Seek the Unique April 2014
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Greetings!
B&Bs are so often synonymous with R&R. Yet, business travelers find that B&Bs are a better way to stay for obvious and not-so-obvious reasons. By the way, if you own your own small business, you'll appreciate that innkeepers are like-minded entrepreneurs. Keeping reading for more on why a B&B business plan is a sound strategy.
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A Place to Meet, Retreat  |
At the Inn at Wawanissee Point in Baraboo, you can reserve the conference room for small group meetings. Fresh-brewed coffee is included, of course. At Pleasant Street B&B in Oconomowoc, feel free to spread out and get some work done at the guestrooms' spacious desk and chair or in-room lap-desk. Any 'oops' can be taken care of with 24-hour dry-cleaning service. Also in Oconomowoc, Inn at Pine Terrace is set up very nicely for small corporate retreats.
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Breakfast to Go, Dinner In |
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You won't miss out on the made-from-scratch breakfasts at Hamilton House B&B in Whitewater, even if you have to be on the road at dawn - they'll serve as early as 6:30 a.m. Just ask for a breakfast-to-go at Brayton B&B in Oshkosh and innkeeper Nicole will be happy to oblige. At the Fountain Chateau B&B in Hustler, you can entertain clients at their on-site restaurant; the entire inn can be reserved for meetings, is handicapped accessible and is equipped with an elevator.
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Walk or Run |
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If you do business with clients in city centers like Marinette and Sturgeon Bay there are inns within walking distance. In Marinette, The Martini Lounge & Dessert Bar in the M&M Victorian Inn is the olive in the workday. Seven inns in Sturgeon Bay are an easy walk to downtown. For business travelers looking for a cardio workout to stay in shape while on the road, the Eagle Harbor Inn, in the historic district in Ephraim (Door County) has fitness equipment right on premise plus a current pool with a wave machine for the adventuresome. Lake Ripley Lodge in Cambridge offers a cardio workout on the lake, via kayak or canoe!
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What You Get for the Dollar
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Lots of Wisconsin B&Bs offer corporate rates. We suggest you just ask when reserving a room. You'll sleep easy at night knowing there's nary an inn in Wisconsin that doesn't offer free parking, free wi-fi, free newspapers, and free coffee and tea, along with a free gourmet breakfast. You'll get just that at the Riverview B&B in Neshkoro: free off-street parking (indoor parking for motorcycles), wi-fi in-room access, full gourmet breakfast or early to-go breakfast not to mention the kind, personal attention from the innkeeper that money can't buy.
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Solo Travelers
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The owners of The Livingston Inn in Madison, Peggy and Dave Furlan, tell us that one of the top reasons they believe B&Bs are attractive to business travelers, especially women business travelers traveling solo, is that they feel safe. "Instead of staying in another anonymous hotel room where the employees and other guests come and go, business travelers at a B&B come back to a home," said Peggy. "We get to know our guests very well from the moment they walk through the door. So when business travelers come back to the inn at the end of the day and close the front door behind them, they feel safe and secure as if they've arrived at their own home." With coffee being a must-have for most business travelers, we asked the Furlans for a java-inspired recipe. Here's their take on Espresso Chocolate Chip Biscotti. 2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
½ t. baking soda
½ t. baking powder
½ t. salt
½ t. cinnamon
½ t. ground cloves
1 egg yolk
1/3 cup espresso, cooled
1 T. milk
1 t. pure vanilla extract
¾ cup toasted almonds, coarsely chopped
½ cup semisweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour baking sheet. In large bowl, gently combine with electric mixer flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and cloves. In small bowl, whisk together egg yolk, espresso, milk, and vanilla. Add to flour mixture. Beat several minutes until dough is formed and then stir in almonds and chocolate chips.
Place dough on floured surface and knead into a large ball, adding flour if needed to prevent sticking. Divide dough in half. Form each piece of dough into a flat 2 x 12 inch rectangular log. Arrange about 3 inches apart on baking sheet. Bake 35 minutes, cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes, and reduce oven temperature to 300°F.
Place logs on cutting board and slice crosswise and diagonally into ¾-inch thick slices. Arrange slices on baking sheet and bake 10 minutes per side, or until pale golden brown. Transfer to rack and cool.
Thanks for reading the April issue of Seek the Unique!
You're unique. Stay that way. Kris Ullmer WBBA Administrator email: info@wbba.org phone: 715-539-9222 (WBBA)
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