Mike Rohde and Pat Daniels at the William Miller House in Richmond, Virginia run a beautiful bed and breakfast, which they want to let everyone experience. From delicious food to making your trip an exciting adventure and retreat from daily life, a stay at the William Miller House sounds like just what the doctor ordered. I had the opportunity to interview Mike and ask him a few questions about how he got into the innkeeping business and what works in the industry as well as what does not.

We aren’t off in the country; we are in the middle of it all. A trip to our bed and breakfast will be relaxing but it will also be an active, vibrant experience…

Q:   What made you decide to turn the house into a bed and breakfast?
A:   When we were both working in the corporate world we traveled a lot and we love to stay in bed and breakfasts. We decided we wanted to retire early and take what we had learned from our years of experience and apply it to something new.

Q:   What’s unique about your inn?
A:   It’s a “walking inn,” once you check in you don’t have to use a car to get around. We are located where there is easy access to public transportation or you can walk to most any of the sites. There are over 25 different restaurants and the capital within walking distance. It is a great way to experience the city and relax without driving all over to see and do things.

Q:   What is your signature breakfast?
A:   We like to call our breakfast a “full hearty gourmet breakfast.” No one will walk away from this meal hungry. We serve breakfast on our collection of platters we have gathered in our world travels. There are two breakfasts that could be considered signature, which are the Monet French toast and poached eggs over grit cakes with a chipotle cream sauce.

Q:   What saying or motto do you absolutely live by?
A:   We like to call ourselves “your home away from home.” The real tagline we use most often is “Come back to the middle of it all” since we are located in the city. But we really want our guests to feel when they come here they’re at home or an extension of their home. However, when they come here they can really take advantage of all that there is to do and also release themselves from the daily grind. We aren’t off in the country; we are in the middle of it all. A trip to our bed and breakfast will be relaxing but it will also be an active, vibrant experience, no listening to crickets, there’s a lot to take advantage of here.

Q:   What would you say is the best thing you’ve done for your business?
A:   Really concentrating on the fact that “breakfast” is half of our name. I spend a lot of time researching recipes and making sure we deliver a high quality breakfast. We want our guests to try something new. I am the chef and I love to incorporate foods and styles from around the world. France has become a home away from home for us and whenever we are there I am always looking for new ingredients and new recipes. I like to find a great recipe, not even necessarily a breakfast item, and turn it into a gourmet breakfast dish.

Q:   What would you do over if you had a time machine?
A:   Currently we only have two rooms but I wish I could go back to when we were renovating for the inn and add on two more rooms. When we did the renovations we did an addition onto the house that is a single story and we could have easily put a second story on top of that for the additional rooms. At the time the bed and breakfast was just a thought, we didn’t really know we would be this successful. When you have a quality product people recognize that. We have been on and off the number one bed and breakfast on Trip Advisor for our area and we have a lot of returning guests. I just wish we were able to share our bed and breakfast with more people.

Q:   What did you do before you started your own business?
A:   We both worked in the corporate telecommunications industry for 30 years. We traveled a lot in the U.S. and the northeast New England area became one of our favorite spots to visit. We loved the quaint hometown feel.

Q:   What recent challenge have you overcome?
A:   There were a lot of challenges when we first opened. We had to apply for special use permits since the city of Richmond was a little old world when it came to bed and breakfasts. We were the second one in the city and it had been ten years since the first one opened. No one had the knowledge of what a bed and breakfast is and should be we had to do a lot of educating. We pioneered the process and now there are six more bed and breakfasts in the city.

Q:   What do you like to do in your free time when you’re not at work?
A:   I enjoy cooking a lot outside of work as well. I also consider myself quite the computer geek. I run several websites for local businesses and I also like to program and do web development.

Did you know?

The William Miller House in Richmond, Virginia is an urban inn located within city limits. A stone and marble cutter from New Jersey named William Miller built the house in 1869.  Pat Daniels and Mike Rohde bought the house in 1994 and lived there until 2000 when they opened the William Miller House as a bed and breakfast.

Petra Wiesenbauer and John Tucker the innkeepers of Hale Makamae Bed and Breakfast in Puna, Hawaii welcomed their first guests in November 2000. I was able to interview Petra about her and the inn and see how much she enjoys sharing the spirit of Hawaii with her guests. The comfort and enjoyment during their guests’ stay is of the utmost importance to them as they strive to make their guests’ Hawaii family vacation or romantic getaway as memorable and relaxing as possible. The details and the privacy of the suites reflect the sense of caring and Aloha that are extend to their guests. Even more, they warmly welcome families with children and are fully set up to accommodate them with an amazing bed and breakfast experience.  Petra was a very friendly person to interview with who really loves what she does. I can only imagine how great it would be to stay at Hale Makamae Bed and Breakfast.

The Bed and Breakfast is only minutes away from active hot lava plunging down the mountain and into the ocean, thermally heated hot ponds, and beautiful coastal parks…

Q:   Tell me about the location of your bed and breakfast?
A:   Hale Makamae Bed and Breakfast is located on the East side of the Big Island of Hawaii in the beautiful and tropical area of Puna, 30 minutes from Hilo (International Airport) and the Volcanoes National Park, and 5 minutes from Pahoa. The Bed and Breakfast is only minutes away from active hot lava plunging down the mountain and into the ocean, thermally heated hot ponds (Ahalanui Park), beautiful coastal parks (MacKenzie Park, Isaac Hale Park), Kapoho Tide Pools for snorkeling, Lava Tree Park, Kehena Black Sand Beach, old Kalapana (covered by lava in 1990), and steam vents in an area full of history. The charming town of Pahoa offers a selection of very good restaurants, stores, and galleries. Farmers’ Markets near Pahoa, Keaau, and Hilo display the island’s rich agricultural opulence with its fruits, vegetables, and beautiful flowers. The open markets are a great source to get original gifts and souvenirs from Hawaii Island artists and to experience the alternative flair of the Big Island.

