On a quick visit to St. Michaels, Maryland, today, I had the opportunity to visit the Old Brick Inn, a 12 room inn, which, if you count the Kemp House they own across the street, makes a total of 20 rooms. As I was leaving, Bryn mentioned she had to prepare for 15 rooms checking in soon. Fifteen rooms on a Wednesday night? I had to know more!
The inn is on the route of a bicycle tour group called Carolina Tailwinds, a company that pulls together several-day bike trips around the Mid-Atlantic area. Delmarva (a consolidation of Delaware, Maryland, Virginia) is the tourist
rich Eastern Shore of Maryland…flat as a crepe and easy for biking. But as you can see from the links below, they are in every state. When asking for more details of the IMPACT of this bicycle business, Bryn stunned me that each visit is for two nights, about 15 rooms, and they come 5 times a year…three times in the spring and twice in the fall.
Let me do the math for you…5 times a year, 15 rooms, 2 nights each trip…that’s 150 room nights! Times $165 average ADR…that’s…er…a LOT of money! And they come mid-week!
Dave and Donna Reusing, owners of the Town Hill B & B, in Little Orleans, Maryland, have taken it even further. They are located at mile marker 140.9 on the C & O Canal and offer a special pickup service to shuttle bikers back and forth from path to inn. They have achieved status as the best place to stay in the National Geographic Map Guide to Appalachia. This shuttle service, as well as the excellent care at the inn, have brought significant business to the Inn.
Another site to check out is www.bicycletour.com, a site to check out all the trips in any state.
Google it yourself…find the trips that might work in your area…get on the phone and find out how YOUR INN can be one of the stops on the route. This can be an opportunity for those, probably larger, inns for strong mid-week business. Happy biking! Scott
