Professional Etiquette for Aspiring Innkeepers: My Secret Recipe for Success

Are you an aspiring Innkeeper or just starting out in the business? Here are some of my own personal tips that will set you apart from your competition:

1. As highlighted in my recent post, a small Welcome Basket can go a long way in showing hospitality to your guests! Many guests are paying up to $400 for a night at your Inn, I’m sure it would be nothing to spend a few dollars and a little time to show your appreciation of their patronage.

2. Have a little cove where you can display local pamphlets, maps and coupon books for your guests to rifle through. Make sure that they are categorized by activity, presented professionally and contain current information.

3. Include a well-designed binder/folder full of the quirks/rules of the Inn, local delivery options, TV channel guide, WiFi password, and room service/package options.

4. Designate a preferred window of time for check-ins. Many Inns promise to be on-site between 3 pm and 6 pm, but I find that 3 pm to 8 pm is a more realistic window, especially for Friday evening. Keep an eye out for their arrival so they aren’t standing at the front door wondering if they are at the wrong house. Greet them warmly, shake their hands, call them by their names and congratulate them on their special occasion (this means finding out the reason for their stay when they book their reservation).

5. Provide them with dining out options and offer to make a reservation for them (especially since they will be exhausted from their travels). If they are celebrating a special occasion, jazz up a bottle of Champagne or box of truffles and place them on the bureau in their room. This will show that you are attentive and accommodating.

6. Ask about dietary restrictions/allergies at the time of booking. Many people who are restricted in diet are wary about staying at a B&B due to a reputation for decadent cuisine. Become proficient in gluten-free baking and diabetic needs and advertise this knowledge in your marketing. As far as your non-restricted food? Take the time to bake as much as you can from scratch and decorate it beautifully. People do not spend hundreds of dollars per night to be served muffins from a boxed mix and frozen quiches.

7. Find out their desired breakfast time when you check them in. This way, they won’t have to wait long for a hot breakfast, and you won’t get slammed by the breakfast rush all at once. I've seen people serve breakfasts in courses, but in my professional opinioin, anything more than a "Fruit" course and a "Main" course is anxiety provoking for the guests. Don't make them feel like they have to rush through their courses or sit through a longer breakfast than they anticipated. Plus, less courses, less dishes you have to wash.

8. Offer to put together an itinerary based on the nature of their trip. This way, they won’t be wandering aimlessly around a town, completely unaware of the amazing excursions that exist around them. This is an instance of going above and beyond the call of duty.

9. Leave your attitude at the door! I get it, we all have bad days, especially in the hospitality industry where you are pretty much married to your work. Time and time again, I read reviews about grumpy Innkeepers and it breaks my heart. Hospitality means making people feel comfortable, and you can’t do that with a sour-puss look on your face. If your heart isn’t in the business anymore and all you care about are dollar signs, please sell the business to someone who has the passion needed.

10. Cross-train your employees. I always see Innkeepers bending over backwards to clean 6 or 7 rooms a day, cook breakfast, do check-ins and handle the finances and that will burn you out quickly. Don’t be a control freak. If you hire an assistant Innkeeper or housekeeper, train them in ALL fields of your business instead of limiting them to scrubbing toilets and then complaining that you do too much. Teach them to prepare and plate the breakfasts, interact with guests, handle check-ins, run the gift shop, and reservation bookings. If something happens to you, God forbid, now you know that there is someone trust-worthy that can handle your pride and joy. This does not mean hiring an interim Innkeeper and making them an indentured servant. A good employee doesn’t quit the business, they quit the boss. Be a nurturing and compassionate employer who wants their employees to learn and grow, but also to run their business with professionalism and courtesy.

11. Maximize your Social Media presence. Join Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, everything! Link your blog to all of these and write at minimum one entry a week, which should not only highlight your Inn, but upcoming local attractions, food reviews and decor/style tips.

12. Respond to ALL reviews, not just the bad ones. If you do receive a bad one, DO NOT GET DEFENSIVE. Be apologetic and professional, and always offer a solution or alternative to their complaints to encourage them to give your business a second chance. When you receive a positive review, be gracious and enthusiastic for the guests' return.

13. Hairdryers, ironing boards/irons, and robes go a long way in terms of convenience for your guests. This will also warrant higher ratings from hospitality organizations reviewing your business. Also, consider featuring a gift shop area where guests can buy souvenirs, local products and extra amenities. Designate an actual section of your inn to display instead of strewing your product around the entire inn as "Decorations with Pricetags." Tacky.

14. Consider hosting weddings and events when your business starts to run smoothly. Special events can bring in wonderful revenue, provide stunning professional pictures for your website, and set you in a league apart from the rest. Form business relationships early on with local reputable caterers, cake designers, and party planners and attend workshops centered around event coordinating.

