ISSUE #51
OCTOBER 2021
£3.99
FOR OWNERS AND MANAGERS OF BNB’S, INNS, BOUTIQUE HOTELS & HOLIDAY LETS IBE TO PR I CR
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MAGAZINE
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Sense & Sustainability
VIDEO MARKETING HOLIDAY RENTALS EBOOK: CHAPTER 4B DECORATING FOR THE FESTIVE SEASON 001_LBB_Oct21_Cover.indd 1
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G UE S T H O U SE IN S UR A NC E PROTECT YOUR B&B, GUEST HOUSE OR SMALL HOTEL FROM UNEXPECTED LOSSES.
COMPREHENSIVE COVERS & TERMS AVAILABLE ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ • • •
Buildings & Contents Business Interruption Cover Public & Employers Liability Business Legal Expenses Cover Low Excess For Claims. FULL Theft & Accidental Damage By Guests. NO Security Conditions
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
We don’t just sell on price, we make sure the covers are adequate for your needs. All guest house schemes have different terms, some require
you don’t really need. Hodgson Insurance Services are an independent family run
security on doors & windows, some don’t, some include full Theft By Guests and some only offer theft cover by forcible or violent entry. What excess do you have to pay in the event of a claim? All policies
insurance broker based in Bude, Cornwall. We have been insuring guest houses all over the UK for over 40 years and understand
vary!! A burst pipe causes water damages to rooms which you can’t now rent for 6 months, will the policy compensate you for lost business??
the needs and insurance requirements of the modern-day B&B owner. You won’t ever be dealing with a call centre, you will always be speaking with the same 4 or 5 trained staff members. Every business is different, some offer a full breakfast, others allow guests access to cooking facilities. Some provide an element of holiday letting, maybe use of a hot tub, some employ staff. We take time to understand how you run your business, as independent brokers we don’t just use one insurer, we have access to a number of specialist guest house insurance schemes and will search the market to find the best match for your business, so you don’t have to.
An insurance broker should always fully explain the main conditions of a policy to ensure it meets your requirements. As general insurance brokers we don’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.
‘WE ARE INDEPENDENT INSURANCE WHO SEARCH A PANEL OF TOP INSURANCE SCHEMES TO FIND YOU THE BEST DEAL’
01 2 8 8 3 5 3999 G UE STHO U S E I N S U RA N C E .C O . U K Chapter House, Burn View, Bude, Cornwall, EX23 8BZ.
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In this issue...
A warm welcome from Juliet Horner Our Editor
If you have any experiences you'd like to share, please email Juliet at editor@luxurybnbmag.com or connect with us on Instagram: @luxury_bnb It's been a very busy summer and as this October 2021 issue goes to print, I can't believe it's been a whole year since the first Luxury BnB Magazine I worked on! A lot has changed and the LBNB Team are striving to improve this publication for you all the time. As the summer season quietens down, it's time to think ahead and start the Christmas preparations! We know how stressful this can be, so we've got some brilliant content lined up for you! Check out the 'Christmas Must Haves' (page 36) and our 'Decorating for the Festive Season' feature (page 28). We spoke to a professional Christmas decorator to discover which trends will be all the rage this year and how you can make the most of your decorations. This issue we say hello to our newest contributors, Bethnal & Bec owners, Vicky and Chris Saynor! They will be providing a new regular column, by owners, for owners (page 38). We've also put together a quiz for you to see how environmentally concious you are! Read all about the steps you can take to improve the carbon footprint of your business and find out how well you currently do in our 'Carbon Neutral Quiz'! (page 16). You can also find some activity ideas for Halloween (page 24) and discover The Great House B&B who were named 'Plastic Free Champions' (page 6).
4
NEWS
6
PLASTIC FREE CHAMPIONS Sustainability and eco-friendly practices at The Great House B&B
14
INTERIOR VIEW
12
FACEBOOK & DIRECT BOOKINGS Yvonne Halling, shares 3 ways FB can help increase direct bookings
16
CARBON NEUTRAL 3 steps to becoming carbon neutral. Score yourself on the carbon neutral quiz
18
KAREN'S COLUMN
19
SENSE & SUSTAINABILITY Discover how Kilmartin Castle try to minimise their impact on the environment
24 HALLOWEEN 10 things you can do to provide some halloween fun for your guests 26 PRODUCT NEWS 28 DECORATING for the FESTIVE SEASON Discover the do's, don'ts and trends for 2021 Christmas decorations 36 CHRISTMAS MUST HAVES
Happy reading! EDITOR Juliet Horner editor@luxurybnbmag.com 07801 545 540 PUBLISHING DIRECTOR Dominic Johnson dominic@miramedia.co.uk 01892 711 144 DESIGN Juliet Horner | Editor editor@luxurybnbmag.com
CONTRIBUTORS Karen Thorne karenjthorne@yahoo.co.uk Yvonne Halling yvonne@yvonnehalling.com Neil Fraser neil@neilfraserphotography. com
MEDIA SALES Lisa Ebdy | Sales Manager 07799 886 115 lisaebdymedia@outlook.com Kirsty Farrow KirstyF@spacemarketing.co.uk
Bethnal & Bec relax@bethnalandbec.com
46 AERIAL PHOTOGRAPY
Felicity Moxon upupandawayandtheuk@ outlook.com
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40 LBNB EBOOK CHAPTER 4B Emergencies, responsibilities, management and wow factors 44 PUMPKIN PANCAKES Discover how to make these delicious, seasonal breakfast treats
David Worthington david@worthington.co.uk
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 BnB are not necessarily those of Miramedia. 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 Miramedia in good faith.
38 BETHNAL & BEC Christmas prep and EV chargers
48 VIDEO MARKETING Luxury BnB Magazine | Miramedia 29-31 Monson Road Tunbridge Wells Kent TN1 1LS www.luxurybnbmag.com All rights reserved © Miramedia 2020 Luxury BnB is published bi-monthly. Printed by Stephens and George www.stephensandgeorge.co.uk
50 PROPERTIES FOR SALE 50 DIRECTORIES
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IN BRIEF || NEWS
Profitroom launch affordable websites from just £89 per month Profitroom create products that support the increase of hoteliers’ profits. They also advise how to choose the most effective communication channels and how to formulate the message in order to get the optimal results of marketing campaigns. Profitroom, an award-winning supplier of hospitality technology and digital marketing services, has announced the launch of affordable websites, starting from as little as £89 per month. With a recent report published by Adobe Digital Insights highlighting that 60% of leisure travellers book their trips online, a good quality website is essential to the future success of your hospitality business. Profitroom Websites allow you to choose from a number of readymade, conversion optimised templates, that allow you to then tailor the look and feel to match with your brand or business feel. The websites are easy to update and maintain, ensuring there are no hidden costs or expensive website update charges. What’s more, once you have set up your website for the first time, the Profitroom digital marketing team will give it the once over, ensuring that it is fully Search Engine Optimised allowing your prospective customers to find you. Profitroom will also configure Google Analytics correctly, allowing you to easily track your return on investment. Profitroom Websites are just one of many hospitality technology solutions available within their technology ecosystem. Profitroom’s Booking Engine 360 seamlessly integrates with your website, giving your customers an unbroken journey from browsing to buying, proven to increase conversion. Samantha Williams, Director of Business Development for Profitroom said of the launch, 4 || Luxury BnB | October 2021
“The creation of affordable websites from Profitroom is the next step in our quest to help hospitality owners regain control of their businesses in the ongoing battle against the online travel agents.” For more information, visit www.profitroom.com or email contact@profitroom.com
Are your guests having mobile phone signal issues during their stay?
Mobile Signal Solutions are offering signal surveys and can help you design a signal system that works for your budget. Mobile Signal Solutions have been installing mobile signal boosters in the UK for all the main networks. In the UK the mobile phone networks they cover are Vodafone, o2, EE and Three. That along with all the resellers. EE has the most resellers using its network, including ASDA Mobile, Plusnet, Virgin Mobile and BT Mobile. O2’s network also includes Giffgaff, Sky Mobile and Tesco Mobile. Three’s network includes iD Mobile SMARTY and Vodafone includes Talk Mobile. Mobile sSignal Solutions are fully aware that a lot of hospitality venues host amazing conferences and for their guests, it can be devastating when they are unable to make and receive calls. This often means that venues with greater mobile signal for both data and calls are chosen again and again whilst those with poor or no mobile reception get passed over. Big corporations always assume that city hotels networks are always going to have the better networking capabilities. But wouldn't it be nicer to host conferences and in the peaceful surroundings of the countryside knowing that connectivity is not an issue?
That is where Mobile Signal Solutions come in. If hotels, bed and breakfasts, holiday lets and more, have black spots and want to improve the reception in common areas, bedrooms or just the conference and breakout areas, contact MSS today. Surveys cost £295 and are refundable with offers and their team of engineers can help design a system to meet your budget. More info... mobilesignalsolutions.co.uk
B&B Association's Chairman, David Weston, receives Outstanding Contribution Award AA Hotel & Hospitality Services has announced the winners of the 25 th annual AA B&B Awards. The Outstanding Contribution to the Industry Award has also returned for the second time, being awarded to David Weston, Chairman of the B&B Association, for his work championing bed and breakfasts throughout his career, with particular recognition for his leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic. Simon Numphud, Managing Director at AA Media said: “We are delighted to recognise the hard work and dedication of David Weston, who receives the Outstanding Contribution to the Industry Award. David has been a stalwart champion of bed and breakfasts, and this award acknowledges his work helping to steer the industry and maintaining the high standards we celebrate today.”
www.luxurybnbmag.com
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The Great House B&B...
LASTIC FREE CHAMPIONS
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IN PROFILE || THE GREAT HOUSE
We catch up with Sheila HarveyLarmar to find out how they make sure their hospitality business is as green as possible. Discover their efforts for sourcing plastic free packaging options and how you can start implementing more eco-friendly practices for your own business. Juliet Horner
22/09/2021 14:23
IN PROFILE || THE GREAT HOUSE
P
otential guests are more switched on than ever regarding environmental responsibility, but not just for their own lifestyles. More and more, people are checking the environmental policies of the places they escape to for well-earned holidays. But despite how popular environmental responsibility is becoming, it can be quite difficult to know where to start, especially if it concerns your business. How can you implement more ethical and environmentally friendly practices? We approached The Great House B&B to discover what they do to help the environment and how they earned the title ‘Plastic Free Champions’ as part of an initiative organised by Surfers Against Sewage, a grassroots movement that has grown into one of the UK’s most active environmental charities. Sheila Harvey-Larmar and her husband Bruce own and run the Grade II listed accommodation in Exmoor and their business ethos was built with the environment in mind. “From the very first day we have been constantly working to improve our eco credentials. “It’s all about what you’re doing to reduce what would normally be used in the business, making conscious decisions and a conscious effort," said Sheila.
