Bill's Bountiful Blog

May I keep you posted on my thoughts, ideas, observations, and silliness?. Am I serious? Is it relevant?. Does anyone care? Probably not much.

But in today's age of everyone has something to say, why not me? And who can blame me for jumping into to the pool? For speaking up For laying it out?

"Freedom of the press is guaranteed only to those who own one." - Thomas Wiley, Journalist

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Have Summer Fun - Lodging Newsletter June 30, 2017

By Wm. May
Published: 06/30/17 Topics: Lodging Newsletter Comments: 0

I must say it has been a funny summer.

Not funny as in odd but funny like laugh out loud, have a lot of fun, host a lot of guests and have things mostly run smooth and doable.

Any industry that deals with consumers knows that expectations are high and sometimes higher than anyone could attain. Rather than worry about that, the plan is always to aim high, offer great products and anticipate the customers demands.

Lodging is just like that.

I am so grateful to all the great owners who allow us to book their homes and to all the great staff who help us do it.

That is what makes it fun.

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To continue with this months theme of funny, ha ha, have fun summer, here are a few wry comments that keep us bustling during the high seasons.

Weather - No matter the work, no matter the challenges I will come right out and admit everything is easy when the weather is great. Does this summer seem even better than ever? I think so.

Guests - Because there are sometimes little snafus, quandaries, and kerfuffles (I had to look up that last one) we must keep in mind the tens of thousands (yes tens of thousands) of guests are delighted with the cabins, cottages, houses and villas we provide them. What fun.

Owners - Where would we be without all the thoughtful, kind and considerate clients who allow us to offer their wonderful second homes? You make us smile and you make guests smile too.

Staff - While most lodging operators suffer with employee turnover, we get to have pleasant high seasons because so many of our people have been with us for many years. It shows when you hire the right people, pay them better, and ALWAYS treat them with respect, everyone has fun.

Onsite services are difficult but are smoother when the pros are there to keep homes in tip-top shape. Marketing, Sales, and Accounting get to work in cozy offices but run sprints this time of year. Because they have such great attitudes, summer is still the best time of the year.

Engineers - Technology has come to dominate advertising of Vacation Rentals but the programming continues to change at break-neck speed. Luckily we have had the same team for ten years or are always ten years ahead of everyone else. Although they are seldom seen, please put on a big smile for those unsung heroes.

Competitors - We even get the giggles about "the others." One national company is expanding all costs, but has 300 complaints and scathing reviews. Most managers would have zero, maybe one or two. But 300? Really? You just gotta laugh, but feel sorry for their guests and owners. Another is losing a million dollars a month to buy owners, but what happens when they run out of money?

Picante Sauce - Another competitor is trying to "manage" homes from far, far away by just hiring "local vendors" who they say are easy to find. But when pilloried in public reviews, their stock answer is "We are only the booking agent, it’s the owners problem." We would never shirk work. (** See our online blog "Vacation Rental Picante Sauce" for a good laugh.)

Advertising - Dozens of start-ups continue to dive into the specialty lodging website business. We have watched some come and go over the years. Even Google is jumping into the fray. Others are also too big to avoid and, with our technology we integrate and cooperate with them all. No one else can.

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PROFILE: Something funny here too. This month we profile a "secret" staff member who is too shy to be named. A long time lodging industry expert, who helps clean, maintain and oversee homes on a part-time basis. Where would be without her? How great to have pros like this on our side? Some of you have met her. Can you guess who it is?

Author: Wm. May, Vortex VIP
Blog #: 0547 – 06/30/17

Sponsor: Vortex VIP – – VortexVIP.com

Two Decades of Change - Lodging Newsletter May 31st, 2017

By Wm. May
Published: 05/31/17 Topics: Lodging Newsletter Comments: 0

I am writing to let you know that the world is changing and fast.

No, not on the level of earth shaking war and peace and human rights, but in our own little area of endeavor, that being Inns, Resorts and Vacation Rentals.

The past two decades have been a whirlwind of constant change. It started with the arrival of the Internet. Amazing really to think how new the world wide web is. (Do we still call it that?) But lately the change is down right crazy.

People have rented private cabins, condos and vacation rentals for centuries, but the internet made it possible to find, inspect and rent places far from home with more confidence that what we think we will get will indeed be what we wanted.

Since then, web designs have become big and beautiful with accurate photos and lots of them. Properties can be very fully described. Guests can check exact bed configurations, see the home on maps and check prices and fees for anytime of the year. Best of all they can book and pay online instantly.

But in recent years, our industry has been grabbed by the throat by major corporations bent on Taking an ever bigger piece of the pie, the lodging income.

Oddly we do not see this as a hindrance, but rather as an opportunity. We have been preparing for this for a decade, by melding the greatest technological skills with wonderful employees and partners to provide the most comprehensive lodging services.

No one can match it.

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Lodging is one of the industries most affected by the dominance of the Internet. Here are things you may not know about lodging today.

Distribution - The secret to advertising has always been to get a message in front of the most people with the greatest frequency. Many managers list on VRBO, AirBnB and maybe TripAdvisor, but those will not fill homes. So we post ads on hundreds of websites, in addition to those big websites.

Synchronization - Years ago we built our own XML technology to distribute rates, dates, photos and details to all the big websites. We integrate channel managers to synchronize data to hundreds of other websites, and are the only people who do that to both hotel and vacation rental websites. It is tricky, but our clients do get more bookings.

Blind Ads - Expedia, owner of HomeAway and owner of VRBO has recently removed phone numbers, links and even property names from two million listings. Along with AirBnB and others, they demand advertisers talk with guests only through their selfish closed dashboard systems.

Instant Bookings - Last week HomeAway stopped taking flat-fee listings, and now demand a commission on every booking. Plus, last year they began adding a "service fee" on top of it all. It makes our job harder, but we take the challenge because our competitors won't invest the time to do it and our clients win.

