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Corporate Travelers Seek out the Personal Touch at Bed & Breakfast Inns
Matt Gill spends at least
part of most weeks on the road in his job as a consultant
for a multi-national technology consulting company. But
instead of checking into the nearest chain hotel, Gill
seeks out local bed & breakfast inns as his home away
from home.
“B&Bs offer so many benefits when compared to
a hotel,” says Gill. At the top of his list is dealing
with someone you know, who remembers you, and who you
can talk to. “Staying in a chain hotel reminds me
of the movie “Groundhog Day,” says Gill. “You
wake up in the same generic room over and over again.”
Gill is currently spending about three days a week
in Dallas, and has settled comfortably into Bailey’s
Uptown Inn, owned and operated by innkeeper Andrea Friedheim.
She is capitalizing on a trend among innkeepers to cater
to corporate travelers. “Because B&Bs are
typically a weekend business, corporate travelers help
keep the rooms booked during the week,” she says.
Bailey’s is relatively new; Friedheim built it
from the ground up, and started welcoming guests in
August 2003. From the beginning, she envisioned a B&B
that would have amenities like DSL lines that appealed
to business travelers.
“When I was traveling for business, I enjoyed
the more personal, homey atmosphere of B&Bs,”
says Friedheim. “As I planned and built Bailey’s,
I had business travelers in mind.” While the individual
attention available at B&Bs is one reason travelers
seek them out, corporate road warriors also have special
requirements such as flexible arrival and departure
times, rooms that are designed with adequate work space,
good lighting and high speed computer hookups.
Other benefits include a hot, homemade breakfast and
perhaps a glass of wine waiting for you at the end of
the day. Breakfast at Baileys includes fresh fruit,
juice, coffee, tea and one of Friedheim’s specialties
like blueberry streusel coffeecake and homemade buttermilk
biscuits with honey.
Gill appreciates the fact that he can leave his luggage
with Friedheim over the weekend, saving him the drudgery
of lugging it back and forth each week. “Plus,
there’s a dry cleaner right around the corner,
so I can drop off my suits at the end of the week and
pick them up ready to wear when I return,” he
says.
Because many business travelers are men, B&Bs that
cater to this group typically stay away from the “cute
factor” sometimes associated with B&Bs. “My
rooms are elegant rather than frilly,” says Friedheim.
The rooms also boast Direct TV and private baths. “A
lot of people have an image of having to share a bathroom
down the hall if you stay at a B&B,” says
Friedheim. “But that is becoming less common.”
Many B&Bs that cater to corporate travelers, like
Bailey’s Uptown Inn, are located in urban areas,
close to business offices. This usually means they’re
close to other attractions as well, such as restaurants,
entertainment and shopping. For example, Bailey’s
is close to the Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas Symphony
Center and the JFK 6th Floor Museum at Dealy Plaza as
well as two full service spas; many of the city’s
best restaurants are within walking distance.
Gill cautions business travelers
not to be scared off by the rates at B&Bs. “Explain
to the innkeeper that you will be visiting their city
frequently on business, and ask if they offer a discount
for multiple nights,” he advises.
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