrade their luxury B&Bâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s furnishings.

Sales and marketing director Liese Brandt VD\V WKH EXVLQHVV RÎ?HUV JXLGDQFH WR D OX[XU\ B&B owner starting with a clean slate on choosing furnishings that are most appropriate for the type of property in question - modern, Edwardian or Victorian, for example.

And for such a huge task, with so many considerations to take into account â&#x20AC;&#x201C; lead time for delivery, upholstery complications, discounts for bulk purchase and choice of style, to name but a few â&#x20AC;&#x201C; she is very much of the view that the best approach is to appoint a professional to oversee the project. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Otherwise it becomes a bit of a mish-mash of styles,â&#x20AC;? Brandt tells Luxury Bed & Breakfast PDJD]LQH Č&#x160;7KHUH LV YHU\ PXFK D GLÎ?HUHQFH between furnishing a home and furnishing a luxury guest house or hotel. Even though people want the home from home look, it still needs to look as though it has been put together with a certain degree of theme.â&#x20AC;?

It is crucial, she stresses, that you as a luxury B&B owner keep budget in mind. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There is such a wide range of furnishings available varying both in price and quality,â&#x20AC;? Brandt says. Č&#x160;0\ Č´UVW SLHFH RI DGYLFH ZRXOG EH WR HQOLVW WKH help of an interior designer, as they have the professional eye and can help you make the most of your money.â&#x20AC;?

Many homeowners would hesitate to assign a budget for such a facility. Brandt says: â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is one of the reasons we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t generally work with domestic property owners because we almost always work through interior designers. We do not have people on the road, reps for example, and an individual project such as the refurbishment of a luxury bed & breakfast would need a site visit.

- In Depth / Luxury Furnishings -

AUCTION ROOMS Rock legend Rod Stewart famously put a collection of his glitzy furnishings up for sale earlier this month Yl Yf Ym[lagf `gmk] af KlYfkl]\ EgmflĂ&#x161;l[`]l$ =kk]p& Al eYq `Yn] Z]]f Y [d]n]j HJ ]p]j[ak] lg [gaf[a\] oal` l`] j]d]Yk] g^ `ak egkl j][]fl YdZme$ Zml Yk o] o]fl lg hj]kk$ l`] EY__a] EYq kaf_]j oYk hgak]\ lg dispose of furnishings including two 19th-century _adl Zjgfr] [Yf\]dYZjY ^]Ylmjaf_ Y ZgYj$ Y dagf Yf\ Y \g_$ Y hYaj g^ [Yjn]\ _adlogg\ ZjY[c]lk oal` [`]jmZ egmflk$ Y Dgmak PN%klqd] k]ll]]$ Y hYaj g^ [`Yajk oal` _ad\]\ Yjek [Yjn]\ af l`] k`Yh] g^ \gdh`afk$ Y hYaj g^ Na[lgjaYf [jaekgf d]Yl`]j Yje[`Yajk$ Yf\ Y l]Yc dgmf_] Yje[`Yaj oal` Y ^Ymp d]ghYj\ hjafl [mk`agf& If you are looking for some furnishing items with a j]Yd klgjq Z]`af\ l`]e$ \gf l gn]jdggc l`] Ym[lagf `gmk]k& >gj imajcq$ gf]%g^^ al]ek$ l`]k] hdY[]k [Yf Z] bmkl l`] 9dY\\af k ;Yn] qgm Yj] dggcaf_ ^gj& L`]j] Yj] Ym[lagf `gmk]k Y[jgkk l`] [gmfljq$ Yf\ al]ek ^gj kYd] Yl l`]aj mh[geaf_ Ym[lagfk [Yf g^l]f Z] ^gmf\ gfdaf]& Qgm [Yf Ă&#x161;f\ kge] Yklgfak`af_ ha][]k g^ ogjc lg hml gf \akhdYq af qgmj hjgh]jlq& With auction houses you can be pretty certain you are Zmqaf_ imYdalq al]ek$ Yf\ l`]j] ak fg jakc g^ \YeY_af_ qgmjk]d^ Ykk]eZdaf_ Ă&#x203A;Yl hY[c ^mjfalmj]& 9k `a_` k]Ykgf ^Y\]k qgm ea_`l Ă&#x161;f\ l`] lae] lg ]phdgj] h]jmk] kge] g^ l`] Yflaim] ^mjfak`af_k qgm [gmd\ kfYh mh ^gj Y kgf_& Egkl Ym[lagfk Yj] `]d\ egfl`dq gj af kge] [Yk]k o]]cdq$ Yf\ Y dakl g^ egkl MC auctions can be found at ooo&l`]%kYd]jgge&[ge& Happy hunting!

â&#x20AC;&#x153;It would therefore be best to get a meeting set up with furniture suppliers, so they can see the premises, the style and the surroundLQJV WR HQDEOH WKHP WR EHVW VXJJHVW DQ RÎ?HU from their ranges,â&#x20AC;? she says.

If in the process of selecting overall luxury IXUQLVKLQJV \RX Č´QG \RX DOUHDG\ have certain items that would blend well with the new style you are going for, but which are in need of some attention, then RHA can provide a reupholstery service. However, she warns that if this entails collecting and then returning one or two isolated pieces of furniture then employing the company for this service may not be the most FRVW HÎ?HFWLYH DSSURDFK IRU \RX WR WDNH Č&#x160;<RX PD\ Č´QG LW D ORW PRUH SUDFWLFDO WR WDNH such items to a local upholstery professional,â&#x20AC;? she suggests. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If we are supplying all the bedroom chairs but the B&B owner has four bedroom chairs that need reupholstering then yes, we will do that. We are a oneLuxury Bed & Breakfast - 28 - September 2018

stop-shop, so you can have reupholstering, new and bespoke.â&#x20AC;?