Q: What is unique about your inn?
A: Our guests have absolute privacy in our three suites. Two of the suites have kitchenettes and dinning/living areas. All three have private bathrooms and separate entrances so guests don’t have to go through someone’s home or space to get to their room. We are also unique in that we welcome families with children of any age. With a family of our own we understand what families need and are completely equipped to accommodate their needs. The bed and breakfast is located on two acres of tropical gardens. As guests come into our Bed & Breakfast, they can immediately feel the warm island hospitality and atmosphere. Their visit at Hale Makamae Hawaii Bed & Breakfast with its tropical ambiance will be an experience that they will remember long after their time here. As I am originally from Germany we speak German and English and so we have many visitors from German speaking countries and Europe in general.

Q:   What is your signature breakfast?
A:   A wonderful gourmet island breakfast is served buffet style every morning at 8:30am in our cozy breezeway. Breakfast offers a variety of tropical fruits, meats, cheeses, egg dishes, cereals, jams, and breads. It’s a very plentiful spread that we provide including a main dish that changes daily two favorites are banana pancakes or our French toast. Kona coffee, tea, juice and milk complete the selection.

Q:   What motto do you absolutely live by?
A:   We openly share the Aloha and the beauty of the island of Hawaii. We feel strongly about supporting families and community. Being connected to the community here is very important to us. We work with many local vendors and all of our food is from local sources and farmers. We try to help our visitors to connect with this sense of community and the uniqueness of this special place. Serving and accommodating our guests to the best of our abilities has a very high priority to us.

Q:   What would you say is the best thing you’ve done for you business?
A:   The introduction of Reservation Nexus. I absolutely love the system and it has made a huge difference for our business. Last year we up-graded from the Basic Version to the Autopilot and I am actively using the marketing component with the follow-up and newsletter options and have achieved very good results with it. I have shared my online reservations convictions with many of our other B&B owners here on the island and we have just recently enrolled our Hawaii Island Bed & Breakfast Association with Association Alliance. The other important strategic decision that we made in the last couple of years was the introduction of credit cards. Keeping up with a good website is another fundamental part of our business plan. Most of our business comes through the internet and therefore it is absolutely vital to stay on top of it at all times. I am trying to use as many of the available tools as possible to track and promote our business. I am absolutely adamant about collecting people’s names and e-mail addresses. It all goes into our database and increases the pool of potential first or repeat customers.

Q:   What would you do over if you had a time machine?
A:   We should have started accepting credit cards much sooner. I was very reluctant about adding this new layer of bureaucracy, not realizing that is was actually quite simple. We started with Reservation Nexus in September 2009 and introduced credit cards a few months later. I wish I would have started both much earlier.

Q:   What did you do before you started your own business?
A:   I have an MBA and worked in the banking corporate world for many years. After moving from Germany, where I grew up, to Hawaii I started working for non-profits in the social services area. Then when our second child was born I left my employment and started my own non-profit consulting and grant writing business. Working from home was a great blessing for our family and especially for the development and growth of the B&B. I was now able to respond to inquiries immediately and could also spend more time in bonding with our guests. In the meantime the B&B has grown to a size, where I was no longer able to continue with the consulting work effectively. In the summer of 2010 I closed down the consulting business and I now focus on the B&B, family, house, garden and all the other things many of us do.

Q:   What do you like to do in your free time when you’re not working?
A:   I love to garden and do the upkeep of our two-acre gardens on the property. I also love to swim and spend time with my family and kids.

Did You Know?

The state of Hawaii consists of eight larger, populated islands (with the exception of the island of Kaho’olawe, which is not populated) and 124 small, uninhabited islands, reefs and atolls.  The state of Hawaii encompasses all of these islands except for Midway Atoll making it the widest state in the U.S. when measured east and west.  It is also the only U.S. state whose land area is increasing (from volcanic eruptions).

Laurel Parrott of the Kalamazoo House located in downtown Kalamazoo, Michigan was a delight to talk to and loves the Kalamazoo House. She and her husband Terry have a great desire to make every guest feel at home and make every trip a unique experience. Over the years before becoming owners Laurel had stayed at many bed and breakfasts and caught the bug to become an innkeeper herself. I had the unique opportunity to ask Laurel some questions about herself and the inn she has been running for the past three and a half years.

I constantly working on “don’t sweat the small stuff.” I haven’t mastered it yet – but it’s a great motto to live by.

Q:   What’s unique about your inn?
A:   We are located in a vibrant urban area very close to the theater and nightlife. Unlike many bed and breakfasts we are not in the countryside or a resort area, we are right in downtown. We love being in the city and sharing that with other people. This location is great because it caters to a romantic getaway, holiday travels, and business travelers. We get a lot of artists, musicians, and actors staying with us as well.

