What Innkeepers Can Learn From the Dead

The Grateful Dead, that is.

Masters at more than just music; they were masters at living their dream and at making their fans feel like family.

An article in the Atlantic makes the case that while the marketing plan behind the longterm success of one of the most profitable bands of all time was the result of a serendipitous discovery, its application left nothing to chance.

Instead their success was the result of skilled management that was fluid in its ability to listen, involve, and quickly respond to the needs of its most loyal fans.

The Dead were successful in good times and bad, due to their highly effective business model, according to Barry Barnes, a business professor at the H. Wayne Huizenga School of Business and Entrepreneurship at Nova Southeastern University, in Florida.

“The Dead were masters of creating and delivering superior customer value. If you’re going to survive this economic downturn, you better be able to turn on a dime,” he says. “The Dead were exemplars.”

Want to know how they did it? Go on over and read the whole thing. There's much to learn.

Go Giants

All of San Francisco is alive with Giants fever. Everything, it seems, is coming up oranges. The excitement is infectious.

Game 3 is in Texas on Saturday and, with any luck, they'll be back home in San Fran to wrap this whole thing up.

But if you're traveling to the Bay Area, please don't ask your innkeeper where to get tickets. Even with tickets going anywhere from $2,000 to $19,000 (no that's not a typo), they're impossible to come by at this point.

Many folks will be heading to the pubs near the stadium or just hanging outside and enjoying the fun.

Will I be one of them? No. What do you think I'm crazy? Don't answer that.

But do enjoy your weekend!

Was It All Just A Cell Out?

Sure does look that way.

Hmmmm. Why am I not surprised?

Named and Shamed

Innkeepers have always had somewhat of a love/hate relationship with online review sites like TripAdvisor and the like. If your guests post glowing reviews, you love the site. If you've been slammed by some that seem a bit unfair, well, it goes the other way.

For years now I've been hearing of innkeepers who follow up on bad reviews by burying them with positive reviews posted by friends and family. Heck, I've even heard of aspiring innkeepers learning to do this in some of those nifty aspiring innkeepers workshops. I know innkeepers who trade free nights at each other's inns and then follow up that freebie visit with a glowing review - knowing full well their friends will do the same for them.

My answer to the dilemma remains unchanged. Do NOT under any circumstances post a fake review, of any kind. It will come back to bite you just where you don't want it to, just when you least expect it. Just do not go there. And DON'T, I repeat don't, game the system by trading reviews with your friends. It's really not as cool a thing to do as you think it is. In fact, I'd say it is very uncool.

As a frequent traveler myself, I rely on TripAdvisor a lot. And maybe because as an innkeeper I've only gotten reviews of the glowing kind perhaps there's a bit of a bias.

But honestly, I've seen bad reviews that, as shocking and anger-filled as they were, I knew damn well were the truth. Why? Because I knew the innkeepers being reviewed a) didn't really care about their guests and b) were ill-suited to innkeeping altogether. If I know that you can bet that guests know it, too.

Are some guest reviews unfair? No doubt. Do some guests use the threat of bad online reviews to blackmail innkeepers into changing their stated policies? Yes, I'm afraid that does happen.

Have I seen reviews I thought were fake? Oh yeah. Lots of them. Good and bad. The bad always leave an innkeeper suspecting the competition and, I have to say I've seen some real ugliness on that front. The good fake reviews are often just mindbogglingly dumb and easy to dismiss. If you're going to have your brother in Alaska write up a fake review, it might not be a good idea for him to use his real name. Yes, I've actually seen that.

So as a traveler, I tend to dismiss the one-hit-wonders on TA for that very reason. I look at the totality of reviews - and the number of one-hit-wonders included - when I decide where to stay. One bad review, unless it includes an equally bad management response (do not get me started), won't usually sway me. In fact, if the management response is really good, it may win me over. I think I'm a typical guest in that regard.

But innkeeper frustration has taken, shall we say, a turn in the whole he-said-she-said game. Things are shaking up in the UK on this with lawsuits getting ready to fly. IP addresses will fly, too. The scam, where there is one, will burst wide open:

Once the list is published, websites that feature user-generated content - such as TripAdvisor - will have to notify any reviewers on the list. They will be given two weeks to remove their comments. They could face legal action if they cannot prove that they visited the hotels or restaurants concerned.