Instant Response - Those big websites now downgrade listings from managers who do not respond to inquiries quickly, even all night, even at 3am. Other managers lament, but we now staff reservations 24/7 for inquiries, emails and chat, with phones open every day of the year, with after-hours support for property services.

Dynamic Rates - Our secret S2D2 system adjusts rates for Seasonality and Strategy, but are also Study and Distribution. Rates are higher in summer, on holidays and weekends while lower in slow times. Rates go up and down repeatedly to attract more guests, at highest rates, for maximum owner net income. Its part algorithm, part human intervention.

Rate Push - A decade ago we created the HelpBook.me software to integrate back-office reservations, sales, accounting and administration with real-time control of websites, rentals and rates. We are the only managers who can send different rates to different websites in order to offset their ever increasing fees.

Supply & Demand - Industry pundits debate whether the growth in available homes and inns has become greater than the growing number of guests. Rent-by-owners and other managers can not keep up with all these changes. We see them cutting rates, so we counter-act those with more advertising, service and strategy.

Good News - What seems like bad news, is actually a bonus. We don’t win every sale or book every guest, but we are doing better than others. By staying ahead of the pack, we can promise better income for owners along with attentive onsite services.

Our confidential technology and diligent dedicates staff make it possible. If you are not using our services, you are losing money.

Author: Wm. May, Vortex VIP
Blog #: 0546 – 05/31/17

Sponsor: Vortex VIP – – VortexVIP.com

Guest Myths - Lodging Newsletter April 30th, 2017

By Wm. May
Published: 04/30/17 Topics: Lodging Newsletter Comments: 0

Every industry has its quirky parts.

Not necessarily laugh out loud but you know, those goofy, silly, make you grin, make you wonder, perplex you and end with a smirk kind of things.

So this month we intend to take a look at lodging myths, misconceptions, maybe shoulda, woulda, kind of things.

The list is surprising long and we can only cover a few. The answers are sometimes just plain unexpected.

We can't cover them all, but we'll get started with some things you may already know, but maybe not.

Send your questions our way and we'll try to bust those myths too.

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This month let us burst some bubbles, dispel some myths and have some fun.

MYTH: Guests always want the lowest price? Luckily, there are many types of specialty lodging properties making an apples to apples comparison difficult. Our S2D2 manual algorithm sets the right price and our creative advertising makes it all work.

MYTH: Guests are difficult to deal with? The vast majority of guests who stay in vacation rentals, small inns and resorts are respectful. Gotta be 99%. But careful managers make lots of contingencies just in case they have to deal people who don't behave property.

MYTH: Expensive websites like VRBO, Expedia, AirBnB can be avoided? Yes and no. We publish dozens of websites and combine them with email blasts, classified websites, search engines, and more for excellent results. But nah, it is essential to be on every lodging websites like all those big ones, and hundreds of others. Other managers do far less and lose out.

MYTH: Big is beautiful in lodging? Starting with vacation rentals, and then with specialty room rentals, the industry has been turned on its head. Admit it, you too want something unique. We were in early with technology, knowledge and staff so we move faster and more assuredly than anyone else. Even those big buggers.

MYTH: Big national brands will dominate? Guests want local connections, unusual properties and the same hosts to agree them for years. All locations in our network, are individually operated. We call them locally branded which builds business long term for property owners. Guests keep coming back.

MYTH: Housekeeping is difficult? OK, that one is correct for our competitors. But we pay people well, train them repeatedly and treat them like the royalty they are. Our people work incessantly and stay with us for the long haul. That is how we succeed while others fail.

MYTH: There are many experts in lodging? Pundits are everywhere, but this is a business of lists. Manager who know all the steps and work incessantly to execute precisely get the best results. Oh, that's us.

MYTH: Rent-by-Owners save money? Research shows that the average home owner spends 8-10 hours per week trying to compete. All get bookings but most work twice as hard for half as much. Why?

MYTH: Lodging Management is easy? Most would say no. We can't say its always smooth sailing, but that's the goal. Hire great people, train them, collaborate, pay well, study, organize, and work diligently and we find its easier and more productive than the competitors.

Funny how hard work always wins out.

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PROFILE: Tonya Reynolds proves that those who serve us in the military have hidden skills and a get-it-done attitude that few can match. She helps with housekeeping, is 100% reliable and has taken on everything else we could throw at her. We are lucky to have her.

Author: Wm. May, Vortex VIP
Blog #: 0545 – 04/30/17

Sponsor: Vortex VIP – – VortexVIP.com

Occupancy Control - Lodging Newsletter March 31st, 2017

By Wm. May
Published: 03/31/17 Topics: Lodging Newsletter Comments: 0

What have we done for you lately?

Bill Russell the famous basketball player and coach says he received non-stop calls from players who had been cut from other teams. They always said the same thing, "Well two years ago I averaged 20 points and 10 rebounds:

Coach Russell always said the same thing, "You are a great player, but what are you scoring now? What can you do for me now?"

It’s a fair question for any lodging manager. Of course doing everything well is the entire job in a nut shell. But this is a nutty business and sitting on our laurels is not enough.

So this letter outlines a few of the things we have done, are doing and are working on. There are bigger corporate type managers who want to tell you the have the inside track. But they do not.

No one moves with the quality, speed and intensity that we do.

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WHAT WE HAVE DONE FOR YOU LATELY.

PENALTIES: Did you know that some website such as VRBO.com, AirBnB.com penalize managers who do not respond to inquiries VERY quickly? We have always been open long hours, but our staff monitor online bookings, posts and inquiries 24/7. So we turn a higher percentage of inquires into bookings. Even the corporate size management don't match this.

