Frictionless Innkeeper Podcast
65 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 1 month ago -Interesting interviews with innkeepers and lodging experts, aimed to improve the challenging life of the independent innkeeper and lodging professional.
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Episodes
015: Brian Coleman, GM of the Biltmore Greensboro Hotel, Discusses His Service Mentality
June 25, 2019 16:00 - 38 minutes - 35.1 MBThe southern United States has some of the most interesting and colorful aspects of our nation’s history. The Biltmore Greensboro is a prime example of a property that took on many lives – from being an office, apartment building and even a location for making illegal moonshine. In the 1960s, the property underwent a facelift and became the Greenwich Inn with female and male quarters. For every two male guests, they had a butler and there was a maid for every two female guests. The propert...
014: Rob Fulton, CEO of AIHP, Discusses the Recent AIHP Summit and the Overall State of B&B Industry
June 07, 2019 14:00 - 24 minutes - 22.1 MBThe Association of Independent Hospitality Professionals (AIHP) is a nonprofit organization that represents, supports, educates, and advocates for independent hospitality professionals to enhance their personal satisfaction and business success. Founded in 2015, AIHP has seen phenomenal growth over the last four years with Rob Fulton as its CEO and continues to gain traction as a key voice for independent lodging. In 2018, the organization issued its in-depth “B&B’s UNBOUND – The State of ...
013: Peter MacLaren, Owner and Operator of the West Hill House B&B, Discusses Ingredients for Being an Award-Winning Property
May 14, 2019 19:00 - 30 minutes - 27.5 MBThe secret sauce to being an award-winning B&B often comes down to a wide-range of ingredients. From achieving positive online reviews due to continually pleasing guests to becoming heavily involved in area chambers of commerce to being environmentally friendly, the West Hill House B&B checks off all of the boxes. As a result, the Vermont Chamber of Commerce recently named Peter MacLaren the 2019 “Innkeeper of the Year.” This is quite a tremendous accolade because there are more than 400 B...
012: Tim Piper, B&B Expert with The Hearthside Group, Discusses Realities of Buying and Selling a Property
April 03, 2019 21:00 - 35 minutes - 32.1 MBWhen getting into the B&B business, it’s all too easy to get caught up into the romantic vision of being an innkeeper in a bucolic place far away from the hectic pace that dominates life in major urban areas. To be an aspiring innkeeper, the key is understanding if this business model actually works for you, and if so, develop the right strategies for ensuring long-term success. By taking off the “rose-colored” glasses, prospective innkeepers understand the realities behind running a succe...
011: Wendy Collins, Co-Owner of The Mission Inn, Discusses Her “High-Tech, High-Touch” Approach to Guest Satisfaction
March 04, 2019 14:30 - 28 minutes - 26.4 MBAs with other corporate professionals entering the innkeeper arena, there is much to be drawn from prior work experiences that can help to differentiate a property on many levels. For Wendy Collins and Laura Shaddock, this means fully leveraging technology for both pleasing guests, and effectively running The Mission Inn. After acquiring the property in 2016, Wendy and Laura quickly automated pre- and post-stay emails that provide insights on their favorite events around town, and encour...
010: Kenni Ball, Hired Innkeeper for the Wallingford Victorian Inn, Discusses Her Role as an Outsourced Employee
February 06, 2019 14:00 - 24 minutes - 22.6 MBWhile we assume that all innkeepers own and operate their properties, there are B&Bs out there that rely on outsourced talent to manage the day-to-day work. This is the case with the Wallingford Victorian Inn, which is a property that is taking advantage of a talented young professional who has a deep passion for hospitality and pleasing guests. For the past two years, Kenni Ball (who is currently 25 years-old) has managed the property for the owners, but she is not your run-of-the-mill ...
009: Isabelle Chicoine and Karim Houry, Owners of the Woodstocker B&B, Discuss Their Property Selection Process and Transition to Being Innkeepers in New England
January 24, 2019 19:00 - 36 minutes - 33.4 MBIn having conversations with other innkeepers, we have learned that property owners can come from a variety of professional backgrounds, and some bring a wide range of business experiences that can be leveraged successfully in the B&B arena. Former marketing communications and financial services executives, Isabelle and Karim Houry are great examples of this. When these professionals decided to leave the corporate world but weren’t sure what type of business to pursue, they took a business...