Q:   What is your signature breakfast?
A:   We serve a full cooked breakfast seven days a week with the guest’s choice of entrée and what time they eat. It’s pretty much all cook to order. We offer five or six entrées daily with several sweet and savory items. Two signature items are the banana nut crunch French toast and cheesy eggs Benedict.

Q:   What saying or motto do you absolutely live by?
A:   I constantly working on “don’t sweat the small stuff.” I haven’t mastered it yet but it’s a great motto to live by. I also have moved around a lot and love the saying “bloom where you are planted.”

Q:   What would you say is the best thing you’ve done for your business?
A:   When we purchased the house the bed and breakfast wasn’t being heavily promoted. We weren’t in many directories and the website didn’t get a lot of activity. Also, the reservation system was pen and paper. About six months after we bought the inn I got over my nerves of having an online reservation system and went with Reservation Nexus. The day after the system went live I wished I had done it sooner. We also updated the website and have gained a much stronger presence which has been an immense help to the inn.

Q:   What would you do over if you had a time machine?
A:   Not a lot. I would probably do some small things better now but I have learned from the past and keep moving forward.

Q:   What recent challenge have you overcome?
A:   We recently renovated a very large bathroom and painted the house during our busiest month. It was very chaotic but I am so please now that it’s over and I am thrilled with the results.

Q:   What did you do before you started your own business?
A:   Originally I worked in the hospitality industry in hotels as a meeting planner. I then took a detour and worked in education and educational research for many years.

Q:   What do you like to do in your free time when you’re not at work?
A:   I am always at work! But really I love to garden and read. Of course I love to travel and do so as often as I can. I also make stained glass and teach a few classes on making stained glass. I am also learning glass blowing right now. The inn is currently decorated in stained glass for the holidays but there are some permanent pieces around the inn. Someday, if things calm down, I would love to put some stained glass in every room.

Did you know?

The Victorian style Kalamazoo House was built in 1878 by the Lilianfels family who owned a large cigar company that was in the town. In the 1980’s the house was threatened to be torn down but local historical fanatics convinced the city to keep it as a historical bed and breakfast. Thus the Kalamazoo House was born.

Talking with Joe Lespier of the Annapolis Inn in Maryland was a real delight. To say he puts his heart into his work and life is an understatement. He does a great deal of service for guests by keeping his historic inn in its original state and serving a large breakfast each morning. In addition, he gives back to the community by opening his inn to the local Naval Academy and sponsoring its Midshipmen. A stay at the Annapolis Inn seems like it would be a trip well worth having.  I know that next time I am in Maryland I will be sure to make a stop to see this historic home and meet its welcoming host again.

I am a firm believer in the Amish saying: when there’s room in the heart there’s room in the home.

Q:   What’s unique about your inn?
A:   It’s a very upscale piece of property. Historic buildings like this are usually owned by foundations or institutes and kept as museums. People can visit them but that’s it. We are private owners and it’s a bed and breakfast where people can stay and not just visit the property.

Q:   What is your signature breakfast?
A:   Eggs Benedict is a classic that a lot of guests like. But a signature of ours is French toast that we put an Italian accent on. We don’t use regular bread, we use Italian Panettone. We enhance it even more with special ingredients that you won’t find other places. It’s really delicious and people are always asking for the recipe.

Q:   What saying or motto do you absolutely live by?
A:   I really believe it’s my responsibility to try my best to make sure the guests have a great time. I can’t do much about the weather but what I can control is my responsibility. Coming to us is like coming to a car wash, shift into neutral and let us take over.  We don’t mind doing the planning for guests. We often have guests call and ask us to make all the decisions for them. We pick the restaurants and even tell them what to eat as well. I think people have ‘option anxiety’ sometimes and don’t like making any decisions on vacation.

Q:   What would you say is the best thing you’ve done for your business?
A:   I think the best thing I’ve done for the business is also the best thing I’ve done for myself. Being so close to the Naval Academy we participate in the program to sponsor Midshipmen. We become their home away from home and regularly have about 25 boys to sponsor. These kids really appreciate and need you. Many of them don’t feel like they can talk to their parents about certain things but they can talk to us.

Before I did this program I really didn’t like kids this age, I felt they needed to grow up and stabilize their lives and then maybe we could talk. My career was in human resources and after so many years of dealing with people’s problems I didn’t want to deal with anyone under 35.

My opinion has drastically changed; I can’t imagine turning my back on these kids. It’s unbelievable to see how much you can accomplish with food and love. The boys appreciate you so much and stay in touch for years to come. On Christmas day I get calls from all over the country and the world, I’ve even received calls from astronauts. Guests who stay with us will see the Midshipmen around the house and are really impressed and moved by these young kids. People are proud to be a part of this and often leave checks for the kids or for us asking us to do something special for them.  It adds so much to the guest’s experience.

I am a firm believer in the Amish saying: when there’s room in the heart there’s room in the home. You never know what the future holds for these kids so I will never turn away someone who needs a sponsor. I feel so proud to get pictures of them later in their lives. I never thought I would have an influence in the world to this degree but I see them in Iraq or working in the Pentagon and it hits me that I’ve impacted the rest of their future.

Q:   What would you do over if you had a time machine?
A:   Nothing, I have no regrets. I love making an insignificant weekend become the most important weekend for guests. We’ve had people come who are struggling to hold on to maybe their marriage and they come here to get away together and I can play a role in changing their lives. The best things that happen in my life never had anything to do with the business plan.

Did you know?