PHONE CALLS: The big ad websites are now insisting on instant-bookings. But after every online bookings, we telephone guests to verify their identity, see if they are qualified, and to politely inform them of the rules, all while we sell them on each home's features. Of course, we don't call them during the grave-yard shift, thinking they are not expecting a phone call at that hour. This personal service increases bookings and guest satisfaction.

PAYMENT PLANS: For years, most rental managers have required non-cancellable bookings because, unlike hotels, the chance of replacing a last-minute booking is low. After all, no one drives up the front door of a rental and asks to rent that night. (Like a hotel.)

But, when thing were crazy weird early in the recession, we rebuilt our systems to offer payment plans. Of course, it is essential for guests to pay before arrival. But if they book far in advance, our online booking software (and phone crew) invite guests to pay some now and some later. If your manager avoids this extra work, they are losing you money.

Our websites even explain to guests how much they are paying "Per Night" (including taxes, cleaning etc.) and "Per Person" per night. When guests see a large total price, sometimes they abort booking. In our system they are comforted by the much smaller cost per night, and affordable per person. That's a bargain compared to hotels.

Oddly, we have never seen this feature on any other website and thanks to Salman, our ace programming engineer, it works flawlessly, attracts more guests, and means more money for owners.

OCCUPANCY CONTROL: Good managers watch carefully to guard against over occupancy. Emphasizing limits on websites, in contracts, in instructions and on the phone helps. But our per-person-pricing (PPP) system improves compliance.

We advertise set prices for "Normal" occupancy for the base rate, such as $300 per night for 4 people but every home is different. We then set a "Sleeps" cap such as 6 people, along with a "Maximum" occupancy such as 7. This helps answer the persistent questions of "but can I bring a toddler or a youngster" who sleeps in a crib or on the floor.

Then the guest pays PPP charges for anyone over Normal. Guests often call to add or subtract occupants, which increases or decreases charges. That proves they understand limits and subliminally reveals we are watching occupancy at all times. Strangely, most others managers fail to use this system that works so well.

These are just a few of the things we have done for you lately. If your manager doesn't do all of these things, and hasn't mastered them, please give us a call for a free market comparison. Sounds like you need a new manager.

Author: Wm. May, Vortex VIP
Blog #: 0544 – 03/31/17

Sponsor: Vortex VIP – – VortexVIP.com

Hire a Crack Head to Clean your Home

By William May
Published: 03/01/17 Topics: Housekeeping, Vacation Rentals Comments: 0

"Hiring cheaper housekeepers is no problem", said the property owner. That way they can make more money.

"I mean how hard can it be to clean my little 3-bedroom 2,000 square foot house?"

Do you mean clean it any day of the week including weekends? Be on-call for special cleaning? Always show up on time and never complain? Be willing to do extra cleaning, and without notice, when some guests leave a terrible mess?

Do you mean a cleaner who has lots of family and friends to back her up when she gets busy with other things and decides she can't work on a day you have a back-to-back? Or when a child is ill or a car breaks down?

Some owners want to believe there are many people just begging to clean their homes. Unfortunately, there are not. Worse yet, most of them don’t pass a background check. They don't have references. They don’t want to take training. They detest checklists.

These cleaners don’t stick around when things get too busy and they never clean at high hospitality standards. They do not clean sufficiently and they are not there when you need them the most.

Let us all be honest, not all job applicants will be dedicated to our industry. There is no glamour unless they work for a desirable company that treats them well.

Many applicants just want a quick buck to pay for their drug habit. This is more common than you might imagine. The homeowner may never know until the druggie goes missing along with assets from their home.

If you are paying your cleaner in cash, do beware that it's illegal and your money may be just feeding a habit.

Professional management firms must protect their reputation with guests as well as owners. They want to pay their staff a good working wage. They want to be fair, kind, and responsible employers. They need workers who are reliable, loyal and competent. They do background checks and they have extra staff for backup.

Of course, these things are just good business, but they are also the only way to provide hospitality grade cleaning - the kind that discerning travelers expect at every lodging establishment from four-star hotels to cottages in the woods.

"Oh, but if you can’t clean the house cheaply, it will drive away guests," said that owner.

It's actually the opposite that's true. Guests are not stupid, they understand that no one can clean homes for a measly amount. One guest enunciates what some owners refuse to acknowledge;

"Your home was amazingly clean. But last year I rented a beautiful new home from another manager and the place was disgustingly dirty. I should have known better - no one can clean a whole house as cheap as they charged."

Yes, and every owner should understand the basic formula for requiring professional and thorough cleaning. With the advent of the internet, guests now have a global platform to report unclean homes. One bad review can lose thousands, even tens of thousands of dollars in lost bookings.

Why risk that? The math is simple. Hiring great housekeepers, paying them well, rewarding them with praise and thanks is good for business. It's even greater for maximizing income while minimizing problems.

Still not a believer? Here is the challenge - after the next few departures, do your own cleaning.

Arrive to clean exactly on time and then wait while the guests loiters and leaves late, knowing that the incoming guests while inevitability show up early, and expect the house to be sparkling clean even before their scheduled arrival time.

Of course, you must chit chat and make nice with every guest, or they'll make nasty comments to your boss, even though they were not supposed to be inside yet.

To clean well, get your hands down deep into and behind the toilet, scrub your knuckles off in the shower, get on your hands and knees to scrub the kitchen and bathroom floors. Wash stacks of dishes, pots, and pans with gobs of dried on food.

Wash loads of towels and linens. Be sure to treat any of those unmentionable stains. Make every bed perfectly and plump every pillow. You'll just love trying to put on comforters on bunk beds. It is not impossible, but you won't enjoy it.

While you are at it, clean up the dog poop in the yard, or shovel the walkway of snow in the winter. Scrub that meat-encrusted barbecue until the brush breaks. Sweep the leaves from the porch.

