Running Your Inn
Featured
Paper is the enemy at your hotel. You just don't know it yet.
Paper quietly drains time and money from your hotel, and going digital reclaims the hours lost to administrative busywork.
Technology
October PMS Health Check: Key Software Settings to Audit Before the Holidays
An October PMS health check covering the key software settings to audit before the holiday booking surge arrives.
Revenue Management
Fall Preparation Guide for Small Hotel Owners: Managing Taxes, Insurance, and Operating Costs
A fall preparation guide to help small hotel owners manage taxes, insurance, and operating costs amid declining occupancy.
Technology
How Small Hotels Can Use PMS Automations to Maintain Excellent Guest Experiences During Post-Summer Staffing Reductions
How small hotels can lean on PMS automations to protect guest service and efficiency through post-summer staffing cuts.
Revenue Management
Automate Local Event Marketing to Boost September and October Occupancy for Small Hotels
How to automate local event marketing so small hotels can fill rooms during the September and October shoulder season.
Revenue Management
Tax & Insurance Traps: End-of-Summer Expense Watchlist for Independent Hotels
An end-of-summer expense watchlist to help independent hotels anticipate converging tax assessments and insurance renewals.
Guest Experience
Turning September Guests into Repeat Bookers with Immediate Fall Loyalty Tactics for Small Independent Hotels
Immediate fall loyalty tactics that help small independent hotels turn September first-timers into repeat, revenue-boosting guests.
Guest Experience
Quick-Win Guest Experience Automation Strategies for Small Hotels This Autumn
Quick-win automation strategies that help small hotels deliver great guest experiences this autumn despite staffing shortages.
Revenue Management
September Hotel Budget Review: A Smart Financial Checkpoint for Small Hotel Operators
Why a September budget review is the financial checkpoint small hotels need to control costs before slower autumn months.
Revenue Management
Smart Autumn Revenue Strategies: How Small Hotels Can Pivot Pricing and Packaging for September-October Success
Smart autumn pricing and packaging strategies that help small hotels grow shoulder-season revenue without broad discounting.
Running Your Inn
The Complete Pre-Fall Deep Clean Guide for Small Hotels: Maximizing Your Shoulder Season
A pre-fall deep cleaning guide that helps small hotels use the shoulder season to reset, maintain HVAC, and win fall reviews.
Running Your Inn
The Complete Pre-Fall Deep Clean Guide for Small Hotel Operators
A complete pre-fall deep clean guide to help small hotel operators refresh their property and cut operational risk before autumn.
Revenue Management
Agile Fall Marketing Strategies for Small Hotels Facing Last-Minute Booking Trends and Softer Autumn Demand
Agile fall marketing tactics to help small hotels capture last-minute bookings and offset softer autumn demand.
Guest Experience
Boosting Hotel Review Scores in September: Actionable Strategies for Small Hotels
Actionable September strategies to help small hotels collect fresh reviews and lift scores ahead of the fall booking season.
Technology
September Hotel Automation Quick Wins: Essential PMS Features to Reduce Labor and Prep for Fall
September PMS automation quick wins that cut labor, optimize staffing, and prepare small hotels for the quieter fall season.
Revenue Management
September Survival Guide for Small Hotel Owners: Managing Property Taxes, Insurance Renewals, and Expense Monitoring After Summer Season
A September survival guide to help small hotel owners manage property taxes, insurance renewals, and expenses before autumn cash flow tightens.
Revenue Management
How Small Independent Hotels Can Capture Gen Z Travelers and Families During Fall by Leveraging Local Events and Automating Event-Based Marketing
Small hotels can capture Gen Z and family travelers this fall by tapping local events and automating event-based marketing.
Revenue Management
How Independent Hotels Can Capture September Demand by Targeting Gen Z Travelers and Families Through Fall Experience Marketing
How independent hotels can turn shoulder-season slowdown into bookings by targeting Gen Z travelers and families with fall experience packages.
Running Your Inn
September Maintenance and Preventive Care Checklist for Small Hotels Transitioning from Summer to Fall
A September maintenance checklist to help small hotels tackle summer wear and prep HVAC, plumbing, and systems for a cost-efficient fall.
