Fall 2015 Innkeeping NOW magazine

IN Fall 

2015 

Smart Reading 

For Smart Innkeeping 

Innkeeping 

NOW 

What makes good 

B&B photography? 

Focus on Clean 

the World 

Thoughts on 

Associations, People, 

Purpose and Play

In Tbis Issue: 

2 

Message from our Executive Director 

3-6 Current Conference Exhibitors 

7 Conference Sponsorship Opportunities 

8 Innkeeper to Innkeeper-9 Best Practices 

for using Twitter 

11 What makes good B&B photography? 

12 Contests 

13 How to Leave Your Front Desk Behind 

14 Sabal House Scones & B&Bs for Vets 

15 5 Reasons to Create a Strong Lodging 

Website 

16 EMV FAQs 

19 Pineapple Search: a New Search Engine 

for the Hospitality Industry 

20 Focus on Clean the World 

21 Social Media Etiquette Tips 

22 Tea Glorious Tea 

23 Thoughts on Associations, People, 

Purpose and Play 

Professional Association of Innkeepers International 

295 Seven Farms Drive, Suite 236-C, Charleston, SC 29492 

http://www.innkeeping.org 

Phone: (856) 310-1102 

http://www.innkeepingshow.com 

2016 Innkeeping Conference & Trade Show 

Austin, Texas January 10 – 14, 2016 

Palmer Events Center, 900 Barton Springs Road, Austin, Texas 

http://www.palmereventscenter.com 

PAII has put together a list of area lodging options at 

http://www.innkeepingshow.com/lodging-information 

We look forward to seeing you in Austin!

Message from our Executive Director, Kris Ullmer 

What’s in Your Tool Box? 

Some people have a very organized tool box, with a place for everything 

and everything in its place. Others have a catch all drawer - everything is 

within reach, provided you’re brave enough to plunge your hand in! 

With either system (or lack thereof), finding and knowing how to use the 

tool is essential. 

Innkeepers have a wealth of tools from which to choose: property 

management systems, website developers, photographers, OTAs, social 

media / channels, destination marketing companies, advertising venues … 

just for starters. But, how can you keep up with the options and evaluate 

the services of each for your inn … and still have time to welcome guests? 

Your PAII’s mission is to help you sort out those tools! 

Each week, you receive a brief “News You Can Use” with links to articles 

with ‘breaking news’ on new social media features, and industry news like 

the new ‘chip’ cards. Our schedule of webinars lets you hear directly from 

the property management / web / destination marketing companies and 

more on how their system works and could work for your inn. You are 

comparison shopping right from your office chair – go ahead, put your feet 

up too. Need to do additional research? Try our online library of previously 

presented webinars – the topics are varied and the selection is vast. And, 

monthly / quarterly, more in-depth e-publications arrive – the Members’ 

Monthly and Innkeeping Now magazines. 

This very issue features an Innkeeper’s Best Practices for using Twitter, 

What makes good B&B photography?, EMV FAQs, the perfect pot of tea, 

what to do with those little soaps …and more. 

The ultimate opportunity for some serious ‘tool shopping’ and learning is 

coming and it’s the PAII / HMS Innkeeping Show, in Austin January 10- 

14. There’s nothing like a person-to-person chat at the trade show, 

whether innkeeper to professional photographer, innkeeper to potter, innkeeper 

to web guru, or innkeeper to innkeeper! The 40 educational breakout 

sessions will make choosing just 1 topic per time period a real challenge. 

Each week, via the “News” we’ll fill in the blanks for you on the specific 

topics and sessions as we fill them! 

And, we’ve done some shopping of our own … we’re trying out a new 

Conference Registration program, hosted on a new website. 

Briefly, there are 5 registration options: 

1. PAII Member Conference 

Registration EARLY RATE thru 

OCT 15 – $349.00 (USD) 

1st person from inn / future inn. You 

qualify for this rate if: You are a current 

PAII member through at least 1-31-16 

OR You’ll register as a new member OR 

You’ll renew/reactivate your membership. 

You may register additional attendees 

from your inn for $199, register for the 

WordPress Seminar, Association Leaders Seminar, and Future Innkeeper 

Seminar with this tab. 

2. Conference Registration Non-Member – $599.00 (USD) 

We welcome you to the 2016 PAII Conference! You qualify for this rate as 

you do not wish to be a PAII member at this time. You may also register for 

the Word Press Seminar, Association Leaders Seminar, and the Future 

Innkeeper Seminar with this tab. 

3. WORDPRESS Website Seminar SUNDAY 9-5 – $195.00 (USD) 

(limit 25) 

Take your WordPress Website to the next level. 

Presented by Trent & Kristen Blizzard. 

NOTE: Choose #3 when attending this session only. 

4. Future Innkeeper Seminar 9-5 Sunday – $169.00 (USD) 

Considering an Innkeeping career? 

Our faculty of experienced innkeepers and industry professionals present 

business, marketing, lifestyle, and industry insight essentials. 

NOTE: Choose #4 if you are attending the Future Innkeeper Seminar only. 

5. Association Leaders' Seminar 3-7 Sunday 

Executive Directors, Elected leaders, and Staff, this is your opportunity to 

share & discover what works / what doesn’t at B&B / Inn Associations 

whether regional or state based. We’ll invite your input prior to the session 

so it is tailored to your concerns. 

We recommend 1-2 leaders per association. 

NOTE: Choose #5 if you are attending this session only. 

REGISTRATION is NOW OPEN! 

See you in Austin! 

http://www.innkeepingshow.com/attendee-registration

Current Conference Exhibitors 

Acorn Internet Services, Inc. 

1521 N Corona St., Colorado Springs, CO 80907 

(719) 329-0977 

http://acorn-is.com 

Contact Lisa Kolb 

info@acorn-is.com 

Web Site Design & Inn Marketing Specialists 

Acorn Internet Services, Inc. specializes in bed and breakfast Website design and 

inn marketing. We are veteran nine-year bed and breakfast owners, so we know 

the challenges facing innkeepers and how difficult it can be to effectively market 

your small business. Let us put our expertise to work for you. 

We design individual Internet marketing campaigns for each of our customers. 

Our goal is to place you as high as possible in the search engine listings and encourage 

bookings via eye-catching, creative designs with high-end professional 

photography. As the very first company in our industry to build only Responsive 

Designs, Acorn Internet Services is THE premier leader for Responsive Web 

Design in the lodging and bed and breakfast arena. Our Google Insights scores 

consistently exceeds anyone else in our market, and all of our Responsive sites 

meet Google’s guidelines for SEO, Mobile, Speed, Usability and Schema. 

If you need help marketing your B&B Web site or small business, we’ll offer you 

the tools, or we’ll do it for you. We also provide high-quality Web site and Email 

hosting and a variety of maintenance plans to fit your needs and budget. Please 

allow us to show you how our 75 + years combined experience in the industry can 

partner with you for your business’s success. 

AdvenSure Insurance 

20 Church St., Cortland, NY 13045-2710 

800-822-3747 

http://www.mcneilandcompany.com/our-insurance-programs/advensure/ 

Contact William Dixon 

tpalladino@mcneilandcompany.com 

Specialized Insurance for the Outdoor Recreation and Hospitality Industry 

AdvenSure offers the most comprehensive insurance program available for businesses 

providing outdoor adventure, recreation and hospitality. Our team of professionals 

brings deep expertise in the outdoor industry, and they can work with 

you to design a unique coverage package to address the individual needs of your 

business. 

Have questions 

about PAII? 

Email 

questions@paii.org 

BedandBreakfast.com 

1011 W. Fifth Street, Suite 300, Austin, TX 78703 

http://www.bedandbreakfast.com 

BedandBreakfast.com is the most comprehensive 

global site for finding bed and breakfasts and inns, with more than 12,000 properties 

worldwide. Find the perfect B&B anywhere in the world! We also offer a 

wide variety of travel tips and additional information to enhance your B&B experience. 

Inngoers can post reviews on their favorite B&Bs and aspiring innkeepers 

can browse the bed and breakfasts listed for sale in the Inns for Sale section. 

Berkshire Amenities 

PO Box 753, Sheffield, MA. 01257 

413-229-8200 

http://www.berkshireamenitiesgroup.com 

Looking for towels, bathrobes, fine linens and other quality comforts for your 

bed and breakfast, inn, boutique hotel or spa? Berkshire Amenities Group Inc. 

offers a carefully curated collection of luxury products at wholesale prices from 

leading suppliers. As a longtime member of the Professional Innkeepers Association 

International (PAII) and an affiliate member with Select Registry: Distinguished 

Inns of North America, Berkshire Amenities Group Inc. is committed 

to providing innkeepers, hotel managers and spa owners with the best quality 

products, as well as knowledge on durability, laundering and performance, personalized 

product suggestions, and attentive client care. We have a thorough 

understanding, unbridled experience and highly competitive pricing. 