Don't forget to check every light bulb, vacuum every square inch of every floor, and catch every cobweb or your boss will scold you like a child.

Do all this in the shortest number of hours because some owners out there want you to work cheap while treating you like an indentured servant.

After you do your own cleaning, the light will come on. You will want to pay cleaners more, you'll treat them better and you'll make more money because happy housekeepers make happy hospitality grade clean homes!

Author: William May – Volunteer, Vacation Rental Association
Blog #: 0583 – 03/01/17

Seaway Dance Hall at Copalis Beach Rocked Out

By Wm. May
Published: 03/01/17 Topics: Comments: 0

Seaway Dance Hall at Copalis Beach Washington State

Just West of the Green Lantern Tavern in Copalis Beach Washington State is a very strange looking building where Rock and Roll reigned supreme in the 1960's.

Hundreds of thousands of Quonset huts were produced by the U.S. Military in World War Two. These prefabricated structures of galvanized steel were semicircular cross-sections that looked like half of barrel sitting upside down on the ground.

After the war, Quonset huts were sold as surplus to the public and a very large version ended up along side the road by the Pacific Ocean where enterprising music lovers decided it would be a perfect venue for the hordes of teenagers who came to the beach each weekend.

Dubbed the Seaway Dance Hall, many young rock bands got their first serious gigs there and my group "The District Five" was one of them.

At the age of 15, we were made to feel like stars as the walls of the hut seemed to pulse and swell by guitar amps played far too loud and dancers who jumped and yelled and screamed. We played a little better, played a little longer and glowed with the acceptance the crowds gave us as we were starting our musical careers.

Bigger name bands from Washington State and the Northwest also appeared, including names that may be unfamiliar except by those who haunted the Seaway all summer long.

Bands like - The Beachcombers, Little Bill & The Bluenotes, The Candidos, The Chaotics (Sumner), The Chessmen, Dennis Wayne and the Cole Jets, The Epics, The Frantics, The Galaxies, The Intricates, Noblemen, Cymantha McGugin & The Cherry Frost , The Titans.

The Seaway also showed movies during the slow season, but the wise owner had put the chairs onto risers which could be rolled out of the building to clear the floor for dances which were only held in the months of June, July and August.

Today the building sits dark and quiet just waiting for a new generation of music lovers to rediscover what great music, salt air and a bunch of fun loving people can do to transform a humble Quonset hut into a musical mansion, at least for a while.

Author: Wm. May – Beach Lover, Plumbob Publishing
Blog #: 0517 – 03/01/17

Sponsor: At The Crest – Nearby, but far from Ocean Shores. Just 10 miles North is the beachiest 54 unit condo. On the dunes, year round pool and hot tub. 1 Bedroom, sleeps 6 people. Barbecue, playground and clean salt air. – AtTheCrest.com

How Clean is Enough - Lodging Newsletter February 28th, 2017

By Wm. May
Published: 02/28/17 Topics: Lodging Newsletter Comments: 0

I am absolutely sure that our clients are not as fascinated with vacation rentals and lodging as we are. Maybe other industries move as fast and furious as travel but it would be hard to find one.

Every day we are barraged with emails, forums, newsletters and other news about how technology is improving, twisting and turning the how, what, where, when and why guests explore the world.

Luckily, we recruited our own inhouse team of programmers and engineers a decade ago and have been able to meet the technological demands head on. In many cases we are far ahead of the curve.

Some of our innovations have been years ahead of the competition including things like dynamic range web optimized photos, interactive maps, electronic signatures, data bred dynamic rates and local branding.

But our greatest achievement is that we advertise on far more websites than anyone else. We are electronically integrated with all giants such as VRBO, AirBnB, TripAdvisor but also with dozens and dozens of others. Plus properties are on hundreds of other websites, online travel agencies and our own geographic tourism websites. Whew.

All of this comes about slowly due to the intricacies of programming and Internet distributed data.

But, with all the tech, the behind the scenes get-your-hands-dirty tasks are the most important. Why increase occupancy and income if issues increase? We are so lucky to have long-term staff members who handle the heavy lifting.

This month's list covers a few out-clean and deep-clean things our managers focus on..

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HOW CLEAN IS CLEAN ENOUGH:

Cleaning full sized homes is far more complicated than simple hotel type rooms. They are much bigger, have more bathrooms, more beds, patios or yards, and those pesky kitchens.

Most guests are respectful, taking time to clean up after themselves, at least a bit. And no matter their care, our highly valuable cleaners come in and put the homes back to where they started. Here are just a few of the invisible cleaning tasks that keep vacation homes sparkling.

- Disinfect TV controls, games, Curios & knick knacks

- Remove everything from cabinets & scrub inside

- Wash ceiling fans, door knobs, light switches, outlets

- Vacuum fireplaces inside & out

- Inspect chimneys, maybe order chimney sweeper

- Vacuum baseboard filters & HVAC ducts

- Clean under cove base & high moldings

- Wire brush barbecues

- Wash windowsills top, sides, & bottom

- Open & empty faucet & shower heads

- Clean door jams & thresholds

- Empty & clean toaster, toaster ovens

- Wipe walls & reachable ceilings

- Clean & vacuum window screens

- Store window screens in winter

- Inspect washer hoses, dryer vent duct

- Replace smoke detector batteries

- Empty drawers, clean inside, replace items

- Clean or dust underside of tables, chairs, sofas

- Open & inspect hot tub & pool equipment

- Inspect & clean grout lines

- Clean & touch-up scuff marks

- Turn, inspect & spot clean mattresses

- Dust behind minors & artwork

- Clean behind refrigerator, stove, TVs, washer & dryer

- Sweep, sometime wash decks including handrails

- Inspect for pests.

