September 2010 Archives

Oprah Wants to Be An Innkeeper and Have a B&B!!

Imagine waking up to Oprah serving you breakfast in Hawaii when she retires! The TV talk show host -- whose The Oprah Winfrey Show is in its last season -- is renovating a 12-bedroom bed and breakfast inn on the island of Maui to become a "low-key, rustic retreat." Several online tabloids have announced this and unfortunately Oprah hasn't returned any of my calls so I can not confirm the story. But you can go to this website:  to read the report..

 

"Oprah's planning on having a high-end bed and breakfast for her friends and wealthy customers who like the quiet of the Mai countryside ," a source told American tabloid the National Enquirer.  

 

"Oprah plans to personally play hostess on the ranch when she is on the island."

 

When you've done everything else in the world, it's interesting to realize that life's most enjoyable moments are often those spent at a B&B getaway with friends. Oprah had one of her first B&B experiences in Texas where she spent weeks at a B&B. We have frequently sent boxes of B&B books to Oprah's staff to raise awareness of our industry. What we love here is that Oprah values the stuff of life, the best of life at a friendly inn. Giving hospitality feeds the soul and that's what innkeepers have been doing for so long.

And Samuel Johnson, so long ago in England pointed out this phenomenon with this statement, "there is nothing which has yet been contrived by man by which so much happiness is produced as by a good tavern or inn."  

All this happiness is available to you - but it takes effort to pull away from life's duties to enjoy life's happiness. If you are reading this, you probably know just how much inn visits add to your life. So make a plan and enjoy some of the best moments life has to offer.

 

Amy Baker of Belles on a Budget talks about the www.iloveinns.com brand new 2011 edition of Bed & Breakfasts and Country Inns.

"I absolutely love this certificate because it makes inns so affordable- in many cases cheaper than a hotel! This would be a fabulous way to save money on your honeymoon or an affordable way to celebrate something special- like your first year anniversary!

"This book is a guide to inns across the country with detailed listings of inns in every state and Canada. And the especially exciting part?? The guide comes with a Buy One Get One Free Certificate!! So if you stay one night at a participating bed and breakfast, you get your second night free (a value of $50 to $650)

My husband and I have the 2010 guide and we used the gift certificate a few weeks ago. I could not be more thrilled with the experience! We found it very easy to use the certificate- you can search on ILoveInns.com for participating bed and breakfasts and it also lists any restrictions an inn has right there. So we just selected Williamsburg and found an amazing bed and breakfast that accepted the gift certificates in August. We were so happy with the complete experience- the bed and breakfast was beautiful and we had a yummy gourmet breakfast every morning (which beats the donuts and coffee at a continental breakfast any day!) and we loved talking with the owners. And the best part- these two nights were cheaper than what we would have spent on a hotel- for much nicer accommodations!

Thanks Amy   for sharing your experience with our readers! And we hope you will keep visiting B&Bs!