Comphy 

7034 Portal Way, Suite 110, Ferndale, WA 98248 

http://www.Comphy.com 323-225-8234 

Contact - Shantell Denson 

Comphy provides luxury linens that are not only remarkably soft, but satisfy both 

the functional needs of an innkeeper and bring a finished look to your bed. Modeled 

after our innovative spa treatment table linens, Comphy offers the best in 

durability, sustainability, design, and quality. 

Benefits of Comphy linens include: 

• Performance fabric assures breathability and comfort 

• Eco-friendly fiber is 100% recyclable 

• Wrinkle free fabric that gets softer over time 

• Treated for stain release 

• 300 wash guarantee 

• Extra fine weave protects against dust mites and allergens 

• Linens are made of a high-performance, superior quality microfiber that is comparable 

to the hand of 600 thread count Egyptian sheets 

In addition, Comphy is known for excellent customized services. Comphy Retail 

for Home collection allows your guest to take the experience they had at your 

inn, home with them every night. There’s nothing more inviting than a Comphy 

bed. Developed for Spa, designed for Ahh!


Casablanca Ventures 

245 W 104th St, Apt 4E, New York, NY 10025-4279 

203-253-7259 

Contact Wynn Salisch 

wynn@casablanca-ventures.com 

“We are the America’s only credit card processing company founded by an actual 

hotelier and graduate of Cornell School of Hotel Administration!” Needless to 

say, they know hospitality. For 15 years, Casablanca Ventures has provided payment 

processing cost reduction, education, technology, PCI data security assistance 

and other small business financial services. 

They see one of the biggest challenges to the Innkeeping industry today as the 

protection of privacy and personal data of inn guests from both employees and 

digital criminals. And, in their own industry, they see “ongoing advances in data 

security tools” as a trend that is critical to the ongoing success of innkeepers. 

Casablanca Ventures will be introducing new products this year that will make 

life and business easier for Innkeepers – stay tuned to hear about them! 

Thank you to Casablanca Ventures for supporting PAII and our industry at our 

show in January. 

Cloudbeds 

2655 4th Ave., San Diego, CA 92103 

888-392-9478 

https://www.cloudbeds.com 

Contact Brandon Dennis 

Brandon.Dennis@cloudbeds.com 

There are three cornerstones to our software. Myfrontdesk is our property management 

system. It’s a drag-and-drop way for hoteliers to manage rooms in the 

cloud. Myallocator is our channel manager. Hoteliers use it to list their vacant 

inventory with online travel agencies all over the world. Mybookings is our commission-free 

booking engine that works hard to earn hoteliers more direct reservations. 

Our goal is to help streamline connectivity between independent hotels 

and their customers using the latest innovations in software. If we can improve 

the efficiency of their business, we can save them time and money. And that’s the 

whole point. Our mission is to stand firmly beside hoteliers and champion their 

needs. Every day, we make decisions that answer one question: “Does this make 

it easier and cheaper for independent hoteliers to run their business?” 

We only move forward if the answer is a resounding “yes”. 

Chadsworth & Haig 

PO Box 888, Monroe, North Carolina 28111 

1-800-292-5990 

http://www.candhrobes.com 

Contact Maria DeLucca 

marie@candhrobes.com 

Chadsworth and Haig prides itself on producing hospitality and spa robes, wraps 

and throws for the finest luxury hotel properties in the world. Our commitment 

to manufacturing the best in class apparel enhances your brand reputation and 

the ultimate delight of your guests. Our objective is to utilize our expertise in our 

industry, to create long term relationships which allow us to partner in problem 

solving, meeting your corporate priorities and added value to your organization. 

Deneen Pottery 

2325 Endicott Street, St. Paul, MN 55114 

888-646-0238 

http://deneenpottery.com 

Contact Peter Deneen 

peter@deneenpottery.com 

Working with clay is our life. 

We are a second-generation family business established in 1972 by Peter and 

Mary Deneen in Saint Paul, MN. While our early days were in a two-car garage, 

today we occupy over 17,000 sq/ft and employ over 50 skilled craftspeople. Our 

goal has remained unchanged: create functional, beautiful, hand-thrown stoneware 

for our clients. This journey has been remarkable and we truly feel fortunate 

to collaborate with businesses – both small and large, from coast to coast – 

through manufacturing handmade pottery mugs in the USA.


Innkeepers Advantage 

101 Bradford Rd, Ste 212, Wexford, PA 15090-6909 

(724) 933-3330 

http://www.innkeepersadvantage.com 

Contact Cindy Bachmann 

sales@innkeepersadvantage.com 

Innkeeper's Advantage® takes the technology burden off your shoulders with the 

only complete B&B software suite that combines a uniquely branded Website, 

Web content update, online reservation software and integrated guest management. 

You control everything from wherever you are: home, work, shopping, 

even on vacation. The system is secure and PCI compliant. 

InnStyle 

215 South 5th Street l, Perkasie, PA 18944 

1-800-877-INNS 

http://www.innstyle.com 

Contact Susan Sternthal 

susanclc@aol.com 

InnStyle is your premier destination for quality hotel & inn supplies. Our inn 

and hotel supplies and services run from institutional to designer quality. From 

sheets and linens to mattresses and robes, we have the products you need to outfit 

your bed & breakfast, inn, or hotel. We are also continually adding new products 

to help enhance your property, so check back often for great deals on hotel 

supplies. Your guests will rave about their experience at your inn when you outfit 

the rooms with our high-quality inn supplies. 

Interim Innkeepers Network 

3107 W. Colorado Avenue #286, Colorado Springs, CO 80904 

http://www.inncaring.com 

Contact Lynda Lerner 

info@inncaring.com 

We are professional innkeepers who work together on innsitter assignments to 

provide you with a worry-free opportunity to get away from your bed and breakfast. 

It is important to hire an innsitter whom you can trust. Whether you need a 

short break, have an emergency situation, or need someone to take care of things 

for an extended period of time, you can count on us to handle your innsitting or 

interim innkeeper needs. 

JOMY 

7049 Longview Dr., Liberty Twp, OH 45011-7279 

http://www.jomy.com 

Contact John Coleman 

ch112ret@yahoo.com 

JOMY wants to be your preferred vendor for three safety applications: 

• Emergency egress from public or private buildings such as schools, hospitals, 

office buildings, hotels, embassies, apartments, private lodgings, etc. 

• Access at heights 

• Building façade maintenance 

From concept to fully functional solution We provide an integrated approach, 

from conception through development, engineering and production to installation 

and maintenance, if needed. This enhances accountability and ensures that 

already from the concept stage, your solution integrates valuable field experience. 

Our factory and designers use state of the art techniques. 

Oigidecht Hotels and Resorts 

3351 SW 19th Street, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 

305-898-8994 

http://www.oigidecht.com 

Contact Stephen Donahue 

stephen.donahue@oigidecht.com 

The Oigidecht Group is a privately held Hospitality Consulting and Superior 

Small Lodging Management Company located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. 

Clients and their properties benefit from the team’s over 25 years of full service 

management experiences with strong corporate culture and powerful solutions. 

Oigidecht operates in niche markets known as Quality Boutique Lodging. They 

offer consulting to independent Hotels, Motels, Inns, Lodges, Bed & Breakfasts 

and Resorts with 4 to 50 rooms. The company's success is built upon the core 

values of excellent customer service, quality products, fiscal responsibility and 

satisfaction of its guests and stakeholders. 

Airbnb – Part 10 

PAII, along with AH&LA, provided input/testimony to the 

Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing & Trade Hearings on 

the so called "Sharing Economy" held on September 29, 2015. 

Troy Flanigan (AH&LA) has already thanked PAII for the input 

and will give us a report on the session along with their input. 

Read more at 

http://paiiinnkeepers.blogspot.com/2015/09/airbnb-part-10.html


Purewater Baths 

6200 Maple Avenue, Dallas, TX 75235 

972.745.2283 

http://www.purewaterbaths.com 

Contact Ryan Jones 

rjones@purewaterbaths.com 

Our Difference - Clean Quiet Whirlpool Baths 

Cleaner. Quieter. Smarter. 

Conventional whirlpool baths are inherently flawed. With mazes of pipes, pumps 

and hidden air channels, there is virtually no way to eliminate stagnant water that 

can become a breeding ground for harmful bacteria. It's a problem that only gets 

worse over time. And, then there's the noise. It's difficult to relax when you can't 

hear yourself think over the sound of the pump. 

Purewater Baths are inherently different. Engineered with Sanijet PipelessTM 

Technology, our patented hydromassage jets are powered by ultra-quiet, individual 

motors that greatly reduce noise while eliminating the need for pipes, pumps, 

and air channels that hide stagnant water. Quite simply, Purewater Baths are the 

cleanest, quietest whirlpool baths in the world. 