This one-stop-shop approach should appeal to quite a few luxury B&B owners looking to undergo a major refurbishment, not least because they simply donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have the time to go through the rigmarole of visiting individual warehouses or antique stores and arranging delivery of individual items of furnishing.

Brandt says: â&#x20AC;&#x153;With costing it is better too, because the bigger the order the more VLJQLČ´FDQW WKH GLVFRXQW WKDW FDQ EH RÎ?HUHG It is also just one transport and delivery you are having to deal with: youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not having to get six chairs from one person and then having to co-ordinate delivery days, then from somebody else get two chairs and someone GLÎ?HUHQW DJDLQ WKH WDEOHV :H ZRXOG UXQ WKH project as a whole.â&#x20AC;?

The only aspects of a refurbishment that RHA Furniture does not get involved in are bedding and soft furnishings such as carpet and curtaining. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We leave that to the specialLVWV LQ WKRVH Č´HOGV Č&#x2039; VKH VD\V

- In Depth / Luxury Furnishings -

design, style and era of the building.â&#x20AC;? She does not look favourably on the type of B&B owner who decides to make each bedroom individually themed. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As a business, that doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t save them money. If you buy one chair LQ RQH IDEULF WKHQ DQRWKHU LQ D GLÎ?HUHQW IDEULF you arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t getting the best price because everything is priced on quantity. Even fabrics may be ÂŁ25 for one to three metres, after which the price may go down to ÂŁ18 per metre IRU WKUHH WR Č´YH PHWUHV DQG VR RQ 7KHUHIRUH you arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t going to save money if you do too much of a mish-mash of styles and designs.â&#x20AC;?

Resisting the approach of individually styled rooms makes both your job and that of the furnishings supplier that much easier, she says.

The range RHA Furniture supplies consists

STYLE AND HERITAGE One of the biggest aspects of a B&B refurbishment project is choosing the right type of furnishings wisely to complement the style and heritage of the building, she says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Decide on a scheme, and then stick to it. If you have a modern building in a city centre you arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t then going to make it look like a country house hotel. It should be in keeping with the

of essentially any furniture for the hotel and leisure industry ranging from bedroom lounge public areas through to meeting rooms and external terraces. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our ranges are from Italy, Portugal or Spain and nothing IXUWKHU DČ´HOG EHFDXVH ZH KDYH D YHU\ JRRG relationship with all of our suppliers. We have personally visited each factory and met with the owners and checked them out thoroughly. We therefore have full trust in our suppliers that we can then pass on to our clients.

Furthermore, the lead times arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t those of a container from China, and tend to be six to eight weeks maximum,â&#x20AC;? says Brandt.

The meeting with the suppliers on their home turf alone is a powerful selling point. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are a family business, and a lot of the factories we work with are family businesses, so there is that extra passion and reliability.â&#x20AC;?

The company she says has considerable

Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 29 - September 2018

experience working with individual high-end country hotels, some of it bespoke and made WR Č´W LQ ZLWK WKH VW\OH RI WKH KRWHO Č&#x160;:H DOVR have a factory in Portugal where we manufacture a large number of pieces, whether these be joinery or upholstery. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There is a whole range of pieces of furniture that work with it whether it is a sofa bed or a bed end or the arm of an armchair,â&#x20AC;? she adds.

TRENDS Given the enormity of the range of styles and categories of furnishings that the company provides, she is reticent to single out any fashionable trends. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The trend seen at present is still â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;home from homeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;: luxury and comfort in the form of small and comfortable bedroom chairs as well as bespoke desks or dressing tables.â&#x20AC;?

One emerging trend of which she does not approve is for shopping for luxury furnishings online. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sadly, I see an increasing amount of internet purchases that are not commercially viable and come with no service. The key to our business has always been service, helping to advise and guide clients in the right direction with design, budget and fabrics and so forth.â&#x20AC;?

There is no particular brand that can easily be singled out as being of the height of fashLRQ VKH LQVLVWV Č&#x160;7KHUH DUH VR PDQ\ GLÎ?HUHQW ranges and styles of furniture. We sell it all, and there is no particular range or style that may or may not work in any given luxury B&B.â&#x20AC;?

She concludes: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Budget management doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mean scrimping on costs. A cheap or badly made piece of furniture will stand out, and clients expect where they are staying to be of a higher quality than their homes.â&#x20AC;?

- Feature / % % 3URÈ´OH -

Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 30 - September 2018

- Feature / Glassware -

Glassware trends You want your B&B guests to enjoy the quality of service you provide, so it is important to observe that they will appreciate the quality of the glass in which their drink is served.

G

Bill Lumley takes some tips from Artis-UK marketing manager Gill Head.

lassware has improved in quality and versatility over the past three or so decades. To some of us of a certain age, the mention of a hard-wearing glass evokes images of the heavy, thick-glassed ones that would come

free when you bought a certain number of gallons of four-star.

These days technology has facilitated the manufacture of hard-wearing glasses that are durable and elegant at the same time.

One glass brand that has its eye on trends in glassware is Artis. It provides rranges such as style and look to Gibraltar, which has a certain sty glasses that i and will stack, and Endeavour, g it are and ideal for a re good, strong and stackable a WKH FRQČ´QHG VSDFH RI D EDU LQ D % % WKH FRQČ´QHG VSDFH RI D EDU LQ D % The most notable trend not in high-end hospitality h ospitality businesses is for the cocktail list, which as well as w hich h is growing in popularity, a being bei be eing ng g th the e vehicle via which bars make their money.

You need certain level m on oney. ey. ey y Yo ou therefore nee eed d a ce glasses accommodate that. of coc of ccocktail ockta kta ktail ta l gla g gl lasses to a cccommo ccommo od The goes increasingly popular T Th he same me go oe for the oes he in ncre creasi a i 3URVHFFR PDUNHW ZKLFK LV PDNLQJ ČľXWHV 3 VHFFFR PD 3UR PDU DUNHW Z ZKLF K K K LV P PDN very ass m more and ve ver y popular arr now wa ore e an n more just go o out o to drink ink th tthat at rather tthan wine.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ss importa important have It Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; tant nt to h ave a ccore o selection glasses.

