innkeeping: Additional thoughts on B&B Associations "Restrictions"

[owner-innkeeping]

I had the opportunity to discuss this topic 
                   "B&B Associations' "Restrictions"" 
with the President of the Arkansas Hospitality Association and following 
are some thoughts he had that I think might be applicable to all of us, 
regardless of size.

"We only have one industry - Tourism".  Unless we get the customer to 
our State, county and town first, then none of us will get the business.  
B&Bs, Hotels, Motels, Lodges, Campgrounds,  etc. all compete for this 
customer.  The more visibility we have the more impact we have with our 
customers.  The primary issue with B&B's is service, hospitality and 
ambiance.  This is what differentiates us from Motels, Hotels, Lodges, 
etc.  Some larger properties have the ability to challenge these other 
properties by doing the same thing they do, only better.  

People stay with B&Bs and their Innkeepers because we are different.  A 
two room B&B can be very unique, just as a 26 room Inn can be unique.  
The more members that are part of our associations allow us to recommend 
additional places for our guests to stay, either in our state or in 
another state.  In general, when someone stays in a B&B for the first 
time and they have a good experience they will stay in another B&B.  
Since all B&Bs are different, we keep our guests by doing what they want 
us to do.  We meet their needs, requirements and wants.  This is the 
difference from a Holiday Inn.  They do the same thing everytime and 
will not allow deviation.  This is what makes them all the same.  They 
are not meeting my needs, they are meeting the corporate guidelines.

The Arkansas Hospitality Association has two catagories of lodging 
members:
Lodging  if you have from 1 - 35 rooms your dues are $150 per year and 
you may choose to join the American Hotel and Motel Assocaition for 
$110.  If you have more than 36 rooms your dues are $6.41 per room per 
year and you are automatically a member of AH&MA, no choice.  Every 
member business has one vote, regardless of the nubmer of rooms.  Mr. 
Dyer says there is no reason to single out any lodging member and tell 
them they cannot join the AHA.  Everybody offers a different viewpoint 
and the result is better than it would have been without your inputs.

We are one of the larger B&Bs in Arkansas but a very small lodging 
business as compared to many of the other properties.  Yet, I have been 
asked to serve on the Arkansas Travel Council to help improve tourism in 
Arkansas.  The benefit to me and the Anderson House Inn will be 
additional exposure to new ideas, advertising thoughts, referral 
business.  As a small lodging owner I don't resent the Hiltons, 
Sheratons, Holiday Inns and their inputs, I will benefit from it.  

This same attitude should be the thought process for all of the state 
B&B associations, The more the merrier; and how do we get new customers 
and repeat business from our existing customers.  If one of my customers 
can stay in your Inn, we all benefit from his being satisified.

I hope we can build upon the uniqueness of our products and how they are 
offered by each Inn, regardless of size.  Let's encourage more 
association members rather than try to determine who should not be a 
member "BECAUSE", they are too big.
-- 
Jim & Susan Hildebrand
Innkeepers, Anderson House Inn
201 E. Main Street, Heber Springs, Arkansas  72543
(501) 362-5266  (800) 264-5279 FAX (501) 362-2326
Web Site at:  http://www.bbonline.com/ar/anderson