Contents

Stay updated on news and events
Gift card updates
Make sure you're television-ready
Handling critical reviews
Free webinars for members
More than 200 videos live on BedandBreakfast.com

Stay updated on news and events

Keep up on late-breaking industry news!

• Follow BedandBreakfast.com on Twitter and Facebook. Click here for The BedandBreakfast.com Blog, and click here to subscribe via email.
• The BedandBreakfast.com Online Reservations blog offers user tips, travel trends, and updates about the BedandBreakfast.com Online Reservations program as well as online reservations in general. Click here to subscribe via email.
• Follow Eric Goldreyer (founder and CEO) on Twitter or his blog. Click here to subscribe to Eric’s blog by email.
• Read about the latest news, updates, and product enhancements on RezOvation and Webervations on the RezOvation Blog. Click here to subscribe via email.

Gift card updates

We’re giving almost $40,000 in gift card rebates for our members! Innkeepers who accept gift cards will receive their annual rebate payments in February. The rebate program was launched in October 2008 to reduce the effective commission for accepting gift cards. If you redeem between $1501 and $5000 in gift cards, you’ll receive a 2.5% rebate on the amount redeemed. For amounts over $5000, you’ll receive 5% back! Qualifying properties will be notified of their rebate via email. Click here to learn more about this program.

Consumers love the Getaway Gift Card! In fact, thousands of cards were sold by BedandBreakfast.com between November 25 and December 25. The new year will find the lucky recipients searching for a B&B to visit. Here are some of the dozens of comments posted daily during the holiday season:

• "Great and easy to use. One of your properties even e-mailed me a picture of their place while I was buying the gift card and I put their picture on the card. I love it!"
• "Our friends and family are always happy to receive your gift cards!"
• "Fabulous! This is our second purchase. The first one has already been used with no hassles. The innkeepers were very pleased with the ease of use."
• "Buying people travel is so much better than buying people stuff."

Sell the Getaway Gift Card at your inn -- it's absolutely free to participate, and you'll receive a 20% commission on every gift card sold. We provide the cards, the display rack, and directory of participating properties. Activating the cards is quick and easy through your Home Base. Sign up through your Home Base by clicking on the Cards/Certificates tab, then selecting Sell Gift Cards.

Make sure you’re television-ready

The media contacts BedandBreakfast.com when they want to feature an inn on television, in print, and on the Internet. To ensure your inn will be considered, please upload high-resolution photos and submit your property video to us. There are some exciting opportunities for 2010!

Handling critical reviews

Even the most perfect inn might be faced with a critical review from a guest. This article explains how such reviews can actually benefit a small business, and provides some strategies for dealing with them.

Free webinars for BedandBreakfast.com members

Join the 450 innkeepers who have participated in our free webinar series. Upcoming topics include Phenomenal Photography, BedandBreakfast.com Online Reservations Users Workshop, and Reviews: Use It or Lose It. Log in to your Home Base to sign up.

More than 200 videos are live on BedandBreakfast.com

Don't forget that Silver members and above get one free video on their listing. Mail us a copy of your video on a CD or DVD, or use the free website MegaUpload to send your video files to us. On the MegaUpload home page, click Language at the top of the screen, then select your country. Next, browse to select your file, enter our email address ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) and your inn's name and contact information, and click Send! Be sure to include your name and contact info so that we know to which listing to upload the video.

When we get your video (by either mail or email) we will send you a confirming email to let you know we’ve received it. If you've sent a video but haven't received confirmation of its receipt, please contact us; we may have not received it.

Here are the requirements:

• Size: Maximum 100 MB.
• Video compression format: Video files from most digital cameras, camcorders, and cell phones in the .WMV, .AVI, and .MPG file formats are OK.
• Time: Three minutes is ideal; 10-minute maximum.
• Copyrighted content: Please ensure that your video does not contain music or images to which you do not own the copyright.

We will format your videos to the right compression and size. Click here to see a sample video.

Please don't hesitate to contact with any questions: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , 1-800-GO-B-AND-B or 1-512-322-2700.

Don't have a video? Our partner, TurnHere.com, is offering a custom video for an amazing rate of only $499. Click here for details.

Here are some samples of TurnHere's work for our members:

• Ashton's B&B, New Orleans, LA
• Featherbed Railroad Company, Nice, CA
• Almondy Inn, Newport, RI
• Sugar Hill Harlem Inn, Manhatten, NY
• Scenic Overlook B&B, Pilot Mountain, NC
• 10 Fitch, Auburn, NY
• The Island Guest House, Beach Haven, NJ
• Magnolia Hall B&B, Hamilton, GA
• The General Palmer Hotel, Durango, CO
• The French Quarters, New York, NY
• Dunning Ranch Guest Suites, Paso Robles, CA
• Chanticleer Guest House, Sturgeon Bay, WI
• Hoffman Haus, Fredericksburg, TX
• Cheshire Cat Inn, Santa Barbara, CA
• The Green House Inn, New Orleans, LA
• Clipper House Inn, Kemah, TX