Sometimes having of g lassses. Sometim mes havin vin glassmulti-functional, es tthat ha at are multi-fun unctional such as hard-wearing highballs, hard d-wearing -w highb ball a s, can look attractive w with iith h a spirit in them em as we well. marketing manager Gill Head tells Artis-UK UK K mar market keting in man nager G Breakfast magazine: Luxury Bed & Br reak eakfas f st ma aga g ine gaz e â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are seeing see eing a growth in vvintage inta ntage g gla ge glasse glasses, ss and in which arising from the stemmed beer ware, ware re, w hich c iss ar a growth in craft be b beer. err. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As yo you ou see tthe e tr trend trends e sg grow rrow w iin beers spirits drinking, glassware spirit spi ritss d drin rink king, g the gl glass ass sswar ware ttrends grow wa ZLWK LW Č&#x2039; VKH VD\V %HHU LQ D GXOO ROG WUDGLZLWK LW Č&#x2039; VKH VD\ \V %HH HU LQ Q D GXO GXOOO tional tiona tio al st straight tra aight ght pi p pint nt gla glass ass iss not o often served up high-end quality guesthouses, bars or u p in n hig gh-end -end q ualit ity ty g ues ue esthou hotels hote hot els a any ny llonger, onge ong er, sh er she he ssays, ays, and the propriays etors etor eto rs an and d th their heirr ccustomers usto tom mer me e s are a llooking for high quality glassware. hig gh qual uallity st sstemmed emm med gla glas ssw swar ar O co Of cou course, o rse, ou rse e, a ce certa certain rtain tain le lev level evell of in e investment is wish treat your guests to required if you wi w sh tto o tre eat yo high-end glassware. high hig h end h-e end gla g ssware ssw e.

Hea He Head e d says: say ys: â&#x20AC;&#x153;The â&#x20AC;&#x153;These he e types of glasses are not cong gla sses a

- Feature / Glassware â&#x20AC;&#x153;Many people are now used to being served their gin in a large goblet,â&#x20AC;? she says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When they are presented with a highball they can get a bit upset these days. A decent glass such as a goblet also allows people in bars to upsell," she adds.

Sometimes these gin goblets will take a double, giving more in the way of presentation. It might take up more space but the idea is that people sell gin in goblets, and we see it in our own range: speakeasy is one of Artis-UK's top sellers at the moment in gin goblets.

With gin selling at record levels, it is very important that guests are serve it in the right glass.

SPACE PROBLEMS sidered expensive per unit, although obviously there is some cost involved, and they arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just free glasses that come from the brewery. They will vary in cost depending on what you are looking for, such as crystal hard wearing dishwasher glass through to basic glasses.â&#x20AC;?

The trend is for shorter stemmed glasses for craft beers and cider, she says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It just gives them a more stylish glass, lying in between a plain glass and a tankard.â&#x20AC;?

The biggest trend is in gin and gin goblets, she says, which is unsurprising given the current trend for the spirit, selling as it is now at record levels.

Space is often a problem, so stacking glassware is quite common in highballs and double old-fashioned. Artis provides a range of stacking glassware backed by guarantees

by New England glass company Libbey, which was founded exactly 200 years ago this year. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is strong, hard-wearing, and of course entirely dishwasher-proof, and they have a chip guarantee. That is often a space saving,â&#x20AC;? she says.

The current defining trend is that everybody wants to be different, she explains. â&#x20AC;&#x153;People simply arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t following trends and are looking for something different in which to serve drinks. It is all about the

Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 32 - September 2018

presentation. The glass you choose to use can add value to your proposition in the eyes of your customer.â&#x20AC;?

The trend for vintage glasses that began Č´YH WR VL[ \HDUV DJR LV FRQWLQXLQJ ZLWK GHmand for 1924 style glasses, the speakeasy and small glasses, she says.

Meanwhile it is noticeable how many more venues serve cocktails than just a few years ago when the choice was just beer, ZLQH RU VSLULWV &RFNWDLOV DUH DQ HÎ?HFWLYH way of making more money. With a greater level of disposable income people are feeling more free to spend on cocktails. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s DOO DERXW ZKDW \RX RÎ?HU LQ WHUPV RI TXDOLW\ Č&#x201A; QRW WR JR IRU WRR PDQ\ EXW WR RÎ?HU D UDQJH of quality things.â&#x20AC;?

'LÎ?HUHQWLDWLRQ KDV EHHQ D JURZLQJ WUHQG for the last two years," she concludes.

- Feature / % % 3URČ´OH -

"With gin selling at record levels it is very important that guests are served it in the right glass" Gill Head, Artis-UK. Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 33 - September 2018

- Feature / Marketing -

Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 34 - September 2018

- Feature / Marketing -

enhancing your online visibility The secret to building an online community, increasing direct bookings and gaining huge visibility as we race towards 2019 lies

T

in influencer marketing, writes Angharad Miller of Swayy.

he reality of the e luxury B&B industry is in many ways a tough one. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no secret that online travel agencies have been getting more and more powerful within the last few decades. Online reviews seem to have become increasingly uncontrollable, and margins continue to be squeezed more and more. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re reading this and thinking that you are the only business facing these issues, you are by no means alone.

The dream for most luxury B&Bs is simple: 100% occupancy all year round with all bookings made directly, supported by a strong online community singing your propertyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s praises online.

The ultimate goal of any luxury B&B is to achieve this easily and simply, but how can it EH GRQH LQ DQ HUD RI Č´FNOH VRFLDO PHGLD DGGLFWHG FRQVXPHUV" &XH LQČľXHQFHU PDUNHWLQJ <HV LQČľXHQFHU PDUNHWLQJ <RX PD\ QRZ EH asking yourself, what on earth is that?