The Annapolis Inn was built in the 1700’s when much of the land still belonged to England. Even the home’s building materials were brought over from England. The home was built and belonged to President Thomas Jefferson’s personal doctor. Today the house still stands and is the Annapolis Inn.

Dan Currier of the Garden Isle Bed and Breakfast and Vacation Home in beautiful Whidbey Island, Washington was a lot of fun to interview. He shared about his unique location, being on one of the largest islands in the continental United States, and some of the best things he has done for his bed and breakfast. In addition Dan shed some light on how he would have added a hot tub to his business a lot sooner than he did. This incredibly well-seasoned innkeeper has been operating his bed and breakfast with his wife Darrellyn for 20 years and still going strong.

Our central location on the island is ideal for visiting the island’s state parks and beaches, or great for day trips to Seattle, the San Juan Islands, the Olympic Peninsula, Canada and more.

Q:   What is unique about your bed & breakfast?
A:   Location and character distinguish our B&B from others on the Island.  Our cottages and vacation home overlook the historic 1853 district of the quaint seaside town of Coupeville.  The property is located directly across the street from the town park, within easy walking distance to the wharf, beach, and all of the local shops and restaurants.  Our central location on the island is ideal for visiting the island’s state parks and beaches, or great for day trips to Seattle, the San Juan Islands, the Olympic Peninsula, Canada and more.

Our cottages are unique in that they are located on two lovely acres, with the vacation home overlooking the entire estate.  The vacation home’s large front windows offer views of Penn Cove, with Mount Baker and the Cascade Mountains framing the horizon.

The character provided by the open spaces allow our guests to enjoy their privacy, but still experience the amenities of being in town and allows them to enjoy all the festivals, art walks, parades and the farmers market that take place throughout the year.

Q:   What is your signature breakfast?
A:   Guests are provided a continental breakfast in their private cottages, which allows them to wake up in the morning and eat whenever they like.  Our signature breakfast typically consists of homemade pastries (cinnamon rolls, muffins or banana bread,) cereal, fresh fruit, and an assortment of beverages.

Q:   What is your motto?
A:   Many of our guests have never been to the Northwest or Whidbey Island.  It has always been very important to me to make them feel welcomed to the island and also informed of the unique sights, locales and restaurants they can visit and explore during their stay on the island.  Allowing them to make better use of their time ensures that when they return home, they can tell their friends about the great experiences and we can anticipate them returning again.

Q:   What would you say is the best thing you have done for your business?
A:   Improving our technology by switching to an online reservation system has really increased the amount of reservations we are able to close.  Guests can confirm availability and reserve dates anytime, anywhere, which has really helped us keep up with online trends.

Q:   What would you do over if you had a time machine?
A:   I would have built the second cottage and hot tub sooner.

Q:   What recent challenges have you overcome?
A:   Over the past two years, I have remodeled both cottages to reflect a coastal living-type theme.

Q:   What did you do before you started your business?
A:   I worked for Seattle Pacific University’s Casey Conference Center on Whidbey Island from 1978 to 2000, where I helped to manage the maintenance at the conference center facilities which housed over 550 people.  In 2000, I started a tour business which I ran for four years, called Whidbey Tours, and provided guided bus tours of our beautiful island.  Currently, along with our B&B, I help my wife run a Montessori School which we have owned and operated since 1990.

Q:   What do you like to do in your free time?
A:   I enjoy sailing in my free time and because we live on an island surrounded by some of the best sail boating areas in the world, I try to do it as often as possible. I sail with my friends just about every week, year round, weather permitting.  Each year, Whidbey Island hosts one of the top ten sailing regattas in the country.

Did you know?

Whidbey Island is located just an hour and a half North of Seattle and was considered one of the top dream vacation destinations in the world by authors of a special travel  magazine put out by Life Magazine in 2008. Located on the Puget Sound, Whidbey Island was also one of the first areas to be settled in the Northwest.

Tana Phemester of the Nob Hill Riverview Bed and Breakfast in St. Helens, Oregon was an absolute delight to interview with. She had so much to share about taking advantage of her bed and breakfast’s location to make for a memorable experience, how to create a delicious breakfast and urban farming to provide the freshest possible ingredients. I know that as soon as I get the opportunity to go to Oregon I will be staying with Tana!I really enjoyed my conversation with Tana and learning about Nob Hill Riverview Bed and Breakfast. It was a great opportunity to get some insight into what she has learned in her over the years about running a bed and breakfast.

Q:   I’ve heard that you raise chickens?
A:   Yes, their names are Margaret and Mildred. We do what’s called Urban Chicken Farming. We often use the fresh eggs in our breakfasts.

Q:   What is your signature breakfast?
A:   We love breakfast time! Our guests awake to the smell of coffee and fresh baked treats wafting from the kitchen. Our dining room is next to the main sunroom with sunlight and views from every direction. It truly is the perfect start of a great day. An example of our three course breakfast could include chilled orange juice, French pressed coffee, seasonal fruit cups with organic yogurt, warm homemade scones with English style clotted cream and jam, and finished with Dutch Baby Pancakes drizzled with Marion berry sauce and a dusting of powdered sugar and a side of smoked chicken and apple sausage.

Q:   What would you say is the best thing you’ve done for your business?
A:   This answer is twofold and they work hand in hand. First a must is having a good website that show cases our Inn and to stay on top of updates as well. The other is investing in and having a full service reservations system. With these two they work for me 24/7.  It’s hard enough just being an Innkeeper and if you have these two tools then you can plan on making your life a lot easier.  I also have an automated online reservation system with a full marketing package which provides me with all the services I need and then some!

