“Look in the mirror and that is your guest?”

Really, me? Foliage is now almost behind us; how well did you survive this season? Each step that I take, as I walk through our woods, the leaves rustle under my boots, they are brown and wet! Yes, for the last 3 weeks I have had to wear my boots on my trail; it is wet everywhere! The guy that cuts our lawn gets stuck on the far side of the lawn, in mud! Vermonters support their towns, in a remarkable effort to rebuild and Innkeeper’s with every cheer and strength left in them, welcomed those who came to see the leaves! Many stayed in their favorite Inns, ate those local peaches, blueberries and apples, anyway! Inns I spoke with had a great foliage…are exhausted and tired now, ready for a jaunt to the Bahamas or some other relaxing place.

But, as always I try to challenge you about your Inn’s milieu, your personal focus, your attention of what you are passionate about?  We said this 31 years ago in our seminars: “look in the mirror and that is your guest”. What, a German Immigrant?  I am still saying it, but my audience is younger and hip and at the cutting edge “techies”! Are they your guests? I bet they are! If you bought your Inn 10 years ago and you have not up-graded each room, you got a problem. Don’t tell me that your guests don’t want flat-screen TVs, or connection to the internet? And that they love all the trinkets that you so painstakingly collected and poised like trophies on each flat surface. They need the night table free for their stuff: their I-pod, their glasses, their snacks or glass of wine.

Who wants to free the bed of its 10 pillows? They used to make a statement; today they are considered an inconvenience!

Well, that is enough! What has not changed? It is your commitment to service, your warm and welcoming touch!

So look in that mirror and remember time has passed, material things have changed, décor is more simple, cleanliness, and fine linens are still part of the elegant experience the guests expects and that they gladly pay for. There is nothing that replaces your gracious hospitality: as the new inn-goer, that young couple enters your doorway and your warm welcome greets them and smells of freshly baked cookies wafts into their nostrils. Think about it, how has your Inn changed?

Have a great few weeks to unwind! Heide

Tags: Heide Bredfeldt, Inn Partners, innkeeping