We have a thorough understanding, unbridled experience and highly competitive 

pricing. 

Q4 Launch 

359 E Wando Place Dr., Mt Pleasant, SC 29464 

843-475-2962 

http://q4launch.com 

Aside from our integrated marketing approach that produces a healthy ROI time 

after time, there is another key factor that helps drive results: 

The team members that make up Q4Launch are your customers. 

Collectively, we have been to every state in the US and to multiple countries on 4 

continents, allowing us the privilege to spend literally thousands of nights at 

places just like yours. 

In addition to being avid travelers and destination marketing experts, there are a 

few other qualities that continue to set us apart: 

• We are OBSESSED with providing great customer service 

• We are data driven: both in our decision making and in our desired results 

• We are always transparent and accountable 

• We love goal setting, which is key to our success 

Think Reservations 

PO Box 95438, Seattle, WA 98145 

877-736-4195 

http://www.thinkreservations.com 

Contact Richard Aday 

richard.aday@thinkreservations.com 

ThinkReservations provides a fast, professional and comprehensive platform for 

your business. With a unique ecosystem of proven business management solutions, 

integrated payment processing, world-class support, and direct connectivity 

with channels such as Booking.com and TripAdvisor, ThinkReservations is 

ready to unify, automate and make every part of your business more profitable 

and productive. 

Whitestone Marketing 

5255 Chimney Gulch Way, Colorado Springs, CO 80924 

(719) 465-2042 

http://www.whitestonemarketing.com 

Contact Scott Crumpton 

Scott@WhiteStoneMarketing.com 

White Stone Marketing is a Strategic design and boutique hotel and bed and 

breakfast internet marketing group – a small, smart, talented team of industry 

dynamos. By focusing on an exclusive and limited client base, we ensure personal 

service and market superiority. We have the methodology and expertise that lead 

luxury lodging properties to attain their maximum potential. 

Find PAII online at: 

https://www.facebook.com/Innkeeping 

https://plus.google.com/u/0/+InnkeepingOrg 

https://twitter.com/innkeeping 

https://www.pinterest.com/Innkeeping/ 

https://www.youtube.com/InnkeepingOrg

Conference Sponsorship Opportunities 

Signature Sponsorship Opportunities 

Community Party Signature 

Signature Keynote Speaker 

Welcome Reception Signature 

Trade Show Host of the Day Signature 

Sponsor $15,000 

Sponsor $8500 

Sponsor $8500 

Sponsor $8000 (limit 2 each lunch) 

Tuesday, January 12, 2016, 

6:30 9:30 pm, Cash bar 

In response to feedback about having our 

“main” event earlier in the conference so 

that the entire community can get to know 

each other better, we’ve changed up this year 

in two ways: First, this year’s main social 

event is on Tuesday evening (rather than 

Wednesday). And, rather than a formal, sit 

down dinner, the format will be more conducive 

to mixing and mingling. We’re working 

to create a very “Texas” style, casual 

dinner…so we’re hoping everyone will wear 

their hats and boots! 

The Signature Sponsor for the party will be 

contributing to the food cost of the dinner. 

This sponsorship includes one (1) 10x10 

Premium booth ($2100 value), a full page ad 

in the conference program ($700 value), a 

banner displayed at the party ($100 value) 

and an introduction at the party with an 

opportunity to give a 2minute welcome/ 

company speech to guests…(priceless). 

Wednesday, January 13, 2016 

8:00-9:30 am. 

Each year, we present a special keynote 

speaker in a general session who can address 

an important topic of interest to every business 

in the industry – whether an inn, B&B, 

or a supplier. These speakers have, at a 

minimum, national reputations as experts in 

their fields and are often respected authors, 

too. The Signature Keynote Speaker Sponsorship 

dollars will contribute to the fees 

and travel expense to bring the speaker to 

the conference. This sponsorship includes 

one (1) 10x10 Premium booth ($2100 

value), a full page ad in the conference program 

($700 value), a banner displayed on 

stage ($100 value). You'll be introduced by 

the MC to the audience as the 

sponsor, give the “Thank You” remarks 

along with a company speech, 

and invite attendees to visit your booth in 

the trade show…(invaluable). 

Monday, January 11, 2016 5:30 – 7:00 

pm (in the Exhibit Hall), Cash bar 

This Welcome Reception is designed to 

accomplish two goals: First, to deliver a 

warm welcome to conference goers on their 

likely first evening at the event and secondly, 

by holding this opening reception in 

the Exhibit Hall, we encourage exploration 

of the exhibitors’ booths and interaction 

with exhibitors. Light appetizers /snacks 

will be served. The Welcome Reception 

Signature Sponsorship dollars will contribute 

to the cost of the reception food. This 

sponsorship includes one (1) 10x10 Premium 

booth ($2100 value), a full page ad in 

the conference program ($700 value), a 

banner or posters near the food service ($60- 

100 value) and the opportunity to be introduced 

by the MC to the audience as sponsor, 

along with a company speech and invitation 

to visit your booth in the trade 

show…(invaluable). 

Tuesday, January 12, 2016 or Wednesday, 

January 13 (in the center of the Exhibit Hall) 

The pineapple has long symbolized hospitality 

– and our trade show should, too. This 

year, we’ve increased the amount of time 

dedicated to the Trade Show to 12 hours, 

including an additional day. And with a 

bigger exhibit hall, we’ll set up our “café” 

and serve lunch right in the middle of all the 

action! The Trade Show Host of the Day 

Signature Sponsorships will contribute to 

the cost of lunches. The sponsorships include 

one (1) 10x10 Premium booth 

($2100 value), a full page ad in the 

conference program ($700 value), a banner 

or posters near the food service ($60-100 

value) and an introduction as the sponsor in 

the day’s opening remarks and opportunity 

for a 2 minute “welcome” to the 

trade show and speech. 

Major Sponsorship Opportunities 

Conference Program Major Commemorative Conference Bag 

Sponsorship $5000 


Whether looking up the schedule or reading Your fellow attendees will need a practical 

the bio of a speaker, the Conference way to carry their conference notes, product 

Program may well be the most used tool at brochures and gifts from exhibitors. Few 

any conference. The Program Sponsor will conference sponsorships top a good commemorative 

bag that attendees will take 

be contributing to the production/printing 

cost of the program. The sponsorship includes: 

sponsor’s logo on the rear cover of company with every use. Sponsorship will 

home and USE, reminding them of your 

the program ($1000 value) and a full page include a half page ad in the Conference 

ad within the program itself (value $700) Program and introduction as a sponsor in 

plus introduction as sponsor at the PAII the PAII general session. This a great way 

general session. 

to make sure Innkeepers remember you! 

Contact Erik Spence at (573) 4703492 

or email vendors@paii.org 

http://www.InnkeepingShow.com 

We want to see you succeed with us !!!! 

Community Sponsorship Opportunities 

Neck Wallet Community Notepad or Notebook Community 



With hundreds of people meeting and We want to help all attendees take home all 

greeting each other, remembering everyone’s 

name is a futile task for most. Name from a conference session or notes about 

the information possible – whether notes 

badges are a necessary tool for conferencegoers 

and a perfect opportunity for a lucky why they need to buy! Let’s make it easy for 

YOUR products that will remind them 

sponsor to advertise their company. them to take notes – with a notebook or 

Sponsorship includes a quarterpage ad notepad. Sponsorship will include a ½ page 

($195 value) and introduction as a sponsor ad in the Conference Program ($375 value) 

at the PAII general session. and introduction as a sponsor at the PAII 

general session. 

Raffle Prize Sponsorships 

Who doesn’t love to win something? We hope that all exhibitors and sponsors will 

Donate gifts (products, services, memberships, etc.) for daily raffles. Raffle prizes should 

be a minimum of $100 value to the Innkeeper. Sponsorship includes listing as a 

Community Support Raffle Sponsor in the Conference Program… 

and gratitude from both PAII and the attendees!

Innkeeper to Innkeeper-9 9 Best Practices for using Twitter, by Karen Thorne 

Karen Thorne has been running Hopton 

House, a successful B&B in Shropshire in the 

UK for 11 years. She also runs courses in 

Setting up & Marketing a B&B for prospective 

B&B owners with people attending from all 

over the world. Karen has embraced social 

media, using it successfully to attract new and 

retain old guests. She’s be using Twitter for 

her business for over 6 years and has over 

12,000 followers. 

www.shropshirebreakfast.co.uk 

www.bedandbreakfastacademy.co.uk 

Why would anyone be interested in what I’ve 

have had for breakfast? 

When I run my training courses for prospective 

B&B owners, I approach the section on using 

Twitter with some trepidation. It always evokes 

either a love it or hate it reaction. The commonest 

retort is “Why would anyone be interested in 

what I’ve had for breakfast” And there we have it! 