Q:   What did you do before you started your own business?
A:   My husband and I have been business owners for the past 23 years in the Portland Metro area. We have commercial real-estate holdings, a retail store, a drive thru coffee shop and for the past five years an Inn. For the past 15 years we had a retreat in the Ensenada, Baja Wine Country area. At the working Ranch/campground we hosted youth groups from all over the United States of many different denominations. It was great training on how to run an Inn.

Q:   What do you like to do in your free time when you’re not working?
A:   Spend time with family and friends as they are the most important part of life. When we can, we love to travel. We enjoy tasting the foods of different cultures. We boat and sail since we live on the River and we find the water refreshing on stressful days. We kayak at nearby Scappoose Bay; it is a safe estuary to paddle in with not much currant running. We take our RV to the coast and around the Northwest from time to time. This year we are keeping it in Seaside Oregon (an hour and half away) to explore that area better when we have some time off. I enjoy cooking, growing plants and organic gardening. I’m learning about essential oils and would like to take a class this winter. I have taken several watercolor classes and want to pursue Art even more when I can.

Q:   That’s wonderful that you really take advantage of your beautiful location and the outdoors. It also sounds like you’re both quite business savvy. But if you had a time machine, is there anything you would do over?
A:   I don’t think I wouldn’t change a thing. We worked diligently on the refurbishing part of our Inn so now having guests is like having icing on the cake. When we see them enjoying the restored Historical Home that takes the cake!

Q:   I can tell you really bring a passion to your work and your life. What saying or motto do you absolutely live by?
A:   I try to live one day at a time since tomorrow is not ours. In doing so, we strive to live each day to the fullest. Remember we can’t take it with us, so it’s the journey not the destination.

Q:   That’s a great motto to take especially now in the rough economy. What recent challenge have you overcome?
A:   That’s an easy answer for many Americans. It has been the down turn in the economy we’ve had. It takes creative marketing and polished skills to make it through harder times. It’s just like my husband says “it’s time to work smarter and harder.” We both know that this too shall pass with time and we keep the picture before us of how posed we will be when things do turn around. As Americans we need hope and encouragement and at the Inn I do lots of extras for our guests because I know that many of them are also feeling the pinch of it all. We are grateful that they chose to stay with us. I see this as an honor and privilege to serve them and hope that in some small way they are enriched because of their stay with us.

Did you know?

Nob Hill Riverview Bed and Breakfast was built in 1900 for a doctor and his family. The beautiful 5,000 sq ft inn is a craftsman style building which sits on top of a cliff with breathtaking views that span miles of the Columbia River. From Nob Hill they have views of three mountains Mt St Helens, Mt Adams, and Mt Hood.

Barbara Hopper of the Clipper House Inn was a delight to talk to and you can tell right away she loves the town of Kemah, Texas and what she does. Her vibrant town is full of festivals, a boardwalk and some amazing city folk who love to find new ways to celebrate. Talking with Barbara it’s easy to see how this exciting hostess brings guests back year after year with her upbeat attitude and friendly nature. From individual guest cottages to an on-site winery, Barbara shared some tips in her interview on what has worked for her inn as well as some of the unanticipated challenges of being an innkeeper.

Q:   What’s unique about your inn?
A:   At the Clipper House Inn guests get to stay in individual cottages and not in a single house like most other bed and breakfasts. This gives guests more privacy and freedom to do what they want and not bother the person next door. We often have guests tell us their stay was the most relaxing time they have had in years. Even though we are in the heart of Kemah and close to many attractions our property is quiet and secluded. We have beautiful gardens with water features and even a Bocce ball court. Guests often spend their afternoons just reading a book or relaxing with friends in the gardens.

Q:   What is one signature touch you put to the inn?
A:   After hurricane Ike we moved our winery from down the street to a building we used for serving breakfast. Now in addition to a daily breakfast basket in each cottage our guests receive a complimentary wine and cheese tasting at the winery. My signature touch is fresh baked breads. I love baking and each week I make wine cakes from our signature fruit wines for our guests. I am often asked for recipes and I love sharing what I make with our guests.
In addition, when guests make a reservation I always ask if they are coming for a special occasion. If it is something special like an anniversary, birthday, or girls’ weekend, I will do extra things to make their stay even more memorable by putting a bottle of wine with a personalized label in their cottage. Now that we have the winery onsite we can do lots of fun things for our guests on a moment’s notice.

I try to treat our guests like I would want to be treated as a friend.

Q:   What would you say is the best thing you’ve done for your business?
A:   Having the winery onsite has really increased our business and helped the winery get more exposure and repeat customers. We recently entered four wines in a big wine competition and three of them won, so people are starting to seek us out as we do not sell our wines outside of the winery. The winery also brings many events to the inn like weddings and corporate retreats. Next week we have the executive team from a large restaurant chain coming to spend the weekend with us. While they are here we have organized a bottling party for them and each person will each get a personalized bottle of wine to commemorate the event.

Q:   What saying or motto do you absolutely live by?
A:   I try to treat our guests like I would want to be treated as a friend. I get teased at times that I go overboard for guests but I just want to do all that I can to make it the best stay for each person. Sometimes that means doing things out of the ordinary. I often will pick up birthday cakes, fresh flowers, or write special notes for guests. I once had a husband that wanted me to write a love letter to his wife and leave it on the bed before they arrived. It was a little out of the ordinary but I was happy to do it for him. I think it’s true that what you give out, you get back.

