Vermont Innkeepers Question Proposed Surcharges, Should Your Inn Become a Museum?, Oatmeal Bake

3 Innkeepers Wonder – Why Is Vermont Adding Tax to Lodging Instead of Other Industries

  

Stowe innkeepers wonder, why the proposed increase in bed tax? Why the additional proposed $5 per room surcharge? Why is lodging being targeted is the question. Business owners are not happy about it.

Quoting from Stowe Today, “It’s the pile-on, quite frankly,” said George Lewis, who owns the Brass Lantern Inn on Maple Street in Stowe. “You have the $5 for Lake Champlain, the proposed $15 (per hour) minimum wage for staff.” …“We’re bringing those people in with our own marketing dollars, with our own efforts and our own work,” Lewis said. “I’ve been working since 5 a.m., and that’s what I signed up for when I bought a little B&B in town, and that’s fine. I love living here.” “But come on. We’re doing work, and to just say arbitrarily $2 (for the homeless), I wonder how they even came up with that figure? Why are they attacking lodging, as opposed to other industries.” …Lewis thinks the increased tax load would be a slap in the face to a booming industry that draws people into the state.

“If people pick it apart and say it’s $2, what’s $2 going to do? Well, no. They are now taking a piece of my business, instead of a tax on my business,”… His least expensive room goes for $115 per night, and $7 additional cost equals 6 percent of the cost of that room.

Sam von Trapp, director and executive vice president of Trapp Family Lodge, sees the tax the same way. “Rooms and meals are already heavily taxed,” von Trapp said.

“It’s just another charge that we have to add for our guests,” said Kate Laster, who owns the Hob Knob Inn. “It’s just another fee they’re going to have to pay.”

1 Inn Website, 5 Lesssons

  

Including a Good “Book Now” Button

The Inn on Putney Road recently changed its name from 40 Putney. Managing a name change can be difficult but note how they handled it to avoid losing as little branding as possible – (a well-designed pop-up that explains the name change).You would want to keep the explanation on the home page for at least a year.

Good Blog Topics — The inn has a good blog, featuring winter activities, things to do downtown, and kudos as a top 10 town.

Itinerary – 5 days worth of activities and drives are featured.

Home Page Photo – a surprise that a poor quality shot of the inn would be used – it isn’t sharp and the format is too small. It might have worked in a collage but was stretched. Need something super crisp where you feel like you could touch the leaves.

Very Good “Book Now” button – it doesn’t intrude and it stays no matter where you are on the site.

Should Your Inn Become a Museum? – Maybe – Here’s How

  

$2 Million Fundraiser Launched for Bed & Breakfast – (Oscar Hammerstein House)

Before converting the Highland Farm Bed and Breakfast into a museum honoring famed songwriter Oscar Hammerstein II, the nonprofit organization behind the project says it will need $2 million to buy the land. Will Hammerstein, Oscar Hammerstein’s grandson and executive director of Oscar Hammerstein’s Highland Farm Inc., released a 45-second video on Monday announcing the group’s fundraising effort to buy the nearly 5-acre property.

The Pond’s Oatmeal Bake

 

A guaranteed hit – this is one of our guests’ favorites! Can use gluten-free oats and substitute other fruits for bananas – peaches or nectarines are wonderful! Once prepared, both the oatmeal and sauce freeze beautifully. Rewarm both in a microwave.

Ingredients:
Oatmeal
5C Rolled Oats (not instant)
1C Walnuts or Other Nuts (toasted & chopped)
2/3 C + 4 T Brown Sugar
Start Cookin’