URLs thegreathouse.co.uk sas.org.uk delphiseco.com uk.whogivesacrap.org SOCIAL MEDIA FB: The Great House B&B Exmoor IN: @the_great_house_exmoor
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One of the main areas that Sheila and Bruce focus on is the packaging on the products they use. “It’s not always just the product itself,” explained Sheila, “but what the product is contained in. “For example, refilling glass bottles with water from a large holding tank because glass is recyclable. “So in terms of our shower gel and hand gel, we look for bottles that are made from either glass or recycled plastic. But as well as being made from recycled materials, it’s also important that the packaging is still 100% recyclable at the end of its life cycle.” When choosing to use packaging that is recyclable or eco-friendly, it’s important to do your research. “Packaging is one of the reasons why we don’t put biscuits in the rooms,” said Sheila. “I’ve been through every major manufacturer of individually wrapped biscuits and not one of them does recyclable packaging! “They don’t do it, so I don’t supply it and I don’t have time to make my own shortbread because we’re just a husband and wife team.” She added: “It’s the same with cleaning products. It’s difficult because you have to assess the quality of the product itself as well as the packaging.” Whilst researching cleaning products, Sheila and Bruce have often had to email the companies to get the information they want because it’s not on the websites. After searching high and low for the right cleaning products to compliment their values, Sheila and Bruce recently started using Delphis Eco products. Delphis Eco uses recycled/ recyclable packaging and their products don’t contain harmful chemicals. Sheila also explained that they use washing powder instead of liquids for laundry. “That way, we aren’t using harmful microplastics and the washing powder comes in a cardboard box which is easily recycled.”
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IN PROFILE || THE GREAT HOUSE
Packaging...
Plastic Free Champions - What are they? ‘Plastic Free Champions’ is an initiative organised by Surfers Against Sewage, a grassroots movement that has grown into one of the UK’s most active environmental charities. The SAS Plastic Free Communities movement has seen various sized businesses rising to the challenge of removing avoidable single-use plastics. This initiative focuses on things like plastic bottles, disposable coffee cups, food packaging, straws, balloons and bathroom plastics. Independent businesses such as The Great House B&B are driving the change that’s needed to stem the plastic tide at the source. Almost seven hundred businesses have now achieved the Plastic Free Champion award, with hundreds more working towards it. sas.org.uk October 2021 || Luxury BnB || 9
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IN PROFILE || THE GREAT HOUSE Dunster Suite
Sourcing Local... Interestingly, one element that Sheila and Bruce compromise on, is the packaging of their tea and coffee. “We have a local supplier just seven miles away and none of their packaging is recyclable, however we counter that against the ‘food miles’,” explained Sheila. Food miles are a unit of measurement of the fuel used to transport products from the producer to the consumer. For example, products produced in Scotland but used in Exmoor would result in a greater number of food miles than products produced in Exmoor and used in Exmoor. The greater the number of ‘food miles’, the greater the harm to the environment as the products are transported over longer distances. “So having non-recyclable packaging is a fair compromise when you produce much smaller amounts of CO2 emissions with regards to the food miles because
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they are very close to us,” said Sheila, “it’s a bit of a balancing act, that one is.” Sheila and Bruce are currently researching tea and coffee suppliers within Exmoor that do use recyclable packaging as their quest to source locally and help the environment continues. “Literally everything on our breakfast menu, apart from the baked beans that come in a can, is sourced within Exmoor. “There’s a farm in the village that supplies eggs, and other local farms that supply sausages and bacon. The mushrooms and tomatoes are from Exmoor-based companies too.” For businesses who wish to reduce their impact upon the environment by reducing their food miles, it’s important that you do your research and speak to the local suppliers that are available. “Talk to your suppliers,” said Sheila, “and put pressure on them
to supply what you want. “For example, we approached the company that do our coffee beans and said, ‘Can you supply us with beans and if we bring our own containers, can we put them straight in there?’ and they said no because of health and safety issues. And yet the farm we use, dealing with raw meat, said yes. “So now they will lose us as customers because we are going to go somewhere else and it might force them to rethink.” She added: “It’s putting pressure on those local suppliers to provide services like this to help the environment. “Even small things like changing the milk bottles from plastic to glass.” It’s a lot easier these days to find eco-friendly solutions for small, everyday products and tasks and Sheila strongly encourages hospitality businesses to apply pressure to their local suppliers.
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22/09/2021 14:23
IN PROFILE || THE GREAT HOUSE
Family Suite
Green Tourism - What is it? These days, green tourism is all about travelling responsibly and making conscious choices that benefit or reduce your impact on the environment. As a business owner, green tourism for you may mean implementing your own Environmental Policy. For example, The Great House B&B have outlined their policy on their website, explaining their commitments to sourcing locally, recycling, reducing their use of plastics and other environmentally friendly practices. Green Tourism is all about being environmentally responsible, something that potential guests are looking for more and more when scouting for places to stay.
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October 2021 || Luxury BnB || 19
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IN PROFILE || THE GREAT HOUSE
Guests... Despite all your efforts as a business owner to be more environmentally friendly, reducing your carbon footprint and improving your eco credentials also lies, partly, in the hands of your guests. So how can you encourage them to be more environmentally responsible during their stay? “This is interesting, because I think a lot of people pick us because of our environmentally friendly ethos,” said Sheila. “But having said that, we had someone not long ago who gave us a low review. Apparently for the price they paid, they wanted more ‘luxury’ which to them, meant shower caps, tissues and biscuits; all the things we don’t do because of our policy. “A 50p shower cap was their idea of luxury, yet we have silver cutlery in the dining room, bone china, hand painted murals… I think it’s just a certain type of person that get’s what we’re doing.” Sheila and Bruce direct their guests to the Environmental Policy page on their website which states not only what they try to do at The Great House B&B to reduce their environmental impact, but also what the guests can do to help. “All our practices are largely well received,” said Sheila, “maybe they don’t think about it as much as we do, but they are glad that we have thought about it and that we are taking these actions.” Perhaps in a unique and surprising twist, guests aren’t expected to separate their waste into different bins. Instead, Sheila and Bruce go through all the bins to ensure everything is separated correctly. “We’ve got recyclable bags in the bins that we reuse,” said Sheila, “we don’t just throw them out everyday as you would with standard bin bags. We reuse them if they are dry. “We tell the guests not to worry about what’s in the bin and to just chuck everything in there. “We then go through the bins and literally pick out everything that 12 || Luxury BnB || October 2021
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we can recycle.” She added: “I think a lot of people don’t always know what can be recycled. Like olive pots - I think most people won’t know they are recyclable, but they are because we go down to our local recycling centre and do it. “We literally go through everything and recycle everything that we possibly can.” If you don’t know what the next step is in your eco-friendly journey as a business, write a list of all the possible changes you could make and start small. “Just changing one thing at a time is a great place to start and an easy thing to do,” said Sheila. Taking it one step at a time will make it more manageable; you don’t need to overwhelm yourself by changing everything at once.
www.luxurybnbmag.com
22/09/2021 14:23
IN PROFILE || THE GREAT HOUSE
Top Tips Improving eco-friendly practices in your property 1. Focus on one small change at a time. 2. Low energy light bulbs are an easy swap. Phase them in as the old ones blow out. 3. Use glasses in bathrooms instead of plastic, disposable cups. 4. Build relationships with local suppliers. They appreciate your business more than big chains and are more open to suggestions and ideas. Upcycled lamp made from a clarinet
5. Bulk buy biodegradable carrier bags online.
Dining Room
6. If you don’t have time to bake your own biscuits and can’t find individually wrapped biscuits in recyclable packaging, bulk buy good quality oat cookies and decant them into glass jars. 7. Ditch laundry liquid that comes in plastic bottles and opt for powder in cardboard boxes. 8. Lobby local shops to install a milk refill station in partnership with local dairy farms. You can reuse your glass bottles and will no longer need plastic cartons. 9. Individual loo rolls wrapped in paper look extravagant but the company ‘Who Gives A Crap” only use recycled paper and 50% of their profits go towards building toilets in developing countries. 10. Why not try keeping your own hens? You’ll get fresh eggs to use in the kitchen and guests will love them! www.luxurybnbmag.com
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INTERIOR VIEW
F H C P
with David Worthington
Designing a sustainable brand... David is a life-long designer, chairman of an international brand consultancy and trustee of various cultural organisations. Outside of design his main interest is boats – an theme you may see creeping into future columns! IN: @themotorboatgallery Email: david@worthington.co.uk URL: themotorboatgallery.co.uk
w READ ONLINE & SHARE >> luxurybnbmag. com/interiorview_ sustainable_brand
In another part of my working life we are tackling a multi-million pound overhaul of a 25,000 sq. ft. public building. Naturally, we have been focused on the mechanics of ‘what’ will happen, ‘when’ and ‘how’, but after a short session to reflect on ‘why’, it became apparent that despite the urgency of a leaking roof, it is our vision which must drive how we fix the building and furthermore, anything that goes into improving the building – including a new roof - must reflect the vision. Perhaps that is stating the obvious, but it's a good way of thinking about how to design your approach to improving your environmental credentials – through a Sustainability Vision. Ask yourself, "What is it I want to achieve?" Is it to be quietly carbon neutral or is this an initiative that could be key for your marketing? Being sustainable can add new channels to your marketing – for example: www. ecobnb.com However, whatever your vision for your environmental credentials, reality will quickly set in; most of us are stuck with aging buildings largely unsuited to modern environmental technology. Sadly, it's probably true that the simplest and most effective thing to do
20 || Luxury BnB || October 2021
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is to insulate/re-insulate the loft – as my father did in 1972! Latest technology to one side, sustainability generally means doing lots of small things that add up to something more meaningful. Designing how these go together and how they are communicated to your guests and clients is increasingly important. In fact, we are not far off the day when an effective Sustainability Vision and evidence of your work in that area will be a deal-breaker for potential guests. Self-evidently, you need to go beyond the building and include energy, food, consumables, composting, recycling, commercial partnerships and more. Again having a clear Sustainability Vision will help you to make decisions and help prioritise what you do first. Design can also make a difference on the ground – up-cycling old furniture, re-using building materials, only using carbon-neutral furniture, products and consumables and so on. Think too about how your operations dovetail with that – again, simple things make a difference. But whatever you do, your sustainability commitment is a valuable part of your brand story – and getting that story across is also where design comes in. A good designer will help you work through the Sustainable Vision you have set for yourself. They will interrogate your ability to deliver it, help you prioritise the messages and help shape the story that your guests will read, understand and buy into. Your story doesn’t have to be about being the best in class either, it’s more important to make a commitment to improving your environmental credentials and to set a date – perhaps every six months - where you formally review and improve what you are doing. This is a journey, not a race.
www.luxurybnbmag.com
22/09/2021 14:24
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17/09/2021 10:06
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CONTRIBUTOR || DR TORILL BIGG
3 Steps to a Carbon Neutral B&B By Dr Torill Bigg Chief Carbon Reduction Engineer for Tunley Engineering
A
wareness of global warming and the climate crisis is at an all-time high. Carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses trap warmth from the sun in the atmosphere around us and as that very same sun shines down on us, our thoughts turn to vacations. Holiday makers are now seeking eco-savvy staycations more than ever and as customers increasingly expect environmentally responsible products and services, so do accommodation providers seek a way to provide it. So do you increase your appeal to environmentally responsible holiday makers?
