Innkeeping Conference in Monterey Super Bowl Weekend

Yes, it is that time of year when we put away the decorations at the Albert Shafsky House and think about heading to the California Bed and Breakfast (CABBI) which will be held in Monterey later this month…This year it happens to fall on Super Bowl weekend and we are so looking forward to wearing our favorite team jerseys to the event.  Go Niners!

This year the conference will be combining the aspiring innkeepers with the “old hands” (like us I suppose now).  Rita is going to be speaking this year about what it is like to live where you work, a topic we are intimately familiar with and I will we hosting a workshop on Blogs and Social Networking.

If you are interested in attending this great, informative, networking, trade show event, please click here.

FACTS:
17th Annual CABBI InnSpire Conference
Date: February 1-3, 2009
Where: Hyatt Regency Monterey
Website: www.innspireconference.com
Direct them here where they can register, look at the schedule & workshop descriptions, Hyatt info etc.
Or this link is right to the schedule and workshop descriptions:

http://www.innspireconference.com/conference-schedule.php

CABBI Conference in January

It is that time of year when Rita and I like to start thinking about the California Association of Bed and Breakfast Inns annual conference for new and experienced innkeepers.  We love going to see old friends and make new ones.  Once again I am speaking about blogs and social networks and will be encouraging others to “join the conversation”.  It is fun for us to take a moment from the Albert Shafsky House bed and breakfast and get some new ideas to keep the experience fresh for us and our guests. 

Won’t you join us for the 2009 InnSpire Conference and Trade Show in beautiful Monterey, California where the famous 17-Mile Drive meets 17 years of CABBI’s dedication to educating innkeepers?

The 2009 InnSpire Conference and Trade Show will take place February 1-3, 2009 at the Hyatt Regency Monterey Resort & Spa, located at One Old Golf Course Road, Monterey, CA 93940.

The Innkeeping As a Profession (IAP) workshop is being held January 31 and February 1, 2009, also at the Hyatt Regency Monterey Resort & Spa.

Kindle, books and Innkeepers

I have now had my Kindle for about 3 months and have to say “I Love It”, best product I have purchased in a long time. 

What is a Kindle? It is like an IPod for books, and yes, it can “read to you” if you like to listen to books on “tape”. I find reading very relaxing and is something that I am always asking our guests…”What are you reading?”. Now I will have to start asking, “What’s on your Kindle?”

In the short time I have had it, I have downloaded a number of books, via the FREE whispernet feature that works with Sprint’s cell phone coverage, and have downloaded a large number of classics for free via the computer.

You can find great tips for books in many spots online like the Kindle Reader, or the Kindle Guide, or from Amazon’s Kindle blog.  Just yesterday I wanted to look up a passage from “The Prophet” by Kahil Gibran and had the whole book on my Kindle in under a minute and for less than $5.  All while sitting on our back porch!  How cool is that.

The reason I think the Kindle is so great is that I have run out of places in the bed and breakfast for more books and so this way, I can read all I want, when and where I want without having to worry about where they will be stored later.  Plus it is better for the planet to not cut some many trees down….

