This past week Michelle Higgins wrote a very interesting article for the Practical Traveler column in the New York Times about B&Bs becoming a guy thing.
Very interesting approach for B&Bs to stand out and become flexible with the market changes. Kudos to inns and guesthouses for taking on this marcomm challenge and seeing it through. From a PR angle, B&Bs are really just shaping perception. It took investments in HDTVs, cable with enhanced sports packages, free Wi-fi, and even Men Only Packages that feature fishing, gold and BBQs.
B&Bs already appeal to most women. They are now working towards shaking off the old thinking that most guests associate with B&Bs: tea and sandwhiches, doilies and flowery couches with lace trimmings, and cozy little cloth lavender chairs you can read for hours in. So, it will be interesting to see how this trends shapes out, what direction it will take, and if indeed it will become mainstream for men’s travel.
Hopefully, B&Bs have already established a social media presence that will assist in this major shift in perception.