Revenue Management
The Complete Guide to Updating Your Small Hotel's Fall Pricing Strategy Using Your PMS
How to use your PMS to build a smarter fall pricing strategy and maximize small hotel revenue through the shoulder season.
Guest Experience
September Success: Quick Autumn Amenity Upgrades to Boost Your Small Hotel's Fall Revenue
Quick, budget-friendly autumn amenity upgrades that create cozy fall stays and boost small hotel revenue in September.
Technology
Protecting Small Hotels from the Surge in Cyberattacks During Peak Summer Season
Practical cybersecurity steps to protect small hotels from the summer surge in data breaches and cyberattacks.
Revenue Management
Easy Upsell Automation Strategies Small Hotels Can Implement Now to Boost Revenue Before September Slowdown
Set-and-forget upsell automation strategies that help small hotels grow ancillary revenue before the September slowdown.
Technology
How Small Hotels Can Use Guest Experience Automation to Reduce Staff Burnout During the Busy Late Summer Season
How guest experience automation can ease staff burnout and improve service for small hotels during the busy late summer season.
Revenue Management
How Small Hotels Can Use Basic PMS Reports to Uncover Hidden Revenue Opportunities This Late Summer
How small hotels can mine basic PMS reports to uncover hidden revenue opportunities and lift income during slower late-summer periods.
Running Your Inn
The Complete Guide to Preparing Your Small Hotel for the Shoulder Season Transition
A complete guide to preparing your small hotel for the shoulder season with smart shifts in pricing, marketing, and operations.
Guest Experience
How Small Hotels Can Launch a Strategic Late-Summer Review Campaign to Maximize Five-Star Reviews and Drive Bookings
How small hotels can run a strategic late-summer review campaign to earn five-star reviews and drive bookings into the slower months.
Running Your Inn
Beat the Late Summer Heat: Immediate Energy Cost Control Strategies for Small Hotels
Immediate, no-contractor energy strategies to help small hotels cut cooling costs and protect margins in the late summer heat.
Revenue Management
Maximize Late-Summer and Fall Revenue: Direct Booking Strategies for Small Hotels in 2025
Direct booking strategies that help small hotels cut OTA commissions and capture more revenue heading into fall.
Technology
The Complete Guide to Contactless Guest Experience Technology for Small Hotels
A complete guide to contactless check-in and mobile guest technology that gives small hotels a competitive edge.
Revenue Management
How Small Hotels Can Capture the Growing Workcation Market with Flexible Packages for Digital Nomads and Remote Workers During Late Summer
How small hotels can capture the growing workcation market with flexible packages for remote workers and digital nomads in late summer.
Technology
Late-Summer Technology Audit: A Small Hotel's Guide to Tech Optimization Before Fall Renewals
A late-summer technology audit helps small hotels cut unused subscriptions, consolidate tools, and boost ROI before fall renewals.
Revenue Management
Leveraging Local Events to Boost Midweek Hotel Occupancy During the Late Summer Shoulder Season
How independent hotels can leverage local events and partnerships to drive midweek occupancy through the late summer shoulder season.
Revenue Management
How Small Hotels Can Capitalize on Local Events to Boost Midweek Occupancy During the Late Summer Lull
How small hotels can capitalize on local events to fill midweek rooms during the late summer occupancy lull.
Revenue Management
Preventing Hidden Summer Expenses That Are Eroding Profits at Small Hotels
How small hotels can spot and stop the hidden summer expenses quietly eroding profit margins during peak season.
Guest Experience
How Small Hotels Can Implement Live Guest Feedback Systems to Catch and Resolve Issues Before Checkout During the Critical Summer Season
How live guest feedback systems let small hotels catch and resolve issues before checkout, protecting reviews during the busy summer season.
Revenue Management
Value-Add Wellness and Outdoor Activity Packages for Small Hotels in Late Summer
How small hotels can boost late-summer revenue with value-add wellness and outdoor activity packages that big chains can't match.
Guest Experience
How Small Hotels Can Quickly Build Profitable Local Business Partnerships During Late Summer to Boost Guest Satisfaction and Revenue
How small hotels can build profitable local business partnerships in late summer to boost guest satisfaction and open new revenue streams.
Running Your Inn
Dynamic Staffing Strategies for Late Summer Hotel Operations
Dynamic staffing strategies like cross-training and flexible scheduling help small hotels manage burnout and shifting occupancy in late summer.