The answer is simple. Take the most powerful form of marketing you are familiar with and amplify it to reach hundreds of thousands of potential guests. Word-of-mouth marketing but on a much grander scale. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the strategy that all of the bigger players within the luxury hospitality market have caught on to, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s something luxury B&Bs should embrace too, and fast.

Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve all asked our friends for tips and recommendations for places to visit and stay DW 7UDGLWLRQDOO\ ZRUG RI PRXWK LV RÉ&#x17E;LQH localised and unscaleable. Nowadays, however, word-of-mouth is online. This presents an enormous opportunity for luxury B&Bs to reach thousands of potential customers via their mobiles. Why is this important? Well, in simple terms, this matters because it is where your future customers are spending most of their time. Over 70% of baby boomers now own a smart phone, so donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think

this is just a fad for the under 30s. Known as â&#x20AC;&#x153;silver surfersâ&#x20AC;?, over eight in 10 baby boomers are also on at least one social media site and spend on average two hours more than 16 to 34 year olds online. On top of this, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re always fewer than 10 clicks away from seeing a property on Facebook or Instagram DQG FRQČ´UPLQJ \RX ERRNLQJ If we examine each of the key issues that luxury B&Bs face nowadays, you can easily VHH KRZ LQČľXHQFHU PDUNHWLQJ DW VFDOH FDQ help, even for the smallest of properties:

ONLINE VISIBILITY, DIRECT BOOKINGS AND OTA COMMISSIONS A modern consumerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s booking journey is very GLÎ?HUHQW IURP ZKDW LW ZDV WHQ \HDUV DJR 7KH digital age has unalterably changed the way customers plan and book their travelling â&#x20AC;&#x201C; capturing a potential customerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s interest now happens much earlier than you may think.

A customerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s booking journey can be broken down into four simple stages: awareness, interest, desire, and action.

Traditional marketing strategies, such as recall marketing, rely heavily on repetitive and heavy-handed calls to action. However, new data has increasingly shown that over two-thirds of the time a consumer spends on their booking journey actually takes place within the â&#x20AC;&#x153;dreamingâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;planningâ&#x20AC;? phases.

Simply put, this falls under the â&#x20AC;&#x153;awarenessâ&#x20AC;? stage at the top of the AIDA (Awareness-Interest-Desire-Action) booking funnel; more and more bookings are determined E\ WKH Č´UVW WRXFKSRLQW FXVWRPHUV KDYH ZLWK a holiday inspiration. This is one of the key reasons why the online travel agents have GRQH VR ZHOO WKH\ WDNH \RX IURP WKH Č´UVW touchpoint to booking in a simple, easy process. People no longer plan their travels according to what they see repeated on TV. Instead, they are increasingly inspired by Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 35 - September 2018

what they see online th through social media, as recommended by people they look up to and trust. That is to say, their friends, family, DQG WKH WUXVWHG LQČľXHQFHUV WKH\ IROORZ WRR In order to answer this changing demand, luxury B&Bs simply have to adapt to the way consumers are planning their travels â&#x20AC;&#x201C; because their competitors certainly are. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a question of seeking out the moments, or touchpoints, when consumers are open to inČľXHQFH $ Č&#x160;ZRZČ&#x2039; Č´UVW LPSUHVVLRQ GRXEOHV WKH likelihood of a booking actually being made.

With ad-block on the rise and television viewing on the decline, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s clear that the opportuQLW\ WR LQČľXHQFH FXVWRPHUV OLHV HOVHZKHUH Î&#x2013;QČľXHQFHU PDUNHWLQJ FDQ WKHUHIRUH SURvide the key to a consumerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;dreamingâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;planningâ&#x20AC;? phases. Social media is, at its core, a comparative medium. This makes it the best kind of platform to inspire in potential customers the desire to book similar H[SHULHQFHV DQG ORFDWLRQV Î&#x2013;W SOD\V RÎ? WKH psychological processes behind the thought, Č&#x160;2K ZRXOGQČ&#x2021;W LW EH ORYHO\ WR JR WKHUH Č&#x2039; Î&#x2013;QČľXencer marketing can grant you not only huge online visibility, but also an increase in direct bookings by up to 18% (which, of course, means less OTA commissions). Î&#x2013;QČľXHQFHU PDUNHWLQJ VLPSO\ LQYROYHV LGHQWLI\LQJ DQG KLULQJ DQ LQČľXHQFHU ZKR LV essentially, an online thought leader. It involves inviting them to stay at your property to spread positive word-of-mouth reviews to thousands of potential customers. Not only are these consumers already emotionally LQYHVWHG LQ WKH LQČľXHQFHU \RX KDYH FKRVHQ to work with, but by implication they are also invested in the unique experience your beauWLIXO % % FDQ RÎ?HU WKHP 7KH PRUH XQLTXH the property or experience the more appealing it will be. This is why itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s so powerful for luxury B&Bs who have such interesting stories to tell.

- Feature / Marketing The ability to tap into consumersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; desires at the earliest stages has allowed many B&Bs to out-compete their competitors in highly competitive markets. One such property is The Melita, a small B&B surrounded by hundreds of competitors. This is what Alan Johnson, The Melitaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s general manager, had to say about the topic: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wonderful that we now have a voice and are able to reach such large audiences of potential customers. The ability to use unsold rooms for marketing purposes too has helped us build a wonderful community around our property.â&#x20AC;?

