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B&Bs for business travelers
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January 15, 1998: 4:04 p.m. ET
No longer just vacation hideaways, inns seek to service executives on the go
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NEW YORK (CNNfn) - If you're a business traveler tired of all the brass and glass of major hotel chains, you may want to consider something a little different: a B&B.
No longer just a place to stay on vacation, bed & breakfast inns are moving into urban areas and offering much the same amenities of the big hotels - points programs for frequent travelers, flexible check-in and check-out times, on-site office equipment and modem jacks, and privileges at nearby health clubs.
Business guests who choose B&Bs say they find it a more personal environment, says innkeeper Tom King of Queen Anne Bed & Breakfast Inn of Denver, Colo. Innkeepers like King will go to great lengths to look after guests. When a blizzard last winter prevented him from serving dinner to a full house of guests, King arranged an evening, complete with karaoke, at a local restaurant.
Guidebook author Bernice Chesler (her books include "Bed & Breakfast in New England") has been reviewing B&Bs for nearly 20 years. Chesler says the unique "sense of place" business travelers experience when they stay in B&Bs is, above everything else, what keeps them coming back. "Guests will call and ask if `my room' is ready," Chesler says.
Aside from service, there's also the issue of safety. Some female business travelers say they feel an added sense of security at an inn, says Sally J. Baker of the Gold Coast Guest House in Chicago. Security at large hotels usually means guards, encoded keys, and triple locks on the doors. While B&Bs also have the physical manifestations of security, Baker believes female guests feel more secure in meeting their host and other guests. "It's not like staying on the same floor with 20 strangers," she says.
As for your corporate budget, you'll find B&Bs can be fairly competitive. The Professional Association of Innkeepers International (PAII) reports the national average corporate B&B rate for 1996 was $88. Compare that to the $73 a night that the American Hotel & Motel Association found business travelers spent per night in traditional hotels and motels during 1996.
You may also want to consider special points programs offered by some inns. For example, travelers who reserve through one service, Innpoints Worldwide (800-401-2262), can earn points redeemable for airline miles and free stays at any of the 400 member properties.
PAII recommends staying at properties inspected by AAA, Mobil Travel Guide, American Bed & Breakfast Association, Independent Innkeepers Association, or one of the state bed and breakfast associations. PAII offers a free approved list of inspecting associations. Because reputable inspections indicate that the B&B or inn meets a stringent set of standards, most innkeepers will be quick to tell you whose inspections they have passed.
One comprehensive resource for searching out the right lodging is Inns&Outs, a website with over 7,000 detailed listings. In addition to basic facts, each listing provides photos and information such as suitability for business travel, including availability of on-site office equipment and proximity to business districts. Now, a short commuting time is something almost any business travelers would be pleased to find.
-- by Eric Hunter for CNNfn Interactive
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