15. Identify your Inn's niche. If you want to market yourselves as culinary gurus, creative decorators, professional soap artisans, dog lovers, whatever you feel passionate about--set yourselves apart from the other run-of-the-mill inns in your area. Keep it simple and master your featured talent. Also, stay up to date with fluctuations and innovations in interior design. Replace sheets and comforters often, freshen up color schemes and revamp furniture when needed.

Bring the Childhood Magic Back into Weekend Mornings

My favorite thing to do on a Saturday morning is to wake up with the sunrise and take my toddler to the neighborhood diner in his pajamas. I live for the smell of freshly brewed coffee wafting into the booths, and the way the intricately iced cakes rotate in the carousel as little ones crowd around it, noses pressed against the glass. As I sit cuddled up with my son next to me, I watch all the different stories unfold around me—young kids voraciously feasting before a big soccer game; loving grandparents treating their grandkids to a special meal; single parents who have their little ones for their custodial weekend; shy young couples on their first breakfast date together getting to know each other over French toast; college students sleepily refueling after an all-too-familiar all-nighter.

The best part about Saturday mornings at the diner is the squeal of excitement escaping my son when his Mickey Mouse pancake is put in front of him. Seeing the elation in his eyes sparked the idea that I could create that glimmer of magic in our own home every Saturday morning with breakfast food that depicted his favorite stories and characters. For the past couple of months, every weekend morning when my baby starts to stir, his sandy-colored hair disheveled from his adventures in dreamland, I ask him what he wants for breakfast. Without fail, he exclaims emphatically with his eyes still closed…”Pancakes!”

Thus my affinity for whimsical pancake art was born! I love using cuts of fresh, colorful fruit; multicolored chocolate chips; and a questionably steady hand while pouring the batter into funky shapes in the hot, buttered pan. The hard part is not dreaming up concepts, but keeping sticky little fingers from grabbing a strawberry nose in the process!

If you want a great way to bond with your kids, treat your significant other to a piece of culinary art, or just reliving your own favorite childhood wonders, see what you can come up with this Saturday morning.

Sultry Summer Recipe for Turning a Day at the Farmer's Market into a Sizzling Date Night

Social Experiment:

Walk into a crowded room- be it a break room at work, an OBGYN’s office, a salty biker bar, whatever you please…and discreetly utter the words…”Farmer’s Market.” I guarantee about 95% of the occupants of that room will squeal and say, “Oh I just LOOOOVE farmer’s markets!!!” This is because farmer’s markets are a veritable Mecca of local delights, farm fresh produce and an exquisitely opportune time for people watching. And almost every town across the US of A boasts some sort of farmers bazaar. 

Lancaster County is home to the country’s oldest functioning farmer’s market, appropriately named Central Market. As soon as you push open the magnificent side doors, your senses are awoken by the convolution of heavenly aromas: gooey sticky buns dripping with molten cinnamon butter; flowery cardamom dusted delectables from the Middle East stand, the musky perfume of freshly smoked meats and cheeses, the fragrant potpourri of hundreds of colorful flowers transported in pretty papered bouquets up and down every aisle. Wafting in and out of your eardrums are muddled Pennsylvania Dutch exclamations and the sublime sound of the choir singing from the rafters. 

My dream date night would be embarking on a “Market Mystery Basket Challenge.” Once you’ve entered Market, split up and one person visits a spice stand, a produce stand and a cheese stand, and the other selects the meat and additional accompaniments. Remember, you will not be basing any of your purchases off of a pre-planned recipe! Together at home, you can create culinary ingenuity using the random ingredients that you picked up from Market. It would be a brilliant way to fuse teamwork with imagination while supporting local flavor. 

Not feeling inventive? Here's an easy example anyone can do at home!

Protein:
Orange roughy
Vegetable:
Purple Cauliflower
Accompaniments:
Apricot Marmalade
Dijon Mustard
Tarragon
Lemons
Almonds

Apricot and Dijon Glazed Orange Roughy with Roasted Purple Cauliflower Almondine

In a hot pan, melt 2 tbs butter, 2 tsps Dijon mustard and ¼ jar of apricot marmalade. Add in 3 tbs freshly chopped tarragon. Pour over baked orange roughy filets (or marinate them before you cook them). Salt and pepper to taste.

Cut cauliflower into bite sized florets. Toss in a bowl of paprika (or Old Bay), salt and pepper, then squeeze lemon over florets. Place in oven heated at 375 degrees until florets turn golden brown. While cauliflower is roasting, melt 2 tbs of butter in a pan, then add a clove of minced garlic. Sautee slivered almonds in the pan and remaining lemon juice. Pour mixture over roasted cauliflower florets. Serve with fingerling potatoes tossed in olive oil, fresh chunks of garlic and rosemary.

End your evening with a light vanilla panna cotta with mango mousse and a crisp glass of Chenon Blanc under the stars and that, my friends, is a recipe for bliss.