As B&B owners your potential guests ARE very 

interested in the delicious feast you’ve just served 

up to your dining room full of guests. 

I’ve used Twitter very successfully for my business 

since 2009. I’ve attracted new guests, tempted 

repeat ones back, got deals through local suppliers, 

made friends, attracted journalists and made 

firm friends with other B&B owners. The list of 

reasons why I love Twitter goes on. 

But not every B&B who ventures into the world 

of Twitter gets it right and I’ve made my own 

mistakes along the way. So here’s my top 9 of 

do’s and don’ts for B&B Twitter Success 

1) Be consistent 

If someone tells me that that Twitter doesn’t 

work for their business it’s often because they just 

aren’t tweeting enough. Tweeting once a week 

won’t work. You need to be tweeting several 

times a day. You can use tools such as hootsuite 

or Buffer to schedule tweets but… 

2) Allow time to be social 

It’s called social networking. If you’re just broadcasting 

at people, they’ll soon get bored and unfollow 

you. Interact with other tweeters, RT 

(ReTweet) other businesses. People buy from 

people they like, so be yourself, chat, put some 

personality into your tweets but… 

3) Stay Professional 

My filter before I put anything on social media is 

“would I say this to a guest whilst chatting with 

them after breakfast?” If your sense of humour is 

a bit out there, you’ve got strong political opinions 

or you like to have a bit of a moan then be 

very careful. You never know who’s listening to 

you. 

4) Be Clear on your voice 

I think it’s worth deciding how you want to come 

across on Twitter. To be authentic this needs to 

be 75% you, but leave out the bit that is raging 

because the guests are very late down for breakfast, 

having played loud music all night. Make 

sure your name ( not just the name of your 

B&B ) is in your profile. If there are 2 of you 

sharing a twitter account, put both names in there 

and label each tweet with your initials. It can be 

confusing when you’re chatting with a B&B not 

knowing who you’re talking to 

5) Provide useful content 

Followers will continue following you if you provide 

content they find useful and interesting. 

Tweets with photos & links are far more likely to 

get looked at than plain text. Working out what 

9) Be Safe 

to tweet can be a bit of a struggle, even for me. 

Some days it just flows and on others it’s like 

staring at a brick wall. My suggestion is to spend 

time at the beginning of the week brainstorming a 

list of things you’re going to tweet. 

If you’re in wine country, tweet a link & photo to 

a local vineyard or a link to your blog containing 

your favourite cheese and wine pairing. Retweet 

the local wine tour company. 

6) Who to Follow 

I tend to follow back most people who follow me, 

after checking out they’re a genuine person – 

never buy followers! I also look for followers 

based on what I know my guests are interested in 

and also in the location that a lot of my guests 

tend to come from. But don’t spam them! Just 

follow and engage in conversation occasionally. A 

good way of finding people with common interests 

is… 

7) Hashtags 

You can find people who are tweeting about 

something you’re interested in by searching for 

#hashtags. It’s a great way to find people who are 

talking about a specific subject or area. On a 

course recently I had attendees who were setting 

up on the island of Arran of Scotland. We did a 

hashtag search on Arran and the first tweet that 

came up was “I just love Arran so much – I just 

keep going back there on holiday!” Hint – this 

might be a good person for a B&B on Arran to 

follow 

8) Use your lists 

So I follow over 11,000 people but I don’t have 

the inclination or time to read 11,000 people’s 

worth of tweets. I have lemon drizzle cake to 

make and rooms to clean and I like to sleep occasionally. 

So I have lists on Twitter. This allows 

me to keep connected with the people I’m really 

interested; past guests, other B&Bs, suppliers, 

journalists ( which reminds me, check out 

#journorequest ) I don’t spam my past guests 

with “Hey, not seen you for a while, come and 

stay” #awkward. What I do when Caroline 

( who’s stayed 5 times before having said on their 

first visit that they never stay anywhere twice ) 

asks if anyone has a good chocolate cake recipe, is 

tweet her with “Hi Caroline, I tried this one last 

week, went down well with my picky daughter – 

here’s the link” 

Like the rest of the world these days, the spammers 

and scammers are also on Twitter. Check 

out your followers before following back – are 

they selling followers ( hit the block button ), 

exposing a bit too much flesh ( Block again ). 

Only ever click on links from a trusted source – 

you could end up having your account hacked. 

And if the tweets from a trusted source start to 

look a bit odd – they may have been hacked. 

So ready to give it a go? If you already have a 

Twitter account but it’s not working for you, put 

a plan in place for improving your tweeting. If 

you’re new to Twitter, sign on at Twitter.com 

and follow the steps to create a user id. Find some 

people to follow – I’m @hoptonhousebnb for 

starters. Another great way to find people is to 

search for your local town, city or area. 

If you want some more in depth training there are 

some great social media workshops out there. 

I look forward to seeing what you’ve cooked for 

breakfast very soon!

List an Inn 

Sell an Inn 

Find an Inn to Buy 

http://www.innsales.com

Interested in Advertising 

in Innkeeping NOW 

Magazine? 

Contact 

marketing@paii.org 

for Current Ad Rates.

What makes good B&B photography? By Peter Billard 

A good place to start is understand its purpose, then talk about 

how to fulfill it. As I see it as a photographer, the photos of the B&B 

rooms, exterior, common areas, outside grounds, and also the ‘breakfast’ 

part, are to show the inn in the best visual way possible for would-be 

guests. If they’re searching for a bed and breakfast in your area or if you’re 

one of several, people will do their research online and compare. They’ll 

look at the feel of the website, description, pride you take in your place, 

atmosphere or style, and importantly, your photos. 

I acknowledge not everything hinges on the photos. Your entire 

presentation must be top notch–the furnishings, ambiance, descriptive text, 

warmth, service, and the experience. Many people in hospitality know 

word of mouth is invaluable, to which I agree. It applies to B&B’s as well 

as my own work. I can speak of the photography part, others can advise 

you on the other elements, and together, you’ll have a smashing appearance 

online. 

Photos have the power to fuel the imagination, and at the same 

time present a clear indication of the specific details of your B&B. Why not 

combine those functions and kill two birds with one stone? We all know 

B&B lovers look for the atmosphere and experience, otherwise they’d book 

a Hampton Inn off the freeway exit. 

Photos need to capture the literal appearance of your rooms and 

property, as well as the intangible qualities of charm, warmth, beauty, 

elegance, and more. How do you do that? Same as other aspects of running 

a bed and breakfast–attention to detail and maintaining excellence. 

Here are pointers for doing your own shots: 

1. Avoid on-camera flash. It looks hurried, uncaring, and amateurish. 

Often makes a bright patch on the ceiling and it reflects back at you in 

anything shiny in the room. 

2. Look for and eliminate unsightly elements, such as wastebaskets, 

electrical cords, uneven blinds and drapes, excessive fabric wrinkles, messy 

rug tassels, mismatched pillows, crooked lamp shades, chipped paint, and 

floor scratches. 

3. Use flowers and plants. One bunch of cut flowers from your garden or 

the store can appear throughout your photos by changing the vase, 

rearranging the individual stems, and also by creating both a short group of 

flowers and a tall group. Thick, full ferns make excellent greenery in the 

room or background, adding color and sometimes obscuring things better 

unseen. 

4. Avoid large bare patches of ceiling, walls, and floors. Aim your camera 

down if there’s too much ceiling or crop it out later. Achieve balance in the 

elements of a room by spacing things to fill those empty spots. 

5. Do overall shots as well as close up detail ones. Show the whole room 

from the doorway as well as closeups of the nice little touches here and 

there. 

6. Make it pleasing to the eye. You already have a good eye for what looks 

good or you wouldn’t be in the business of providing peak guests 

experiences. Trust in your innate ability to know what looks good in a 

photo. In this incredibly amazing digital photography age, I suggest shoot 

like crazy and edit ruthlessly. Keep shooting, evaluating, adjusting, and 

shooting again, until it comes out right. Only show your best. 

Having said all this, why hire a professional B&B photographer? 

1. Take it to the next level. To create a classy and elegant presentation, you 

sometimes need to call in the heavy guns. And thats what professional 

photographers are–hired help to make you look your best. They shoot to 

serve you and make you look good, using good technique, know-how, 

experience, and a love for the craft. 

2. Lighting. There’s only so much that can be done with available light 

from windows and lamps. Some areas inevitably are dark and obscure. 

Good lighting augments what’s already there and accentuates key parts of 

your rooms 

3. Collaborative effort. they provide lighting, styling, arranging, and 

photography. You provide furnishing, accessories, and important input to 

what’s most important to you. If you do food shots, you make it, together 

you and they arrange it, they shoot it, you benefit. 

Final shot–what to look 

for: faults of before shot 

fixed plus: less bare floor, 

added leather chair bottom 

right, sunlight streaming in, 

better detail in windows, 

nicer arrangement of items 

atop zebra stripes, visible 

detail in mantle and 

column woodwork, warmer 

overall tone, more pleasing 

lighting, better color 

rendition. 