Step #1
You need to demonstrate your commitment to environmental responsibility by publicising your carbon reduction efforts. Calculate your business's carbon footprint (measured in kg of carbon dioxide equivalents) from your use of energy (gas or electricity), water supply, materials you use and fuel used in transport. The good news is that UK staycations offer low carbon alternatives to holidays abroad. A typical stay in a UK hotel has a carbon footprint of 16kg a night. One night in Spain emits 20kg of carbon – a planet saving 28kg of carbon for each week on holiday, which doesn’t even take travel into consideration! Every 100 miles driven in the car instead of flown by plane saves 15kg of carbon emissions. But the truly eco-conscious might travel by train, further minimising their carbon emissions. 16 || Luxury BnB || October 2021
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Step #2
The next step is to reduce your carbon emissions, which requires you to evaluate your energy use, water consumption, transport choices and the food you serve. If your B&B can offer ecofriendly transfers to and from the nearest train station this would allow guests to travel by train, a more eco-friendly option than driving. Why not add solar panels to the roof of your building or to the top of an electric car port, allowing you to offer an environmentally friendly transport option? In-room kettles could be replaced with one-cup kettles that hold a reservoir of water, but only boils enough for a single cup at a time, saving both water and electricity. Consider buying low energy standby appliances – such as TVs that might be left in standby mode while your guests are out exploring. Check the manuals for your appliances; Using a dishwasher on an eco setting could save you 500 w of electricity on each load - this could power a laptop for ten days. You can also reduce your carbon footprint by offering vegan food. Pork has a carbon footprint that is five times that of a vegan sausage. That is a carbon saving of 334g of carbon per veggie sausage. Offer digital receipts and invoices to save paper, which has a carbon footprint of 900g for every kg. Water use has a carbon footprint of a kilo of carbon for every cubic metre of water. If you fit a water butt to collect rainwater, you can reduce
your carbon footprint and your water bill by using the collected rainwater. Other options for carbon reduction from water savings range from full-on grey-water systems to the more accessible low flush toilets fitted with hand sinks above the cistern so that the wastewater is used for the next flush. Some businesses might even consider the ultimate eco loo and install a compost toilet. Once you’ve measured your carbon footprint in kg of carbon, you will be able to publicise the carbon saving this change has made.
Step #3
Step 3 is carbon offsetting, which after emission reduction, is the route to net zero carbon. There are commercial carbon offsetting schemes that you can buy into, ranging from tree planting schemes to low methane cattle feed. But what can you do ‘in-house’ to offset your carbon footprint? You can choose natural fibres for bed linens, carpets and curtains, or use natural materials such as wood, hemp or wool when conducting maintenance or refurbishments. These will create a carbon store within your B&B, reducing your net carbon footprint. Other options to offset carbon emissions include planting a wildflower meadow instead of a lawn which will sequester hundreds of kilos of carbon a year. It will also be great for wildlife too. However you choose to address it, an appetite for low carbon holidaying is here and it’s time to get involved. www.luxurybnbmag.com
22/09/2021 14:25
CONTRIBUTOR || DR TORILL BIGG
Bio: Torill Bigg gained her PhD from Cranfield University researching an environmentally friendly reactor design to treat polluted water using low carbon-emission waste materials. She is a chartered engineer, an accomplished sailor - and a big fan of the staycation and of all things environmental. Dr Bigg is Chief Carbon Reduction Engineer for Tunley Engineering, offering carbon footprints for businesses of any size and carbon reduction engineering. www.tunley-engineering.com w READ ONLINE & SHARE >> luxurybnbmag.com/carbon-neutral-quiz
Carbon- How Neutral Quiz eco-friendly are you? 5pts.
Eco-friendly transport from the nearest train station - cuts down on fossil fuels
3pts.
Grey-water system
5pts.
Solar Panels - if it replaces grid electricity
3pts.
Low flush toilets
10pts.
Replacing water heating from a gas boiler
1pt.
Digital receipts and invoices - helps to save paper
3pts.
eCar Charging station - for supporting & encouraging electric car usage
3pts.
Wildflower meadows - saves carbon emissions & is a natural carbon store
3pts.
One-cup Kettles - saves water and electricity
3pts.
Offer transport to & from local train station so guests don’t have to drive
2pts.
Low energy standby appliances
2pts.
Use natural fibres for linens, carpets and curtains - acts as a carbon store
4pts.
Vegan Menu - changing to a plant based diet is one of the biggest things we can all do to reduce our carbon footprints
3pts.
Natural materials for maintenance & refurbs - act as a carbon store even longer than soft furnishings
How did you score...? 1 - 10:
11 - 20:
21 - 35:
36 - 45:
Carbon Guzzlers! Uh-Oh... Not great... In need of major changes asap! It's not too late to start implementing new practices, so act now!
You're doing okay...
Good work! You’re doing great & you’re on the right track, but still need a little push… What will you do next to become a champ?
Eco Champions!
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But there’s still a LOT of room for improvement! Try and implement some of the ideas above to improve!
Well done, keep up the great work! Keep your carbon neutral crown by continuing to help the environment!
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Karen's Karen Thorne has ran Hopton House B&B in Shropshire for over 16 years and the Bed and Breakfast Academy for over 14 years. Through the B&B Academy, Karen trains aspiring B&B owners in how to set up, buy, run and market their own B&Bs. Karen runs monthly online courses and has recently launched a B&B Marketing membership for existing B&B owners, so she can help them to organically and authentically market their own B&Bs.
Read Karen's blog to discover more about toilet paper origami, how marrying a plumber has been very handy, and more about life as a B&B owner: bandbacademy. co.uk/blog
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The Great Baked Bean Debate One breakfast topic guaranteed to cause controversy, demonstrating that you can’t appeal to everyone, is the great baked bean debate. Feeling slightly mischievous recently, I posted on Facebook and Instagram, asking whether baked beans had a place on a full cooked breakfast. Mischievous because it’s not the first time I’ve asked the question on social media and I knew what would happen. Years ago, I asked on Twitter and was shocked by the vehemency of the responses, but I’m older and wiser now. Some B&B owners refuse point blank to serve them. They hate baked beans themselves and it would turn their stomach. But the overriding objection from B&B owners is that they make the breakfast plate look messy. For
many of us, our cooked breakfasts are a work of art and beans have a mind of their own; They don’t sit nicely in one place however hard you try to contain them with a sausage - an Instagram nightmare! The consumers of the breakfast also have many different foibles. Yes to beans but they must be Heinz, mustn’t touch my egg, bacon, sausages… The obvious solution to this - or so you’d think - is the ramekin. The plate stays pretty and the guests can put the beans exactly where they want them. But no! There are just as many people who hate beans in ramekins. All this goes to show is that you can’t win at breakfast! Now how do you feel about brown sauce or ketchup?
The Academy Award Goes To... One question guaranteed to get my hackles up at breakfast is when a guest asks “What have you got planned for the day?”. Though that’s slightly better than “So what do you do for a living?” I’m never entirely sure what they want to hear. “Oh, I’m off to a 2 hour lunch with friends and then an afternoon at the spa, whilst the cleaning fairy does 5 hours of cleaning, 1 hour of shopping, 2 hours of ironing and 2 hours of baking.” I suppose it’s a compliment in a way. They see you as the swan gliding smoothly through the water, without being aware of the frantic paddling underneath just to stay afloat. Being the calm, collected B&B landlady is a performance. And most guests don’t really want to know about
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WWW.BANDBACADEMY.CO.UK
the sweat and tears that go into making everything perfect. There was one day when the power went out just before breakfast. I have a gas hob, so it wasn’t a complete disaster. But having to get out 6 different breakfast specials, including a hollandaise done “the proper way”, all for 9am, did reduce me to a crying, sweating ( and yes - swearing ) wreck. It was also winter and our hob is in a dark corner of the kitchen, so it was all done by candlelight. The guests left a review saying “Despite the power going out just before breakfast, Karen produced a magnificent feast and remained calm and collected throughout” Another Academy Award to add to my collection.
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22/09/2021 14:26
S
Kilmartin Castle...