Do go over and read the whole thing but here's the moneyquote:

Kwikchex’s Chris Emmins told The Telegraph: ‘‘People who leave these anonymous reviews, which can damage the reputation of both businesses and individuals, need to realise that not only can they be sued for libel but they can also face criminal prosecution.’

Here in the states, though, I still hear crazy comments from innkeepers who actually believe they cannot be sued for an anonymous post or for anything they say online.

Let me give my opinion on this for folks who have not been following this blog for a while: that is batshit insane. Yes, you can quote me on that.

As much as the online review sites try to maintain privacy, malicious and fraudulent reviews won't be protected by anyone. Be careful what you say. You are, indeed, liable for the damage your actions cause. If malicious and fraudulent actions can traced back to you, don't expect anonymity to save you.

Will the TA suit eventually come to the US? Yes, I think it will. Will folks who've written malicious reviews be outed? It's only a matter of time.

Will they be named and shamed as the UK story suggests? Some of them will, no doubt.

Your inn is your baby. Protect it like you would anything you cherish: with love and attention. There is no shortcut to providing impeccable service to guests.

And there's no shortcut to changing opinions either. Give it time and the truth will always win out.

Don't Let This Fall

Pass you by. It's wonderful out.

And if you can't get out to see those early cascades this week, don't worry.

More rain is coming. And, with it, waterfalls. Wild mushrooms.

Ahhhh.

Careful There

After three days of rain, everyone's eager to get outside. As well they should.

The early season cascades may not last long.

But trails are slippery as are some of the backroads. And one thing to always remember when driving out here: Californians do not know how to drive on wet roads.

Get out there but on that whole throwing caution to the wind thing: don't do that. Come back in one piece, please. Tomorrow, after all, will bring many more adventures.

And very likely a perfect sunrise.

Blue Skies Just Ahead

The last few patches of rain are moving through as our first real storm of the season passes.

The next few days promise alternating clouds and sunshine and, for the agile hiker, glimpses of early cascades.

What a lovely time to be in California.

Silk Road Tourism Pact Reached

Some regular readers know that, once upon a time, I lived in Central Asia along the Silk Road.

It's an amazing region, full of color, adventure, and people whose natural hospitality truly comes from the heart.

That said, travelers to that part of the world should be willing to compromise luxury for reality at times and must remain constantly vigilant as safety is often an illusion during transit.

Visiting the local bazaars, for instance, is a must-do but not without risks. My driver refused to take me to one especially large bazaar because he thought it was just too dangerous for a foreign woman. He was probably right but the next day I got another driver. Don't try separating me from my bargains with common sense.

When I was moving there, my Hungarian landlady mourned for my future. Knowing how much I value good food, she was worried I would eat nothing but horse. Or never be heard from again.

Thankfully, I made it out not only alive but deeply grateful for the experience. Grateful even for the occasional bites of some kind of tender meat that I was sure I wouldn't like if identified.

I've always believed that every place, every region, has one food that is just brilliant. It's up to the traveler to try everything offered to find that dish.

So if you want to know just why Marco Polo thought pasta was the best food to bring home to Italy, you just have to try Beshbarmak. Word to the wise: don't ask the cook what's in that delightful concoction of meats. You do not really want to know. Just enjoy and let ignorant bliss wash down the brilliant mixture of flavors and textures. Some things are meant to be enjoyed, not fully understood.

Still, dangers and adventurous eating aside, if you have the opportunity to visit, don't pass it by. Sure, you can wait for the countries involved to take action on the UNWTO's plan to turn the whole tourism thing on its head.

Experience tells me, though, that waiting for infrastructure development and other such things will be quite the wait. Every Central Asian pact is really a pact to form a future pact. And that goes on forever.

But don't worry, the people of the Silk Road have endless patience. They'll greet you with open arms, action plan or not.

If you're open to adventure and have the kind of open heart yourself that allows you to return kindness with kindness, you'll find the way.

That, frequent travelers know, is the secret to it all. Wherever you are.

Paging Sir Richard Branson

If ever there were an urban hotel whose very name is the epitome of cutting-edge-artsy, it has to be the Chelsea.

