|
|
(ARA) - Matt Gill spends at least part of most weeks on
the road in his job as a consultant for a multi-national
technology consulting company. But instead of checking
into the nearest chain hotel, Gill seeks out local bed
& breakfast inns as his home away from home.
“B&Bs offer so many benefits when compared to a
hotel,” says Gill. At the top of his list is dealing
with someone you know, who remembers you, and who you can
talk to. “Staying in a chain hotel reminds me of the
movie “Groundhog Day,” says Gill. “You wake up in
the same generic room over and over again.”
Gill is currently spending about three days a week in
Dallas, and has settled comfortably into Bailey’s Uptown
Inn, owned and operated by innkeeper Andrea Friedheim. She
is capitalizing on a trend among innkeepers to cater to
corporate travelers. “Because B&Bs are typically a
weekend business, corporate travelers help keep the rooms
booked during the week,” she says. Bailey’s is
relatively new; Friedheim built it from the ground up, and
started welcoming guests in August 2003. From the
beginning, she envisioned a B&B that would have
amenities like DSL lines that appealed to business
travelers.
“When I was traveling for business, I enjoyed the
more personal, homey atmosphere of B&Bs,” says
Friedheim. “As I planned and built Bailey’s, I had
business travelers in mind.” While the individual
attention available at B&Bs is one reason travelers
seek them out, corporate road warriors also have special
requirements such as flexible arrival and departure times,
rooms that are designed with adequate work space, good
lighting and high speed computer hookups.
Other benefits include a hot, homemade breakfast and
perhaps a glass of wine waiting for you at the end of the
day. Breakfast at Baileys includes fresh fruit, juice,
coffee, tea and one of Friedheim’s specialties like
blueberry streusel coffeecake and homemade buttermilk
biscuits with honey.
Gill appreciates the fact that he can leave his luggage
with Friedheim over the weekend, saving him the drudgery
of lugging it back and forth each week. “Plus, there’s
a dry cleaner right around the corner, so I can drop off
my suits at the end of the week and pick them up ready to
wear when I return,” he says.
Because many business travelers are men, B&Bs that
cater to this group typically stay away from the “cute
factor” sometimes associated with B&Bs. “My rooms
are elegant rather than frilly,” says Friedheim. The
rooms also boast Direct TV and private baths. “A lot of
people have an image of having to share a bathroom down
the hall if you stay at a B&B,” says Friedheim.
“But that is becoming less common.”
Many B&Bs that cater to corporate travelers, like
Bailey’s Uptown Inn, are located in urban areas, close
to business offices. This usually means they’re close to
other attractions as well, such as restaurants,
entertainment and shopping. For example, Bailey’s is
close to the Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas Symphony Center
and the JFK 6th Floor Museum at Dealy Plaza as well as two
full service spas; many of the city’s best restaurants
are within walking distance.
Gill cautions business travelers not to be scared off
by the rates at B&Bs. “Explain to the innkeeper that
you will be visiting their city frequently on business,
and ask if they offer a discount for multiple nights,”
he advises.
For more information on Bailey’s Uptown Inn, visit
www.baileysuptowninn.com or call (214) 720-2258.
Courtesy of ARA Content
|
Home
Compare prices and
make car rental reservations in most commercial airports
worldwide with Travelton.com.... 
