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Bed & Breakfast Memory Makers

Friday, January 29th, 2010

I don’t often spend much time watching the Food Network, but Marilyn does.  And a show with an interesting topic came on that got us talking.  “What is the best food you ever ate?”

We pondered on that and then started reminiscing about some great meals we had.  One with friends of ours in Santa Barbara two years ago before the PAII convention.  Outdoors on the restaurant’s patio… propane heaters overhead in the branches to take the chill off the evening… great wine from one of the vineyards we had visited that day… laughing… upscale fare with a flavorful Spanish creativity.

And the time we were in downtown Baltimore, at Tio Pepe’s (one of Marilyn’s favorites), an underground bistro with great Sangria, and a pine nut roll dessert.  Did I mention the Sangria?  A birthday favorite for her.

Even a great pizza at John’s in Manhattan, at lunch time before we dashed off to see Mamma Mia (I must admit I was an ABBA fan before it was chic) on Broadway.  Crisp crust, served in an old church complete with stained glass and murals…a New York City landmark and favorite for us.  Took the kids there one time.

Then it struck me that while trying to recall “the best food we ever ate”, it wasn’t really the food we were remembering, but the memory of the whole experience.  The food was made even better by the excitement of the location, the folks we were with, the intriguing atmosphere, the other delicacies we tried, the laughing, the holding hands …not just the food.

Isn’t that what all us innkeepers mean when we want to give our guests the full experience?  And if we can deliver, it creates memories.  We are not just beds, not just nice looking buildings.  The warmth of the welcome, the busy day out in the vineyards or at the historical site, the sincere smile when they sneak a second brownie, the breakfast… aahhh…breakfasts!  We had a guest stand on his chair one time to take a photo of his pumpkin waffle with the toasted almonds and roasted fruit.

Pennsbury Inn approach

Pennsbury Inn

Cheryl Grono, innkeeper at  Pennsbury Inn in Chadds Ford, PA., responded to a recent post about making a small cake with a balloon for a 90 year old guest, surprising him on his return from dinner, who then hugged her because he had never had a balloon before.  He will remember that moment…and so will Cheryl.

We innkeepers are the creators of memories.  And those guest memories will last forever and result in repeat guests.  And repeat guests are the lifeblood of our industry.

Any favorite memories?  I’ll bet it’s the whole experience that creates that memory.          Scott

Posted in Building Relationships as a Marketing Tool, Inn Operations, Inns and Innkeepers, PAII, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

Great Hospitality Means Creating Memories

Wednesday, January 20th, 2010

One of the most thought-provoking sessions at the  Mid-Atlantic Innkeepers Trade Show and Conference last week was the general session featuring Terrie Glass, a story-teller from Leadership Solutions of Richmond, VA.  I’ve been to a number of sessions where the speaker usually addresses the big picture or offers platitudes of advice without really giving any hands-on, practical behaviors that are actionable or useful.

Not this one! After asking, and listing on a flip chart, what a “Good” lodging experience is (e.g. fair price, clean room, nice breakfast, etc.)  and then what a “Great” lodging experience is (e.g. personal interaction with innkeeper, a sincere welcom, attention to details, etc.) ,  she then asked everyone to think of the most “memorable” stay they’ve had at an inn.  And then she listed on a flip chart the “Why’s”…Why was this so memorable for you?    The answers to the memorable question varied quite a bit from the Good and Great list.