Guest Experience
How Small Hotels Can Use AI-Powered Personalization to Deliver Custom Guest Journeys During Peak August Travel Season
How small hotels can use plug-and-play AI personalization to deliver custom guest journeys and win loyal direct bookings during peak August travel.
Revenue Management
Small Hotel Group Success: Late-Summer Group Booking & Event Survival Guide
A survival guide to winning and managing profitable late-summer group bookings and events at small hotels.
Revenue Management
Maximizing per-room revenue during late summer stays through strategic upselling for small hotels targeting value-conscious guests during August and Labor Day
How small hotels can lift per-room revenue with low-effort upsells aimed at value-conscious late-summer guests.
Running Your Inn
Emergency Preparedness Guide for Small Hotels: Protecting Your Property During Peak Summer Season
A budget-minded emergency preparedness plan to protect guests, staff, and your property during peak summer.
Revenue Management
Capturing Last-Minute Summer Bookings for Small Hotels: Direct Booking and OTA Management Strategies
Strategies to capture last-minute summer demand across direct and OTA channels while protecting margins.
Running Your Inn
Rapid Room Readiness and Cleaning Efficiency Hacks for Small Hotels During Peak Summer Season
A housekeeping playbook for faster room turnover and on-time readiness during the summer peak.
Technology
How Small Hotels Can Leverage AI Assistants and Voice/Chat Automation During the Busy Summer Season
How small hotels can use AI assistants and voice/chat automation to handle the summer rush without overtaxing staff.
Running Your Inn
Quick and Easy Sustainability Wins for Small Hotels to Implement Summer 2025
Quick, low-cost sustainability wins that cut operating costs while attracting eco-conscious travelers.
Running Your Inn
Emergency Protocols for Protecting Guests and Staff When Hotel HVAC Systems Fail During Extreme Summer Heat
Emergency protocols to protect guests and staff when hotel HVAC systems fail during extreme summer heat.
Running Your Inn
Alternative Staffing Solutions That Actually Work for Small Hotels Facing the 2025 Summer Labor Crisis
Creative, non-traditional staffing models that help small hotels close labor gaps and build a more resilient workforce.
Revenue Management
How Independent Hotels Can Outshine Chain Hotels This Summer: Your Competitive Advantage Guide
How independent hotels can leverage authentic local character and smart marketing to outshine the chains this summer.
Technology
How Small Hotels Can Prepare for and Quickly Recover from Technology Failures During Peak Summer Season
How small hotels can prepare for and quickly bounce back from technology failures during the high-stakes summer season.
Guest Experience
Comprehensive Guest Recovery Playbook for Small Hotels During Summer Peak Season
A guest recovery playbook that turns summer service failures into opportunities to build lasting guest loyalty.
Revenue Management
Essential Accounting Software Features and Best Practices for Small Hotels During Summer 2025
Must-have accounting software features and peak-season financial practices to keep small hotels profitable through summer.
Running Your Inn
How Small Independent Boutique Hotels Can Strategically Respond to the Major Industry Consolidation Happening in 2025
How independent boutique hotels can leverage their unique strengths to thrive amid accelerating industry consolidation.
Technology
Small Hotel Technology Trends for Summer 2025: AI, Cloud Solutions, and Budget-Friendly Innovation
The AI, cloud, and budget-friendly tech trends leveling the playing field for small independent hotels in summer 2025.
Running Your Inn
Cross-Training Hotel Staff: Your 2025 Summer Staffing Solution for Small Properties
How cross-training your existing team builds operational flexibility and closes staffing gaps without inflating your budget.
Revenue Management
Hotel Technology ROI Calculator: Which Software Investments Pay Off Fastest for Small Properties in 2025?
A practical ROI framework to help small hotels decide which software investments deliver the fastest payback.
Guest Experience
How Cloud-Based Reputation Management Software Helps Small Hotels Protect and Build Their Brand in 2025
How cloud-based reputation management tools help small hotels monitor and respond to guest reviews across every platform in real time.
Running Your Inn
ADA Bathroom Compliance for Small Hotels: Your 2026 Deadline Action Plan
A practical action plan for meeting the April 2026 ADA bathroom accessibility deadline and tapping the disabled travel market.