Placerville makes a great one-tank trip this Summer or Fall

From a recent article I posted…. Placerville is a great destination for California or NV travelers seeking a getaway that fulfills a long distance desire. Here you can find great wines, shops, restaurants, & starting in September, Apple Hill orchards just minutes away in Camino. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PRLog (Press Release) – Aug 05, 2008 – Placerville, Calif. — Placerville is a great destination for California or Nevada travelers seeking a quick getaway that fulfills a long distance desire. Here you can find great wines, unique shops, mouth-watering restaurants, and starting in September, Apple Hill orchards just minutes away in Camino. Placerville is well-known for having a colorful Gold Rush past. It started in Coloma in 1848 when James Marshall discovered gold flecks in a sawmill and carries on through today as Hangtown remains the hub of the Mother Lode. Named after the Placer Gold deposits found in its river beds and hills in the late 1840’s, Placerville’s rich mining history and lore includes the infamous Hangman’s Tree. The historic downtown area of Placerville is filled with antique stores, tasty restaurants and specialty shops to tempt you. And since you do not have to drive a long distance, you can spend more time enjoying your vacation, than worrying about the high cost of gas. Fall in Northern California is not truly fall until it is Apple Hill season in Camino. A bounty of privately-owned farms, set among the rolling foothills, showcase old family recipes of homemade fritters, ciders, apple wines, and hand-crafts. Sample apple cider donuts at Rainbow Orchards, the crisp cider at High Hill Ranch, and the late-summer peach pie at Hooverville Orchards. Making your home base Placerville will allow you to also experience the beauty of South Lake Tahoe, just an hour away. Or you could spend some time in historic Sacramento, exploring the waterfront shops and Railroad Museum. Many of the historic homes in Placerville have been converted into lovely bed and breakfasts. For instance, the Albert Shafsky House is a stunning Queen Anne Victorian, known for hearty breakfasts and great innkeepers located just a block from Main Street. You may be treated to Apple Hill pancake, or their “gold nugget” eggs when you stay, along with yummy banana bread and juice. A traveler from Redwood City had this to say about the Albert Shafsky House “The weekend was the best ever. The inn is very well maintained and the innkeepers do everything to make you feel at home. The food is out of this world. The rooms are comfortable and inviting. Had the best time ever. We enjoyed everything abot the inn and enjoyed walking around Placerville”. Research shows consumer interest in wine and food travel is growing, with more people seeking unique wine and food experiences. Current news outets confirm the trend for one-tank trips as travelers try shorter, close-to-home, and more frequent vacation experiences because of current economics and higher gas prices. # # # Take a step back in time as you explore the beautifully restored property. In the heart of California Gold Country, Historic Placerville, CA, this lovely Queen Ann Victorian Bed and Breakfast is the perfect setting for your El Dorado County escape.

Recent Reviews on Tripadvisor

These are some of the wonderful comments our fabulous guests have made to us via Tripadvisor this month.

“I think that this is the best option in town, particularly if you are on vacation. Was actually in town for the business. Was looking for nice, quiet place. Good B and B, has only three rooms. Got to meet some interesting people who were staying there. Cookies in the evening were delicious. Unfortunately, had to leave early in the morning both days, so could not partake in the 9AM breakfast, but sounded really good. I had the upper bedroom. Nicely decorated, everything worked well. However, if you need a big desk and other things to do business work, this is not the place. Remember, this is a B and B. The only other thing, which is minor, is that house at corner of the street, and there are cars going by. However, very few cars after 10PM. Will only be problem if you are very sensitive to noise.”

We thank you all for your comments and look forward to hosting you again at our Placerville bed and breakfast! 

“Very charming old Victorian home. Rita was so kind and served up some wonderful breakfasts! Will stay there again if we are in the area. Felt very comfortable there.”

“We just spent three days at the Albert Shafsky House B&B in Placerville and had a wonderful time! The house is a registered Victorian, beautifully restored inside and out. The innkeepers, Rita & Stephanie, live in the house, which has only three rooms available for lodgers. Our room, the Gandy Dancer, was upstairs and adjacent to a busy road so traffic noise was noticable with the windows open. The room was very clean, the decor nicely done, and the bed quite comfortable and elegant. The breakfasts were really a treat: always delicious and far from ordinary fare. Our favorite part of our stay? Meeting and becoming friends with Rita and Stephanie. They were so welcoming and cordial that we soon felt like we’d known them for years! The bent over backwards to help us with dinner reservations (at wonderful restaurants they suggested) and anything else we needed. We highly recommend this B&B.

Books for aspiring innkeepers

So many of our guests think that they would like to run and inn some day….when they retire…. Here are some books you should read if you think you want to run a Bed and Breakfast Inn–whether is is a California property or elsewhere. Keep in mind that while you may “retire” to run an inn, it is still a profession and does involve work…and more laundry than you can imagine! Innkeeping as a profession is a great, wonderful business, that will demand time, energy and effort–all to make it look effortless! That being said, visit your library or local book store to see if they have copies of ” So… You Want To Be An Innkeeper” by Mary Davies, et al. ” How To Open And Operate A Bed & Breakfast”, by Jan Stankus ” Start & Run Your Own B&B Inn”, by Ripley Hotch and Carl Glassman For a lighter, but still very serious look at innkeeping as a profession try the Complete Idiot’s Guide to Running a Bed and Breakfast, by Susannah Craig and Park Davis. We read all of these books and more before jumping in with both feet at the <a href=”http://www.shafsky.com”>Albert Shafsky Hous</a>e in Placerville. And feel free to ask questions here….We are always happy to answer.

