innkeeping: Number of Rooms Does Not a B&B Make

[owner-innkeeping]

The North Carolina B&B Association has been fussing with this issue for a
number of years.  Our association was started about 10 years ago by 
owners of
the smaller properties and (although I wasn't in the business then and 
can't
remember the exact number) the limit on the number of rooms must have been
less than 14, because I remember that at my first official meeting (1990) 
a
decision was made to allow a B&B with 14 rooms to become a provisional
member. The inn was granted full membership a year later; its owners have
since served as treasurer and president of the association.  Since that 
time
we have changed our by-laws to add inns with restaurants; increased our 
upper
room limit to 20 rooms, and changed the name of our association to "North
Carolina Bed & Breakfasts and Inns" to reflect these changes.  Just this 
year
we changed our by-laws to allow B&Bs and inns exceeding 20 rooms to become
provisional members after passing the same rigorous inspection standards 
as
their smaller counterparts, with a very close look at the ambiance and
personal service that is provided.  Full membership is then voted on by 
all
members at the association's next general meeting.  Early this month our
members voted unanimously to approve full membership of an inn with 26 
rooms.

In addition to increasing our "dues" income, these larger B&Bs and inns 
bring
a wealth of knowledge and experience to the association: they are usually
connected to other larger networks and associations at the national and 
state
levels; they have a higher level of technology available at their 
facilities
that they use for the support of the association; they have staff working 
for
them so they are able to get away from their B&B more often to represent 
the
association at conferences and other activities. Lately, they have been a
great resource in helping us sort out our individual marketing strategies
through the internet.

Although our membership size has increased over the last ten years, the
percentage of our members based on room numbers has remained constant 2-4
rooms (55%); 5-7 rooms (25%); 8-10 rooms (14%); and 11+ rooms (6%).  Our 
most
popular size has always been the 4 room B&B (34%).

In NC the state health department inspects B&Bs at three levels with
different standards: 4 rooms or less can serve breakfast with ordinary
kitchen equipment; 5 to 12 rooms are required to have semi-commercial
facilities (small NSF approved refrigerator for dairy products; commercial
dishwashing system and separate hand washing sink; 13+ rooms must have a
hotel/motel license with full commercial kitchen requirements.

I am an owner of a 4 room B&B and based on past experience as an 
innsitter,
would never consider a larger facility. Those staff that we all dream 
about
sound good, but supervising and training those staff to keep the facility 
up
to our own standards has always seemed more demanding than doing it 
myself!  

The work in our state association is all done by volunteers, who already
spend 60 to 80 hours a week keeping their B&B or inn going.  If we can our
expand our base of skills, experience and abilities, I say the more the
merrier. Owners of the larger inns join with smaller ones more for the
friendship and support than to gain control.  They will be more concerned
about controlling the activities of those state and national organizations
where they pay much bigger membership dues.

No many how many rooms an inn has, they still only get one vote, so yours
will always be just as important. 

Debbie Vickery
Old North Durham Inn