- Scrub waaaaaay back behind the toilets

- Etc. Etc. Etc.

Deep Cleans should be done twice annually, depending on occupancy.

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Ruth Schwarberg has been cleaning homes and supervising cleaners for many years. At one time handling hundreds at a time. That takes great organization and, most of all, a wonderful smile and working attitude toward staff as well as home owners. We are so lucky to have her leadership and never-say no attitude..

Author: Wm. May, Vortex VIP
Blog #: 0551 – 02/28/17

Sponsor: Vortex VIP – – VortexVIP.com

How to Become a Professional Lodging Photographer

By Ron Lee
Published: 02/21/17 Topics: AirBnB, Lodging Management, Marketing, Photography Comments: 0

Becoming a professional lodging photographer has never been easier.

All you need is a camera and business cards. Just put the words "Professional Photographer" on the cards and people will think you are a pro.

Can you imagine a doctor getting away with that? Would you go to a dentist who says, "I am a professional dentist" who didn't have the training? Yikes. Those people would be driven out of the industry.

Unfortunately, there have always been a greatly many people who love the idea of being an artist, a photographer. It sounds like such a great job. For Inns, Resorts & Vacation Rentals, photos are the way guests make instant decisions to view your property or pass on to the next.

No longer is it necessary to burn hundreds of dollars of physical film, toil in the dark room and only later learn if your photos were adequate. Now a good digital camera gives you a thumbnail view instantly that you can call "good enough."

But, great camera gear doesn't make you a true photographer any more than buying your new born child a piano and pronouncing them a "Concert Pianist."

Today, a new higher title has been added to the photography professional. Its called "High Dynamic Range," or HDR, and it is a vastly superior way of shooting, processing, and delivering world class photography. It is a requirement for almost all photos, but an absolute requirement for shooting interior architectural images.

HDR Photos are crisp, clean and brighter, but only enough to match what the human eye actually perceives. By comparison, non-HDR photos are fuzzy, bland, and actually underestimate and mis-represent the property.

Unfortunately, most professional photographers are no longer professional because they are more in love with being "Artists" than they are in spending thousands of hours mastering HDR.

That means more lodging operators are wasting lots of money hiring pros or don’t begin to understand HDR.

To see the difference between Pros and HDR Pros, all you have to do is spend a little time examining listings on your favorite websites like VRBO.com, Expedia.com, or even AirBnB.com.

A company called Evolve Vacation Rentals offers "Free Professional Photography" to property owners. Because Evolve does not have on site staff they must call any "professional photographer" they can find and hire them without realizing that non HDR photos are robbing their listings of maximum bookings.

Headquartered in Portland, Oregon, Vacation Rentals does the same thing. Their recent foray into Matterport 3D photos is a good start, but ignoring HDR still photos causes them to lose bookings.

Turnkey Rentals out of Austin is trying to take over the world, but right there on their home page are fuzzy, out of focus, non-HDR photos. How could a management company call themselves professional when the number one listing tool - photos - are all messed up?

All of these companies talk the professional photographer game, but non walk the walk. And all because they refuse to spend the slightly more money necessary to find and employ high level HDR photographers.

Ignoring the absolute requirement for HDR photos is like the proverbial canary in the coal mine. If your manager does not understand the difference between truly professional HDR photos and want to be professional photographers, what else don’t they understand?

Author: Ron Lee – Not a Photographer, Signatour Photo Team
Blog #: 0521 – 02/21/17

Sponsor: Signatours Photo Team – It is not enough to have a camera and cards that say you are photographer. Today's technology demands study, practice and perfection along with an artists eye. Every Signatour photographer has all of those along with a support and professional staff to ensure the highest quality HDR photos. – Signatours.com

All About Channels - Lodging Newsletter January 31st, 2017

By Wm. May
Published: 01/31/17 Topics: Lodging Newsletter Comments: 0

Vacation Rentals are kind of a secret industry? I don't mean that we or anyone else is withholding information, but the intricacies and extreme details needed to perform at the top of the heap continue to grow.

This is a "seemingly simple" industry that works perfectly well, as long as you have a management firm that aces hundreds of big and small details. We do that in three ways.

First, we must have highly motivated and committed people. Of course, every company will tell you that, but most do not. Hospitality, in general, and lodging, in particular, require staff who are willing to take on fast moving work that requires accuracy, all while being friendly and courteous.

Second, it requires back office expertise including sales, marketing and, most of all, technology. We build our own and it's superior to any other firm.

Third, it is our job to read industry articles, forums and keep our eyes open for new ways to increase each property's rental income while helping to control costs.

On the attached page, I thought it is time to tell you of recent happenings. We are on top of them all.

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There is local, regional, national and global news that affect vacation rentals.

Research - Everyone knows vacation rental income is growing rapidly and much faster than lodging in general. One research company says vacation rentals generated $3.36 billion dollars in revenue in 2017 and will grow at 7% for years to come. Giant companies all want a piece of the "Specialty Lodging" market.

Online Travel Agents - Expedia.com (headquartered in Seattle) and Priceline.com (known as "OTA's") each spent a whopping $3.3 BILLION ad dollars last year. They charge a very high 18% fee, usurping local lodging providers.

Book Direct - Many large hotel companies, such as Hilton and Marriott, began campaigns giving guests incentives to book directly. By saving 18%, they can do more for guests and hope to pocket a bit more for themselves. Hilton's CEO says, "It's been quite successful."

Google - Long ago, Google began inserting ads above free "organic" listings. Now they obscure websites, directing people to OTA's. In this way they get much of their combined $6.6 Billion in OTA ads. Yes, we advertise on Google, too.

HomeAway & VRBO - A year ago, HomeAway (owner of VRBO) was sold to Expedia for $4 Billion. A month later, they demanded a percentage of every booking and guests now pay a kind of surcharge on top.