I Love Inns(Keeping)

Life is full of perfect little moments….upon return from another wonderful CABBI Innkeeping Conference, where I presented about the importance of blogs, this is a snippet of the email I read….

“Dear Rita and Stephanie, Congratulations on being selected as Blog of the Week on ILoveInns.com.We at ILoveInns are always striving to bring our members more exciting ways to highlight their Inns and the special communities they live in. In this regard we wanted to share with you that your creative and informative Blog was selected to be highlighted as the Blog of the Week on our home page at www.iloveinns.com.”

So, being the responsible innkeeper and blogger that I am, here is a portion of what the iloveinns post had to say 

“Best Bed & Breakfast Blogs by InnkeepersJanuary 28, 2007 Best Blog: http://www.shafsky.com/blog.htmInnkeeper & Inn: Rita TImewell & Stephanie Carlson, Albert Shafsky House Bed & BreakfastName of Blog: Albert Shafsky House BlogWhy we like this blog: This blog is full of useful information for innkeepers and prospective innkeepers alike. Rita and Stephanie have owned the Albert Shafsky House for 5 years and share with you their thoughts and ideas on running a California bed & breakfast. From how to start a blog, to their “Top 10 reasons to become an innkeeper…or why we did at least”, to innkeeper conferences and trade shows, this blog offers detailed information on many aspects of inn ownership.”

Any more questions on why or how blogging can help your site?  Ask away.

Are you an aspiring innkeeper?

Join CABBI at the ANNUAL ASPIRING INNKEEPING AS A PROFESSION (IAP) CONFERENCE

REGISTRATION: Choose the 2-day or 3-day workshopTWO-DAY WORKSHOP
Regular Registration by 1/25: $590 (single) $950 (double)
Onsite Registration: $695 (single) $1195 (double)THREE-DAY WORKSHOP (includes InnSpire 2008)
Regular Registration by 1/25: $885 (single) $1600 (double) 
Onsite Registration: $935 (single) $1700 (double)HOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS: Please contact the Hyatt Vineyard Creek & Spa directly for your hotel reservations at 800-233-1234 and ask for the CABBI conference rate of $129. This rate is good until 1/11/08. This hotel is located in Northern California.s wine county at 170 Railroad St. in Santa Rosa, in walking distance from the Historic Railroad Square District.CANCELLATION POLICY: Conference cancellations must be received in writing by 12/31/07 for a full refund less a $25 processing fee. After 12/31/07, no refunds allowed.REGISTER ONLINE or visit the Workshop page

 

Now that I am an innkeeper, now what do I do?

So, you have decided to become an innkeeper and purchased the perfect place…now the trick is to keep your sanity while working your dream job.

When we first took over the Albert Shafsky House B&B in Placerville, which had been a dream, we worked 18 hour days for several weeks.  It was grueling, it was hard and it was stupid…I am sure we were not nearly as prepared for guests as we should have been, since we were exhausted.  There was so much to do…

There is still much to do all these years later, but we have learned how to take care of guests and ourselves.  Treat yourself…take a day off now and then….leave the inn to an innsitter (a good one) and take a vacation…or a long weekend…if you are not rested, how will you possibly take care of your guests?

February is time for Romance…all month at the Placerville B&B

A tradition at the Albert Shafsky House in February is to celebrate Valentine’s Day for the whole month. Our pals over at Boeger Winery are offering “Sweets for Your Sweetie” on Saturday, February 9th from 11-4pm for $15 per person.Impress your sweetie and satisfy your sweet tooth with this fun and deliciousValentine tasting. Enjoy scrumptious chocolates from local favorites FudgeFactory Farms and Annabelle’s Chocolates paired with some of our fine wines. Take home a one of a kind Boeger “lovers” logo glass. You and your “sweetie”can snuggle up to a cup of our very own Rubies Cocoa in our Historic Wine Cellar. And they will have Complimentary Gift Wrap available the day of the event!RSVP: to Tara 800.655.2634 x: 18 or tara@boegerwinery.comWhy not join us out at the event!