ONLINE REVIEWS & ONLINE PRESENCE Î&#x2013;QČľXHQFHU PDUNHWLQJ FDQ JUHDWO\ KHOS \RXU propertyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s online image. Luxury B&Bs, just like all businesses, always want as many interested people to visit their websites as possible. The main problem with this is WKDW SHRSOH GRQČ&#x2021;W MXVW ČľRFN WR D ZHEVLWH WKH moment it is created. Every site is competing with millions of others just like it. This is especially true in the luxury B&B market, where short-tail keywords, such as â&#x20AC;&#x153;hotel in [your area]â&#x20AC;?, provide hundreds of competing results on Google. In order to rank highly on WKH Č´UVW SDJH RI *RRJOH \RX KDYH WR PDNH sure your site is properly optimised for *RRJOH UDQNLQJV $JDLQ LQČľXHQFHU PDUNHWLQJ ZLOO VLJQLČ´FDQWO\ KHOS KHUH The process of increasing your online visibility therefore begins with Search Engine 2SWLPLVDWLRQ 6(2 3XW VLPSO\ LQČľXHQFHU marketing encourages people to link to your pages and thus signals to Google that your website is interesting and authoritative.

Following this positive feedback, Google will start ranking your luxury B&B higher and higher every time someone looks for a related search. Obviously this is not a linear process, but it certainly helps. Î&#x2013;QČľXHQFHUV FDQ JR DERYH DQG EH\RQG VLPply linking their social media posts to your ZHEVLWH $Q LQČľXHQFHU ZKR VWDUWV WR EXLOG D relationship with you and your B&B can even share social media pages and posts of your own, providing even more positive online engagement. This can be done particularO\ HÎ?HFWLYHO\ RQ Î&#x2013;QVWDJUDP 6WRULHV :KHQ WKLV KDSSHQV LQČľXHQFHUV DUH VHQGLQJ \RX viewers and customers simply because they recognise the quality of your property. These two strategies can be adopted even at the very smallest of luxury B&Bs. Î&#x2013;QČľXHQFHU PDUNHWLQJ ZLOO DOVR KHOS \RXU luxury B&B start to rank higher in Google imDJH VHDUFKHV Î&#x2013;QČľXHQFHUV ZLOO SRVW SKRWRV RI

your property associated with the keywords customers use when looking to book a luxury B&B get-away. Not only does this mean that an image of your property will show up when people enter similar searches, but it also begins a positive feedback loop over time. The PRUH LQČľXHQFHU SLFWXUHV \RX JHW RQOLQH WKH stronger the keyword association and positive engagement you will get for your images. Just doing a quick Google image search will show beautiful, high-quality content generated by LQČľXHQFHUV LQVWHDG RI FDQGLG SKRWRV IURP disgruntled former guests. Yes, even some of the best luxury B&Bs have had one! $OO RI WKLV EXLOGV XS WKH SRVLWLYH SURČ´OH RI your property online. When considering the AIDA booking funnel, these steps will help with both the awareness and interest stages. Î&#x2013;QČľXHQFHU PDUNHWLQJ ZLOO UHDOO\ KHOS WR JHW your property out there online, and high-qualLW\ LQČľXHQFHU FRQWHQW ZLOO VWLPXODWH WKH interest and desire to visit to you. Cultivating D ORQJ WHUP DVVRFLDWLRQ ZLWK D VHOHFW IHZ LQČľXencers will also raise your social media and online presence by an unprecedented degree.

THE NEED TO BUILD A COMMUNITY AROUND YOUR LUXURY BED & BREAKFAST 2QH RI LQČľXHQFHU PDUNHWLQJČ&#x2021;V PRVW VLJQLČ´FDQW EHQHČ´WV LV LWV DELOLW\ WR VWDUW WKH FXVWRPer relationship well in advance of a potential guest coming to stay. Luxury B&Bs can start the brand loyalty journey before they even DUULYH :KHQ SHRSOH DUH LQVSLUHG E\ LQČľXHQFers to book a visit to your property, they are already imagining themselves staying with you and thinking about what their stay with you will be like. Once theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been pulled in E\ WKH LQČľXHQFHU DOO \RX KDYH WR GR LV PDNH sure that their booking experience on your website is simple and clear and, of course, that the actual stay lives up to the hype.

However, this is the easiest part for the B&B. Manage this, and you will have access to a continuous loop of positive feedback and customer loyalty. Not only does this make it easier to generate repeat custom, which luxury B&Bs are so familiar with, but it also means that behind every direct booking is a loyal customer from the get go.

Social media is also a powerful platform for amplifying the individuality and uniqueness of your property, highlighting what makes them so special. This is a powerful advantage precisely because of how unique each luxury B&B is. Unlike bigger chains or corporate hotels, they are particularly suited WR LQČľXHQFHU PDUNHWLQJ 1R RQH ZLOO EH WKH Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 36 - September 2018

VDPH DV DQ\ RWKHU Î&#x2013;QČľXHQFHUV FDQ HDVLO\ highlight and promote the unique elements of your property to thousands of engaged pairs of eyes. Pictures like those produced by leadLQJ LQČľXHQFHUV JHQHUDWH D VWURQJ HPRWLRQDO response in those who look at them. These images are also processed by the human brain 60,000 times faster than text and kickstart the AIDA funnel as discussed already.

The importance of personalisation, localisation and experiential travel are strong trends in the industry. More simply, this means that for consumers nowadays it is more and more important that the H[SHULHQFH LV SHUVRQDOLVHG IURP WKH Č´UVW touchpoint. Travellers no longer want the same experience as everyone else â&#x20AC;&#x201C; in fact, LWČ&#x2021;V D XQLTXH VHOOLQJ SRLQW WR RÎ?HU VRPHWKLQJ special. Being able to see the photos, and interests of your potential guests enables \RX WR WDLORU PDNH RÎ?HUV WR WKHP DQG FRPmunicate this via, for example, Instagram Direct Message. People would ultimately rather stay somewhere with character and authenticity than in a B&B designed by a cookie cutter. Because of this, hotel marketing strategies have to respond in kind, and LQČľXHQFHU PDUNHWLQJ DSSHDOV GLUHFWO\ WR WKH experiential travel that so many hospitality customers are looking for. Î&#x2013;Q VXPPDU\ Î&#x2013;QČľXHQFHU PDUNHWLQJ LV DQ HÎ?HFWLYH ORQJ WHUP VWUDWHJ\ WKDW RSHQV XS WKH DELOLW\ WR PDUNHW LQGHČ´QLWHO\ IRU IUHH WR the community of followers that the property has. Through these methods, luxury B&Bs can build a loyal community of engaged social media followers, boosting both online reviews and general online presence. Rather than viewing your revenue management VWUDWHJ\ RQ D WUDQVDFWLRQDO EDVLV LQČľXHQFHU marketing is authentic and helps to build long-term trust, bringing more and more customers in through online word-of-mouth.

