In 2021, half of hotel rooms in the country were estimated empty and the sector faced 18.9% unemployment, according to
a report from the
American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA) highlighting the impact of COVID-19. Business travel was projected to be down 85% and only 56% of consumers said they were traveling. COVID-19, the report states, wiped out 10 years of hotel job growth.
Alongside these challenging statistics, lodgings and tourism boards have leaned into different ways to attract travelers. Now, the Michigan Bed and Breakfast Association has created a
new website, to promote inns across the state. Bed-and-breakfast lodgings are an important part of
Michigan’s economy, with 130 locations bringing in
$70.3 million annually.
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Supplied / Villa on Verona Villa on Verona in Marshall.
“The Michigan Bed & Breakfast Association chose MichBnB.com as it rebrands to showcase and highlight members and Michigan destinations to all generations and raise awareness for travelers seeking new experiences,” says Donna Cain, Executive Director of the Michigan Bed and Breakfast Association.
MichBnB.com highlights unique stays across the state of Michigan. Its 60+ members are boutique, independent properties that offer non-cookie-cutter experiences that emphasize hospitality.
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Supplied / Cartier Mansion.The carriage house at Cartier Mansion.
Travelers can book a room at a lighthouse in the Upper Peninsula at
Big Bay Point Lighthouse. Or in the boutique
Villa on Verona in Marshall, a historic Italian-style villa.
Cartier Mansion, in Ludington, is a sprawling neo-classical mansion with a renovated carriage house.
“The owners of these independent properties represent a diverse collection of stays in Michigan,” explains Byron Cain, Executive Director of the Michigan Bed and Breakfast Association.
"Each of the individual owners’ personalities, backgrounds, and life experiences, along with their local insights, create a truly unique stays for guests."
There have been challenges with launching the site, the biggest being to structure it so it is appealing to all travelers. Another is, since the locations are not associated with a well-known chain with large amounts of exposure, to make the site authoritative and trustworthy to enhance word-of-mouth promotion.
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Supplied / Stag's Leap FarmA wedding at Stag's Leap Farm.
Steven Mandley, the local owner of
Stag’s Leap Farm in Oxford, has been a member of the Michigan Bed and Breakfast Association since 2021 and his farm is on the new website.
“We have been members of the Michigan Bed and Breakfast Association since 2021 and have learned so much from our mentors there through their Aspiring Innkeepers program," says Mandley.
"Our members enjoy support regarding new trends as well as new threats to the industry from short-term rentals and schemes to undermine small family-owned properties.”
Mandley and his spouse, Brett Rogers, started their bed-and-breakfast after exceptional experiences at local bed-and-breakfast inns while they traveled and after hosting their daughter’s wedding on their property.
“We designed the backyard for our daughter's wedding and remodeled our first room for her wedding night in 2021. At that event, so many people remarked on the renovations and suggested that we should open a bed-and-breakfast, that the gears began to turn. We opened our first room later that year.”
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Supplied / Stag's Leap FarmA room at Stag's Leap Farm.
Stags Leap Farm is set on 2.5 acres with wildflower gardens, waterfalls, and a gazebo. The interior has three suites, each with its own style. The Victorian-style Lomis Suite is named after the Lomis Brothers, who constructed the 1870 farmhouse. The Pony Express Suite features a jetted hot tub with natural lighting. The Terrace Suite’s French doors lead to a private terrace overlooking the gardens.
Stag’s Leap attracts clientele through the Michigan Bed & Breakfast Association and reached the elite level to become members of Select Registry which is the Gold Standard for craft lodging in North America for traditional B&Bs, boutique hotels, and family-owned Inns. They also collaborate with local businesses and participate in festivals while maintaining a strong social media presence on Facebook. Pine Knob events also supply them with customers.
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Supplied / Stag's Leap FarmStag's Leap FarmThe farm attracts a variety of clientele, and it caters to couples looking for a personalized and romantic place for their wedding night.
“As an adult-only establishment, we aim to ensure a stay that allows couples to reconnect with each other and disconnect from the daily grind without having to travel too far. This has also led to many younger couples choosing us for their first weekend away without the little ones,” Mandley says.
Even with the support of the community and the Michigan Bed and Breakfast Association, Mandley still faces challenges, the biggest being running the farm 24/7 with Brett. Restoring the historic home such as finishing the skeleton key locks on the doors and ensuring the cherry woodwork and trim are authentic to the period, consumes time. And there is also the worry is they will have enough bookings.
“Air BnB and VBRO are very popular with the majority of travelers looking for more control of their environment or cheap options to lay their heads, but their prolific marketing seems to have diluted the knowledge that places with a high level of personal attention like Stag's Leap still exist.”
Though running the farm has been work, Mandley finds it rewarding and the Michigan Bed and Breakfast Association is instrumental in helping his business grow.
“We had the pleasure of hosting a couple who owned Stag's Leap years ago," Mandley says. "Their adult children gave them a night's stay at Stag's Leap as a gift. The day exemplified why we love running Stag's Leap: to share local and family histories and display this beautiful home and the property that we have had the honor to restore.”