Professional Association of Innkeepers: February 2016

We are committed to fostering a knowledgeable, caring and conscientious community of professional innkeepers,
networking with each other throughout the world.

Your Weekly News & Updates

News You Can Use - our weekly cruise thru the issues and topics

for the business of Innkeeping.

Not all News You Can Use is going to be upbeat - although the 'singing CPA' (in the Common Sense: 6 Tax Tips for Innkeepers) comes close!

Measuring Airbnb's Real Threat...

On the heels of a legislative loss for Virginia's B&B community* (and all legally licensed & insured lodging) comes another study documenting the impact of Airbnb. And, we certainly take note that the 2 top cities of Airbnb growth (exceeding 275%) are Richmond and Norfolk, Virginia.

The CBRE report provides market-by-market insights comparing Airbnb data to hotel data. It focused its research into Airbnb because of the company's impact in traditional hotel markets as well as its domination (emphasis ours) of a competitive set - as measured by Google Trends - that includes VRBO, HomeAway, and FlipKey. (some familiar names here...)

The ADR (average daily rate) for Airbnb rooms was $148.42, while hotels had an ADR of $119.11 and a traditional bed and breakfast was $103.25. Airbnb exerts a downward pressure on hotel room pricing during big events and other crowded periods...

After you've digested the bar-graphs, we suggest you read a second article (link at bottom of the article page): The Very Profitable Life of the Airbnb Superhost - and you'll note that the Skift report comments : "The only reason these hosts aren't heralded as great hosts by Airbnb - they are almost always the most highly reviewed by guests - is that they run counter to the "savior of the middle class" narrative Airbnb is now hoping will win it political battles."

And, to comment on the aforementioned political battle, Jack North (Mayhurst Inn, Orange VA) who attended and attempted (many constituents were denied or given 5 seconds) to testify at the hearings writes:

*February 16: The vote to send the revised Airbnb sponsored SB 416 and SB 571 to the whole Senate was a loss for all Virginians (8-6-1), especially for our 600 legal B&Bs, and for the safety and security of the tens of thousands of guests to the Commonwealth that will stay in these totally unregulated "homes" if this bill gets signed into law. The bill passed the full Senate (20-19) BY ONE VOTE. The only way to stop it is if the Governor vetos it.

Quite simply Airbnb is offering to collect and pay taxes from the thousands of their "hosts" (about 4000 in Virginia) in turn for not having to tell who they are, where they are, not requiring compliance with building, fire, safety, health, and ABC codes laws and regulations, not allowing an audit of, or and visibility into, the details associate with their listings, and not even guaranteeing that all Airbnb properties are paying the proper taxes. Essentially Airbnb is saying "trust us" rather than the local governments.

Til next week ...

Kris Ullmer, PAII Executive Director

News You Can Use:

Common Cents: 6 Tax Tips for Innkeepers

Industry News:

Measuring Airbnb's Real Threat to U.S. Hotels

Using Industry Metrics Read more.....

Social Media & SEO Changes Innkeepers

need to know: Google My Business Now Surfacing Web Verify Option Read more.....

Featured Past PAII Webinar from our Archives: History As Instructor: Lessons Learned From 40 Years Check it out......

Innkeeping Recipes: From the Michigan Lake to Lake Bed and Breakfast Association

Blueberry Citrus Muffins from the Kitchen of Antiquities' Wellington Inn

Association Leader Round Tables

Second and Fourth Mondays of Every Month, 2:00 PM-4:00 PM EST

Monday, February 29, 2016, 2:00-4:00 PM EST (rescheduled from the 22)
Association Webinars (Open to All)
Topic: Member Acquisition Association Leader Round Table(We will be discussing outreach to area B&Bs, new B&Bs and Aspiring Innkeepers)

How are you finding new B&Bs?
Has your association gone through Google maps or B&B directories to find existing B&Bs?
Are you retargeting past members after a certain amount of time?
Do you have google alerts set up for new B&B openings or sales?

Register at https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/1072609149465789954

All State and Regional Association

Board Members and Executive Directors

are welcome to attend, contribute and participate in the round tables.

For more information visithttp://paii.com/Association-Round-Tables

Help Wanted/Offered

New posting!