ENSE & SUSTAINABILITY Running a business and trying to be sustainable may seem difficult, but it’s easier than you think. Discover this 14th Century castle hidden away in the Scottish countryside and find out what they do to minimise the impact they have on the environment. By
Felicity Moxon
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IN PROFILE || KILMARTIN CASTLE
S URLs kilmartincastle.com SOCIAL MEDIA FB: @kilmartincastle TW: @KilmartinCastle IN: @kilmartincastle
tef and Simon have implemented easy and simple lifestyle changes across Kilmartin Castle that have had big impacts on not only the environment, but their guests too. The couple moved from the hustle and bustle of Dubai for a simpler life in Scotland back in 2013 and haven’t looked back since. They had to renovate the whole castle from the ground up and made sure their own ethical values were installed into their new home from day one. Simon explained that their “overarching approach is that where you’re faced with the decision of ‘Am I going to do this the cheapest way possible, or the most sustainable way possible?’ Always choosing the latter.” This is something that they try to
Stef watering the tomatoes in the poly tunnel
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embed in everything they do; from where they source their breakfast items to where their meat comes from. They make sure it is all local and ethically grown. They used artists and traditional craftsmen to help them in this journey from the eco-friendly ceramic pots by artist Claire Henry, used as refillable bathroom containers, to hand forged iron works by local blacksmith Darren Ainsworth. They even scoured the country to find second-hand antiques and vintage items to help furnish the castle and even upcycled some bits themselves rather than buying brand new. Where they are based in Scotland, there is a great source of wonderful local and organic produce, but some items can be difficult to come by. “The bacon isn't local to Kilmartin, which is one of the trickiest things that we're finding,” said Simon,“but it is local to Scotland.” Stef and Simon change their breakfast menu to reflect the seasons, featuring produce foraged from their own organic allotment within the castle grounds. This means nothing goes to waste as they use what is produced. Guests eat more veggie and vegan meals and it is all environmentally friendly. Stef said: “Generally we will get meat eaters choosing the vegetarian dishes so we don't buy as much meat.” One key point Stef and Simon raised is how they aren’t just making these ethical decisions to be part of the trend and to appeal to eco conscious travellers. This is a way of life for them. “We're not doing it just because of the business. We're doing it for personal peace of mind,” said Stef. “When it comes to meat especially, we don’t eat anything that isn't organic or free range, therefore we wouldn't buy it in bulk to feed to other people because that would just feel awful.” This is a great ethos that the couple live by. If you wouldn’t personally buy it, then don’t buy it www.luxurybnbmag.com
22/09/2021 14:26
IN PROFILE || KILMARTIN CASTLE
Simon with his freshly pulled spuds
for your guests. Simon said: “If you want to do it then do it, don't just flirt around the edges.” The owners even go one step further and visit the farms where they buy their meat. “We try to cut out the middleman as much as possible and source
Stef finishing up the vegetable garden
that is refillable, so when people check in, we have refill trolleys.” This means that their guests can top up their shampoo and other bathroom products as needed during their stay. She added: “We also provide big glass water drinking bottles and they can refill those by bringing
"We're not doing it just because of the business. We're doing it for our personal peace of mind." directly from the suppliers,” explained Simon. Simon added “a lot of the time we actually visit the farm that we are going to get produce from. We check with our own eyes to see how the animals are being treated and how they are living.” This is a great touch that any business can do, so that you are confident in the quality of what you provide your customers. It shows their commitment to being as sustainable as possible. However, Stef and Simon don’t just limit their sustainability efforts to their food. They also find other ways to be as sustainable as possible. Stef said: “We don't use plastic, so we have ceramic pottery www.luxurybnbmag.com
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them down to us.” They have thought about every detail throughout Kilmartin Castle, to make sure there is no unnecessary waste. Stef said: “We grind all of our coffee beans and we only provide enough in the room for them to use that night.” This ensures Stef and Simon are minimising the waste they produce and their guests can sleep well too, knowing they are helping them on their green footprint journey. Stef said: “I think it's about changing attitudes and we're trying to create a space that we love that we hope people will love and respect too.” She added: “We put little notices,
like cute little written notes in the rooms to tell our guests that in ancient times cotton was such a precious material and will be grateful if people would take off their mascara or fake tan at night so it doesn't end up in landfill because so much bedding gets ruined.” Since they started leaving these hand-written notes, Stef said “they noticed that people were being more wary” of their actions. “I think there's this idea of, if you go to a hotel, it just doesn't matter about getting into bed with your fake tan or your makeup still on,” she said. Waste management can be difficult as we are all used to a throw away culture, but Stef October 2021 || Luxury BnB || 21
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explained her way of working out how to minimise their waste. “I would look at what you're throwing away and ask yourself if you really need to be throwing that much away,” she said. Stef explained even little changes help you to become more sustainable. She said: “Can you do your shopping in a supermarket where it’s not in a plastic bag?” Maybe you can take cardboard boxes in the boot of your car and fill them with your shopping instead of buying plastic bags. She added: “We get a lot of stuff delivered like our milk from the local dairy.” Sourcing from local suppliers is a great way to become more sustainable. Not only does it support local businesses, but it’s beneficial because it reduces the amount of food miles needed to get it from producer to consumer. Simon said: “When you go directly to a supplier - let's say a farm for instance - you can probably get a better quality product for similar prices that you would pay in a supermarket, but the supermarket offers a far worse product.” “And it will taste better!” added Stef, laughing. If you're unsure on how to reach out to your local suppliers, it’s easier than you think. “We normally like talking to the owner, the first point will be a telephone call about what we want to do and how they can get their product to us,” said Stef. This is a great way to build a relationship with someone and explain your values to make sure they match up. It can be a daunting experience moving from one way of life to another but even Stef says they are “learning on the job”. For instance, Simon is already thinking about how he can be more environmentally friendly with the egg boxes they receive. “I'm even considering saving up all of the egg cartons and giving them back to the farm to get refills but I am currently using them as outdoor fire starters for our fire pit,” he said. ‘Waste not, want not’, is a term these owners definitely live by. “We try to encourage people to 22 || Luxury BnB || October 2021
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Simon learnt how to build dry stone walls on YouTube then repaired the walls on the castle grounds himself
Refillable ceramic pots to reduce their use of plastics
Stef planting a herb garden surrounded by a dry stone wall that they built themselves
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22/09/2021 14:27
Top Tips Running a sustainable hospitality property 1. Stay true to your own values, if you wouldn’t buy it personally then don’t buy it for your guests. 2. Speak to local suppliers directly to source your products. 3. Research into where you get your food from, even visit the places to see for your own eyes. 4. See what containers you provide your guests; plastic can easily be swapped for something more ethical. 5. Some items may be hard to come by locally, don’t stress though just do the best you can.
go out for dinner because we don't do dinner here and it just helps support the local community if they go out,” said Stef. If guests do want a light meal, Stef and Simon provide cheese boards which are full of delicious local produce which is also the perfect opportunity to not just support local companies, but to also show off their amazing products. “We make some cheese boards with great local cheeses. We have a local deli who sell the best olives and different little condiments, and a local charcuterie who do amazing venison salami,” said Stef. She added: “So there's all of these local products that we can help to bring attention to if we do the cheese boards.” They have also noticed that as people aren’t travelling as far at the moment, it means that if people have liked any of the products they have tried during their stay, they can go and buy them. This all helps the local area and the guests have a lovely souvenir to take home too.
Stef and Simon have created a sustainable haven at Kilmartin Castle which they hope will last the test of time. If you feel you would like to start looking at making your own property more sustainable or add to the ethical steps you have already taken, just start small and work your way up.
Stef weeding the vegetable garden
Simon building a poly tunne; to extend the growing season for their home grown plants
6. Always think about minimising waste, minimising single use plastics and minimising meat consumption and waste of meat. 7. Be prepared that being sustainable can be more costly but its about doing the right thing. 8. Always question what you are throwing away and how you can stop this waste. 9. Support your local community and local businesses. 10. Let your guests know your personal values and how they can support during their stay
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Happy Halloween! Spooky season is upon us! Here’s 10 things you can do to provide some Halloween fun for your guests!
F
or most, Halloween might be a holiday you associate with fond childhood memories. Dressing up as your favourite superhero or spooky villain. Going door to door shouting ‘Trick or Treat!’ Getting to stay up late and stuffing your face with sweets. What could be better than that? Besides, just because you aren’t ten years old anymore, doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the spooky season! After the last, somewhat topsy turvy year, the LBNB team think you should jump on the bandwagon and have some fun this Halloween. So how can you, as a business owner, provide a fun filled, spooky experience for your guests? We’ve come up with ten things you can do for your guests this Halloween...
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#1 Decorations #3 Cold Drinks Depending on how spooky you want to get, you can decorate your property in different ways. For non-spooky decorations, use pumpkins, autumn leaves and lanterns. Want to include spookier elements? Use spider webs, witch hats, plastic spiders and bats, and anything that shouts Halloween!
#2Hot Drinks As well as normal tea and coffee, why not learn how to make Pumpkin Spice Lattes? These are all the rage over in America, but they're also gaining popularity in the UK! Or try to make Halloween Hot Chocolate. If you buy an edible ink pen*, you can draw faces onto marshmallows and voila! Ghost-mallows! You could even watch online tutorials and learn how to make latte art! You could learn how to draw pumpkins or bats onto the tops of hot drinks. *Edible ink pens can be used to draw on food and can be bought in supermarkets or online
For your adult guests, you could find a recipe for an alcoholic Pumpkin Punch online! For the kids, there are plenty of ‘Swamp Juice’ or ‘Witches Brew’ recipes that you can find online to create a fun Halloween treat for the youngsters!
#4 History There are always plenty of stories to tell about the places we visit, so why can’t the guests learn a little about your property? It’s pretty easy to do some research! You can use the internet, maybe a local library, or maybe even a local historian or history group! You could leave the guests little ‘Halloween History’ notes to read. These could be about the local area or the property itself - maybe there’s some ghoulish tales to tell about who once owned and lived at your property? Be careful not to scare your guests too much with gruesome tales! We still want them to enjoy a good night's sleep!
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#5
#9 Events
Local Area
Are there any historical, spooky landmarks nearby? Maybe there’s some fabulous gothic architecture or a pumpkin patch down the road? You could point these out to guests and help them organise a day out to visit these places. Or if you are lucky enough to live somewhere that has a lot of stories to share, why not organise a local ghost walk? You could lead this yourself or ask a local expert to run it! You could make the ghost walk as scary as you like and ask people to hide along the route and jump out at your guests, or you can miss that out altogether and just tell the spooky stories relevant to your tour.
#6 Carving How you offer pumpkin carving may depend on what type of business you are. Self-catering holiday lets or glamping sites could leave a couple of pumpkins and a carving kit in the property. For B&Bs or smaller hotels, maybe you can put aside a few tables in the dining room for people to use throughout the day. Stock up on pumpkins and carving kits and let your guests have some fun!
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#7 Food If you run a self catering hospitality business, you could leave your guests some Halloween themed treats to enjoy. If you run a business where you have a menu and serve your guests, how can you mix it up a bit? Have a look for Halloween recipes online and see what you can come up with!
#8Fancy Dress This is very much down to personal choice, but it would be great to see everyone in fancy dress on All Hallows Eve. Encourage your guests to get creative and dress up for the evening! Maybe you can put on a fancy dress competition for any children who may be staying with you. You could even have a fancy dress competition for the adults if everyone wants to get involved. There’s no such thing as being too old for a Halloween costume!
Depending on your budget and the time you have available, you could always organise a murder mystery event for your guests. There are plenty of templates online that you can use, or you could even pay for a professional one. Or if you’re up for a challenge, create your own! You could do this as a ticketed even with a one night stay included, or as a free event for your guests. However you do it, a murder mystery dinner party sounds like a great way to spend Halloween.
#10Books/DVDs It’s always a good idea to leave some form of entertainment in the rooms for your guests to enjoy. Whether that’s a pack of cards, books or DVDs. So, sticking to the Halloween theme, why don't you leave a selection of DVDs that they could watch on the TV? Maybe a few thrillers, murder mystery films, horror films or good old fashioned Halloween family favourites. You could do the same with books! If you don’t already have a selection to lend to guests, head down to the local charity shop and pick up some thrillers for your guests to enjoy!
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Product News
ISEKI Mowers
The SXG Range from ISEKI is the unmistakable, high quality, ride on cut and collection mowers, with the ability to perform even in wet conditions. This is all thanks to the perfectly designed 40” to 54” centre discharge mower decks with straight through chutes to avoid blockages, allowing you to work without the weather restricting you. Ranging from 13.5hp up to 21hp these powerful diesel engine mowers are perfect for mowing anything from a large lawn right up to estates and gardens, leaving a superior finish every time. With a choice of high or low tip collectors the grass clippings can be disposed of easily and tidily, whilst the large collectors hold up to 600 litres to avoid countless trips to empty. Designed, engineered and built in Japan to offer the most comfortable, reliable, high quality diesel mower on the market for the most demanding of users. Visit www.iseki.co.uk to watch a demonstration.