008: Linda Smith, Owner and Operator of Rachael’s Dowry Bed & Breakfast, Discusses Airbnb Legislation in Baltimore
December 20, 2018 20:00 - 34 minutes - 31.9 MBInnkeepers often come from diverse backgrounds and Linda Smith is a prime example of a professional who underwent the transformation to becoming an innkeeper, bringing with her a high level of business savvy. As a former telecommunications executive, her previous experience provides her with the skills to effectively market and manage her property, as well as to help influence legislation to positively impact her industry. She has been involved with the recent legislation in Baltimore that...
007: Elaine Herbert, Owner and Operator of the Yelton Manor, Discusses Why Millennials Are Her Ideal Guests
November 07, 2018 15:00 - 35 minutes - 32.3 MBA major component for developing a brand vision for any inn comes down to determining your ideal guest demographic. While it may sound cliché, different generations have personality traits, spending power, and guest preferences when they stay at independent properties. Elaine Herbert finds that Millennial guests at the Yelton Manor Bed & Breakfast are ideal. She feels that these guests are trouble-free, respect policies and boundaries, and are warm and friendly overall. Conversely, she fee...
006: Elaine Herbert, Owner and Operator of the Yelton Manor, Discusses How Airbnb Has Ruined Communities Worldwide
October 18, 2018 21:00 - 25 minutes - 23.3 MBThe impact of Airbnb on both innkeepers and their communities is not always apparent to most people, since much of the media focuses on how larger hoteliers deal with this competitive landscape. The reality is that Airbnb can negatively affect innkeepers and communities throughout the world. As Elaine highlights in this podcast interview, the home-sharing provider has both challenged her B&B’s ability to thrive and had dire consequences on her community of South Haven, Michigan, where she ...
005: Debbi Fotsh, Owner and Operator of Woodridge B&B, Discusses Challenges Innkeepers Face with OTAs
October 09, 2018 03:00 - 34 minutes - 31.3 MBFor many innkeepers, dealing with OTAs can be both a blessing and a curse. While these channels can help provide more booking opportunities, they often come with a price, which includes high commissions, lack of direct access to guest information, a slow payment cycle, and bookings coming from fraudulent credit cards. On a more positive note, OTAs have the marketing resources and guest search traffic to help enhance overall bookings – especially during slower times of the year. Debbi has a...
004: Tom Werman, Owner of Stonover Farm, Discusses Transition from Legendary Rock ‘n’ Roll Producer to Innkeeper
October 07, 2018 23:00 - 31 minutes - 28.4 MBInnkeepers are often very interesting people, with many having previous careers that make the most exciting of corporate jobs seem mundane. Tom Werman, the owner and operator of Stonover Farm in Lenox, Mass., is a prime example of this type of innkeeper. He is a former A&R record executive – who produced 52 albums – and is associated with some of the biggest names in rock ‘n’ roll that include Cheap Trick, Boston, Ted Nugent, Mötley Crüe, and REO Speedwagon. In the early 1990s, the music...
003: Jim Belote, Owner of The Beall Mansion, Discusses Secrets to Running an Award-Winning Property
September 11, 2018 14:00 - 32 minutes - 29.8 MBBeing named one of the top B&Bs in the U.S. is an accolade that most property owners strive to achieve. The Beall Mansion, an Elegant Bed & Breakfast Inn, is the prime example of a B&B that continually tops these types of annual lists. Recently, HotelsCombined awarded the property the 2018 HotelsCombined Recognition of Excellence, which is based on achieving the highest rankings on customer satisfaction through customer opinions online. Based on an analysis of more than 1,000,000 hotels ...
002: Christine Boeke, Owner of Westcott House Bed & Breakfast, Shares Her Story of Becoming an Innkeeper After a High-Profile Media Career
September 06, 2018 14:00 - 19 minutes - 18.1 MBMany innkeepers have backgrounds in the corporate world and make the leap to owning a B&B as a means to finding a more fulfilling way to make a living. The idea behind the 80s hit TV show Newhart follows this very premise. Christine Boeke, the owner of the Westcott House B&B in Hudson, NY, fits this bill perfectly. Coming from a high-profile career in media and marketing with Newsweek and CBS, she decided to make a career-switch to being an innkeeper about four years ago. This has enabled ...
001: Michelle Heurung, Owner of the Lamberson Guest House, Tells Her Story of Tragedy and Triumph
June 21, 2018 14:00 - 49 minutes - 45.3 MBLiving the dream of opening and operating a B&B comes with many exciting challenging and life-changing opportunities – many that are completely unexpected. As the owner of Lamberson Guest House, a bed and breakfast in Galena, Illinois, a historic town with 32 B&Bs and a large Main Street area that has a diverse offering of local restaurants, shops, and other attractions, Michelle Heurung’s story is truly remarkable. Having opened her B&B about 18 months ago, Michelle is relatively new to...