Attention: experienced and aspiring innkeepers, we are seeking proposals for a new innkeeper opportunity in Wine Country along California's Central Coast. We are designing and building an 11-room boutique hotel and wine-bar in Old Town Orcutt, and are interested in meeting innkeeper partner couples to live in brand new accommodations and manage the B & B and wine bar. The projected opening date is March 2017, but we'd like to meet prospective innkeepers soon for input on the interior design. Have you any suggestions as to how we might find such an innkeeper couple? Please contact me via email or cell phone at 805-798-0010 or email.JEFFREY WEINSTEIN

Check out a new page on our website! Help Wanted/Offered. Do you have an inn? Looking for an inn position? Please send your requirements to marketing@paii.org

Upcoming Webinars (free for members)

Please register at https://paii.wildapricot.org/Webinars

(you will need to login to your PAII account but you may need to reset your password as the new site did not transfer your old passwords)

Wednesday, February 24, 2016, 2:00 PM EST

Hacking - Is Your Site a Sitting Duck?
Lisa Kolb will show you how to tell if your site is secure or if hackers have an open door to infiltrate your site and use it for advertising unsavory items or even to take your site down. Security has become more important than ever before - make sure you are taking steps to keep your site safe.
-Presented by Acorn Internet

Wednesday, March 2, 2016, EST Association Webinars (Open to All)

Association Webinar: The Future of Member Involvement in the Electronic Age

-Presented by PAII Staff
Register now at https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3998158901252189442

Wednesday, March 9 (Blackout Date)

Monday, March 14, 2016, 2:00-4:00 PM EST
Association Webinars (Open to All)

Topic: Member Acquisition, round two. Association Leader Round Table
(We will be discussing what other venues and ways are associations using to attract new members)
Register at https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6134069090935945217

Wednesday, March 16, 2016, 2:00 PM EST
Online Marketing Playbook
Overview: Jumping into the world of online marketing for your property can seem overwhelming. This playbook helps you make sense of all the options, helps you understand where to focus your attention first and gets you on the way to success with online marketing for your property.
Learning Objectives: At the end of this webinar you'll know: How to use digital assets like your website and online review sites to increase occupancy. Which (if any) OTAs are right for your property to partner with. How to stay on top of all the digital marketing channels while staying focused on your guests.
Presented by innRoad

Please Click Here To See A Full List of Upcoming Webinars for 2016

Professional Association of Innkeepers International

http://www.innkeeping.org

STAY CONNECTED:

We are committed to fostering a knowledgeable, caring and conscientious community of professional innkeepers,
networking with each other throughout the world.

Your Weekly News & Updates

News You Can Use - our weekly cruise thru the issues and topics

for the business of Innkeeping.

Your weekly News You Can Use regularly includes 5 categories:

1. News You Can Use - practical, hands-on Innkeeping tips ranging from photography to knife sharpening to using guest reviews to growing your email list.

2. Industry News - what's happening with travel websites / fraudulent travel websites, key travel trends, OTA fees and (almost) all things Google.

3. Social Media & SEO Changes Innkeepers need to know - tools for publishing and managing your social media marketing, plus roll-outs and often a 'how to' use.

4. Featured Past PAII Webinar from our Archives - a recent presentation from industry experts (partners, innkeepers, related businesses): insurance, cooking class, marketing challenges, non-room revenue.

5. Innkeeping Recipes - to inspire you!

We invite you to tell us what you think - are these topics relevant to your business? Why or why not? What additional topics would you like to see addressed? Send your thoughts to me at kris@paii.org. I look forward to hearing from you!

And, in this issue ...

Top Ten lists highlight the best of the best - and Awesome Food Photography does this plus 1 with tips for food photography using any camera, including a smart phone camera! And, we agree with Jumping Rocks: it is still surprising that many B&B websites have no pictures of breakfast ... this is a missed opportunity to differentiate a B&B from other lodging - including vacation rentals. Props and propping, styling, composition, and a sense of life elevate the appeal of a food image ... and discover the 'secret sauce' of food photography in the bonus video!

Foursquare Enters Trip Planning Melee (and let's keep in mind the definition of melee: a noisy confused fight or conflict!), with Trip Tips: a new way to plan travel with help from friends. Foursquare says it's simple-"tell us where you're going and we'll give you a link to share with friends. All of their suggestions are collected into a list with a map, which is saved to your phone for on-the-go access." Let's encourage those 'friends' to recommend their B&B experience!

Opportunity knocks - or clicks - our Jobs Wanted / Offered page is growing with postings for positions throughout the country! This posting service is YOURS to use, whether you are in the job wanted or job offered category. See the link below.

'til next week -

Kris Ullmer, PAII Executive Director