SAVE THE DATE
The next FBBI Conference will be held on
September 19 & 20, 2010
at
Club Continental.
___________________
WELCOME
New Allied Vendor Members:
HUMOR
YOU MIGHT BE AN INNKEEPER.....
If you make a belly-buster breakfast every day, but never eat it!
_________________
New Brochures
are available for our member inns!
To request new brochures to be delivered to your door,
______________________
Advertising Opportunities are AVAILABLE on our Website and our Monthly Newsletter
Click herefor more information! ____________________
Gift Certificates
Member Inns receive 100% of value of all Gift Certificates!
Now Redeemable at:
106 S. 4th Avenue
Wauchula, FL 33873
* Gift Certificates must be mailed in 30 days from date of receipt and within 30 days of their expiration date.
____________________
Quick Links
______________________
As part of our new website bonus, member inns can upload recipes onto our Florida Bed & Breakfast Inns Association official website. If you have a recipe, it is a great opportunity to share with others, while being recognized for your originality and ingenuity. Remember, when you update your individual listing, add a few recipes!
_____________________
New Member Drive
If you know of any Inns in your area that are not members of FBBI, please let us know. Our goal this year is to reach more Bed & Breakfast Inns to strengthen the Association and add value-added marketing and resources to all affiliated members.
_______________________
Don't forget to take advantage of the following Web Features:
_______________________
Florida Bed & Breakfast Inns
106 South 4th Avenue
Wauchula, Florida 33873
www.florida-inns.com
admin@florida-inns.com
Patricia Detwiler, President
|
|
|
IMPORTANT MEMBER INFORMATION - 'KEY HOSPITALITY STANDARDS"
In light of consumer review web sites, such as www.tripadvisor.com and www.bedandbreakfast.com, we find that today's consumers are more likely to trust information from unbiased sources versus our own self-imposed inspection process. After careful study and input from experts in the industry the FBBI Board has confirmed that most consumers today look to other consumers that are more objective to rate and qualify experiences at Bed and Breakfasts, hotels, restaurants, etc. As we reviewed options to brand a particular level of quality, we felt there was a significant variety in guest accommodations across our Membership. The Florida Bed and Breakfast Inns Association Board of Directors unanimously approved that we suspend the inspection process and implement a "Recommended Standard of Hospitality". Therefore, the 2009 Inspections of Florida Bed & Breakfast Inns will be modified to have members voluntarily comply with our "Recommended Standard of Hospitality". FBBI will send out to all our members the Standards and have them sign their commitment to these Standards. Our future promotions will reflect our accreditation process. Our newsletters every month will contain "Key Hospitality Standards" to help remind our member inns about our ongoing efforts to strive to be the best the Bed and Breakfast industry has to offer our consumers.
Pattie Detwiler, President - FBBI
______________________________________________________
|
|
$25 MONTHLY BONUS
As a Member Inn you can simply reply to FBBI letting us know you have read the monthly newsletter. By doing this, we are entering your Inn into a monthly pool where you can win a $25 Credit towards your next due payment. You can win monthly. A drawing from all Inns who reply that month, will be taken and announced in the next Newsletter. So, stay tuned and good luck to see who our first winner will be.!!
Click here to win! Mention Contest in the subject and enter your Inn Name, contact name, and phone number.
Good Luck!
_______________________________________________
|
|
Cleaning Tip of the Month
Boiling water and lemon whitens table linens. Fill a pot with water and a few lemon slices, and bring to a boil. Turn off heat, add linens, and let them soak up to an hour: then launder as usual.
____________________________________________
NEW INVOICE & STATEMENT PROCEDURE
In an effort to implement "going green" , helping the environment,
and saving costs, FBBI will be sending you the quarterly billing via email starting with the April 1st Billing. In April you will receive an email billing and one last paper bill for your quarterly dues. After that, the July 1st billing will be via email. We hope this will be more convenient for you. Don't forget you can pay your Membership Dues On-Line at www.florida-inns.com under the Membership Information section for your convenience or mail your check to FBBI, 106 South 4th Avenue, Wauchula, FL 33873.
____________________________________________________________________
I was reading an Article from BnBFinder written by Mary White and thought you, our member inns, can appreciate what she is saying.
Many of you are asking the same question, "how am I doing" and when you ask this we know that you mean your occupancy rate in comparison to similar inns. While you should find this information out, another important question to ask yourself is "what am I doing" and the answer is nearly the same for every inn - You should be proactively marketing your inn, whenever and wherever you can. This may seem like common sense, but don't underestimate how much of your efforts are spent multitasking to juggle the job of innkeeper and in the process how easy it is to miss simple ways to promote your inn. For instance:
Do you see a pattern in the reasons guests visited you? If you review your reservations from last year, do you see any patterns? For instance do you find that you had a large number of honeymooners visit you and if so, are you keeping track of their anniversaries? Do you have a system to send anniversary greetings letting them know you hope to see them back at the inn to celebrate their anniversaries? Have you considered including an enticing special offer or an incentive like a special gift to welcome them back?
When was the last time you visited area funeral homes and gas stations with rack cards? Even in tough economic times people pass away and travel to funerals. Having relatives together at a B&B will not only be a comforting option for them but it could provide you with a full house rental.
Can you offer local business economical options for small group meetings or workshops? Business must get done and companies are looking for cost savings options. Do you provide value in terms of space, hospitality and service over hotel conference rooms for small group meetings for local businesses or those traveling on business who need a place to stay and meet?
What packages and partnerships have you created? Guests and the media are looking for value along with something special and packages and partnerships are a great way to offer both and in the process gain exposure for your inn. Remember packages don't have to include a discount. For example, this week we were contacted by a major newspaper to help a writer put the finishing touches on an article about getaways for lovers. He needed some examples, so we quickly scanned the BnBFinder specials and packages pages and sent him a chocolate lover package, a pet lover package, a wine & cheese lover package, an outdoor enthusiast package and so on. None of these packages included a discount -- they are all add-ons a guest can add when booking a room.
At FBBI we are not cutting back and don't think you should either. We are constantly staying in touch with others in our Industry and seeking ways to better promote your Inn.
Patricia Detwiler, President
|
Baked Streusel Pears
Serves 8
8 ounces plain yogurt 
1 tablespoons honey
1 cup quick oats
½ cup brown sugar, firmly packed
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground allspice
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ cup almonds chopped
4 firm pears
Heat oven to 350*. Spray 13x9 baking pan to prevent sticking.
In small bowl, combine yogurt and honey. Cover and chill.
Combine oats, brown sugar, flour and allspice. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Stir in nuts. Cover and chill.
Cut pears in half lengthwise. Using a small spoon or fruit baller, remove seeds and stem. Place pears cut side down on baking sheet and bake 15-20 minutes or until pears start to soften. Turn pears over and spoon oat mixture over pears. Bake 20-25 minutes until topping is light golden brown. Cool pears 5 minutes before serving. Serve on small size cake plates with yogurt sauce drizzled over the top. Garnish with berries on the side.
|
|
|