In fact, you can stay at an Inn that did NOT have all the details in order, but still have a most memorable experience that earns repeat stays.  Making Hospitality “Memorable”  boiled down to three concepts:

  1. Making the Personal Connection:  Attending to the emotional comfort of the arriving guest, which also builds trust.  Remembering the upcoming anniversary or the kids birthdays, or when guests arrive with a level of anxiety (after a long drive, meeting strangers, not sure whether the inn they’ve chosen will be comfortable, etc.).  Offering immediate and sincerely helpful comfort, with the personal connection, gives the guest a feeling of value and welcome.
  2. Delivering Positive Emotions:  Terrie spoke of a cruise she took with her elderly mom and the clan.  For over 2 hours around the dinner table, the family (grand kids included) interacted, joked, and told stories.  Terrie’s memory, however, is the look of total pleasure on her mom’s face as she watched her family share time together.  For Terrie’s mom, the positive emotion was the love for her family.  For our guests, it is the compliment we offer, or when the guest mentions their son making the swim team, our reply of  “Wow…I would really be proud if that were my son” evokes positive emotions from them.
  3. Taking Care of What is Relevant (to the Guest…not you!):  What is relevant to the guest may be very different than what is relevant to you.  For example, if a guest is (privately) worried about being able to get a hold of the babysitter at home during the night, she doesn’t want to hear that the house phone is for local calls only or that the last guest rang up costly long distance charges.  She would rather you perceived her real concern and offer relevant options to ease her anxiety.  What you worry about does not matter since it is not relevant to the guest.

We are pretty good at the hospitality thing in our industry.  But remembering the 3 important concepts of making EACH visit memorable will pay off in repeat business.

Do any of you have examples of how you made a guest’s stay memorable for them? Scott

Posted in Building Relationships as a Marketing Tool, Inn Operations, Inns and Innkeepers, Uncategorized | 2 Comments »

Managing Your Business with Less

Monday, November 2nd, 2009

I received a thoughtful note from Alice Erlandson (Thank You, Alice!) owner, with husband Tom, of The Oliver Inn in South Bend, IN.  Like many inns (and nearly ALL businesses!), innkeepers across the country are seeking out cost-cutting approaches to running the inn without sacrificing the quality of service to guests.  Here is her letter in its entirety:

Managing Your Business with Less

So…this has been a challenging year for us.  Sales have been down.  ADR is down.  Cash flow is negative  We still have guests to take care of and a large Victorian Mansion to restore and an acre of gardens to care for…how are we going to make it?

We needed to take a serious look at every penny we spend and see how we can make changes without changing our level of service to our guests.  Here are some things we are doing to make it through in this soft economy,

Employees: We’ve had to cut back our help and increase own own workload.

  • This is a great way to keep in shape, but it does take more of your time and energy.
  • Use this time, if you are cleaning rooms yourself for the first time in awhile to really look at what your guest rooms might need in the way of deep cleaning or sprucing up!

Utilities and Fixed Costs: You can’t do much about some of these.

  • We searched around and found a phone company that saved us $100 a month!
  • We’ve switched our light bulbs out to Compact Fluorescent and have seen our utilities stay even or go down!
  • Turn lights off when the inn is not occupied.
  • Be sure to turn lights on at night to give the inn that “lived in” look.  Make certain that all lights that are “always” on are energy savers, ie. compact fluorescent or LED.
  • Turn down water heaters during slower periods.
  • If you do your own laundry, try to wash more linens in lower temperatures.
  • All new purchases of equipment should carry an energy star rating
  • We also manage our heating and cooling very closely, especially when guests are not in the Inn.

Gardening Service: We kept them on for part of the year, but then we told our service that we hoped to have them back in the spring.  More of our time, less of our money, and we already owned a riding mower and other gardening equipment.  Cheaper than a tanning salon!

Menus for Breakfast: You can prepare gourmet breakfasts while watching your pennies!

  • Read the weekly food ads to see what is on sale and plan your menus around those seasonal items or store specials to help control your costs.
  • Look for in-store deals so that you can stock up on super sales!
  • Check out the local farmers market for deals on produce.

Marketing: Analyze your marketing efforts and be certain that your marketing investment is working for you.  One thing you cannot cut is marketing, but be certain that you are getting the best “bang for your buck”.

Maintenance: Now is the time to do some inexpensive maintenance to your guest rooms.