Technology
How Cloud-Based Hotel Software is Revolutionizing What Small Hotels Can Afford and Access in 2025
How cloud-based property management software is finally putting enterprise-level tools within reach of small, independent hotels.
Running Your Inn
Essential Summer Safety Protocols for Small Hotels in 2025: Practical, Cost-Effective Strategies to Protect Guests and Staff During Peak Season
Practical, cost-effective safety protocols to protect guests and staff during peak summer season, from heat emergencies to overworked systems.
Guest Experience
How Small Hotels Can Transform Negative Reviews Into Business Gold: A Strategic Guide for Independent Properties
How small hotels can turn negative reviews into a competitive advantage with a systematic reputation management approach.
Revenue Management
Summer 2025 Pricing Wars: How Small Hotels Can Compete Without Breaking the Bank
How independent hotels can win Summer 2025's pricing wars with smart revenue strategies instead of an expensive tech stack.
Running Your Inn
Essential Summer HVAC Maintenance Checklist for Small Hotels: Prevent Breakdowns and Control Energy Costs
A complete summer HVAC maintenance checklist to help small hotels prevent costly breakdowns and control soaring energy bills.
Running Your Inn
5 Practical Strategies Small Hotels Can Implement Immediately to Solve Their Summer Staffing Shortages
Five practical strategies small hotels can use right now to ease summer staffing shortages, starting with cross-training your team.
Guest Experience
Noe's Nest: Where Vintage Charm Meets San Francisco Spirit
How Sheila Ash pioneered San Francisco's B&B scene and infused Noe's Nest with vintage charm and unmistakable personality.
Guest Experience
Mountain View Lodges: Where Lake Superior's Magic Meets Heartfelt Hospitality
How Rick and Jenifer Varecha turned a serendipitous Lake Superior discovery into 21 years of heartfelt hospitality at Mountain View Lodges.
Guest Experience
From Silicon Valley to Napa Valley: The Kites' Journey in Hospitality
How Nick and Gillian Kite left Silicon Valley for Calistoga to run two Napa Valley inns rooted in warm, personal hospitality.
Guest Experience
Blue Fish Inn: Where Guests Become Family
How a retired NYPD officer turned Cape May's Blue Fish Inn into a top-rated home away from home guests return to year after year.
Revenue Management
Exploring TikTok's Potential: Results from testing TikTok for our Tennessee lodge
A tech-savvy lodge owner shares the insights from testing TikTok content to reach guests on emerging marketing channels.
Running Your Inn
Case Study: Executive Keys Condominiums & Comfortly
How a seventy-unit Port Aransas resort replaced time-consuming pen-and-paper systems with Comfortly for housekeeping and staff communication.
Running Your Inn
Can your staff run your hotel without you there?
A power outage and an undocumented generator prove why every process at your inn needs written SOPs staff can run without you.
Running Your Inn
Airbnbs and big hotels are laughing at your housekeeping papers
How automating housekeeping and maintenance frees small hotels to personalize guest experiences big chains and Airbnbs can't match.
Technology
Your hotel is too small for software tools. Or is it?
No hotel is too small for software, and the right tech can amplify the charm and warmth that set independent inns apart.
Running Your Inn
Employee handbooks don't have to suck
How writing simple step-by-step checklists for every role turned a 45-day training slog into a self-serve handbook.
Running Your Inn
How we eliminated "paperwork" at our hotel
How remote owners eliminated paper folios, checklists, and inventory counts to finally gain insight into daily lodge operations.
Guest Experience
Replying to negative reviews is hard
Why replying to negative reviews is hard, and the three-part response that reassures future guests without picking a fight.
Revenue Management
How our hotel collects website visitor emails
How a simple website pop-up captured nearly 200 visitor emails in weeks to fuel direct bookings and cut OTA fees.
Revenue Management
Make rezStream bookings easier by prefilling the promo code and arrival date
A simple URL trick to prefill promo codes and arrival dates on your rezStream booking engine and reduce reservation friction.
Running Your Inn
Shift Notes changed how our hotel staff communicates
How Shift Notes give staff smooth handoffs and give management a weekly 360-degree view of the lodge from afar.
Running Your Inn
How Comfortly changed our housekeeping
How remote owners built a simple housekeeping app to finally see what was getting cleaned and staff more efficiently.