K Fee UK Introduces New Nespresso* Compatible Capsules – The Very Best Tastes Of Mr & Mrs Mill In Nespresso Format
K Fee UK announces a new range of aluminium coffee capsules under the Mr & Mrs Mill brand to be available to all Nespresso coffee machine users. The new range consists of three classic styles, Ristretto, Lungo and Espresso which are complimentary to the exceptional range of coffee by Mr & Mrs Mill. For Mr & Mrs Mill coffee capsules, hand-picked coffee beans from the world’s best growing areas are used, gently roasted and ground. As soon as the capsules have been filled, they are given a seal to preserve their freshness and full aroma. K Fee UK are pleased to be able to provide their premium high-quality coffee to customers who enjoy a delicious cup every time. Why not try before you buy? Call or e-mail us for your free samples. Contact: K-Feeenquiries@Kruger-uk.com | Tel: 0161 527 7359 | Website: www.k-fee.co.uk *Trademark of a third party with which we have no association
Love Maps On Boosting hotel direct bookings with Profitroom Booking Engine 360: it’s in our DNA
This industry-leading, highly converting and customisable booking solution provides a seamless user experience for your hotel website visitors. It simply converts more guests with unique advanced features such as personalised quoting, package selling and recapturing abandoned bookings. Profitroom BE360 surpasses any regular booking engine. It has been developed to succeed - exclusively for hoteliers of leisure hotels and resorts. Powerful data-driven insights enable you to know your guests better and to provide the best possible online guest journey, increasing both guest satisfaction and revenues. To increase your direct bookings by up to 20% in the first year, email contact@profitroom.com or visit our website www.profitroom.com 26 || Luxury BnB || October 2021
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Create the Wow Factor with a stunning wallmap of your area. Present-day and Vintage Ordnance Survey Maps of any area on made-to-measure wallpapers, canvases, ceramic tiles, glass splashbacks and much more. Allow your guests to truly discover the local landscape. An amazing addition to any Guest House or Hotel. Our products are designed to bring colour and flair to bedrooms, bathrooms, hallways, foyers and function rooms. Whatever the colour scheme or style, you'll find a contemporary, historical or art map to complement it. Our maps range from World Maps, Designer Maps, Antique Maps, Art Maps, Globes and Text Art Maps to Personalised Maps from Ordnance Survey and Personalised Vintage maps. Our online map store gives you fast and easy access to a whole world of wonderful maps at affordable prices. Visit lovemapson.com www.luxurybnbmag.com
22/09/2021 14:34
Product News
Teapigs
With the massive increase in staycation bookings this year, offering guests a dusty tea bag in their room is a no-no when many people have been enjoying more premium products during lockdown. The demand for whole leaf tea out of home is on the rise and research shows customers visiting hotels and self-service accommodation are looking to treat themselves and will be expecting a higher quality beverage. Luckily, teapigs have you covered. teapigs have a huge range of real, whole leaf teas available in different formats to suit all hospitality needs. From their classic everyday brew, relaxing peppermint and soothing snooze to name just a few, offering their range will make it clear to potential customers that you’ve upgraded your tea offering ready for “the new normal”. Get a free case of snooze envelopes when you open an account - contact trade@teapigs.co.uk for more details.
Wake Up to the Smell of Melitta® Filter Coffee and its Aromaboy®
Small in size but big at preparing delicious coffee for two-cup pleasure, the Melitta®Aromaboy® champions a classic compact design with its period retro appearance. Ideal for holiday home lettings, this iconic filter coffee maker is very much an energy saving appliance. Complete with a practical and illuminated auto-off function which turns the machine off when not in use, the Aromaboy® runs on an energysaving 500 watts making it economical in electricity consumption. The space saving machine also comes with a transparent water container and a dishwasher proof glass jug with filter. Melitta® Aromaboy® is available in black, white and beige/brown priced £34.99. For trade enquires please contact us on: 0844 800 8055 | epeinternational.com | sally@epeinternational.com
Siabann
From the heart of Scotland comes a beautiful range of products in distinctive, refillable packaging. Siabann – Gaelic for soap – is created & made by soapmaker Fiona Ritchie. The Juniper & Lime range is the perfect choice for ethical & natural products that don’t cost a fortune, look beautiful and work like a dream. Each product evokes the beautiful Scottish landscape and is handblended in small batches to ensure the highest quality. The vegan friendly products are fragranced with a blend of essential oils and tested on family and friends, never animals. The Juniper & Lime range is fresh, gentle and loved by both men and women. The range includes Organic Handwash, Hand lotion, Shampoo, Conditioner & Body wash. All available in 250ml bottles and 2.5/5 litre refills. The products are also available in 100ml sizes! Contact Fiona if you would like to sample the range: fiona@siabann.com
Little Hotelier
More control means more success with Little Hotelier’s management software. Being in control of the way you manage your small business means you have the power and flexibility to make meaningful decisions that lead to ongoing success. Little Hotelier leaves no stone unturned, allowing you to manage every aspect of your property exactly the way you want - gifting you valuable time and saving you money to boot! Whether it’s streamlining your front desk, broadening your sales channels, winning more direct reservations, developing your website experience, or simply making processes easier for your guests, Little Hotelier delivers big results on a small scale. This is thanks to an easy to learn and simple to use platform that is designed with a deep understanding of the daily tasks and challenges small property owners face. We know software can be scary - which is exactly why it’s so easy to set up and go, with full support along the way. Try Little Hotelier today! Visit their website today to find out more: https://bit.ly/3CvU5t4 www.luxurybnbmag.com
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IN PROFILE || DECORATING FOR THE FESTIVE SEASON
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With Christmas Inc...
ECORATING FOR THE FESTIVE SEASON
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By
Juliet Horner
D
espite all the changes over the last year and a half, it hasn’t stopped the festive season creeping up on us. Once again, Christmas is right around the corner and it’s time to get cracking. It’s often a stressful time of year, but when you have your business to prepare as well as your own personal celebrations, it can be even more so. We spoke to Clark Bearman, Director of Christmas Inc.; a company dedicated to the festive season who are hired to take care of all your business decorating needs. Christmas Inc. has been running for over ten years, making Clark the perfect person to help you prepare for the 2021 holiday season which is quickly approaching. Clark’s ten plus years in the Christmas industry makes him an expert and you can use his experience and knowledge to your advantage when decorating your very own hospitality business. “I’d say about 90% of the hotels I’ve dealt with over the years, typically it’s someone in-house who has done the decorating,” said Clark. “Depending on the size of the business, it might have been the handyman, the florist, or the owners and they use the same decorations that they’ve had for generations that just get stuffed into a cupboard at the end of the season.” Whether you’re a small business planning on decorating your property yourself, or a larger property looking to hire someone else to take over, Chris highlights what to consider when preparing for Christmas.
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Colour...
“There’s a fine line between beautiful and tacky,” said Clark. "You can't go wrong with the traditional red and gold because it will never go out of fashion.” Chris believes that red and gold are two very versatile colours that will go with every type of decor, whether your property is contemporary or old fashioned. Sticking to the traditional colours and trends will work better for you in the long term. “You do get some people who decide they want blue and silver one year, but even though it might work once, it will look really dated the following Christmas,” said Clark. “Years ago, John Lewis started a trend where black Christmas trees were the ‘in’ thing and a lot of our clients wanted black trees. "We tried to push people away from it. Yes it will be fun for that year, but next year they’d hate it and sure enough, the following year we had a whole warehouse full of black trees that nobody wanted because they weren't ‘on trend’.” Clark strongly recommends avoiding coloured Christmas trees, otherwise you’ll find yourself spending more money buying replacements the following year. “Don’t go with the bronze or champagne trees that might be in this year. Don’t buy what you think is popular, because it’s only popular for a short amount of time and there will be a whole new trend before you know it. It’s better to play it safe,” said Clark. However, this doesn’t mean you’re just limited to red and gold. You can use these two colours individually or together or use
IN PROFILE || DECORATING FOR THE FESTIVE SEASON
It’s nearly time to start planning for Christmas! We spoke to a professional decorator to discover the do’s, don’ts, and trends for this year’s festive season.
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IN PROFILE || DECORATING FOR THE FESTIVE SEASON
them as ‘base layers’. “You could add in a third colour if you wanted to,” said Clark, “so if you use red and gold this year, next year you could add a few greens or silvers to make it look new, but the base layers are still the same, which will save you having to replace everything which in turn saves money.” He added that it’s a good idea to research the current trends online, but don’t just completely copy them. “Stick to the basics,” said Clark, “Use the trends to add your own spin on it.”
Traditions & Team Building... Clark explained that “Christmas is about traditions” and that he now tries to pass these on to his own children as they grow up. He said: “I’ve got two small children and we try to keep these traditions going for them so that they will grow up with that sense of family. This is why I think that if, as a business owner, you’re making your own decorations, it’s important to get your whole team involved in this process. “It’s a good team building exercise and if it’s a family run B&B or boutique hotel, why not make it a new tradition for everyone?” No matter the size of your business, it’s always great to get your team working together on fun and festive projects. “You could all go out each year and buy one ornament each for the tree and that way it’s more sentimental,” suggested Clark. Or to save money, take your team foraging for items you can use to make wreaths and garlands to dot around the property. URLs christmasinc.co.uk SOCIAL MEDIA FB: @lightupbucks TW: @christmasinc In: @christmasinc_ LI: Christmas - Inc 30 || Luxury BnB || October 2021
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Decorating your property for other people to enjoy over the Christmas period can be quite daunting at first as it’s different to what you might do in your own home. You might want it to look more professional which could mean hiring someone else or learning to do it yourself. “If you want to do it yourself but make it look more professional, you can just go on YouTube and find tutorials on how to hang baubles correctly,” said Clark. Laughing, he added: “I’m not trying to do myself out of business here as a professional Christmas decorator, but there’s plenty of online tutorials out there. It’s just about watching and learning.” Despite his line of work, Clark encourages business owners to try and do things themselves. He suggests making your own
IN PROFILE || DECORATING FOR THE FESTIVE SEASON
Learning...
wreaths, table dressings, garlands and more. “Look in magazines. There’s a million different magazines that will spark different ideas and show you how to make them,” he said. “Social media is also your friend on this one. “I spend my life just scrolling through Pinterest and Instagram and various other design apps just looking for ideas and finding out how to make things. “It’s a great way to learn and that’s one of the reasons why I love Christmas and got into this line of work because my house was always beautifully decorated and we would do it together as a family when we were kids.” Clark explained that they would all go foraging in the garden and the woods for berries and holly so they could make their own decorations.
Clark's top inspo accounts JeannaLovesChristmas - This is my all-time fave Youtube channel for Christmas goodness! Jenna will be decorating trees in the summer at her house and have her husband helping out. She generally bang on trend and I’ve learnt a few tricks from Jenna. Thebaublecollection - This is one of my fave Instagram pages not so much a ‘how to page’ but beautiful Christmas imagery to get you in the mood. They sell their beautiful glass baubles too! Longacres Garden Centre - Based in Surrey, this is one of my fave Christmas shops during the holidays. They always have a HUGE collection of décor.
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IN PROFILE || DECORATING FOR THE FESTIVE SEASON
2021 Trends... If you’re not sure where to start with this year's decorations, Clark highlights some of the top trends that you’ll be seeing this year. “Snowy trees are going to be in this year,” he said, “So that’s rustic, woodland pines that provide a sort of Nordic, Scandinavian feel. “I also think neon is going to be on trend because the NHS rainbow was very popular last year. We did a lot of rainbow wreaths and trees and I think that’s going to tick over a neon look again for this year.” Somewhat helpfully, Christmas trends often closely follow retail trends, so it’s always a good idea to look at retail giants such as Selfridges or even Harrods.