Peter and Nancy Billard work in 

tandem photographing bed and 

breakfast locations. Nancy styles and 

assists, Peter arranges lighting and 

shoots, and they both tweak and 

finesse the room until it’s just right. 

Peter says, "B&Bs especially need 

good photos for their websites to 

attract guests. We work to show the 

warmth and meticulous care owners 

put into their inns. It’s one of the 

main persuaders when people are 

searching for and selecting a place to 

stay.” See more photos at: 

http://www.peterbillardphoto.com 

Before shot–what to watch 

for: on-camera flash bright 

spot on ceiling, excessive 

reflection in floor from flash 

illumination, tiny ‘pie slice’ 

of door on far left edge, 

slanted verticals at edges, no 

fire, unkempt drapes, empty 

pedestals, couch pillows 

askew, hydrangeas in need of 

arrangement, cord on floor in 

back corner, mantle items 

looking sloppy. Phew!

Contests…………...Contests…………..Contests…………..Contests!!!!!! 

PAII members looking to stretch their chops at their photography skills and/or get competitive in the 

kitchen, have we got the contests for you! Enter one (or more!) of five categories for best photography and/or 

best recipes and the winners will be featured in the following issue of Innkeeping Magazine Quarterly! 

For Our Winter Innkeeping NOW Magazine 

Best Exterior Picture-Holiday Wreaths 

Best Interior Photo-Holiday Decorations 

Best Photo-Desserts 

Best Recipe-Savory Muffins 

Best Recipe-Christmas Cookies 

Our Professional Judges! 

For Photography: 

Peter Billard Photographer 

Karen Winterholer, Fine Art Photography 

Sam Locastro, Photographer 

Rick Libbey, Photographer 

To read about our judges backgrounds please visit: 

paiiinnkeepers.blogspot.com/2015/06/ 

our-professional-photo-judges.html 

For Recipes: 

Executive Chef/Owner Tom Gray 

Executive Chef Ryan Day 

Chef Joshua Young 

Owner Brad LaBel, LaBel Equipment & Design 

Chef Instructor Bradford Yearwood, CEC 

To read about our judges backgrounds please visit: 

paiiinnkeepers.blogspot.com/2015/06/ 

our-professional-recipe-judges.html 

ALL contestants will be featured in the monthly newsletters as well as their photos and recipes 

(with credit) posted on PAII’s Facebook and Google+ pages. Each photo and recipe will be judged 

by an independent, team of professional photographers and executive chefs. 

Winners will be featured in PAII ‘s Innkeeping Quarterly Magazine. 

Get out your cameras, your smart phones, your whisks and your springform pans out and get ready 

to rumble! Questions? Email marketing@paii.org 

The deadline for this round of submissions for the Winter Innkeeping 

Now Magazine is December 15, 2015

How to Leave Your Front Desk Behind, by Little Hotelier 

For many innkeepers, the idea of leaving your desk is a foreign concept that 

brings on a torrent of anxiety and stress. Who will manage your reservations 

while you are away? 

You won’t have to sit by the phone or answer emails in order to process a 

booking. Your booking engine is managing it for you, so you can step away 

from your front desk with ease. 

Here’s some good news: you can leave your desk and take your reservations 

with you! 

There are plenty of business technology providers that specialize in serving 

inns, bed and breakfasts, and guesthouses. They offer features that allow 

you to efficiently manage your small property. 

These providers will vary in terms of what they offer. In looking for the 

right solution, it’s important to find one that includes all of the following 

features so that you can leave your desk with confidence. 

1) Live in ‘the cloud’ 

First and foremost, to be able to monitor your business from afar, your allin-one 

business solution should be ‘in the cloud’. This means that instead 

of having to install software programs, you only need one login to access 

the system. All you need is internet access and your laptop! 

A good system will also allow 

you to access the platform 

via mobile device 

(smartphone or tablet), so 

you can literally play golf 

and keep an eye on your bed 

and breakfast. 

You’ll be able to keep an eye 

on your business from anywhere, 

at any time! 

2) Synchronize inventory seamlessly 

At all times, your online channels should be displaying the correct number 

of rooms to guests who want to book online. However, this is hard to do 

without a channel manager. 

If your solution doesn’t have an integrated channel manager, you’re stuck 

spending hours of your time logging into multiple websites to make sure 

the inventory is updated. This puts you at risk of double booking rooms - a 

hassle for both you and your guests. 

4) Gain all the insights you 

need 

To be able to plan out your 

budgets and ROI effectively, 

your all-in-one business solution 

needs to give you the 

reports that are essential to 

every small accommodation 

provider. 

Otherwise, you’ll be stuck trying to export and manipulate data in Excel 

spreadsheets - a time-intensive and error-prone activity. 

In just a few clicks, your system should allow you to easily draw reports on: 

• An analysis of your daily transactions, allowing you to gain further 

insight into what works – for example, you may notice a pattern in 

high and low days, as well as which payment methods are most popular 

for your inn. 

● Certain metrics that give you an overview of how well their business is 

doing: 

○ Total closed, occupied, and unoccupied room nights 

○ Average occupancy, length of stay, lead time, revenue per 

booking, and daily rate 

○ Revenue per available room 

○ Cancelled reservations 

● Your revenue streams – from the online booking websites where you 

advertise your property, to your marketing and sales efforts. 

If the solution you choose is ‘in the cloud’, you’ll be able to access these 

reports from wherever you are - from any device. 

With a channel manager, you will have peace of mind, because you can rest 

assured that the technology is updating your room availability for you. This 

means you can spend less time on admin, and more time on delighting 

your guests! 

3) Accept bookings automatically 

Another must-have feature is an integrated booking engine, which allows 

travelers to self-serve and book themselves in via your website or Facebook 

page. 

It can take credit card details and work with an online merchant service or 

integrate with a Payment Gateway to process deposits and payments. 

Instead of having to manually input online bookings, your booking engine 

automatically processes them, safely storing all of your customer’s data. 

Little Hotelier is an all-in-one reservation and accommodation 

management solution built specifically for bed and breakfasts and inns. 

http://www.littlehotelier.com

Sabal Palm House Scones / B&Bs for Vets 

Bake: 425 degrees for 10-15 minutes 

Ingredients: 

• 2 cups all-purpose flour 

• 1-teaspoon baking powder 

• ¼ teaspoon salt 

• ½ cup powdered sugar 

• ½ cup (one stick) butter, cut into bits 

• 2 medium eggs 

• 2 level teaspoons cream of tartar 

• 2 tablespoons of 1/2 and 1/2 

• 1 level teaspoon baking soda 

• 1 cup of raisins 

Method: 

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. 

2. Lightly grease a baking sheet. 

3. Sift the four and salt into a large bowl. 

4. With your fingers, lightly rub in very cold butter. 

5. Sift the cream of tartar and baking soda and powdered sugar 

and add with the rest of the dry ingredients to the bowl. 

6. Lightly beat the eggs and 1/2 and 1/2 and add to the mixture. 

7. Add raisins. 

8. Knead dough with hands until well blended. Roll dough into 

1.5-inch thick balls or use large ice cream scoop. 

9. Place on the baking sheet, and bake 10 to 15 minutes, until 

well risen and golden. 

10. Serve warm, straight from the oven. 

Yields: 15 scones. 

The Sabal Palm House 

Bed & Breakfast Inn 

109 North Golfview Road 

Lake Worth, Florida 

http://www.sabalpalmhouse.com 

Innkeepers Colleen and John 

have divided up the kitchen- 

Colleen does all the baking and 

John is the breakfast chef--it 

makes for a very peaceful 

existence. Recipes have been 

given to them from family, 

friends and guests as well as 

the pages of magazines such 

as Family Circle and 

Martha Stewart. 

B&B’s for Vets 2015 

As many of you know, over the past few years, hundreds of B&B’s and inns 

across the United States and Canada have offered active and retired veterans 

free lodging for one night on or around Veteran’s Day. This program was 

started by Kathleen Panek, a West Virginia Innkeeper, and was appropriately 

named B&Bs for Vets. 

This year, PAII is partnering with AIHP (Association of Independent Hospitality 

Professionals), BedandBreakfast.com, BBCanada, BnBFinder.com and 

state B&B Associations to grow the 2015 B&Bs for Vets program to an alltime 

high for participation. AIHP is managing, coordinating, and publicizing 

the B&Bs for Vets program to honor our hard working military. 

The program is open to all inns and B&Bs in the United States. All innkeepers 

are invited to participate in the 2015 B&Bs for Vets program by offering a 

minimum of one room for one night totally free. At the founders’ request, 

innkeepers are asked to give at least one room away (no 

strings attached, no buy-one night/get one night) in order 

to participate. Many innkeepers will offer more than one 

room, which is encouraged. Many inns may offer discounts 

to military in addition to their free rooms. However, 

in order to participate all inns must be willing to give 

away and publicize at least one free room. 