Property owners and managers went postal trying to fight it with class action lawsuits, but like so many controversies, the fervor dies down and the big guys win.

AirBnB - This darling of the technical investing world continues to grow, first by offering rooms, then whole homes (vacation rentals) and now with activities, such as tours. Reported to have over 3 million listings, they are actually a good advertising platform for us and not a competitor. While others fight AirBnB, we use them.

Our Take - Although we have grown in size, any effort by managers to directly confront the changes in the vacation rental model would be foolhardy and financially wasteful. Luckily over the years, we have developed the kind of technological tools that give us an upper hand over competitors.

We operate hundreds of local tourism websites, to gain inquires for far cheaper, and our custom software sends higher, marked-up rates to expensive advertising websites, resulting in more bookings, with good profit for owners.

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PROFILE: How did we ever get by before Ozair Khalid joined our team 10 years ago. He authors all of our back-office software which helps us control marketing, advertising, sales, websites, online bookings and so much more. Ozair's mastery of our mammoth database is astonishing. He is married, is a cycling enthusiast and a positive and tolerant person and friend.

Author: Wm. May, Vortex VIP
Blog #: 0543 – 01/31/17

Sponsor: Vortex VIP – – VortexVIP.com

Wisdom from Catherine the Great

By Wm. May
Published: 01/09/17 Topics: Education, Gratitude, People, Self Improvement Comments: 1

For a dozen years Catherine and I worked hand in hand with sometimes demanding clients and difficult people. She was never confused. Never flustered.

She talked with people on the phone from all corners of the U.S. and Canada. When I met those people at conferences they always wanted to know about Catherine instead of me. Who could blame them, she was far more intriguing.

She addressed everyone with their title such as "Mr. Jones." But when they insisted on being called Robert she would agree. But on their next phone call she was back to "Mr. Jones". She believed, "Everyone likes to be respected. It is such a small thing, why not?"

For many years, she had been an assistant to the mayor of a major city at a time when protests, riots and even bombings were common due to opposition to Vietnam and ongoing racial unrest.

Catherine saw herself as the only voice of reason. At our office, she always "dressed up, because you never know when you have to dress someone down." And yet, even that was said quietly, calmly and with a hint of a smile around her eyes.

In client meetings she always wore white gloves because "Everyone should learn how to conduct themselves graciously to be taken seriously." And, "Why not, I love to look lovely in gloves."

Catherine always donned a lovely, well-coiffured wig and had quite a collection to go with her every outfit. Along with gracious manners, she did not mince words. "I tell it like it is, but tell it respectfully" and she demanded the same from others.

"Be friendly with everyone, and soon they will become friends."

"If you can't say something nice, I recommend you learn how."

"Never raise your voice, or they will scream back at you."

"If you don't stand up for something, you will fall for everything."

At home, Catherine was a different person. A 6 foot 2 inch power house who spoke forcefully, sported 2- foot long dreadlocks (although we never actually saw them), loved dashiki's and performing her poetry. She had a laugh that could shake buildings.

She often wrote well into the night, but was never late for her 9am start time. She never missed a day of work, because "I can count on people, if they can count on me."

Catherine said there are always three sides to every issue, not just two. We talked often about religion, politics and racism. For example, there are not just racists and non-racists, but a third person she tried to be.

She lectured me that African Americans are no more homogenous than anyone else. "Like all races, rich may look down on poor, thin people avoid fat folks, tall people feel superior to short people, and - this was news to me - some lighter skin African Americans look down on darker skinned people."

"Racism among all Americans is the more overt part of "me-ism," she explained. "Everyone starts with 'me first', my children second, my family third, my friends fourth and, then, maybe everyone else. You can't wipe out racism until everyone of us admits that."

That led to her absolute conviction that "We are all prejudiced. Not just whites, but yellows and reds and blacks." She concluded that racism could be eliminated if every one of us does it personally and the place to start is in our own hearts.

"The question isn't whether you are racist, the question is are you trying not be?"

Sadly, we lost Catherine with a late night phone call saying she had died unexpectedly at the age of 52. We were stunned. My son had adored her. My wife had been charmed. We called her Catherine the Great.

But she left behind this - for years I have accepted the truth of me-ism and that every day I must try to do better than the day before. Maybe someday maybe slowly bigotry will become a thing of memory, if we can all do just that. Try.

Hating Groups of People Is Ignorant

By Wm. May
Published: 01/09/17 Topics: Comments: 0

Contrary to common thinking, not everyone believes in love thy neighbor, turn the other cheek, or do unto others and you would have them do unto you. Many people try, and most of us fail, in some way.

Recent events and anger reveal those are missing ingredients from pretty much everyone involved.

Although our family is not of the faith, when my son switched schools at age 10, we chose a Catholic grade school. No particular reason, except we were looking for a good education from good people. We found it there.

He wasn't so sure about the uniforms and on the first Friday, he came home perplexed. "Dad, you are not going to believe this, " he said, "but after going to school all week, they expect us to come back on Sunday."

Some friends questioned a non-religious family sending their son to Catholic school. But there we met Father Bob Camusso, or should I say, re-met, because prior to the priesthood, Bob Camusso had been a prominent advertising agency executive, an industry in which my wife and I had worked.

He was really a "Man about town", dashing, handsome and well spoken, until he was called to the church and a life of service. He was then man about town in a fulfilling way.

Although my Dad had passed away five years earlier, I could just hear my never-miss-a-church-service man saying, "Hey, it's not going to kill him to go to a church school. You went to church and I think it was good for you."

My Dad said that kind of thing about many obligations we all face in life. Go to school and study, go to work and hustle, take care of our families, take care of ourselves by living right, avoiding alcohol and drugs.