It would take too many hours to list all of the problems the current ownership has experienced, most of its own doing. But suffice to say it's no big surprise that it's gone up for sale.

To turn the situation around, it's going to take someone with deep pockets, great imagination, and a willingness to accommodate the unique needs of the current residents and the community of artists whose connection to this landmark runs deep. Hello Richard Branson?

If Virgin Hotels wants to launch its new line with a bang, it would be hard-pressed to find a better flagship property.

And who knows, maybe Leonard Cohen could make it for the grand opening?

It Gets Better

Try as I might I still cannot, simply cannot, watch this entire video without crying. But if you haven't watched it yet, I still want you to. It's that important.

And, yes, I'm wearing purple today. Hope you are, too.

And while you're at it, hug a kid who seems a little bit alone and, well, just a little bit different.

You just might save a life.

I Voted

If you've never voted in California, you probably don't have any idea how much work citizenship actually can be. Seriously.

And I say that as someone who has followed politics most of my life. When I was 12, I did a series of presentations for my school on how to vote. Brought in sample ballots, talked about the various issues, and everyone got practice voting. That exercise informed my life.

By the time I was 14, I was involved in politics. I went to ballgames and events, handing out buttons and bumper stickers and such to help elect the first Democratic governor my state had had for some time. It was a great feeling knowing that I had worked, in some small way, to make a difference.

But none of that prepared me for voting in California.

When I first moved here, some decades ago, one of my neighbors approached me with what sounded to me like a crazy idea. A group of neighbors and friends got together for a series of Sunday meetings to talk about the items on the ballot. I said no. To me, my vote was just too private for all of that.

And then I got my Voter Information Pamphlet in the mail.

Full of referenda, it was overwhelming even to a young political junkie like myself. Sheepishly, I asked my neighbor if it was too late to change my mind and get in on the neighborhood group. Thankfully, I was in. We each took a few items from the pamphlets, did some research, and came back with ready information.

These days, I belong to no such group so each election I'm on my own to decipher the real meaning of the myriad of confusing issues. And then there are the judicial elections. Don't get me started.

If you take your vote seriously, it's no picnic.

So when I finally completed all of my research yesterday and dutifully filled out my absentee ballot and put it in the mail, it felt like quite an accomplishment. It does every time.

If you haven't voted yet, I hope you will. And I hope by doing so you'll feel the same way I do every single time: like I did the right thing.

That's a feeling that's worth all the work. Even in California.

California's Most Haunted Town

Isn't It About Time

That you got up close and personal with Mother Nature?

It's pretty spectacular out.

The Coast is Clear

No fog on the horizon for the next few days, leaving us with perfect beach weather.

Packing up my beach umbrella right now, in fact. How about you?

A Room of One's Own

I've toured the Little House on the Trailer homes personally and can vouch for the brilliance of their designs. Want an office you can take with you? This is it.

Also have some models that would make fabulous guest units, all ready to go when you are.

With models starting at just $6,000, they're a cost-effective way to add space quickly without leaving a permanent footprint.

Mill Valley Film Festival

Continues all week.

Get Out Here - We'll Show You How We Roll

Seen California's new ad yet?

Blue Angels

Today and tomorrow in San Francisco Bay.

Besides the official viewing area at Marina Green in the city, there are alternative spots all around the Bay.

One especially lovely spot in the North Bay is at the Presidio Yacht Club.

Hmmm. A mimosa and some brunch at Cavallo Point, a walk along the bay, and then some daredevil antics.

Sounds like a plan.

Another Brilliant Idea

from Ken Burns.

Can't think of a more interesting arrangement: tours of our national parks as well as of some of the many public sites made personal by the master of American storytelling.

Just brilliant.

Mill Valley Film Festival

Starts tomorrow.

Hey Did You Notice

that it's a perfectly gorgeous day outside?

What the heck are you doing sittting there?

Get outta here already.

Ready or Not

Change is coming.

New ADA regulations are coming, with most going into effect March, 2011.

Most of the changes are related to alterations but there's also a section with new requirements for Employee Work Areas.

The issue of accessible reservations is also addressed.

Are you ready?

H/T Hotel Law Blog

Fall On the Horizon

Beautiful sunsets, warm days, cool nights.

Hope you have a fabulous weekend enjoying it all.