  • Make small repairs and keep things in good order, instead of replacing them.  Repair that leaky faucet rather than replace it.
  • Paint is an inexpensive way to spruce things up.
  • Big hotels are doing some remodels, and upgrades.  We need to keep up our Inns’ appearance and make sure our guests are having a great experience!

I’m sure you have ideas about what you can do to make it through these challenging times.  Things will turn around and we all can make it if we are careful and don’t forget to keep Marketing!

Alice Erlandsen,  The Oliver Inn

Posted in Financial Health of an Inn, Inn Operations, Inns and Innkeepers, Marketing, Uncategorized | 3 Comments »

Cancellation Fees ARE Hurting Your Business…I Guarantee it!

Thursday, October 15th, 2009

Have you seen the Expedia commercials that have aired the last couple of days touting NO fees for changes or cancellations? It’s almost true…from Expedia’s point of view.  If you hit their website, (“dot-coooommm”…they have built their brand to include a little jingle), you will note

  • “…unlike other travel sites, we won’t charge you a penalty.  There are NO Expedia change or cancel fees on hotels, cruises, cars, and virtually all flights and packages.”     [BUT:]
  • “Please bear in mind that while we [Expedia] won’t charge change or cancel fees, some suppliers [e.g. hotels] may impose non-refundable rate plans or fees that Expedia is required to pass along.  Such fees are highest when cancellations occur within 48 hours of your scheduled travel dates.”

Even though the hotels still have their cancellation fees, they have, historically, been quite liberal with their policies.  Usually a call before 6 pm on the day of arrival is sufficient to avoid a charge.

BUT THAT IS NOT THE IMPORTANT POINT HERE!

The expectation is being set in the consumer’s mind by Expedia that change and cancellation fees are flexible and do not have to be tolerated by the traveler.  Their caveat is on their website, but the commercials reflect NO fees for changes or cancellations…and that is what the travel market hears.

We innkeepers have been using cancellation policies and fees since the beginning of time.  We use such language as “we are a small property and changes and cancellations affect our business greatly”.   True…but the potential guest doesn’t care about you.  Here are some actual quotes from inn websites here in the Mid-Atlantic area…my comments are in BLUE:

  • “Written notice of cancellation seven or more days prior to arrival, a $25 service fee will be charged.  No shows or cancellations within seven days will result in a full night charge or a 50% charge of a stay which is 3 days or longer”.  Written notice? Who does that?  and what if the inn can re-book the room?  Double dipping?
  • “A 50% deposit, or the cost of one night, whichever is higher, is required to confirm your reservation.  Deposits for stays of 5 or more days are non-refundable“.  If a guest booked for 5 days, then changes plans, this guest could be penalized $600!  Why would I book there?  Any cancellation will cost the guest at least a  full night fee.  Ouch!
  • “If you cancel less than 21 days in advance of reserved date, deposit [50%] minus $25 fee if room rebooked.  If not rebooked, you are 100% responsible”.  21 days?  WOW!  No wonder people are waiting till the last minute to book…nobody can plan that far our with certainty…and 100% responsibility is too high a cost (and scarey!) for long term planners.

SO WHAT’S AN INNKEEPER TO DO?

It’s time to reconsider what YOUR policies are doing to you.  I GUARANTEE YOU ARE MISSING RESERVATIONS WITH STRICT POLICIES that penalize guests.  If they see these kinds of statements on-line (and they are almost ALWAYS on-line),  they will click into a different direction.  You won’t even know you missed them.  Here are some thoughts for consideration:

  • Do you even have to have a cancellation policy at all? Inns with strong corporate travel know that they cannot have penalties at all, except, maybe, for a no-show.  When a corporate traveler cancels at the last minute (their plans OFTEN change on short notice), these inns, holding back their disappointment at the lost sale, say with a smile in their voice “Sure, Dan…we’ll see you next time!”.  The goodwill reaps repeat rewards in the long run.  So why damage your leisure travel relationships with punishing policies?  Don’t you want them back someday too?
  • Are you using your cancellation policy as a profit center? The “if we can rebook the room” caveat is a hoax.  If you can’t rebook the room, it’s NOT because of the guest’s cancellation.  It is because of travel demand in your area.  And, if you intend to NOT relinquish the hoax,  I hope that you make more of an effort to rebook the room than to sit by the phone to wait for it to ring.  You will lose that guest as a repeater…is it worth it?
  • Is there a competitive advantage to being the ONLY inn in your association or region that does not have a strict cancellation policy? Guests shop around and will stop searching when they hit a site that meets their needs.
  • Is your cancellation date WAY TOO LONG?  Is 21 days too much?  (maybe NOT for a special event such as a college graduation or a wedding booking?).  Can you be selective on WHICH events or weekends are critical to have a strict cancellation policy and identify the rest of the year with a punishment-free policy?
  • If a guest cancels, is the $25 or $50 “service fee” really that important to you?  Is it really worth putting a sour taste in your guest’s mouth about your inn?  Do you really need behavior deterants?  Are they really worth it?
  • If you are thinking out of the box enough to relax your policies…promote it!  Put it on your website…in your next newsletter…in your next email blast to past guests…on the directories on-line.  Let people KNOW you are guest friendly! Expedia is.

The expectation is out there.  Expedia is reinforcing the mindset that change and cancel fees are for the convenience of the lodging facility…not the guest.  This is NOT the kind of economy that will tolerate financial punishments for every-day travel decisions.  We innkeepers know the importance of relationship-building and the value repeat guests bring us.  Don’t send the mixed message of financially punishing guests with a hospitable smile on your face.

Scott

Posted in Building Relationships as a Marketing Tool, Financial Health of an Inn, Inn Operations, Inns and Innkeepers, Market Trends, Marketing, Uncategorized | 4 Comments »

Technology at the Turtle

Sunday, September 6th, 2009

Some innkeepers may be wondering if it is truly worth the effort and investment to do some of this technology stuff we’ve all been hearing about.  You know…Facebook, Twitter, blogging, Search Engine Optimization…you know this technology stuff.

Marilyn and I know Dallas and Nancy Renner from our corporate life McCormick days.  Now they are the owners of The Chocolate Turtle, a 4 guest room B & B in Corrales, NM.  This top rated TripAdvisor recommended gem was Googled on the Blackberry of a producer of the Sean Hannity show, on assignment covering the Tea Party Express in Albuquerque.  They needed to find a location where they could transmit their story over to the internet back to New York.  And they were in a hurry…on their way to Las Cruces to film the Tea Party event for the Greta Van Susteran show.  They needed access to the internet right now!

Because The Chocolate Turtle has adapted their website to PDA devices, and they promote their property as business friendly with high speed internet access, the Sean Hannity team inquired about the possibility of using the B & B as their transmission point.  Of course the Renners obliged and were repaid for their kindness by a news blurb on the Sean Hannity Great American Blog, with video.  Check it out!  And now the success story is on the PAII blog, and on this blog and…  well, people just can’t stop talking about the Turtle!

Proof positive that it is worth the investment to learn (like at the PAII convention?!), and then take advantage of, this technology stuff.      Scott

Posted in Inn Operations, Inns and Innkeepers, Internet Directories, Market Trends, PAII, Uncategorized, Websites | No Comments »

Viable Inn vs. Lifestyle Inn…a tough question

Thursday, August 20th, 2009

Is a VIABLE Inn or a LIFESTYLE Inn Best for you?

As an aspiring innkeeper, one of the more difficult decisions to be made is viability vs. lifestyle.  A viable inn, usually an inn with 8 or 9 guest rooms or more, is one that has enough cash flow to pay not only the operating expenses, but the debt service (mortgage) as well.  A lifestyle inn is usually a smaller inn, perhaps even very busy and popular, but does not have enough cash flow to pay the mortgage.

