The COVID-19 pandemic is having a varied impact on innkeepers around the U.S. For Marilyn Bushnell and Eliot Dalton, who are innkeeping consultants and brokers working with property buyers and sellers, it has been an interesting time. They have a real “feet on street” perspective on the state of the marketplace, which they share in this podcast.

In the innkeeping world, it’s often assumed that things need to be done in a certain way. Jim Meade, the owner and operator of Bear Lodges, chose to do things his own way. Jim is also the author of “No Cooked Breakfast,” a book that offers a practical guide infused with a personal narrative about his life before, during, and after opening his B&Bs. The book also discusses how following your own passion can lead to success as an innkeeper.

With various U.S. states launching new COVID-19 guidelines for businesses to re-open, many innkeepers are developing strategies for opening their properties for the summer season. As a pioneer in owning a chemical- and fragrance-free inn, Teresa Luttrell, the owner of Enliven Bed and Breakfast, provides a deep-dive take on what innkeepers can do to keep their properties safe for guests – from hard and soft surfaces, air, drains, and much more.

While many people don’t often think about bed bugs, they can be a tremendous nuisance for independent hotels and inns. And unfortunately, they are on the rise, with a logical reason for their exponential growth over the years. According to Brian Ontiveros-Kersch, with Bed Bug Advisor, there is no “best treatment” when it comes to bed bugs. In this podcast, Brian provides detailed insights into the history of bed bugs, their psychological impact, mitigation strategies for innkeepers, and much more.

As the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown continues, innkeepers are presented with a rare opportunity to use this down time to enhance their marketing efforts to help expand awareness and drive future bookings. In this podcast, Kent Schnepp, CEO of Odysys, provides deep-dive insights into how innkeepers can develop marketing strategies to ramp up their businesses as the COVID-19 pandemic winds down.

Founded in 2009 by Teresa Luttrell, Enliven Bed and Breakfast offers accommodations that are ideal for guests who are sensitive to chemical-laden cleaning and fragrance products. The idea for the B&B came about from Teresa’s decades-long challenges with Lyme disease, when she decided to create a refuge for medical travelers coming to the Seattle area for their treatments. In this podcast, Teresa provides insights into how she has created a safe haven for patients and chemically sensitive guests.

For many innkeepers, it can be challenging to balance day-to-day operations and be available to take all reservation calls from prospective guests. Missed calls can translate into lost revenue to competing lodging options. John Smallwood founded ExpressRez to address this very issue – to serve as an outsourced call center for Inns and B&Bs by handling all reservations and guest inquiries. In this podcast, John provides more insights into the value of the ExpressRez service for innkeepers.

As we noted in Part 1 of our previous podcast interview, Monique Greenwood is a highly regarded innkeeper who developed the Akwaaba empire of five properties, and has parlayed this experience into an OWN TV reality show called “Checked Inn.” In part two of this podcast series, Monique discusses Checked Inn, and provides her philosophy behind continually offering the best experiences for her guests.

It’s not often that we find an innkeeper who has built a reputation to the level that attracted the attention of Oprah Winfrey. Monique Greenwood is a highly regarded innkeeper who developed the Akwaaba empire of five properties, and has parlayed this experience into an OWN TV reality show called “Checked Inn.” In this podcast, Monique discusses her background, the growth of the Akwaaba Bed & Breakfast Inns, her book, and much more.

Monica Edwards began her career as an innkeeper somewhat unexpectedly in 1997, when she and her husband opened the Morehead Manor Bed & Breakfast in Durham, North Carolina. Monica continues to run Morehead Manor, while now also devoting her time to the African American Association of Innkeepers International (AAAii). In this podcast, Monica discusses her career as an innkeeper, the mission of AAAii, how the role of B&B associations has evolved, and more.