“If you look at their shop windows, generally that can be a trendsetter for the festive season,” said Clark. “Recently on Bond Street, Louis Vuitton had a massive explosion of colour on the front of their building and I think this will follow into this year’s Christmas trends. Bold and bright will definitely be in.” He added: “But you can’t go wrong with traditional, classic trends. With the pandemic still affecting everyone, I think people will want that traditional, warm home vibe. You know, things like roasting chestnuts, pine cones and dried oranges. “I think those will be the top three trends this year; snowy,
Scandinavian and rustic trees, the bright, bold and neon colours, and then the natural elements of a traditional winter wonderland.” Another big trend from last year that could be making a comeback is festive doorways. Clark said: “For businesses who have a tighter budget and can’t afford to dress the whole property, then you can just dress the front and create festive doorways," “These are garlands made from really nice floral arrangements that are really festive and we arrange it around the door so that when people walk up or walk past the hotel or B&B, it just screams Christmas.”
"You can't go wrong with traditional, classic trends."
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IN PROFILE || DECORATING FOR THE FESTIVE SEASON
Exterior... Surprisingly, Clark explained that fitting the exterior with festive decorations is probably even more important than the interior. “As an example, I always say to restaurant owners that there’s no point spending lots of money on decorating inside the restaurant because once people are sitting at the table, all they care about is the food and the drink. They aren’t spending their meal staring at the decorations,” explained Clark. “And I think it’s the same for hotels and other hospitality venues. By all means, have a tree in the foyer and make it look festive, but focus your efforts on the outside.” If you’re unsure of where to start for your exterior decorations, you can’t go wrong with lots of lights. “If you’ve got lovely grounds, lovely trees, a long driveway, or whatever it is, you can scatter fairy lights everywhere. They’re very cheap but have maximum impact,” suggested Clark. “We always push for lights because they’re very easy to install and they’re very cost effective. They can last for years and you can plug thousands of LEDs into just one plug. The bang for buck is just absolutely brilliant!” You can get boxes and boxes of lights in nearly any colour to suit your chosen themes and www.luxurybnbmag.com
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decorations, without it costing an arm and a leg. “You can buy them cheap online and you can add sets to it year after year if you want different colours. The other thing that’s great about lights, is that you can put them anywhere,” said Clark. But you’re not just limited to lights when decorating the property’s exterior. Clark said: “You could put beautiful festive wreaths on all the doors which provide a warm welcome for all your guests." He added: “Or you could put a couple of potted trees on either side of the front door. Just put them in some faux Chelsea pots and then scatter some fairy lights over them. It’s an easy DIY job and also very cheap. “It’s definitely a good idea to dress the outside more than the inside.”
Top Trends for xmas 2021 1. Snowy trees with a Nordic, Scandinavian feel. 2. NHS Rainbows, bold and bright. 3. Traditional, warm home vibe with roasting chestnuts, pine cones and dried oranges. 4. Festive doorways.
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IN PROFILE || THE GREAT HOUSE
Budgets... As a business owner, you’ll already have an idea of how much you want to spend on decorations, but remember to consider the space you’ll be decorating. “In terms of spending, it’s relative to the size of your property,” explained Clark. “I had someone phone up the other week asking how much it would be for us to decorate their property and I said it all depends on how big your venue is. She then asked how much the Christmas tree would be, but again, it depends on how big the tree needs to be to suit the space and fit the property.” Your budget will also depend on whether you want to hire a professional to do the decorations. “If you’re hiring a professional, it’s going to be upwards of £1,500 for timing and expenses, unless you’re right on their doorstep and just want a tree because they won’t have to pay for travel,” said Clark. “The second you get a company in like us, and ask us to create something, that pushes the price up because we’ll need to design, mock up and build whatever it is you asked for. “But even if you do it yourself and you spend £500 on lights for example, that would be alright. If you spend any more than that for a DIY job, you’re probably going a bit mental and it may start to look borderline tacky.”
In terms of spending, it's relative to the size of your property.
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IN PROFILE || THE GREAT HOUSE
Top Tips Decorating for the upcoming festive season 1. Use traditional colours like red and gold for the base of your decorations
When it comes to trees, Clark explained that anywhere between £300 and £600 is what he would expect to spend to end up with a great Christmas tree. “The average Christmas tree nowadays, if you buy it from the internet, is about £200 or £250 for a nice artificial tree, and then you’ve got to get all the decorations on top of that to go on the tree,” he said. Even though you could buy a fresh, new tree every year, buying an artificial tree could save you money in the long run because you can use it year after year. “So if you spend about £500 on a tree, that’s probably about right. www.luxurybnbmag.com
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People can do it themselves for less, but it’s the same as any other market; you get what you pay for.” If you want to spend less, you can do a lot of the festive preparations yourself and even make your own decorations. “If you want to save money and do it yourself, make the most of your local surroundings and use natural elements,” suggested Clark. “When I was a kid we bought a cheap air dryer off the internet and we’d cut fruit up and dry it to make our own wreaths and garlands which would smell delicious. It would cost next to nothing because it would just be the fruit that my mum would buy from the shop.” He added: “Go to the woods and forage for twigs and holly. I mean, you can find holly bushes all over the country! You could just cut a few sprigs of holly, obviously not if it’s from private land, but you could get some from the woods or the park to dot around the house. “There’s so many inexpensive and different ways to dress a property and make it look festive. “Just have fun with it. Get creative and don’t take it too seriously.” No matter what your budget is, you can always look for cheaper alternatives and you can’t go wrong with handmade decorations.
2. Make your own decorations to save money 3. Use social media to learn how to make your own decorations 4. Research the trends and see how you can use your base elements 5. Create your own christmas traditions with your team 6. Focus on decorating the outside more than the inside 7. Use lights as a cheap but maximum impact festive decoration 8. Create festive doorways using wreaths and garlands for a warm, festive welcome. 9. Remember your budget will be relative to the size of your property 10. Get creative and have fun October 2021 || Luxury BnB || 35
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Christmas Must Haves
Alliance Online Alliance are committed to providing all customers with a superior product offering based upon over 20 years of experience supplying the hospitality and public sectors. Every year we create a new Christmas curated from premium suppliers hand-picked by ourselves to ensure our range covers all the festive needs of your establishment. We have twelve branches based across the UK and Ireland and a central national distribution centre in Crewe, Cheshire and benefit from having access to our own fleet of delivery vehicles. For more information on our Christmas selection please contact us: Tel: 0844 844 4300 Email: response@alliancenational.co.uk
ChristmasTimeUK ChristmasTimeUK is one of the oldest, independently owned seasonal décor suppliers in the UK. Creating, sourcing, and delivering custom-made festive products and seasonal decor to homes and businesses. Imagine Christmas 365 days a year. In reality, with us, it is! ChristmasTimeUK offer over 10,000 different products, all currently available in our UK warehouse. Including Christmas Decorations, Tree Decorations, Commercial Christmas Lights and more.Please feel free to give the team at ChristmasTimeUK a call on: 01427 667 270 Or visit our website: christmastimeuk.com - Let us show you that there is only one man who knows Christmas better than us.
Firtree Chocolate Firetree cocoa beans are sourced from the world’s most remote, tropical volcanic islands. Firetree chocolate has a range of cocoa strengths, from 69% through to 100%. Firetree Chocolate is available in 25g and 65g bars. Include our luxury chocolate in your finest rooms, a wonderful ‘thank you’ for your guests and the perfect way to celebrate the festive period. Firetree chocolate is dairy-free, nut free, Vegan, Halal and Kosher. Discover our range at firetreechocolate.com To discuss pricing and to receive a free presentation pack, contact us at info@firetreechocolate.com 36 || Luxury BnB || October 2021
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Christmas Must Haves
Seasons Outlet Seasons is one of the leading Christmas Decorations Outlets located in South Wales. With more than 10,000 products online and available for next day delivery, including the latest Christmas lights, Garlands, Artificial Trees, Decorations and so much more! Transform your B&B or hotel into a winter wonderland. Whether you want to create a traditional festive display or a modern contemporary scene you will discover everything under one roof. A spectacular shopping experience awaits instore or online. For all your enquiries, please contact us: Tel: 01656 723399 Email: sales@seasonsoutlet.co.uk URL: www.christmasdecorationsoutlet.co.uk Store: Unit 9 Parc-y-bont, Aneurin Bevan Avenue, Brynmenyn Industrial Estate, Bridgend, CF32 9SZ
Master of Malt
Siabann
Master of Malt Trade is a one-stop shop for incredible drinks this Christmas, offering competitive prices on over 10,000 products, including whisky, gin, rum, beer and wine. The benefits of working with Master of Malt Trade: Competitive prices - on thousands of spirits, mixers, beers & wines. Free delivery - To UK mainland on orders over £200+VAT. Fast service - Next-day delivery if ordered before 18:00. No minimum order - One bottle or hundreds, we’ve got you covered! Expert advice - We will set you up with a WSET-trained managed account. Contacts: Tel. +44(0)1892882555 Email: trade@masterofmalt.com URL: www.masterofmalt.com/trade
Christmas is a lovely time to touch base with your favourite & most loyal guests . A little gift arriving through the post will make their day and keep your property in their mind, every time they use it. Our handmade, vegan products make perfect little guest gifts - a lip balm or a hand cream is a festive treat to thank them for their custom and support. Drop me an email to discuss the possibilities: fiona@siabann.com www.luxurybnbmag.com
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Bethnal Bec &
This is a column for owners, by owners. Vicky and Chris Saynor designed and created Bethnal&Bec Luxury Staycations, a true homegrown family business.
Vicky
A column for owners, by owners
Planning ahead for the Christmas season
As I look out of the window, the rain is pouring; my tomato plants are struggling to stay upright against the wind and I believe the heating has just come on. Perfect weather for tackling the next task: planning and ordering - for the 'C' word.... no, not that C word... Christmas! As much as I love Christmas in our family, it's an expensive time. This is why I start planning early - it allows me to save money! As a business hell bent on sustainability, I'm keen not to buy plastic and single use items. We also don't go overboard with decorations - opting for the 'less is more' approach, and stylish, sustainable options. We all know that prices increase dramatically for anything Chrismassy after October 31st, so here’s some of the things I do for my festive preparations:
City chic meets countryside cool, in a stylish yet cosy home-fromhome setting. For grownups only, and maybe the dog too – escape to your own luxury rural retreat with everything you need to relax.
FB: Bethnal & Bec IN: @bethnalandbec www.bethnalandbec. com
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#1
Look at what I put up last year and deciding what to reuse, update or enhance
#2
Look what I can use from our garden to create natural plant and flower wreaths
#3
Look at the August sales to see if I can find anything I want to use such as more candles, wooden christmas decs, wreath displays and spray paint
#4
Look at eco-friendly Christmas trees by renting a real tree from a British farm. ‘Love a Christmas tree’ offers real Nordmann Firs delivered to your door from their Leicestershire family farm from £20.
#5
I'll check fairy lights and buy batteries (batteries increase threefold during december!!)
#6
I've decided to start using vinyl (reusable) lettering on our windows and doors with personalised messages and branded designs. I've ordered this now so it's here ready for me to apply on December 1st, and one less thing to think about
#7
We have a varied client base - many religions, backgrounds & ages, so we're respectful of the terminology we use for messages and displays. We tend to say 'Jolly Holidays' etc instead of 'Happy Christmas'! Which keeps it open and welcoming to everyone.