We are asking innkeepers to give their free rooms away on 

either Tuesday November 10, 2015 or Wednesday the 

11th (Veteran’s Day). If innkeepers want to offer both 

nights or more free nights to vets it is of course welcomed 

and appreciated! 

Soon, we (PAII and AIHP) will be sending information about how to register 

your B&Bs for Vets participation. Be on the lookout for instructions – and 

thank you! 

In the interim, check out the B&Bs for Vets Facebook page at 

https://www.facebook.com/BandBsForVets 

Some of the State and Local B&B Associations already participating in the 

B&Bs for Vets program** Indiana Bed and Breakfast Association 

and West Virginia Bed & Breakfast Association 

**if your State or Local Association is participating in the B&B for Vets program, 

please send us an email at marketing@paii.org and we will add the 

Association's link to http://betterwaytostay.com

5 Reasons to Create a Strong Lodging Website, by Lynn Rasmussen 

5 Reasons: 

• Online Channel Conversion 

• Reduce Dependence on 3rd Party Channels 

• A Strong ‘Virtual’ Presence 

• Controlled Marketing Environment 

• A Measureable Financial Asset 

Over 80% of travel is now booked online, with 40% booked on mobile 

devices. These statistics are rising daily. It is vital that lodging owners understand 

the structure they need for successful online marketing. That 

online structure is your website. 

Online Channel Conversion 

Online bookings begin with your potential visitor starting an online search 

for where they want to go or stay. Your business’s online presence might 

A Measureable Financial Asset 

include channels like TripAdvisor, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Expedia, 

FlipKey, and Instagram. If setup correctly, all channels will move the online 

visitor to your website where they might learn more about your property 

and then ultimately book a room. 

Reduce Risk of Dependence on 3rd Party Marketing Channels 

It is important to understand that while Facebook, Twitter, TripAdvisor 

and Expedia might bring you valuable bookings, they do not necessarily 

have your interests in mind. In fact, the opposite is true. Quite simply, 

when a guest books on your website you make the most money. All of 

those channels want a piece of that and they are all getting better at figuring 

out how to get a piece of the pie. Resist the urge to let them market for 

you. You need to fight for the control, not relinquish it. No matter what 

changes with social media channels or OTAs, if your strategy is to have a 

strong website and bring everyone to that website from all channels consistently, 

you limit your dependence and minimize the risk. 

A Safe Place to Experiment with Marketing 

You’ve seen offers like “Get your free review widget from TripAdvisor.” 

This trend is growing with all the 3rd party channels employing a strategy 

to outfox lodging owners by convincing them to embed links to their websites. 

I’ve seen many lodging owners use these widgets, with the good intention 

of proactive marketing. But little do they know, that once those links 

are clicked by a web visitor, the forwarding website takes the opportunity to 

market directly to that web visitor. They often do that by cross marketing 

to your competitors. Why do that? Keep them at the secure basecamp. 

If you employ the strategy of keeping your web visitors on your site, then 

instead of sending 

them to unsafe places 

where they might get 

lost, you are able to 

test new ways of attracting 

and securing 

their attention and 

creating a personal 

connection. 

Evolve the web customer 

experience, 

right on your own 

website. Then hone 

your messaging to 

convince these visitors that, in fact, your place IS the best place to stay. 

While having a presence on the 3rd party channels is important, you do not 

own these profiles. A well developed website has measurable value that can 

be included with your property’s list of financial assets when selling or assessing 

the value of your lodging business. You own it. Creating a marketing 

presence online is a time-consuming, expensive investment. Why not 

invest in something you own? For this reason alone, it makes sense to put 

80-90% of your online efforts and money into your website. Don’t skimp 

here. Pay yourself first. 

At each step of the relationship with your hotel and potential visitors, your 

website must strategically provide the information they desire, offer an opportunity 

for you to engage with them and finally persuade them to stay at 

your property. Then come back on future travels. Yes, a strong website 

should also engage post-stay guests, but that’s for a different blog on a different 

day. 

Create a Strong ‘Virtual’ Presence 

Your website is the virtual representation of your property. It needs the 

same thought, care and attention that your physical property receives. Your 

goal is to get that same delighted response from your website as you receive 

when someone walks in your door. You also want your newly arriving 

guests to feel that they have already become acquainted with your place 

online –and that what they’ve gleaned from your website matches their 

physical impression and experience. 

Lynn Rasmussen is the owner of 

Social Energizer, LLC.; a branding 

& digital marketing company 

focused on the 

lodging industry. 

http://socialenergizer.com

EMV FAQs, by Wynn J. Salisch 

Are YOU ready for EMV? Are you confused about EMV? 

Let’s unravel the mystery. 

It’s no secret that payment card fraud is a growing problem all over the 

world. That’s why EMV has become such a popular topic and you’re starting 

to see financial institutions and credit card issuers slowly begin to issue 

EMV-enabled cards to their accountholders. To make sure that you’re in 

the know about EMV and chip card technology, let’s answer some of the 

most common questions surrounding EMV. 

What do merchants need to do? Eventually all merchants will need 

equipment that has a smart card reader for chip cards, in addition to a magnetic 

stripe reader. The easiest way to tell if your terminal is EMV-capable 

is to see if it has a slot on the front where the consumer would insert their 

card. In order for the terminal to be fully EMV-ready, it also needs the 

right software application, which can be obtained by downloading it from 

your merchant services provider. This means that if you already have an 

EMV-capable terminal, you shouldn’t have to buy a new terminal to accept 

EMV cards. 

What is EMV? EMV stands 

for Europay International, 

MasterCard, and Visa. It 

helps stop counterfeiting and 

fraudulent payments. Rather 

than a magnetic stripe, EMV 

uses a microprocessor chip 

embedded in the card. EMVenabled 

cards can be either 

debit cards or credit cards and 

are often referred to as chip 

cards or smart cards. 

What does an EMV chip provide? It offers enhanced cardholder verification, 

makes it virtually impossible for criminals to counterfeit cards, and 

validates the authenticity of each transaction with a unique digital signature. 

Are there any other benefits to EMV? Yes! They include lower stolen card 

fraud (when verified by a PIN – more on this shortly), fewer chargebacks 

because EMV verifies that the cardholder was present, and more satisfied 

customers because cardholders know their card will work; this is especially 

important for travelers from other countries where EMV cards are prevalent. 

Overseas, “chip-and-PIN” is the most widely used EMV solution, but 

here in the U.S. the card-issuing banks have chosen to start off with chipand-signature 

which doesn’t require the guest to enter a PIN. 

What is the October 1st liability shift I keep hearing about? This October, 

merchants without EMV capability in their POS system will become financially 

liable for any resulting card-present (face-to-face) counterfeit card 

losses. There are at present no fines or penalties for not using EMV to 

process chip cards; your risk exposure is currently limited to the transaction 

value. If a card doesn’t have a chip, the bank will continue to bear financial 

responsibility for the transaction and you won’t be held liable. 

When should a merchant upgrade their POS equipment? How soon 

you need to upgrade your POS equipment depends on your business. If 

you have foreign customers or are located in a large city and many of your 

customers are from outside the U.S., then you should start planning to support 

EMV. If you’re located in a rural area, you can monitor how many 

EMV-enabled cards you get in your business and use that as a basis for 

when to upgrade your equipment. Keep in mind that by upgrading your 

equipment you will also be able to accept new forms of payment, like Apple 

Pay, because most EMV terminals also come with NFC (Near Field Communication) 

technology for “tap-and-go” transactions using mobile wallets. 

If and when you do upgrade, be careful about the cost of any new equipment 

like a new countertop credit card terminal that may be needed. Some 

processors have been known to double or triple the wholesale cost of the 

equipment when quoting prices to merchants; in general (and there are 

exceptions of course), a good EMV- and NFC-capable brand new terminal 

should cost around $300, give or take. 

Wynn J. Salisch is a veteran hotelier 

and payment processing and data 

security advisor, a graduate of the 

Cornell University School of Hotel 

Administration, a member of 

PAII and the Hospitality Financial 

and Technology Professionals, and a 

Partner in the New York 

Electronic Crimes Task Force 

of the U.S. Secret Service. 

Casablanca Ventures 

Payments Intelligence 

wynn@casablanca-ventures.com

Photos from submissions 

First Place Winner of Our Fall Photo Contest 

Kathleen LoVerde 1837 Cobblestone Cottage 

http://www.1837cobblestonecottage.com 

Second Place Winner of Our Fall Photo Contest 

Gwenn Eyer, Innkeeper, Blessings on State Bed & Breakfast 

http://www.BlessingsOnState.com

Pineapple Search: a New Search Engine for the Hospitality Industry 

• An RSS or XML content feed: You submit a feed which you would 

like to be indexed. New links in your feed will automatically be added 

to the pineapplesearch.com index. 