6XFFHVVIXOO\ LQFRUSRUDWLQJ DQ LQČľXHQFHU marketing strategy therefore depends on \RXU SURORQJHG HÎ?RUW WR WDUJHW D QLFKH DXGLence for your property. If you want to keep up with the changing habits of consumers, your property will have to update its marketing and revenue management strategy to match the customers of today, and the way they want to engage with your luxury B&B. This article is written by Angharad Miller of:

www.swayy.me

- Feature / Marketing -

Subscribe today! to receive the UK's best targeted and most informed news and expert advice for owners and managers of bed and breakfasts. ÂŁ65 UK - ÂŁ98 O/SEAS

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

www.facebook.com/luxurybbmag Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 37 - September 2018

- In Depth / Anecdotes -

Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 38 - September 2018

- In Depth / Anecdotes -

Tales of the Bed & Breakfasted Luxury Bed & Breakfast magazine hears from time to time bizarre stories of experiences B&B owners have encountered in their homes which double as their business. Some of them are too outrageous to print, others bizarre.

m

any readers, we know, will at some stage in their life in this EXVLQHVV KDYH EHHQ OHIW ČľDEEHUgasted, troubled and perhaps bewildered after having encountered some form of strange or disturbing guest behaviour.

We want to make you feel you are not alone, so we invite readers to send in accounts of their horror stories.

7KH Č´UVW VXFK DFFRXQW IURP D &RUQLVK % % landed in my inbox last month.

THE NOSFERATU INCIDENT IN PENZANCE During the hot weeks of July, when ceiling and free-standing fans were being put to the test, a strange yet true incident occurred at our guesthouse.

An oldish couple were staying in a ground ČľRRU GRXEOH DW WKH UHDU RI RXU JXHVWKRXVH IRU two weeks. The lady was recovering from an accident in which she had been involved prior to their arrival, and both were slightly deaf.

As a result from time to time they had their TV volume very loudly during the evening.

Following my gentle yet fairly stern request they turned the volume down and, on most HYHQLQJV KDG WXUQHG WKH WHOHYLVLRQ RÎ? FRPpletely by around 11pm.

On the night of what happened to be WKH Č´UVW YLVLWDWLRQ Î&#x2013; ZHQW WR FORVH WKH % %Č&#x2021;V IURQW GRRU DW FLUFD SP WR Č´QG P\VHOI confronted by two women and one man.

The man seemed to be around 10 feet tall - a slight exaggeration, of course, but he must have been at least 6 feet 6 inches tall and he towered over me. $IWHU HQTXLULQJ KRZ Î&#x2013; FRXOG KHOS WKHP HYHQ WKRXJK Î&#x2013; GLG QRW NQRZ WKHP IURP $GDP RU (YH Î&#x2013; ZDV FRQIURQWHG ZLWK D UDQW RI YHUEDO DEXVH QRW DOO RI LW LQ (QJOLVK Î&#x2013; UHWDLQHG P\ FDOP GLVSRsition and asked them what their problem was.

They continued to rant on about loud TV QRLVHV FRPLQJ IURP P\ JXHVWKRXVH (YHQ WKRXJK Î&#x2013; VDLG WKDW LW ZDV QRW WKDW ODWH Î&#x2013; VDLG Î&#x2013; would still investigate the problem.

This was not enough for the towering man, who then attempted to force his way past me, saying he would sort out the problem. +RZHYHU HYHQ WKRXJK Î&#x2013; DP TXLWH DQFLHQW DQG VOLJKW RI EXLOG Î&#x2013; VWRRG P\ JURXQG OLNH D WUXH

%ULWLVK SHUVRQ GLG QRW PHQWLRQ %UH[LW DQG VWDWHG WKDW LI WKH\ GLG QRW JHW RÎ? P\ SURSHUW\ Î&#x2013; ZRXOG FDOO WKH SROLFH RU HYHQ 'DG V $UP\ At this point they dropped their shoulders, retreated and disappeared down our front entrance steps into the night beyond. /DWHU WKH VDPH HYHQLQJ Î&#x2013; KHDUG VRPH strange noises emanating from our rear FRXUW\DUG EXW XSRQ IXUWKHU LQYHVWLJDWLRQ Î&#x2013;

a â&#x20AC;&#x153;THUD THUDâ&#x20AC;? sound on the porch roof - a screeching noise, it reminded me of the sound of banshees - and the sound of a window being repeatedly closed. Î&#x2013; LPPHGLDWHO\ VWRRG WR DWWHQWLRQ UHWULHYHG D KLJK GHQVLW\ ČľDVKOLJKW DQG VWURGH SXUSRVHfully into the by then darkish courtyard, not NQRZLQJ ZKRP RU ZKDW WR H[SHFW %HLQJ D WUXH %ULW Î&#x2013; IDFHG WKH VRXUFH 8SRQ VWULGLQJ LQWR WKH

FRXOG QRW ORFDWH WKH VRXUFH VR Î&#x2013; WXUQHG RÎ? the kitchen lights and went to bed.

During breakfast the following morning, two gentlemen who were staying in a twin URRP DOVR RQ WKH JURXQG ČľRRU PHQWLRQHG that whilst they were undressing and getting ready to go to bed the previous evening, they had espied what appeared to be a ghostly Č´JXUH SDVVLQJ E\ WKHLU ZLQGRZ Č´UVWO\ LQ RQH direction, followed by what appeared to be a VFUHHFKLQJ VRXQG EHIRUH WKH Č´JXUH SDVVHG their window again in the opposite direction.