He said, "You do anything you want in life, but if you stay with the 10 commandments, you'll do Ok and will have done a good job."

I enjoyed conversation with Father Bob and in one, I asked what do you do when people are difficult, or rude or misbehave. He smiled and said, "Well, Bill, we must all remember. Forgiveness is not a suggestion or a recommendation, it is an absolute requirement."

Watching the angry protests against racism and the hatred toward police causes me to think of these two "Fathers." One my natural Dad and the other a wise clergyman. I don't have answers to the race divide, now hundreds of years old. I don’t know how to relive the pain so many African Americans feel. I don't know about policing, except from my own limited interactions with law enforcement.

But I do know that we should all be frightened by the hatred we see. I can't see how it leads to resolution, but could easily result in the kind of physical confrontation that caused these problems in the first place.

I also know that there are there are certain individuals who do despicable things. Things beyond comprehension or even description, Things which are difficult to believe.

I am absolutely sure of this - to hate any group of people as a group, or because some members of that group are bad is unfair and ignorant. I won't hate any race because someone in that race is bad. I won't hate police because some people in their ranks are bad.

Instead, I want to be intelligent enough to assess each person I meet one by one, person to person, and to look for the good in everyone. I refuse to hate any group of people no matter the popular social pressure to so.

Author: Wm. May
Blog #: 0753 – 01/09/17

New Years News- Lodging Newsletter December 31st, 2016

By Wm. May
Published: 12/31/16 Topics: Lodging Newsletter Comments: 0

We are thankful for the hot weather, sometimes for cooler weather and for all the guests who have chosen our properties over everyone else this summer.

We are thankful for the amazing staff who work day and night, weekdays and weekends to keep the summer bookings chugging along, selling reservations, cleaning homes, maintaining advertising and websites, answering guest and owner questions and dealing with lots of pesky issues. Some homes require a bit more love than others.

We are thankful to all our property owner clients who allow us to offer their homes to the public and who understand the intricacy of doing what appears to be a seemingly simple industry. Walk a mile in our shoes as they say.

This month's update is about what it takes to friendly and helpful when dealing with the public. It's our job and we enjoy it although some days we enjoy it more than others.

Thanks for working with us.

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Remember this quote, "People in glass houses should not throw stones"?

A very wise comedian once said, actually "No one should throw stones"

Last month's letter was about being thankful for all we have. This month's letter is about how we are always helpful, friendly and hospitable by not throwing stones.

INTEGRITY: Lodging is a retail business where every consumer can buy our product and a few of those people are - shall we say - difficult to deal with. Thankfully most vendors and owners are courteous and kind just as we like to be in return.

We want to always be friendly, helpful and cheerful, even when we have to get out of bed and drive to homes to deal with unpleasant things, like toilets in the middle of the night. (Yuck!)

We do not swear, call names, make-fun or show disrespect. We hire folks who can be courteous and considerate, even if others are not. That is a rare skill that requires training, discussion and clear commitment.

PERFECT TRIP: We do understand that travelers want their vacations to be perfect. Better than imagined, superlative, extraordinary. So when it rains or local events are cancelled, or they can't get an early check-in, they become bothered usually for things beyond anyone's control.

We understand their behavior is often the result of other unrelated personal issues. They are unhappy in love, in their jobs or have other issues finding it convenient to transfer their problems to others.

Everyone has an E.Q. (Emotional Quotient) just like they have an I.Q. The scores vary, and we can't expect everyone to act as maturely as we must. No matter the cause of a guest's misbehavior, we understand and show mercy, even when that is not the natural feeling. Of course every good hospitality business does this. But it is not as easy as it sounds.

HELPING: There are times when it is necessary to be very straight-forward and firm, such as when someone demands the impossible, or wants decisions not in their best interest.

It is during those times, that our wonderful staff earn their gold stars by being kind, considerate, helpful, cheerful and good people. We can only hope for the same in return.

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PROFILE: Jackie Martin lives at the beach. She loves it there. Small community, loads of visitors and many homes for her to clean, maintain and upgrade. Jackie's greatest strength is her unfailing happiness, positive attitude and non-stop energy. She is indispensable, loyal and always ready to help every owner and guest.

Author: Wm. May, Vortex VIP
Blog #: 0542 – 12/31/16

Sponsor: Vortex VIP – – VortexVIP.com

My Mother Was a Liar. Dad Too.

By Wm. May
Published: 12/31/16 Topics: Comments: 0

Our family loved music.

Mom played piano and organ in the church. My father never missed a church choir practice. They had grown up together in a small North Dakota town. He out on the farm. She the daughter of the local Ford auto dealer.

At the age of 15, her father had decided Mom's niece, then age 6, was going to be the next Shirley Temple and moved the entire family to Hollywood California.

Mom attended the famous Hollywood high school, rubbed elbows with famous movie star kids, and eventually became their accompanist because Mom, it seems, was a piano virtuoso.

She had true perfect pitch, could play any song by ear after hearing it once including, not only pop tunes, but classical pieces, also honky tonk, ad lib jazz and just about anything else you could throw at her.

Mom had, what in music circles, is referred to as an amazing "touch." The kind of mastery that even very well accomplished keyboard players aspire to and seldom achieve.

Luckily, Mom and Dad linked up again after she graduated from high school. They married, before he was pulled away to war for three years and then, as the slogan goes, lived happily ever after.

Growing up she had me take piano and accordion lessons. In fourth grade I started in the school band playing trumpet up through college. Little by little I realize how unattainable my Mom's skills were.

But it was in fourth grade that my music took a dangerous turn. I heard the Beatles on the radio.

Soon I wanted to play the bass guitar and, of course, my mother encouraged anything to do with music. I wanted to be Paul McCartney. Soon thereafter my Mother began to lie with great regularity.

