Tulips everywhere at Hill House.
Interesting crowd this past week. Five ladies from Virginia and Georgia, some who hadn't seen the other in years, took two rooms and enjoyed the slow life for a couple of days. Three high school students and Mama on college tours. They couldn't get enough of our new, signature fresh fruit juice and declared Asheville to be just like San Francisco. Jeff and Linda, on their 10th anniversary, who hadn't been away from the kids for 7 years. Justin and Emily from Arkansas, on their honeymoon, and so high on their love for the other. Molly and Liz, 20-something Missouri teachers on spring break, who mountain hiked one morning, and then did some boutique hiking in the afternoon.
Upcoming week is slow, but beginning Friday a string of busy nights, and then on Wednesday our office and storage area begin renovation and we move operations to the owner residence while I (yours truly, the innkeeper) go to Florida to pack up my house and move my remaining life to Asheville.
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Survey Findings
Some of you reading this no doubt responded to a recent guest survey we sent out. What we learned surprised us in some ways, but also confirmed other things Matthew, Crystal and I have been noticing in our first month at Hill House.
In February, the large majority of our guests were under 50 and perhaps a majority under 40. Our survey found nearly 40% to be less than 40. National surveys of bed and breakfasts show only about 18%.
Hill House guests also like the outdoors. When asked where in South Florida they would prefer to vacation, a huge majority spurned urban destinations like South Beach, Fort Lauderdale, or Palm Beach, instead preferring the Keys with their kayaks, snorkels, scuba dives and deep sea fishing boats.
When asked what they liked to do in Asheville, big numbers of former guests cited outdoor activities such as hiking or rafting, along with such pastimes as fine dining, browsing antiques and bookstores, arts/cultural activities, and of course driving the Blue Ridge Parkway and visiting the Biltmore.
We suspect also that a lot of Hill House guests who are older than 40 think young. Rock'n'roll far and away was the most popular kind of music among survey respondents, with pop, folk/bluegrass, and jazz/R&B all tied for second. A lot of you rock'n'rollers might have wanted to have been here this past weekend to have chatted with (Matthew's favorite band while in high school) Ben Folds Five bass guitarist Robert Sledge. He broke away from recording in Nashville to come to Hill House to meet his wife and 5-year-old son who had driven over from Chapel Hill.
Room ambiance followed by location are the most important things to our guests when selecting a B&B. Hill House scored more strongly than average for its gardens/grounds/porches and its breakfasts. And about breakfasts we heard good coffee, hearty/savory, good coffee, down home, good coffee....
What we're thinking is that little about Hill House needs to change. We just want to be sure its story gets out there.
In February, the large majority of our guests were under 50 and perhaps a majority under 40. Our survey found nearly 40% to be less than 40. National surveys of bed and breakfasts show only about 18%.
Hill House guests also like the outdoors. When asked where in South Florida they would prefer to vacation, a huge majority spurned urban destinations like South Beach, Fort Lauderdale, or Palm Beach, instead preferring the Keys with their kayaks, snorkels, scuba dives and deep sea fishing boats.
When asked what they liked to do in Asheville, big numbers of former guests cited outdoor activities such as hiking or rafting, along with such pastimes as fine dining, browsing antiques and bookstores, arts/cultural activities, and of course driving the Blue Ridge Parkway and visiting the Biltmore.
We suspect also that a lot of Hill House guests who are older than 40 think young. Rock'n'roll far and away was the most popular kind of music among survey respondents, with pop, folk/bluegrass, and jazz/R&B all tied for second. A lot of you rock'n'rollers might have wanted to have been here this past weekend to have chatted with (Matthew's favorite band while in high school) Ben Folds Five bass guitarist Robert Sledge. He broke away from recording in Nashville to come to Hill House to meet his wife and 5-year-old son who had driven over from Chapel Hill.
Room ambiance followed by location are the most important things to our guests when selecting a B&B. Hill House scored more strongly than average for its gardens/grounds/porches and its breakfasts. And about breakfasts we heard good coffee, hearty/savory, good coffee, down home, good coffee....
What we're thinking is that little about Hill House needs to change. We just want to be sure its story gets out there.
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