We’ve all taken vacations and stayed at wonderful boutique resorts and independently owned bed and breakfasts. We marveled at their attention to detail, their courage, their kindness, and the hard work and long hours the owners put in to make us happy. Many of us have probably said from a good experience: “I would love to open a bed and breakfast or a small resort one day.”
This year more than ever, small independent resorts and B&Bs need your vacation money. Not only have they always had to compete against the big impersonal hotel and motel chains while having a fraction of their advertising and marketing budgets, but they have always had much higher operating expenses due to the excellent amenities they have for their guests compared to with the chains.
This is not the year to decide to cut back on vacations at your favorite boutique resort or B&B, as they may not be available next year.
We’ve all called to make reservations at a favorite place, only to sadly find it closed and think, “That was such a nice little resort, we have such wonderful memories there, I wonder why it closed?” “They went out of business because people were staying at chain hotels on vacation.
Many people do not appreciate small businesses in America. It’s like what happened to the “Wal-Marting” of America. Wal-Mart moved into small towns, people started shopping in them. Suddenly, her neighbors who had small businesses closed. Urban centers declined, property values went down, Wal-Mart got rich, and people said, “what happened to our city?” Every time they shopped at Wal-Mart, they were responsible for the decline in their own towns.
The same goes for small resorts. Everyone loves to stay in them. But, this year, the year of the stay may bankrupt your favorite little resort and you’ll have no one to blame but yourself. Small resorts need your help more than ever. They need you to relax and pamper them. They need you to give up vacations abroad. Stay in the US and support other Americans with your vacation dollars.
And don’t just go on weekends. Everyone wants to go to a boutique resort for the weekend. For example, nice little resorts turn away hundreds of guests who want to stay with them on Valentine’s Day because they are full. Go before Valentine’s day. Go midweek. Go out of holiday season. This way you will help small resorts and B&Bs.
This is the year to vacation at your favorite independent hotel. Vacation in the old USA!