Q:   What recent challenge have you had to overcome?
A:   Hurricane Ike. When it hit one of the cottages had five feet of water, almost to the ceiling, and the rest of the cottages had two to three feet. It took from September 13, the day the hurricane hit, to July 4th of that same year to get back up and going. It was very devastating after putting in all the work to get the inn where I wanted it to and then having to start all over.

Q:   What did you do before you started your own business?
A:   For six years I was a tour guide out of Oklahoma and traveled all over the world. Over the years I have found many special touches and customs that I try to incorporate at the Inn. If I could go back in time I would probably spend three or four more years as a tour guide. I really loved it. In that whole time I never lost a person and only one piece of luggage! For 30 years before that I managed a dental office.

Q:   Do you get a lot of world travelers at the inn?
A:   Yes, I’ve had guests from Australia, Italy, England, Ireland, Norway and many other countries. We also get many well-traveled guests from the US and especially Louisiana. In 2006 I had a writer from a Louisiana newspaper stay at the inn and we have been advertising with him ever since. We often have travel writers stay with us. Recently a reported from San Antonio came to do a news story on NASA. We started talking about the area and by the end of his stay he wanted to do a story on the inn. It’s going to air in San Antonio the first of January. As you can tell I’m not shy and enjoy sharing my knowledge and experiences with our guests – because you never know what will happen.

Did you know?

Barbara now arranges massages for guests at the Clipper House Inn. It became such a common request that she researched therapists in the area and found local doctor with certified massage therapists. Now whenever the request comes in, she knows she has a personal contact that is trustworthy and certified so that she can give her guests the best experience possible.

Scottie Jones is a smart and savvy businesswoman and part time college professor.  She is also an innkeeper of Leaping Lamb Farm Stay and the leader of a brand new national farm stay association called Farm Stay U.S. I enjoyed getting to interview this fascinating woman who is not only changing agribusiness, but also educating her guests about farming and food production at her lively bed and breakfast farm stay. During the interview I also learned how Scottie helps her city guests to avoid the seemingly innocuous hazards of being on a farm.

In terms of problem solving, when issues arise I make sure I listen first and then overcompensate.

Q:   How long have you been in business?
A:   My husband and I got started 5 years ago when we realized that we were losing money on our farm. We had a cabin on the property and were very familiar with farm stays in Europe.
For our first summer we practiced on friends and listened as they made suggestions. I really didn’t know what to expect or do at that time. Coming from the city we knew what city people were looking for out in the country. That and having been involved in the hospitality industry with customer service our farm stay has turned out to be highly successful.

Q:   What makes your farm stay unique?
A:   I’ve discovered that a lot people are fearful about being at a farm stay because they think that they might have to work. That’s not a requirement of staying here. What’s really unique about Leaping Lamb is that the families who stay here become families here. They eat meals together, take hikes in the woods and visit nearby fishing hatcheries and waterfalls.

Q:   What is the number one challenge you’ve had to overcome in this business?
A:   First off I had to learn how to handle my reservations better. When I first started out I did all my reservations via email and calendar. I even had to send contracts to guests. I had an enormous fear of double bookings and didn’t know what the solution would be. Each of these things was taking a fair amount of my time until I switched to online reservations. So really my number one challenge was learning how to optimize my time and streamline bookings. For example, to clean the cabin takes 2 hours. So I hired someone else to clean it to optimize my time.

Q:   Do you have a signature breakfast?
A:   Instead of preparing breakfast I provide the fixings. The cabin has a full kitchen and cabinets stocked with breakfast foods. It has a Belgian waffle maker, pancake iron and baking stuffs so people can make what they want. Since there’s no restaurant in town my guests make most of their meals in the cabin. I even fill it with necessary baking ingredients like flour, sugar, brown sugar etc. By providing the breakfast materials, it also allows people to make their breakfast whenever they want to.

Q:   What saying or motto do you absolutely live by?
A:   To treat people better than they would expect to be treated. Surprise them, give them more than they think they’re going to get! In terms of problem solving, when issues arise I make sure I listen first and then overcompensate.

For example, I had returning guests coming to stay with me once and I had forewarned them that there was this mouse in the cabin that I had been unable to catch. Well, I didn’t know that the wife had a major mouse phobia. They had driven all the way down here from Seattle. They saw the mouse in their cabin that night and that was it. They weren’t going to stay any longer. Going above and beyond, I contacted a friend of mine who worked for another property on the beach far away from country mice. So I comped their reservation with me and put them up there for the weekend.  By going above and beyond on that one, I got a booking from friends of theirs for a week that weren’t afraid of mice.

Q:   What do you like to do in your free time when you’re not at work?
A:   Actually I have another brand new business that I just launched. It’s called Farm Stay US. It’s a website that identifies and coordinates with all of the farming stay ranches in the US that we’ve been able to find so far. Then there’s a back end part of it, which is in development, where we’ll have tutorials on how to operate your farm stay and other resources such as member forums for questions and answers.

The ultimate goal of this website is to come up with a national farm stay association. You see, a lot of small farms are in the red. When it comes to a farm stay there’s either one or both people working off the farm. This is a special opportunity for some extra income. The website itself is only 6 months old.

In addition to Farmstay Us I also teach a college class on how to start a small business.