Exciting news for the hospitality industry. Coming in October, you will 

soon be able to search for information specifically for and about the industry. 

PineappleSearch.com, which is owned and operated by HFTP, will be 

aggregating curated B2B content from multiple sources into a singlesearch, 

open platform. 

Global professional development association, Hospitality Financial and 

Technology Professionals (HFTP®) has been developing Pineapple Search 

for the past eight months and was born out of a leadership summit the 

group held in the spring. The association hopes the industry will benefit by 

having a reliable information resource. 

“HFTP has developed Pineapplesearch.com, with Hsyndicate, to create a less 

commercial information resource for the industry as part of the association’s 

strategic goals,” said Frank Wolfe, CAE, HFTP CEO. “The association is 

looking to serve the global hospitality community. Having a far-reaching repository 

such as this will be a big step towards connecting the hospitality community 

through information that serves these businesses no matter the geography.” The 

new search engine will feature content such as whitepapers, articles, journals, 

and other resources pertaining specifically to the industry. 

The association, which represents professionals in the finance and technology 

sectors of hospitality, tested PineappleSearch.com at its Hospitality 

Industry Technology Exposition & Conference this past June, and incorporated 

focus group participants’ feedback and suggestions into the final 

development of the product. 

“When I’ve talked to people about Pineapple Search, of course the first response 

is ‘why do you need to build a search engine when there is Google and other 

powerful search engines out there,” said Frank Wolfe, CAE, HFTP CEO. “I 

then reply: because you need a tool that will directly give you the valuable information 

you need without having to click through pages of results. Pineapplesearch 

is a vault of curated, hospitality-specific resources that can cut your 

search time and keep you informed on what’s current in the industry.” He also 

commented, "Searchers will not have to wade through hundreds of results on 

unrelated topics to find information they are for. The engine will truly be a 

game changer for the industry." 

To submit content, these are the three types of information and content 

they are looking for. 

• Organization/Company details: Your company/organization will be 

indexed and made ‘findable’ in pineapplesearch.com. 

• A single content-hyperlink: You submit a link to a single story (link) 

which you would like to be indexed on pineapplesearch.com. 

To submit content, please go to 

http://www.pineapplesearch.com/suggest/index.html 

These are some of the content guidelines by which Pineapplesearch is 

indexing content: 

Focus on B2B non-commercial contents: Pineapplesearch’s promise is to 

index any type of content as long as 1) suggested links have a B2B relevance 

for the hospitality industry in general, and 2) links are of noncommercial 

nature. Pineapplesearch defines commercial content as links 

which contain direct or indirect references aiming to promote products or 

services sold by vendors and suppliers which are active in the hospitality 

industry. 

Company/Organization Index: Pineapplesearch’s promise is to add any 

company/organization (commercial or non-commercial) into an indexed 

industry-directory. Organizations can suggest to be added via this online 

form. An organization directory-listing includes company name, address 

and website. 

For more information on this resource, please contact Danielle Earp, 

public relations manager, at Danielle.Earp@hftp.org. 

HFTP, founded in 1952 and headquartered in Austin, Texas, USA 

with additional offices in Maastricht, The Netherlands, and Kowloon, 

Hong Kong, is the global professional association for financial and 

technology personnel working in hotels, clubs and other 

hospitality-related businesses. HFTP provides first class educational 

opportunities, research, and publications to members around the 

globe including, the premiere hospitality technology conference 

HITEC - founded in 1972. HFTP also awards the only hospitality 

specific certifications for accounting and technology - the Certified 

Hospitality Accountant Executive (CHAE) and the Certified 

Hospitality Technology Professional (CHTP) designations. 

HFTP was founded in the USA as the National Association 

of Hotel Accountants.

Focus on Clean the World 

Clean the World is one of 

PAII’s industry partners. 

Bed and Breakfasts can be also become 

involved with Clean the World’s soap 

recycling program with no cost to 

the innkeepers. 

Clean the World is a social enterprise that collects 

and recycles discarded soap and bottled 

amenities (shampoo, conditioner, lotion, gels) 

from hotel partners in North America, Hong 

Kong and Macau, China. The recycled soap is 

distributed around the world in areas where 

there is a high risk of hygiene-related illness. 

It all started in 2009 when founder Shawn 

Seipler was in a hotel room in Minneapolis, 

Minn., on a business trip. At the time, Shawn 

was vice president of sales for a technology 

company. Shawn wondered what happened to 

all those little bars of hotel soap. He found out 

they are simply thrown away in most cases. 

Around one million bars a day in the United 

States alone. Then he learned about all the 

children dying around the world from hygienerelated 

illnesses. He put the two together, and 

Clean the World was born. 

Statistics: 

• More than 4,000 

hospitality partners 

• Recycling from more than 

700,000 rooms daily 

• Diverted more than 4,000 

tons of waste from landfills 

• Distributed more than 29 

million soap bars worldwide 

• 99 countries have received 

Clean the World soap 

products 

• 92 percent of donations go 

directly toward the mission 

• More than 700,000 hygiene 

kits distributed 

• Recycling operations centers located in Orlando, 

Las Vegas, Montreal, and Hong Kong 

50 plus full-time jobs created 

• More than 16,000 volunteers have contributed 

54,000 hours of service 

Additional Benefits 

• Customers will Love You 

• Impact Your Local Community 

• Impact the World 

• Many hospitality employees come from 

the same countries that receive recycled 

soap from Clean the World. Those team 

members feel a special connection to the 

program. 

• Increase Owner and Employee Morale 

• Meeting planners and travelers frequently 

consider sustainability practices when 

booking lodging. Recycling with Clean the 

World is a great way to achieve social 

responsibility goals and attract more guests. 

To start participating in the program please visit 

https://cleantheworld.org 

You can check out some of the Bed & Breakfasts 

currently participating in the Clean the World 

program here https://cleantheworld.org/partners/ 

recycling-partners/bed-breakfast/ 

On average, more than 5,000 children under the 

age of 5 die every day from illnesses such as 

pneumonia and diarrheal disease. With access to 

soap, and education on proper hand washing 

techniques, about half those deaths can be prevented. 

Here in the United States, Clean the World distributes 

ONE Project hygiene kits to homeless 

shelters, women’s shelters, families in transition, 

and victims of natural disasters. Companies, 

churches, schools, clubs, and fraternal organizations 

host hygiene kit building events as a way to 

improve teamwork and create a renewed focus 

on community. By distributing the kits locally, 

participants see how something so simple can 

have such a profound impact on others. One kit 

truly can change one life.

Social Media Etiquette Tips, by Heather Turner 

• Keep your B&B’s accounts (and connections) professional, and your 

personal accounts separate from each other. Friending or accepting 

friend requests from guests on Facebook, unless you know them very 

well, is not recommended. Linkedin, Twitter and Google+ connections 

are fine, but keep guests as Facebook likers, a personal Facebook 

post about political opinions may be taken the wrong way for 

example. 

• Check out the people who want to follow you or be connected to 

you. Your mother was right when she said that people will judge you 

by the company you keep and guests, especially tech savvy guests, 

may check out who is following you on Twitter for example, or who 

your connections are on Linkedin. 

• Don't put anything on the Internet that you don't want your past 

guests, current guests or potential future guests to read. An off the 

cuff comment about the obnoxious lady who said she was gluten free, 

and then turned around and scarfed down 3 brioche buns could result 

in a bad Tripadvisor review if they saw it, or someone who truly 

is gluten free may see it and it may be construed the wrong way. 

• Never post when you're over tired, intoxicated, angry or upset. This 

goes hand in hand with never respond to a review when your out of 

sorts. 

• Use Automation Sparingly…Social media is about being social, and 

while automation can help save time and contribute to search engine 

optimization, if you have a feed from Facebook to Twitter for example, 

pop in occasionally and be a real person. 

• Don’t Be Needy. Constant requests for please like or comment on 

my post, please RT (ReTweet) me, please like our page, please follow 

us on Facebook, etc. don’t go over well to the general public. 

• Don’t spam your followers’ and likers, posting nothing but sales promotions 

and specials non-stop will result in a steady exodus of likers 

and followers. While it’s hard to keep coming up with original and 

interesting content, use of Twitter lists, Facebook Interest Lists and 

Google circles, as well as taking advantage of RSS feed software to 

keep on top of interesting blogs and articles can help you curate and 

create a back stock of interesting content you can draw from. 

• Don’t be too quick to judge. If someone comments on a post or responds 

to you on a social media platform, their own personal photos, 

avatars, bios etc. which may give you a negative impression (and say 

to yourself this is never going to be a potential guest) you must respond 

as you would to ANY potential guest regardless of their wording, 

grammar, looks or misspellings. It’s easy to mistype when you 

are in a rush or not paying attention and more importantly, you 

never know who they know or are connected to. A 17 year old teenager 

with purple hair and multiple piercings might be inquiring 

about something because she wants to do something really nice for 

her Mom who just lost someone. 