One Choice is Not BETTER than the other!  They BOTH can offer the Rewards of Inn Ownership!
The BIG QUESTION becomes “Do You Need to Make Money?”

If the answer is YES, then viability of an inn becomes a priority for your search and part of your inn profile.
If the answer is NO, then a lifestyle inn may be just the ticket…the joys of inn ownership at a smaller inn.
Financial considerations for a lifestyle inn include the size of the down payment and whether there is outside resources to help pay the bills.  A smaller inn typically does not require much staffing which helps keep expenses down, and, if someone is working outside of the inn, the need to pay for health insurance and other corporate benefits may not pose a expense burden.  And the rewards can be very satisfying!  The inn may even make enough to pay the usual household bills (utilities, phone, food, insurance, etc.) and ease the pain of the mortgage.

A good example of a lifestyle inn  is The Limestone Inn, currently for sale at $595,000.
Located in The Limestone InnState College, PA., only 4 miles from Penn State, the inn enjoys the privacy of being out in the country, but close enough to corporate businesses and the campus to do a strong business.  But the inn only has 5 rooms which limits its ability to make enough to pay the full mortgage.  But with over $50,000 of revenue for each of the last 3 years, the inn can easily pay its bills with a good size chunk of cash flow left over to take a dent out of the mortgage payment…an ideal lifestyle inn in a great marketing area.

Grape ArborAn example of an affordable viable inn is Grape Arbor B & B located in North East, PA.   This inn, currently for sale for only $845,000, with 8 rooms, all with private baths, with its 33% occupancy, is large enough to be able to pay the bills AND the mortgage.  It is ideally located in the Chautauqua-Lake Erie Wine Trail region within easy reach of the Buffalo, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh marketing areas.  Compared with The Limestone Inn, the additional 3 rooms helps bring in the extra revenue to be viable.

Both of these inns offer the rewarding experience of inn ownership.  Both are not necessarily huge inns, and may be managed by a single person, with perhaps some part-time staff help, or by a couple.  Size of the inn is typically the primary determining factor when considering viability vs. a lifestyle inn, and, when coupled with the marketing location and potential to attract guests to the area attractions, either inn can offer the enjoyable experience of owning your own B & B.       Scott

Posted in Aspiring Innkeepers, Inns and Innkeepers, Uncategorized, Viability of an Inn | No Comments »

It’s All About Trust…isn’t it?

Monday, August 3rd, 2009

Boy, did I get screwed this week! Marilyn and I own a rental condo here in Ocean City and we got a call from our guests that the air conditioning didn’t seem to be working.  We were away and unavailable to respond personally so we called the (reputable-name) service contractor with which we have a service contract.

“Compressor blown…$2800 for a new outside heat pump” was the diagnosis.  Crap! Just like when we were innkeepers, it hurts to spend that much money for something that is invisible to the guests (except when it is NOT working!).  “Aw right”, we responded…what else could we do?

There was a second problem we discovered.  Raccoons (or something) had chewed through the wires under the decking and there was a short that kept tripping the breaker.  Whenever the heat pump came on, the vibration would shake the wires, and eventually they would short out and trip the breaker…but it only happened once in a while when the vibration hit it just right for the wires to touch together and short out.  We got an electrician to splice in a new piece of wire and that was fixed.  Then he made the comment that sent us thinking.  “Maybe it was the shorted circuit causing the problem and the heat pump was fine after all”.

HMMM…To make a long story short, we went to the boneyard of the A/C service company, found our unit (our address was written on the cover so it was easy to identify), and had it tested by another HVAC company.  Nothing wrong with it! Come to find out the technician who diagnosed the problem gets a commission for selling new units so he replaces even good units with new units to collect bigger bucks.  Maybe the owners would never notice.