Q:   Tell me a little bit more about your new project Farm Stay US.
A:   We do have criteria for those who want to participate in our farm stay association. We are looking for working farms and ranches around the US that offer lodging.  We’re still searching for them. We’re still asking out and about, which means they haven’t done a good job identifying themselves online. Now when I say working farm or ranch, they’re either producing something or they’re a self-sustaining farm. We just had a BB who was questioning whether they fit our criteria. They are a cattle ranch, but they don’t involve their guests in their operations. They still fit our criteria.

In addition to forming a national farm stay association, my other primary objective is to provide education for visitors to understand the work that goes to providing the food that goes from the grocery store to the table. This information for visitors is readily available on the website.

Did you know?

Scottie says that owning a farm stay requires a patient understanding that not all your guests know how to safely conduct themselves on a farm. According to Scottie, most accidents have happened within roughly the first 30 minutes of her guest’s arrival. In response Scottie began taking her guests on a tour of the farm and pointing out these simple everyday dangers. Don’t jump on the dog, don’t go in the creek and don’t play with the tractor are just a few examples of simple hazards Scottie is able to help her guests avoid.

Riana Frahm is the marketing assistant and public relations specialist for Convoyant.  She is also a Hospitality Trainer at Reservation Nexus.  Riana’s energy and outgoing personality makes her a natural with people.  In our “Innkeeper Stories” series, Riana will interview innkeepers from around the world so she can share their wisdom, experiences, and stories with you.

The association is just that, an association of inns that gather together as friends and neighbors and give a helping hand to each other.

I really enjoyed getting to know the family oriented innkeeper and former past president of the Bed and Breakfast Association of Virginia, Frank Drummond of Rockwood Manor in Virginia. Having spent most of his life in beautiful sunny Florida, Frank started a bed and breakfast business to save the family heirloom home that was built by his great-great-grandparents at the end of the 19^th century. In our interview, Frank shared how he was jump-started in the bed and breakfast industry, his involvement with the state association and an interesting story about special heirloom furniture that was miraculously returned to the inn!

Q:     How long has the Rockwood Manor been in business?
A:     We opened in 2005 and are coming into our 6^th year now.

Q:     What did you do before you became an innkeeper?
A:     I worked for UPS for 25 years and then I was working for Buena Vista Construction (Disney’s construction company).

Q:     Do you get a lot of world travelers at the inn?
A:     We get all kinds of people here; People who are just looking for a getaway spot or an anniversary party.  In a lot of those cases we do weddings. When we do weddings we end up with folks from all around the world. We’ve even had families from Korea and Taiwan.

Q:     What’s your signature breakfast?
A:     We have a lot of different breakfasts. But what is really signature are our dinners. We do more than just breakfast here; we do a lot of evening parties. A special favorite dish at the moment is the pork loin roast with cranberry chutney and Rockwood green beans with our special potatoes and a strawberry vinaigrette salad.

Q:     What’s unique about your inn?
A:     The Rockwood Manor is actually a family home. Not only is it mostly run by me and my family members but it was built in 1871 by my great-great-grandparents. When my mom found out that the house was going go up for sale, she brought my sister and me up here to Virginia to see what we could do about it. The house had basically been emptied at that time. While we’ve restored it today with period antiques there are two signature pieces that were originally built for the home. One is the dish hutch in the dining room and the second is the armoire.

Q:     What is your innkeeping pet peeve?
A:     We don’t have too many pet peeves because we’ve been blessed with each of the guests we’ve had. However, a lot of guests don’t understand that this is a private home and you as an innkeeper do have a private life. You’re not always there as they perceive. We try to make ourselves available whenever they need it by phone or any other means possible. But sometimes it just doesn’t work.

Q:     What do you like to do in your free time when you’re not at work?
A:     I like to shop for different things. But I’m only shopping for things that I might be able to use in the home or myself. I also love photography. We like to go on photographic trips around the area.

Q:     You mentioned before that you were the past president of the Bed and Breakfast Association of Virginia. Tell me a little bit about the BBAV, what the association does etc.
A:     The association is just that, an association of inns that gather together as friends and neighbors and give a helping hand to each other.
It’s also a voice of bed and breakfasts in Virginia. As such it lends itself to getting some things adjusted for the small businesses that we are and it’s always better to have people we are heard.
Lastly, as an association we promote bed and breakfasts across the state. We couldn’t individually afford the resources for the website tool that the association has right now.

Did you know?

All of the original furniture that was built for the Rockwood Manor was sold before Frank turned it into a successful bed and breakfast. However, two pieces ended up finding their way back. One of those pieces, an armoire, was unexpectedly discovered at an auction that Frank attended. Frank said, “I don’t usually go to auction houses and walked down the aisle and there was a gentleman there reviewing this armoire. We started talking and he told me about the armoire. Come to find out it was built for the house, Rockwood.” Through a series of quirky events that followed the armoire eventually and made its way back to its home at Rockwood.

Riana Frahm is the marketing assistant and public relations specialist for Convoyant.  She is also a Hospitality Trainer at Reservation Nexus.  Riana’s energy and outgoing personality makes her a natural with people.  In our “Innkeeper Stories” series, Riana will interview innkeepers from around the world so she can share their wisdom, experiences, and stories with you.