'XULQJ WKDW VDPH PRUQLQJ Î&#x2013; ZDV KDYLQJ D pleasant conversation with the old couple in WKH JURXQG ČľRRU GRXEOH WKH\ PHQWLRQHG WKDW someone had been banging on their window DQG VFUHHFKLQJ LQ D QRQ (QJOLVK UDQW GHPDQGV to turn the sound down. Î&#x2013; PDGH LW TXLWH FOHDU WKDW LW ZDV QRW PH 7KH\ VDLG WKDW WKH\ NQHZ LW ZDVQ W PH DV WKH\ KDG VHHQ WKLV Č´JXUH DIWHU EDQJLQJ RQ WKHLU ZLQGRZ UHWUHDW DFURVV WKH ČľDW RYHU RXU XWLOLW\ URRP RXWVLGH WKH NLWFKHQ DFURVV D ČľDW URRI RQ the guesthouse next door, before appearing to disappear through a window. Î&#x2013; VKRXOG PHQWLRQ DW WKLV VWDJH RI P\ VWRU\ that although both the rooms mentioned DERYH DUH RQ WKH JURXQG ČľRRU DW WKH IURQW RI the house, they are in fact one storey up at the rear of the house.

During the course of the following evening, Î&#x2013; WXUQHG WKH NLWFKHQ OLJKW RÎ? WR ZDWFK WKH QHZ FRORXU FKDQJLQJ LOOXPLQDWLRQV Î&#x2013; KDG ERXJKW and installed earlier that day. You may think this very sad, but little things please little PLQGV :KLOVW Î&#x2013; ZDV JHQWO\ QXUVLQJ D JODVV MXVW RQH RI FRJQDF Î&#x2013; VDZ D VKLPPHULQJ PRWLRQ on our clothes line that stretches from the post at the rear of the courtyard to an anchor point one and a half storeys up on the rear wall. The shimmering was then followed by

FRXUW\DUG DQG WXUQLQJ WRZDUG WKH UHDU ZDOO Î&#x2013; was blinded by the courtyard security light, but Î&#x2013; VWLOO PDQDJHG WR VZLWFK RQ P\ VXSHU SRZHUHG ČľDVKOLJKW ZKHUHXSRQ Î&#x2013; VDZ WKH DSSDULWLRQ $W Č´UVW LW UHPLQGHG PH RI 1RVIHUDWX EXW WKHQ Î&#x2013; VDZ WKDW LW ZDV RQH RI WKH WZR ZRPHQ Î&#x2013;Č&#x2021;G FRQfronted the night before at my front door. :LWK Č´UP FRPPDQG Î&#x2013; FDOOHG RXW *HW RÎ?

P\ SURSHUW\ RU Î&#x2013; ZLOO FDOO WKH SROLFH DV \RX DUH WUHVSDVVLQJ 6KH VFUHHFKHG VRPHWKLQJ EDFN ZKLFK Î&#x2013; FRXOG QRW XQGHUVWDQG DQG VKH DSpeared to have some problems climbing back into a window in the next-door property, back WR ZKHUH Î&#x2013; DVVXPH VKH KDG DSSHDUHG IURP At the same time, from a window above the said window, the head of the 10-foot gentlePDQ DSSHDUHG Î&#x2013; DVVXPHG WKDW WKH KHDG ZDV VWLOO DWWDFKHG WR D ERG\ Č&#x201A; DQG MRLQHG LQ WKH FRQYHUVDWLRQ :KHQ Î&#x2013; FDOOHG RXW IRU D VHFRQG WLPH IRU WKH ZRPDQ WR JHW RÎ? P\ SURSHUW\ RU Î&#x2013; ZRXOG FDOO WKH SROLFH WKH PDQ V UHVSRQVH ZDV LI \RX GR Î&#x2013; ZLOO FDOO \RXU 4XHHQ 7KH ZRPDQ LQ question had been repeatedly banging the old FRXSOH V ZLQGRZ XS DQG GRZQ HYHQ WKRXJK the TV could hardly be heard at the time. $W WKLV SRLQW Î&#x2013; ZDV GXPEIRXQGHG DQG GHcided to call it a night, after downing a very VWLÎ? EUDQG\ 7KH IROORZLQJ PRUQLQJ Î&#x2013; KDG D FRQYHUVDWLRQ with the owners of the neighbouring guesthouse. They apologised for the behaviour of WKHVH JXHVWV EXW Î&#x2013; PDGH LW FOHDU WKDW LW ZDV QRW WKHLU WKH RZQHUVČ&#x2021; IDXOW DQG WKH\ LQ WXUQ FRQČ´UPHG WKDW VDLG WKUHHVRPH ZHUH YHU\ arrogant and unfriendly both to them and to their other guests.

Fortunately, they had left that same PRUQLQJ EXW WKH RZQHUV FRXOG QRW FRQČ´UP whether anyone had been bitten or not.

Oh, the trials and tribulations of owning a EHG EUHDNIDVW HVWDEOLVKPHQW

Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 39 -September 2018

- Feature / Finance -

Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 40 - September 2018

- Feature / Finance -

Sourcing the right level of insurance No matter how efficiently you run your luxury B&B business there are always risks looming beyond your control that can cause havoc for you and your guests, to say nothing of your cashflow.

M

ostt people l d donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t â&#x20AC;&#x2122;t b buy th their i iinsurance cover through personal choice, so there is a tendency for them to buy such cover with their attention focused on the price rather than the value of the policy.

If you have been running your B&B for several years, there is every chance you have simply accepted your annual policy renewal without reading in detail the emails you may have received alerting you to the forthcoming renewal.