Needless to say, we initiated the chargeback for our $2800, jumped to the new service company to reinstall our old one, and I called the owner of the violating company to complain.  He offered to make nice-nice and agreed to only charge us $600 and we can keep the NEW unit.  I told him NO…that I would pay the $600 to the trustworthy company to reinstall the old unit even though I probably had argument to get the old company to reinstall the old unit free of charge since they should never have uninstalled it in the first place.   He had lost my trust.

This applies to all parts of our own lives as innkeepers (and consultants).  I had an aspiring innkeeper want her money back for a seminar that she couldn’t attend and that I was trying to reschedule anyway.  At first, I was going to return the fee (less the credit card fees) I am charged by the processor.  (kinda like the $25 cancellation fee for a room, isn’t it?).  Today, I sent her the entire amount to not violate trust and to maintain the relationship.  After all, it was NOT her fault I was trying to change the schedule.

How many times have you charged a fee for an early arrival? or a late check-out…even when you knew that room was not being used?  How many times have you booked a room holding back the fact that the bridal reception going on downstairs might disturb the guests (maybe they won’t notice!).

It’s all about earning and deserving to be trusted.  Just as I can no longer trust my old A/C company, I want to make sure I do not tell people what they want to hear…when it may be misleading…just to get their business.  I would rather be trusted.           Scott

Posted in Building Relationships as a Marketing Tool, Inn Operations, Innkeeping Consulting, Inns and Innkeepers, Uncategorized | No Comments »

What is the Highest and Best Use of YOUR Property?

Wednesday, July 15th, 2009
The title phrase above about the highest and best use describes a real estate appraising term often applied to the B & B Valuation process as well.  Use is the operative word.  Using Wikipedia’s definition, the concept states that the “value of a property is directly related to the use of that property; the highest and best use is the reasonably probable use that produces the highest property value. This use, the Highest and Best Use, may or may not be the current use of the property.” (my emphasis applied)

This affects a LOT of inns.  Some inn properties may have a higher property value as an alternate use.  A smaller property may have a higher value as a residential property…and many small inns have sold recently as homes.
Some inns are restricted by codes (typically zoning and special use permitting) to provide all of the services they would like to offer…thus restricting revenue and profitability growth.  These inns may have higher property value as another use…perhaps an office building or assisted living facility.

Many inns are currently enjoying the highest and best use of the property. It is reasonably likely that these viable inns have the highest property value as currenlty being used as an inn.  Their value, therefore, can be established by a properly detailed valuation as a going concern as an inn.

Most innkeepers do not want to hear that their “baby” is worth more with an alternate use.  But these economic times are clearing the air about value, and what level of loan to value (LTV) the lenders will support, and a clearer understanding of highest and best use.      Scott

Posted in Financial Health of an Inn, Innkeeping Consulting, Uncategorized, Viability of an Inn | No Comments »

Guest Loyalty and Gratitude is the Return Gift for your Thoughtfulness

Monday, July 13th, 2009

In January, I attended the PA Tourism & Lodging Association Inn-Touch meeting at Hickory Bridge Farm in Ortanna, PA.  Great place…I wish we had stayed there.  Marilyn and I usually stay at inns when we travel, but on this trip, we had our 4 year old grandson and cocker spaniel Arthur with us.  So we stayed at a (gasp!) chain motel in nearby Gettysburg.  Marilyn had booked on-line (to include checking the bullet that said we had a dog…no charge…and a kid),and when we checked in, everything was messed up.  They assigned us to a room with no extra bed for Brody.  They did not know we had a dog so they said it would cost extra.  And when we went to the desk to make alternate room arrangements, the snot-nosed teenager behind the desk gave us lip.

The manager finally came out to make nice-nice and correct the matter.  He upgraded us to a larger room with a whirlpool tub in the bedroom (which Brody thought was a pool).  But even with the upgrade, I felt both cheated (I was looking for a nice experience…not lip) and guilty (for an upgrade we got only because we complained).