HELLO! 

Please don’t spam me. 

Sincerely, your guests. 

• Don’t follow for the numbers, don’t pay for Likes on Facebook or 

followers on Twitter. Quality over quantity. Paid likes on Facebook 

drop off over time and they are never potential future guests, and will 

never like or comment on posts. Paid Twitter followers will never 

interact, many are “bots” and this can actually harm your Twitter 

profile. Many Twitter users do check out who is following someone, 

and when they see an account followed by users who have no profile 

names, no headers, no avatars, no bios filled out, and men’s names 

attached to profile pictures of Oriental vixens, it’s a clear tip off that 

the account has paid for followers. 

• Compose your posts, updates or tweets in a word processing document 

so you can check grammar and spelling before you send them. 

On Facebook, Google+ and Pinterest you can edit your posts. On 

Twitter and Linkedin posts you can not edit once posted. 

• Have Your Social Media Profiles Completed in Full. If you have a 

Facebook or Google+ business page, a Twitter and/or Pinterest account. 

Who are you, where are you located and most importantly 

how does one get to your website? (and make sure you double check 

the link) Every social media profile should be linking (if there are 

areas to do so) to your other profiles. Most of them have spots specifically 

for that. Twitter’s bio can also contain additional links if you 

would like to add your Facebook, Google+ or Pinterest Url as well. 

Heather Turner of 

Forfeng Designs/Forfeng Media 

specializes in social media training. 

http://www.forfengdesigns.com 

She writes a hospitality blog at 

https://chefforfeng.wordpress.com

Tea Glorious Tea 

Water, There's a saying in the tea world: Water is the mother of all tea. 

Chlorine, fluoride and other chemicals in most tap water will affect the taste of tea. 

Always use filtered water or spring water for the best tasting tea. Distilled water is not 

recommended because water with it’s mineral content removed produces a flat taste. 

The freshness and purity of the water is important as it contains more oxygen, which 

enhances the flavor of the tea. Never use hot tap water or tea that has been boiled for 

more then a few minutes as it will result in tea with little aroma and flat dull taste. 

Tips on how to brew the perfect pot of tea: 

• Preheat the teapot and the cups: Hot water poured into a cold container will 

make the tea cool off too quickly and the full flavor of the tea will not emerge. A hot 

container presented to a guest will also keep the temperature up for them longer. A 

lukewarm cup of tea does not make the best impression. 

• As soon as the tea is done steeping, drain the leaves or bags from the tea. Innkeepers 

will generally bring a teapot to the table for a guest with the tea or teabag left in it. 

A perfect pot of tea will have the steeping done before it’s reached the guest. 

Tips on Storing Tea: 

• All tea has a shelf life, while it never expires, it loses flavor and aroma over time. 

• Keep tea away from air, moisture, light and contact with other foods. 

• Tea should be stored in a cool, dry area in a container that is not transparent and 

is airtight. 

• Avoid glass jars for storage as this exposes tea to light. A metal tin is suggested. 

• Store tea away from other strong smelling foods including coffee and dried spices. 

• Refrigerating or freezing tea is not recommended. 

Brewing times and temperatures: 

Different types of teas need different temperatures to fully release and enhance their flavors. It’s recommended that the darker the tea is, the hotter the 

water needed in which to steep it. 

Boiling water (212° Fahrenheit) is too hot for tea though even for black tea. Most black 

tea brews well at just under the boiling point at 205° Fahrenheit. Green teas, being more 

delicate, its recommended steeping between 160 and 190° Fahrenheit. 

The time for brewing or steeping of tea also depends on the leaf size. The smaller the leaf, 

the faster the tea gets infused. When experimenting with brewing times, the taste rather 

than color is more important. 

Recommended Brewing Times and Temperatures: 

• White Teas: 2-5 minutes @ 190° 

• Japanese Green Teas: 1-2 minutes @ 160° 

• Chinese Green Teas: 2-3 minutes @ 175° 

• Green Oolong Teas: 2-3 minutes @ 205° 

• Dark Oolong Teas: 3-5 minutes 205° 

• Black Teas: 3-5 minutes @ 212° 

• Herbal Teas: 5-7 minutes @ 212° 

Some teas are good for multiple infusions. Add fresh water to the pot and increase the 

steeping time for each infusion. 

For those guests that are tea connoisseurs, having a well brewed cup of tea to 

top off one of a B&Bs delicious breakfasts is the perfect start to a day.

Thoughts on Associations, People, Purpose and Play, by Kate Bartlet 

I describe my first year of innkeeping as an unfilmed episode of 

“Hoarders”. Ten years later, all I remember is purging, cleaning 

and trying to make Henniker House my own. One day that first 

summer, two innkeepers from the next town stopped by to say welcome 

to the neighborhood. They mentioned there was a regional 

group. I went back to cleaning, painting and throwing out magazines. 

In my 13th month of innkeeping, I put on a clean T-shirt 

and walked into my first meeting. What a warm welcome I received! 

These people had all been innkeeping for years and looked 

like the cool kid group at middle school; I needed to belong. 

Through these years this group ranged from a high of 25 B&Bs to 

a current low of 11. The tough economy and health issues have 

closed some. Several have new owners and they have joined our 

group. Some dropped out as they no longer find value in a regional 

group. 

So what do I get out of this? Here’s a short list: 

• Referrals – our regional web site shows availability so if I get a 

call I can’t serve, I can tell at a glance which B&B can. The 

caller gets a level of service that will help them become loyal to 

B&Bs as a lodging choice. When we rotate our meetings to 

the various member B&Bs, we can see each other’s properties 

and speak with confidence when we make referrals. I know 

other regional groups that do inspections but our group has 

never formalized it. 

• Web presence – another page that has our information because 

most guests say “found you on the web”. 

• Restaurant reviews – since I like to cook and am frugal, we 

don’t eat out often but within our group, someone will have 

tried a new restaurant. With my colleagues input, I’m ready to 

tell guests that it’s a miss or worth a try. 

• Influence with local attractions – together we can better negotiate 

discounts for our guests at a museum or other local attraction. 

One of the loveliest June days I spent was on an innkeeper 

only tour at a local historic house and garden. The museum 

now has a dozen hospitality partners and our guests get a 

reduced price admission. 

• Social time with colleagues & mentoring – whether it’s someone 

to share a ride to stock up at BJs or a glass a wine after a 

long season, there’s no better ear than one that’s been through 

the same wars as you. They may even have a battle strategy 

you haven’t yet tried. 

You’ll also notice in my by-line, that I’m the current president of 

our state association. This group, in contrast to the regional one, 

has a board with elected officers and meetings with agendas. The 

web site even tells the visitor our stated purpose: 

The New Hampshire Bed & Breakfast Association was organized 

in 2002 on the 22nd of February. The goal of the NHBBA is to 

promote awareness of bed & breakfasts and small inns to the public 

and to seek out new members. 

The NHBBA was created to be the voice for the bed & breakfast 

segment of the tourism industry in New Hampshire, and to provide 

travelers with an easy way to find a bed & breakfast in New 

Hampshire and check availability for their travel dates. 

Yes, I get some of the same things from the state group as the regional 

one; the web presence, referrals, mentoring and collegial 

conversation for example. But the purpose of being “the voice for 

the B&B segment” leads the state association to engage in a whole 

different set of activities. 

• Connections to state wide complementary associations (ski 

industry, snowmobile clubs, state travel and tourism department) 

to ensure that they refer travelers to our B&Bs. 

• Advocacy and education at state agencies; a B&B is different 

from a hotel so the food service license should be different. A 

camp ground isn’t a B&B so the data base of the web site 

should be cleaned up. Some of those AirBnBs aren’t collecting 

tax or being inspected by the health department. These advocacies 

ensure fair treatment for our members. 

• Help aspiring innkeepers understand the state requirements for 

licensing and other regulations. 

• Provide membership with economic and industry trends so 

they can assess how their business is doing. 

• Create a forum for sharing best practices at our meetings. 

Round table topics are the most engaging conversations. 

Any association is only as good as the people who put the energy 

into it. Back in my corporate life, I learned that clear purpose and 

roles are the rails that lead an organization to success. From that 

view our state group is more successful than the regional one. But 

I still enjoy the playtime I get with my local colleagues. Each association 

has their place in my busy innkeeper life. 

Kate Bartlet, is Innkeeper of 

Henniker House B&B and the 

current President of the New 

Hampshire Bed & Breakfast 

Association. Kate has owned 

Henniker House for over 10 years. 

http://www.hennikerhouse.com

Fall 2015 Innkeeping NOW magazine

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