Policies vary greatly, and often it takes an insurance broker to help even small business RZQHUV Č´QG WKH PRVW DSSURSULDWH IRUP RI FRYer. However, one-stop insurers have improved WKHLU ČľH[LELOLW\ LQ UHFHQW \HDUV (DUOLHU WKLV VXPPHU 'LUHFW /LQH ODXQFKHG D ČľH[LEOH IRUPDW IRU the purchase of insurance, enabling hospitality business owners to create customised insurance that is unique to their business.

The online tool works by asking some simple questions that are personalised according to the customerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s trade, using the ownerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s knowledge of their business to deliver the best set of questions to create the right policy for them.

In the case of B&Bs it provides cover for properties with up to 12 guest rooms. The policy includes public and products liability, business contents and stock insurance as standard. Public and products liability covers injury to guests or other members of the public, and damage to their property in and around your B&B, including goods you supply.

If you want to remove or add any cover, you can do so whenever you need to do so without having to pay additional fees, so you only pay for the insurance for your business needs.

7KH SROLF\ RÎ?HULQJ FOHDUO\ KDV LWV DWWUDFtions, but from the point of view of the owner RI D % % EXVLQHVV LQ HÎ?HFW \RX DUH UHVWULFWHG to building your own cover based on what 'LUHFW /LQH KDV WR RÎ?HU An insurance broker would be free of charge and look at several alternative inVXUHUV ZKLFK PLJKW RÎ?HU ZLGHU FRYHU DQG RU EHWWHU SULFHV 'Î&#x2013;< LV Č´QH SURYLGHG \RX DUH

certain that you are buying all the protection you need at the best price. But making the time to contact an insurance broker is not probably high on your agenda, any more than taking the time to read through a policy renewal alert.

If you are buying without contacting an insurance broker, you should attempt to source a direct insurer that understands your sector and the hospitality market.

The core issues to look out for in each class include:

BUSINESS INTERRUPTION )LUH RU ČľRRG PD\ GDPDJH \RXU SURSHUW\ %RWK kinds of event were up this summer just gone and last winter too. Many insurers will cover you for lost turnover following damage by an insured cause within a certain distance of your business, resulting in the loss of guests.

Take the time to look at the implications of such a restriction.

LEGAL EXPENSES There are many insurance policies that automatically include legal expenses, but there also some that donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t provide a level of cover to be would be useful to your business in any such an event. For some it is an optional extra. It covers legal costs associated with such things as legal defence, statutory licence appeal, contract disputes, tenancy disputes, debt recovery, property protection, personal injury and tax protection.

Again, there are often restrictions, and claims may be subject to reasonable prospects of success being deemed over a certain level such as a 51% chance.

PUBLIC LIABILITY

THEFT OF TAKINGS

This will usually include product liability in the event any of your guests be taken ill owing to food poisoning. It may be worth considering if, for example, you B&B has a sizeable and disproportionate income from products which would not normally be considered part of such an establishment's business - so products other than things like home-made jams.

This optional feature covers both your business money and damage to your employeesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; FORWKHV DQG HÎ?HFWV DULVLQJ IURP WKHIW RU attempted theft of money in your B&B. Again, check the cover limits before you buy.

If you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t feel you have time to revisit your insurance arrangements right now, next time you receive a renewal notice do take the trouble to read it. You could be quids in.

Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 41 - September 2018

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LOOKING TO SE LL YOUR CURREN T B&B? WHY NOT CONTACT US ON 01737 852 342.

WE WILL BE MORE THAN HAP PY TO DISCUSS AVAILABLE OPTIO NS WITH YOU.

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Km[[]kk^md :=< :J=9C>9KL ^Yeadq `ge] af C]fl ooo&k`]h`]j\`gmk]%^Yn]jk`Ye&[ge Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 42 - September 2018

# #@( % @ @ % !#@ %! @ @ ! @ # @ @% ' # @ !! ! @

@ :12,14/8@ @ 549-498@ @ :814-88@ 49-77:69154@ 5;-7@ @ :*21+@ @ 3625>-78@ 1)*1219>@ @ :814-88@ -/)2@ =6-48-8@ 5;-7@ ? 5<@ =+-88@ 57@ 2)138 ? & @$0-.9@ @ ++1,-49)2 )3)/-@ >@ :-898 ? @"-+:719>@ 54,191548 Running a B&B or guest house is hard work and ringing around for days on end getting insurance quotes can be hassle and stress you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really need.

Hodgson Insurance Services are an independent family run insurance broker based in Bude, Cornwall. We have been insuring guest houses all over the UK for over 40 years and understand the needs and insurance requirements of the modern-day B&B owner. You wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t ever be dealing with a call centre, you will always be speaking ZLWK WKH VDPH RU WUDLQHG VWDÎ? PHPEHUV (YHU\ EXVLQHVV LV GLÎ?HUHQW VRPH RÎ?HU D IXOO EUHDNIDVW RWKHUV allow guests access to cooking facilities. Some provide an element RI KROLGD\ OHWWLQJ PD\EH XVH RI D KRW WXE VRPH HPSOR\ VWDÎ? :H take time to understand how you run your business, as independent brokers we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just use one insurer, we have access to a number of specialist guest house insurance schemes and will search the market

WR Č´QG WKH EHVW PDWFK for your business, so you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to.

We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just sell on price, we make sure the covers are adequate for your needs. All guest house schemes have GLÎ?HUHQW WHUPV VRPH require security on doors & windows, some donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t, some include full Theft By Guests and some RQO\ RÎ?HU WKHIW FRYHU by forcible or violent entry. What excess do you have to pay in the event of a claim? All policies vary!! A burst pipe causes water damages to rooms which you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t now rent for 6 months, will the policy compensate you for lost business??

An insurance broker should always fully explain the main conditions of a policy to ensure it meets your requirements.

As general insurance brokers we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just do guest house insurance, although hospitality is a large part of our operation and we can look at quotes for holiday homes, restaurants, public houses etc, we also insure many landlords, shopkeepers and private motor vehicles.

For more information or advice on your insurance needs please contact our brokerage.

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