#8
I'll also start to contact our local suppliers and start discussing their Christmas products and launches
#9
Early ordering can mean better negotiating power
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December fun - Create a list of festive activities happening locally for your guests to enjoy
I'm also writing to all magazine editors looking for Christmas Gift ideas. For us we want to promote vouchers as the perfect gift for someone that's hard to buy for, or loves to take UK holidays. The leg work needs to be done now, as press work a minimum 3 months ahead of publication. Vouchers are a great gift idea, and this year I'm creating pre-printed vouchers on beautiful paper embedded with wildflower seeds. The plan is to post them, so the recipient has something tangible, and to plant and remember after their stay. Personalisation is becoming so important to consumers, and our industry can make memories for people - so let's embrace it! Merry Holidays!
Chris
EV chargers - a future necessity for accommodation providers
Our eldest daughter has just turned 16 and thanks to covid we celebrated by cancelling her birthday party and going for PCR tests instead - but that’s another story. In 12 months time we will be booking driving lessons for her and we are seriously considering persuading her to only learn for an automatic license. Being someone who did not learn to drive until they were in their 30’s, I can still remember the crunching of gears, and the “bunny hopping” of my clutch control. I think I would have loved learning to drive an automatic and being able to forgo all the extra stress that a manual car gives the learner driver. But what’s this got to do with EV chargers? Well, all electric cars are automatic, and while our daughter’s first car may not be electric, it is highly likely her 2nd or 3rd cars will be. This is a scenario that’s going to be in many people’s minds, and not just 17 year olds. Many of your guest’s next car, or the one after next will be electric. For the accommodation owner, providing an EV charger in the near future will be a no brainer. By 2025 it is predicted that half of all new cars sold in the UK will be electric, by 2030 it will be 100%. The 2020 figure was already as high as 15%. So even though only 1% of current vehicles in the UK are electric, the numbers are growing. Speak to an electric car owner and you will quickly discover that in www.luxurybnbmag.com
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CONTRIBUTOR || BETHNAL & BEC
#10
the vast majority of cases, they will only book accommodation that provides an EV charger. “No EV charger, no booking.” It’s as simple as that; and while currently you may only be missing out on a tiny number of bookings, this will not be the case in the coming years. Plus it boosts your environmental credentials, which are also becoming an important consideration for potential guests. We are converting our last stable into our third self catering property and had always planned to install an EV charger, but we were still “pleasantly” surprised to see that one of the conditions of our planning permission was compulsory EV chargers. So if you are planning developments to expand your business, then be prepared that an EV charger may be compulsory. That all sounds good I hear you say, but what are the practicalities, and more importantly how much is it going to cost me?
1. There are £350 installation grants available, but be aware that you need to have an Electric Car, or be a business registered at Companies House. Installation could also cost more than £350 depending on the location of your EV charger 2. EV chargers are easy to order and can be picked up or delivered within 24 hours 3. Prices range from £400 £2,000, plus installation 4. There are 3 speeds/power of charger affecting how fast you can charge. The fastest is 22kw but only a few cars can actually take this power, and you must have a three phase power supply that very few domestic properties have 5. You can pay more for your EV charger to include the ability to take payment, but this will cost an extra £1,000 on average. 6. A lot of EV chargers work via an app that will unlock the charger for specific users.This stops anyone stealing your electricity and also allows you to see when guests have used it.
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LBNB EBOOK || CHAPTER 4B
GETTING STARTED IN HOLIDAY RENTALS
Chapter 4B For each issue in 2021, we will be serialising a section of our Luxury BnB E-Book for those looking to set up their own hospitality business. By Abbey Warne and Dominic Johnson
Welcome to Chapter 4B of our new ebook series on how to set up your own holiday rental. This chapter will introduce you to setting jobs and responsibilities, staffing and emergency planning. This chapter will explain how to assign jobs and responsibilities to your staff, general information on staffing, as well as how you should plan for emergencies.
EMERGENCY PLANNING This section will introduce you to planning for emergencies and includes examples of emergency situations, who should be your emergency contact, as well as looking at risk assessments.
Examples of Emergency Plans (FIRE): • • • •
Marking the fire exits clearly Numbers to call Fire extinguishers Designated meeting/check points
Emergency Contacts
2B: Further Financial Considerations
If your property is closeby, you will be the emergency contact and so you only need to consider who will be the emergency contact for times when you are away. However, you might live far away or be too busy to deal with urgent situations and so you need a good and trusted person on hand to step up. Make sure whoever is staying with you, or whatever staff you have on shift, always know who to contact in an emergency.
3A: OPERATIONS - Provisions, Access and Storage
Think about:
Contents: 1A: Intro to holiday rentals 1B: Intro to financial considerations 2A: Business Plans & Legal Entity
• 3B: INTERIORS - Furnishings and Tech 4A: Booking operations >> 4B: Management - staff & planning • 5: Checklists •
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What could happen and what happens when things go wrong? Everything goes wrong in time, which means you need to plan for this so you don’t ruin someone's holiday. Consider things such as leaving toilet plungers and spare light bulbs Try and get a local or neighbour to act as an emergency contact Consider what can go wrong and what your guests will do about it. It is important to put a plan into place
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AGENCY OR SELF MANAGED? Traditional agencies: • A traditional agency (e.g. https://www. bramleyandteal.co.uk/) is a smaller team where you'd have personal & direct contact with them. • Reach can be smaller than an OTA but then the management process is often more personal. • If you feel you need a hand, talk to at least one agency. They often have extensive knowledge of the local area and holiday rentals. Get a list from other owners nearby, either directly or through a search engine
JOBS AND
RESPONSIBILITIES
This section will introduce you to the tasks and responsibilities you should assign to people working for you, from gardening to accounts.
SKILLS: Jobs are often split into soft and hard skills. Soft Skills Examples: Interior design and marketing.
Hard Skills Examples:
OTA (Online Travel Agents): • An OTA, like Booking.com, or AirBnB is a website with a much larger reach • The holiday maker has little or no personal contact with the agency. This DIY approach is carried across to the property owners. • Won't insist on an exclusivity deal, so it's possible to have a mix of solutions / agencies to market your property. Traditional
OTA
Fees
20-30%
3-20%
Personal Contact
It depends on the size of the agency but is generally higher.
Email only. Contact via a team.
Marketing Reach
Variable but as a whole tends to be more local
Some OTA’s are worth billions and this is reflected in their marketing spend.
Risk
Agency going out of business.
They set the rules for us to follow. For example, Booking. com started at a 5% commission and now charge 20%.
Maintenance and tax returns
Table of Jobs: For each job, you need to define who is responsible for it and who is going to be carrying it out: You, Partner, Outside staff (Name) or a company or agency. Here are some examples of the jobs you should be considering and how you should plan out assigning them:
Biased treatment of other clients, smaller reach. Some agencies focus on selling the easy dates but don’t have a strategy for the more difficult periods of rental.
An over-reliance on one particular OTA is a large risk as they will be setting the terms of your business.
•
Renovation, maintenance and gardening
•
Marketing (split this into sections)
•
Customer Support / Bookings
•
Cleaning and washing
•
Check in / Check out
•
Accounts / Book Keeping
•
Legal, Admin & Tax
Options: • You do everything from marketing, customer service through to tax returns. • You do everything operational and but use a combo of advertising and OTAs to market your property. • You hand over everything to an agency.
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LBNB EBOOK || CHAPTER 4B
WOW FACTOR / GUEST JOURNEY Our final section will explain exactly what you should consider to add to the ‘wow factor’ of stays at your Bed and Breakfast, that will make guests want to come back.
What is a 'guest journey'? Putting yourself in the place of a customer and following their journey through the stay. It's a well-known and common tool used by marketers to iron out any issues.
Example: •
•
STAFF This section will introduce you to some key points on staffing that you should consider, such as making sure that you hire a good cleaner to keep your B&B looking at its best. Consider the following: •
• •
•
A good cleaner / turnover staff i) It depends on your personal situation as you might want to take this on yourself but you can always choose to hire someone Take photographs and written descriptions of the key interiors i) E.g. how you would like a bed to be made up Booking and customer service support i) Consider how you want them to appear to the guest. Guests often like a personal connection to the owners as it gives it a more special and unique feel. Bed and Breakfast Coach Advice i) Yvonne Halling, Bed and Breakfast Coach, believes that removing the owners faces/story from the website makes it more professional. ii) However, this would depend on your business and audience. Sometimes the story and faces of the owners is a unique selling point and can help make a guest’s stay more homely and personal. iii) There are many training programmes and businesses coaches for you to look into
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•
One owner used to work her way through the guest experience and go from parking her car, picking up keys and following all the steps a customer would take when entering the property. At each stage, she asked, “Are there any demons?" and "What improvements could we make here?” Examples could include a welcome pack here, a plant there, wood for the fire that's easy to fetch.
What is a 'WOW factor'? Your wow factor will depend on you and your property. You can use anything that is slightly unique or personal to you and your story or the story of the business.
Example: •
•
One owner described the wow factor she wanted to create, similar to putting on a performance at a theatre when the curtains go back. Monkstadt 1745 is a B&B on the Isle of Skye which heavily emphasises their ties to the history of their building and location. One (of many) of the things they do is they have a piece of original stonework in one of their main doorways. This has a big chunk in it and was originally used to sharpen knives/ swords.
SUMMARY OF CHAPTER 4B That brings this chapter to an end, which introduced you to the jobs and responsibilities you should assign, information on staff, emergency planning and the wow factor/guest journey. The next chapter (5A) will introduce you to information on income/outgoings, configuration/ capacity, the market/competition, finance, property, renovations, storage and furnishings. www.luxurybnbmag.com
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Seamless integration with Profitroom Booking Engine 360
Conversion focused design
User-friendly Content Management System
Tailored business critical modules
Prepared for SEO activities
Fully responsive design
To learn how a new website can take your business to the next level email contact@profitroom.com
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B
Pumpkin Pancakes
Our Editor, Juliet, has been surfing the internet to find a fabulous seasonal recipe that you can try from the comfort of your own kitchen! Try your hand at these autumnal pumpkin pancakes from BBC GoodFood!
Image & Recipe from BBC GoodFood
*LBNB take no credit for creating this recipe. All credit and copyright goes to BBC GoodFood.
Ingredients
• • • • • • • • • •
250g pumpkin or squash, peeled, deseeded and chopped into large chunks 2 eggs 3 tbsp light brown soft sugar 25g butter , melted, plus a little for cooking 125ml buttermilk (or use the same quantity of milk, with a squeeze of lemon juice) 200g plain flour 2½ tsp baking powder 1 tsp ground cinnamon drizzle of flavourless oil , such as sunflower or groundnut, for frying Ice cream , to serve, or yoghurt or crème fraîche
For the salted pecan butterscotch: • • • • •
50g pecans , roughly chopped 50g butter 50g light brown soft sugar 1 tsp sea salt flakes 100ml double cream
Recipe Tips For perfectly round pancakes, transfer your batter to a piping bag and snip off a large opening. Squeeze the mixture straight into the pan. You can freeze the batter in the piping bag, but add an extra 1/2 tsp baking powder to the mix first. Defrost overnight in the fridge before cooking.