Pat Materka, owner of Ann Arbor Bed & Breakfast, on the U of MI campus, sent me an article from the June 17 New

Ann Arbor B & B

Ann Arbor B & B

York Times, written by Rob Walker, about “Hyatt’s Random Acts of Generosity“.  Hyatt is instituting a new program called “random acts of generosity” where the hotel randomly picks up the tab for an expense, such as your bar tab or massage.  The effort is based on the concept that giving such gifts will not only be appreciated, but will also build loyalty and gratitude.  And such gratitude will result in continued business.

Hmmmmm… A couple of questions come to mind… How do they select which guest gets the gift?  How do they train their employees to do it “randomly” as a surprise?  And, as Walker mentions, when Hyatt made the public announcement of the program (it was in the New York Times, for gosh sakes), wouldn’t EVERY guest be waiting for their gift?  And if they don’t get one, will they feel cheated (like I did)?  Or will they feel guilty (like I did)  if they asked for the gift?

Don’t get me wrong…I am a BIG believer in Relationship Marketing (see the article Marketing on a Dime).  Building personal connections with guests or potential guests (calling them by name, sending handwritten notes, going the extra step for service, including them in newsletters, making a personal call to say Happy Birthday instead of an email, etc.) is, by far, the way to strengthen repeat business.

But inns don’t need gimmicks to build loyalty or gratitude.  When an innkeeper’s thoughtfulness of providing a birthday candle in the cinnamon bun, or an unexpected bottle of bubbly upon the arrival of the honeymooners, or a handwritten sympathy card to a former guest, or a “Welcome, Dan” instead of “Can I help you?”, loyalty and gratitude already have a foundation of a lasting relationship.  Inns are good at that stuff.

What do you think?  Do you have “Gifts” you feel are adding to customer loyalty?  Scott

Posted in Building Relationships as a Marketing Tool, Innkeeping Consulting, Inns and Innkeepers, Marketing, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Proud to be an American

Sunday, June 14th, 2009

I had the opportunity today to attend the Ocean City (Maryland) Air Show.  It’s Flag Day, June 14, and a day filled with patriotic music, aerobatic stunt planes, and military pride.  With background music resounding across the

A Golden Knight

A Golden Knight

Ocean City Beach, the crowd joined Lee Greenwood’s “I’m proud to be an American” as The U.S. Army’s Golden Knights and the U.S. Navy’s Leap Frogs parachute teams landed safely (thank goodness, I always hold my breath until they are all down) on the sands beside our seats.

They look so young…these boys and girls… that will go in harm’s way so that we can sit on a beach and eat hot dogs and soak in the sun.

The Thunderbirds

The Thunderbirds

Then came the grand finale.  The thunder-like roar of six F-16 Eagles, brilliantly white with blue and red trim, as they surprised us from behind and soared in their familiar diamond formation.  The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds with their high-speed precision aerobatics, knife-edge fly-bys, and nearly supersonic wonder.  The background music was Neil Diamond’s “Coming to America”… a fitting tribute, as the announcer described every maneuver.  I tried to take a bunch of photos, but got a lot of empty sky…wow…they can move!

On the walk home, as we strolled the boardwalk of Ocean City heading for the car, we passed the Inn on the Ocean.  Vicki and Charlie Barrett had center stage seats at their ocean front inn.  Saying Hi to Vicki seated on their front patio, I was reminded of the wonderful industry in which Marilyn and I work.  We meet great folks, at great inns, spinning their hospitality magic to make the traveling public comfortable and welcomed.  We all may not look as youthful as the youngsters dropping out of the sky today, but these innkeepers are just as dedicated to their selfless professions…giving their all to make their guests safe, satisfied and rested.  I’m proud to be an innkeeper too.

I love Flag Day… and Happy 19th Birthday, Chris.  Mom and I love you.    Dad

Posted in Inns and Innkeepers, Uncategorized | No Comments »

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