[caption id="attachment_705" align="aligncenter" width="150" caption="Guests are pampered with luxurious in-room amenities such as wi-fi, fireplace, whirlpool, premuim bath products, and television at the Honeybee Inn, Horicon. Innkeeper Barb Ruka says: "Guests will peruse our extensive & up-to-date movie library, get cozy in their room for hours, catching up on the latest films that they can't fit into their busy lives at home." A relaxing end to a day of touring or cruising the Horicon Marsh, within walking distance of the inn."][/caption] We’re a member of the Professional Association of Innkeepers International (PAII for short) and each year they release a research report that provides a snapshot of what’s what in B&B travel.  Thought you might be interested in a few tidbits: The average age of the oldest part of a B&B building is 111; 35% of inns have achieved an “historical designation” by a local, state or national historic preservation organization; 72% of B&Bs are run by couples; and most inns provide internet, television, luxury bed/linens, premium branded toiletries, robes, fireplaces, magazines and jetted tubs in the guest rooms.  Here’s more from Jay Karen, PAII president and CEO, “One interesting statistic we noticed from the study is that there was a slight decrease in the offering of common-area services and amenities, and a slight increase in offering in-room services and amenities. It seems more guests are asking to enjoy services privately in their rooms, and innkeepers are happy to oblige. That’s the nice thing about B&Bs – as a guest, you can make the experience as social or as private as you like.”  Well said!

If you’re a loyal Wisconsin B&B traveler, you already have your reasons for choosing inns over hotels.  Like quiet ambience, free wi-fi, gourmet breakfast, luxury linens, big screen TVs, connection to local history and culture, and friendly innkeepers.  But for the rest of the traveling public who’ve not yet crossed a B&B threshold, it may simply be a case of the unknown or that a B&B just never entered their consideration set. Well, our trade organization, the Professional Association of Innkeepers International, put out a series of videos on YouTube that we think are a hoot showing why a B&B is a better way to stay.  Here are links to our favorites regarding the food experience.  Enjoy and feel free to forward to that friend of yours whom you’ve been trying to convince to give B&Bs a try.  Real Breakfast   Real Food  Great Coffee By the way, fourteenWisconsin B&B inns actually have full restaurants on site. [caption id="attachment_396" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="And this is just the first course of the breakfast you'll enjoy at the Westby House Inn, in Westby WI. The inn's menu, whether for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, changes to insure the freshest locally sourced foods."][/caption]   [caption id="attachment_397" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="The White Gull Inn hosts a regular Fish Boil - no trip to Door County is complete without this tradition! And, the White Gull Inn's breakfast of Door County Cherry French Toast was named the "Best Breakfast in America" by Good Morning America."][/caption]