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Step 1
A r
Put the pumpkin or squash in a large heatproof bowl, add 1 tbsp water, cover with cling film and microwave on High for 5-8 mins or until really soft – different types will take a varying amount of time. Drain the pumpkin well and cool completely. If you want to eat the pancakes for breakfast, this step is best done the night before.
A •
Step 2
a
Once cool, put the pumpkin in a food processer with the remaining pancake ingredients and add a good pinch of salt. Blend until everything is well combined to a smooth, thick batter (alternatively, mash the pumpkin well, then whisk in the remaining ingredients). Transfer to a jug or piping bag and set aside while you make the butterscotch sauce.
A
Step 3
Toast the pecans in a saucepan for 1-2 mins until a shade darker. Tip out and set aside. Add the butter, sugar, salt and cream to the pan. Bring to a simmer, then bubble gently for a few mins until you have a shiny sauce. Stir in the pecans and set aside to cool a little.
Step 4 Heat a knob of butter and a drizzle of oil in a large frying pan. Heat oven to 140C/120C fan/gas 1, to keep the pancakes warm while you cook them in batches – have a baking tray to hand. When the butter is foaming, swirl it around the pan, then pour tennis-ballsized amounts of batter into the pan – they will spread a little as they cook, so leave some space between each pancake and don’t overcrowd the pan. Cook over a low-medium heat. Don’t touch the pancakes until you see a few bubbles appear on the surface – have a look underneath and, if the pancakes are golden, flip them over and cook for another 2 mins on the other side. Transfer the cooked pancakes to the baking tray and keep warm in the oven while you continue cooking.
Step 5 Once cooked, pile the pancakes onto plates, top with ice cream, yogurt or crème fraîche, and pour over the salted pecan butterscotch sauce
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Bed and Breakfast Insurance
Adrian Flux is one of the leading specialist home insurance brokers in the UK and one of only a few offering a full range of bed & breakfast insurance cover for B&B's. Our policies are tailored to your specific requirements.
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Aerial
Photography with Neil Fraser
Is aerial photography right for you and your property?
Neil Fraser is a professional photographer of interiors, architecture and design. His passion for high quality imagery has taken him all over the world. His work has featured in a number of magazines, reports, brochures and various marketing materials. Can't afford a professional photographer? Neil has a wealth of knowledge concerning holiday home photography. Neil will be contributing to the next few magazines to provide insight and experience to help you with your own holiday home photography skills.
Aerial photos of your property can’t fail to be impressive right? It’s so different and gives a great idea of the layout. However there are a few traps that you can fall into when commissioning this kind of work. Ask yourself: "Is your property situated in an area that lends itself to aerial shots?" By their very nature, aerial shots are wide and take in a lot of the surrounding area, so you’ll need to think about a few things: • Remember that the whole of the outside area will be in the shot, so you’ll need to tidy and remove any vehicles from the driveway. • Do you have neighbours near by? What is the state of their property? I recently shot a converted horse box that looked, in the photos, like it was all on it’s own in the middle of no-where. In fact it was in a paddock at the back of the owners house and the neighbouring farm was building a large extension. The owner requested that I take some aerial shots but there was no way of doing so without showing either the building site just over the hedge or the owner’s house just down the
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end of the field. The areal shots would have ruined the image they were trying to convey. Are you situated close to a main road or railway track? In the past I have shot a beautiful modern barn conversion with bi-fold doors and garden that backs out straight on to the Sussex South Downs with amazing views. However on the other side of the house was a big fence another row of houses, a railway line and then the A27. So there was no way of getting an aerial shot of the back of the house with the South Downs in the background due to the fence. If I’d shot it from the front, you would see how close the trains and traffic were due to the height. Time of year is also a consideration. It’s always nice to have summery shots, however if your property is situated under the canopy of large trees it’s probably not possible to get a shot in the middle of the summer due to not being able to see it for the trees. You may have to wait until the winter when there are no leaves. Winter sunshine can also look lovely.
FB: Neil Fraser Interiors Photography IN: @neilfraserinteriorsphotos www.nfp.photo
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The do's and don'ts of using video to enhance property marketing...
Another tempting element to marketing your property is video. It can look amazing and convey so much atmosphere when done well. However there are some definite things to avoid when putting a video together. • When preparing for a video shoot it's even more important to ensure that your property is clean, tidy and well staged. It’s not as easy to hide things from a moving camera and if you accidentally leave something in shot that you don’t want to be there it can’t just be photoshopped out in post production. • Shooting a usable promotional video for yourself is not an easy thing to do well. It demands a lot of expensive equipment to get smooth shots. However with the advent of professional stills cameras having the capability to shoot 4K video there are many more professionals who can supply video because stills photographers are now branching out into moving image. Having said that, it is possible to take short promotional videos on your phone for social media updates. These don’t need to look too professional as
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long as your content is fun, engaging and not trying to show off absolutely everything. Keep it short! When looking through promotional videos for businesses, I have seen a vast array of quality. Videos need to be short and punchy. Any longer than 1.5 minutes is too long and you’d be well advised to keep it down to a minute in length. Attention spans are much shorter than you think. There is a reason Instagram & TikTok have a one minute limit. I have, in the past, seen videos on websites that go on for 10 minutes or more. No one is going to sit and watch something that length! Having a video that size on your website is not only pointless but can slow the sites loading speed, which means that less people will wait for your site to load. If you have a large property with a lot of amenities and features there is no reason why you can’t have separate short videos showing each of the selling points. These also double up as quality content for social media. Editing is so important. The key to keeping a video short and punchy is in the editing. Make sure you take a good
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look at videographers show reels. Some could shoot beautiful footage, but if the editing is no good then the video will drag. If you find yourself losing interest while watching it, your potential customers will too. Include people in your videos! Endless pans of empty rooms, no matter how beautiful they are, can only hold your attention for so long. As soon as you include people enjoying the place then the video will come to life and be so much more interesting. If you can include a story line for your video, even better. Show a day in the life of a family enjoying the facilities. Maybe cooking a family meal or going for a walk in the surrounding area. Or a couple on a romantic get away snuggling up on the sofa with a glass of wine or relaxing in the hot tub. As soon as you put a narrative into your video you will help potential customers will relate and aspire to staying. As soon as you have done that then you have their attention.
CONTRIBUTOR || NEIL FRASER
Videography
August 2021 || Luxury BnB || 45
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IN PROFILE || HOSTING A COSY CHRISTMAS
Video Marketing with Yvonne Halling
What’s the best way to use video to market my business? Yvonne Halling is the awardwinning founder of Bed and Breakfast Coach. com and creator of the B&B Money Maker Business Transformation program. In 2001, Yvonne opened her B&B in the Champagne region of France, running her B&B for 17 years. She now offers owners and managers in the B&B industry helpful training and masterclasses. Join Yvonne's Facebook group at: http://bit.ly/ BandBgroup You can email Yvonne at yvonne@ yvonnehalling. com FB: Yvonne Halling TW: @yvonne3030 IN: @bedandbreakfastcoach bedandbreakfastcoach.com
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Video can be used in so many ways. As with all marketing, your first question will be “What do I want this to do for me?” I see lots of owners posting random stuff, so let’s start with 'purpose' in mind. When you know what you want your video to do, you can then create specifically. So let’s look at 3 ways you can use video to market your business. (If you want to find out more, I have a free report on this and you can download it for free here: https://bit.ly/LBBMvideo)
Video#1 Show your personality The easiest way to present yourself online is to shoot a quick video telling us who you are and where you’re based. This only needs to be 30 seconds long and doesn’t need anything more than you and your phone. You don’t need to invest in any equipment for this to work. Hold your camera in the landscape position (sideways), press 'record' and speak. The first one probably won't be very good, so keep trying until you get something you like. Here’s one I did from my garden, just to demonstrate: https://youtu.be/xa4tVJc6T70 When you’re happy, you can use your video in several different places. You could put it on your website, Facebook, Instagram, and even on YouTube. You could also send the video link to your email database Video works on so many different levels, and is extremely under-used in our industry.
Video#2 Show-casing your area I love using video to get “up close and personal” with potential guests. One of my favourite ways to do this is to become a “reporter” for your area.
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Go out on location and tell us about the main attractions using your phone to video yourself. You are the “expert”, allowing viewers to experience the local area. Being on camera also helps to build trust and goodwill with potential guests, making it easier to attract more direct bookings. Here’s Patti from Brae House, Aberfeldy demonstrating this for you: https://youtu.be/Kz6aaHXYPYA
Video#3 A Christmas message Instead of your usual Christmas newsletter, record a video (a bit like the Queen!) and speak directly into the camera to thank your guests for booking with you this year. Choose to sit somewhere that will remind your guests of their stay to entice them to rebook. I hope I’ve given you some ideas on how to use video, and that you’ll go out and start creating. Your guests, past, present and future will love you for it. If you’d like to join our lively, international Facebook Group for more help and advice to grow your business, use this link: http://bit.ly/BandBgroup Video works on so many different levels, and is extremely under-used in our industry, so just have a go and see what happens.
Would you like to join Yvonne for a live, online Q&A on Video Marketing? Sign up here: luxurybnbmag.com/yvonne_oct21 www.luxurybbmag.co.uk www.luxurybnbmag.com
22/09/2021 14:42
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CLASSIFIED DIRECTORY Bathroom Amenities & Products
A BUYERS GUIDE Bed & Breakfast Insurance
Furniture Supplies
Established in 2004, Let Us Furnish provides a wide range of furniture solutions for your property. We are a professional supplier and installer of furniture packages that include bedroom furniture, beds and mattresses, sofas and chairs, dining sets, living room furniture, electrical goods and homewares.
www.letusfurnish.co.uk Home Decoration & Personalised Maps
Hotel Management Software
Luxury Towels Bathrobes & Footwear
Give your property the Wow Factor with a stunning wallmap of your area. Present-day and Vintage OS Maps of any area on made-to-measure wallpapers, canvases, ceramic tiles, glass splashbacks and more. An amazing addition to any Guest House or Hotel. lovemapson.com
PROPERTIES FOR SALE
MULBERRY INN 18 en suite letting bedrooms Restaurant: 60 | Private dining: 20 cover Bar & resident's lounge: 50+ covers Net turnover YE 2020: £608,699 Planning consent for 4-6 additional bedrooms Excellent condition throughout. Energy Rating C Tel: +44 161 833 6912 Email: tom.omalley@christie.com
CROFT MILL SERVICED APARTMENTS Established lifestyle serviced apartment business located in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire. Twelve, 2 Bedroom Serviced Apartments | Additional 2 bedroom apartments may become available but would be subject to new leases | Owners 2 bedroom apartment available to rent or buy | Offers in region of £205,000 www.croftmill.com | Tel: 01422846836 50 || Luxury BnB || October 2021
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