Pursuing a lifelong dream innkeepers Brian and Sharlene Scott left their suburban home in California to build the American Country Bed and Breakfast on its 5 acre lot in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. It was a special treat for me to spend time with these amazing innkeepers who shared their collective experiences and tips in running a bed and breakfast in the Pacific Northwest. They also divulged about overcoming common challenges in the industry: what it’s like managing the Idaho Bed and Breakfast Association as well as the North Idaho Bed and Breakfast Association.  They also discuss their personal successes as parents of 5 children and grandparents of 2. Approaching their 5^th year in business, I predict that this husband and wife team will continue to soar on the rewards of their highly lauded bed and breakfast.

When you open the door to our bed and breakfast you instantly have a connection with American history because we have a world class Americana collection.

Q:      How long have you been in business?
Shar: Since January, 2006.

Q:      What made you decide to go into innkeeping? How did you get started?
Shar: We’ve just always said that one day we should do this when we retire. Brian and I spent the first 15 years of our lives married in Modesto, California. One day, Brian came home and said he was all done with his job in the home inspection field and ready to make a move. So we began looking around at different areas. We also had always known that we wanted to be bed and breakfast owners. Over the course of our marriage we had traveled extensively throughout the U.S. trying bed and breakfasts.
In terms of Coeur d’Alene we moved here in September 2005 and we opened our doors in January of 2006. We built the bed and breakfast from the ground up. We knew we wanted a central kitchen, quarters separate from the rest of the guest bedrooms on a few acres. It has been one of the best decisions we’ve made in our married lives together.

Q:     What did you do before you started your own business?
Shar: I was a library media manager with a year left on my contract and Brian has a background in construction and home inspection.

Q:      What’s unique about your inn?
Shar: We absolutely love what we do! I think it’s just our gift of hospitality that we share with all of our guests that makes them feel like more than just guests. We make them friends that want to just return over and over again and for that our return business has been just remarkable. In fact I received a birthday phone call from a former guest in Holland who shares the same birthday as me, Dec 5^th. That personal connection that we made with our guests takes us beyond the box hotel. That’s key to the bb industry. We are a better place to stay, a better choice.

Q:      What is your signature breakfast or signature touch?
Shar: I’m very blessed because my husband loves to cook just as much as I do. We do have three very popular requested dishes. One is what we call a Deutsche Baby, or a Bismarck. Brian calls them Snowflakes. Basically it’s a German pancake that we get rave reviews on. We also serve a Panattoni Praline-Pecan French Toast that is made with Italian fruit bread. Then our third most popular breakfast is French pancake that was a family recipe handed down in my family. These requests come from different recipe websites we post on where guests want to stay with us and eat these foods.
Brian:   So when guests come to stay with us and request a specific breakfast entree that usually gives us a good idea of where they’ve come from.

Q:      What would you say is the best thing you’ve done for your business?
Shar: Probably the thing that sticks out in my mind is the semantic design of the inn. We came up with the name, American Country, to conjure up in the guest minds that they are staying in a slice of Americana. When you open the door to our bed and breakfast you instantly have a connection with American history because we have a world class Americana collection.
Brian:  I think that when people arrive, its’ the greeting and that initial warmth. When they first pull up we try to greet everybody and help them with their luggage. With that in mind I continue a little tour for them of our inn. Finding out their guest preferences during the tour is one of our key features. There is a half hour before your breakfast time where we deliver an in room morning beverage tray to your room. It’s my job to find out what that beverage is or what time we should deliver it. In addition Shar adds fresh pastries so this nice decorated tray of pastries and beverage shows up at their room each morning. It gets them feeling very nice and relaxed when they wake up in the morning.

Q:       What is the number one challenge you’ve had to overcome with your business?
Brian: I think that the challenge that comes first to my mind was adapting our marketing plan to the economy. During our first year in business we joined our regional association here. One of the things they told us was, ‘You’ll fit in just fine here’. Those first couple of years, we got our fair share of the guests, but as time went on we had to figure out what we were going to do is keep our marketing going in the economic downturn. So we separated ourselves from other bed and breakfasts in this market by building a tree house. We built a tree house.
Shar:   The challenge of marketing is something every bed and breakfast owner is facing. How do you get more heads in beds? Brian had this dream from the beginning to have a tree house. In this bad economy our business was up 20% due to this better place he built. By being creative, we’ve been able to achieve our goal of increasing our bottom line.

Q:      What saying or motto do you absolutely live by?
Shar: Where welcome never felt so good! That’s kind of our tagline. In our brochures the tri-fold is a picture of our front door where we just want you to have this feeling of welcome as you walk in the front door.

Q:       What do you like to do in your free time when you’re not at work?
Brian: Well we are antique collectors. So we’re always on the look for things to add to the collection here at the bed and breakfast. We also both love gardening. In fact everything we do at the bed and breakfast is all hands on.

DID YOU KNOW?

Brian and Shar opened started the first statewide bed and breakfast association in Idaho (IDBBA) in 2009. Grant money to jumpstart this alliance for Idaho bed and breakfast tourism was made possible by the Idaho Travel Council. Brian and Shar recommend looking into your local, regional and/or statewide government agencies to see if funding opportunities are available to promote your bed and breakfast association.

Riana Frahm is the marketing assistant and public relations specialist for Convoyant.  She is also a Hospitality Trainer at Reservation Nexus.  Riana’s energy and outgoing personality makes her a natural with people.  In our “Innkeeper Stories” series, Riana will interview innkeepers from around the world so she can share their wisdom, experiences, and stories with you.