Like every other Beatles fan, I formed a band in sixth grade, with other 10, 11 and 12 year olds. Tired of rehearsing in our garage, we somehow convinced our school to allow us to play in front of classmates.

My Mom attended our gig of course and afterwards took me aside and said, "My goodness, that was absolutely first rate. I am so proud of you."

Now this was music my mother probably hated, although she did seem to like most any kind. It was certainly far less sophisticated and was undoubtedly played out of tune, with an unsteady beat, and sung by kids with shaky voices. It was far too loud.

It was only years later that I admitted the music must have sounded terrible to everyone and dreadful to a concert level pianist. But she never let on that she knew better. In fact, she was an accomplished liar because I believed every word of her praise for decades.

My father did not believe that his children could "Do no wrong." He was a kind and quiet guy, but we kids could definitely do wrong with the important things. You did not disrespect people. You did not make fun of others. You definitely had to help with anything that came your way, and you did it with joy and without complaint.

I thought he walked on water, but all these years later, I realize he too had lied because after that same performance, he said "Bill, where did you learn to play that way? I am proud to be your dad."

He wasn't lying about being proud. But when a man with an amazing voice and musical skills praises an incompetent musician, I guess we need to call that a lie also.

Both parents continued to fib for many years, and almost every day. When their kids made any small achievement, and even when they failed. They gloated when I graduated junior high school, high school, college and after I started my own music and creative arts businesses.

They beamed when my wife and son succeeded. When my bothers and their kids did most anything of note, my mom's eyes would gleam, my dad's smile would beam and they were persistent in their praise.

Both my parents gave me many other skills in life. But mostly what they gave me was unabashed love and lavish praise. To this day, it's my most valued treasure. So I remind myself to say how proud I am of my family, friends, and coworkers.

It does not matter if their performance is exemplary, or if sometimes I know it's not great, it matters greatly that I lie to them. Soon, they make my praise come true.

Author: Wm. May
Blog #: 0510 – 12/31/16

Thanks To Everyone - Lodging Newsletter November 30th, 2016

By Wm. May
Published: 11/30/16 Topics: Lodging Newsletter Comments: 0

What a wonderful time of year to see so many guests staying in all the lovely properties we are allowed to take care of. I hope your Christmas was bright and your New Years is shiny.

Especially in this season, it’s a good time to say thanks for all that we have and hope that others around the world can one day enjoy the blessings we take for granted.

Departing a bit from my usual letter, I am going to include a long list of things we are thankful for here.

Let's all work together to make the world a better place this coming year.

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There are so many people in the world doing good things for others that sometimes we feel inadequate. But in our small way we are working to make people happy and to make their travel lives smooth and carefree.

It's not an easy job, but we don't complain because serving others is what the hospitality industry is all about. As you go about your lives, especially this time of year, let's take time to notice and thank the server at the restaurant, the fellow who delivers, and everyone else who serves us. Here are some people on our list:

Clients - We would like to thank all those courteous helpful property owners who make their properties wonderful for guests and make our service lives a bit easier too. Because they don't get to meet guests, they may forget how generous they are in helping others enjoy the homes they love.

Guests - Of course we must thank the 100,0000+ people who have stayed with us over the years. It gives us extra energy when we hear how their families had wonderful holidays with us. So many return year after year indicating we must be doing something right.

Onsite Staff - Although we are leaders in technology, websites and marketing for maximum results - really the unsung heroes are the onsite staff who clean and maintain homes, most of whom have been a part of our business family for years. They are out working while the rest of us are Christmas turkeys. We are so thankful for them.

Office Staff - Ours is not a 9 to 5 business, so we are lucky to find people who work nights and weekends 365 days a year to help things go smoothly at every home. Even the technology, creative and accounting people have the same devotion. Strangely, ours is a highly intricate career with a thousand details. No other company matches our commitment.

Dan Blair - We just opened affiliate offices in North Idaho. After building a 450 home management business in Hawaii. Thankfully Dan returned home to open with us in Coeur D'Alene, Sandpoint, Priest Lake and other destinations. The continued growth of our network allows us to provide even higher outcomes to every home in every location.

Outdoors For All - This wonderful organization provides sports assistance for disable folks including skiing, horseback riding and more. Check out OutdoorsForAll.com and you'll want to send them a donation.

NBC Camps - Lastly a shout-out to Fred Crowell who his company decades ago to teach kids about basketball and - more importantly - about life. They are now the largest such camp in the US and several foreign countries having just opened in China. If you sometimes need a lift, check out www.CrowellU.com

Coach taught us this - Being thankful is the greatest gift you can do for yourself, as well as others. Do it everyday, and every minute of the day. Thanks Coach.

Author: Wm. May, Vortex VIP
Blog #: 0541 – 11/30/16

Sponsor: Vortex VIP – – VortexVIP.com

Autumn is Industry Conference Season for Lodging

By Wm. May
Published: 11/16/16 Topics: AirBnB, Hotels, Inns Comments: 0

With Autumn here, the lodging industry presented many seminars, conferences, workshops and classes. Here is a run down.

WA Lodging Association - Their annual conference was held at the new Davenport Grant Hotel in Spokane. Unlike its cousin the renovated and luxurious Davenport Hotel, the Grand is everything new and almost futuristic.

Hotel staff were very well-trained, professional and accommodating, although surely they know they are being evaluated by hundreds of people in their own industry.

Technology is used to speed check-in, schedule maid service and even lower the blinds. Furnishings were very comfy and very modern. Great Colors, big desk, USB ports bedside and huge flat screen TV.

It is a reminder to Vacation Home owners that they are in competition with a very large industry that is working overtime to return guests to traditional hotels.

Downstairs the meeting rooms were impressive with attentive servers, huge presentation screens and technology everywhere. They even immediately switched to the Seahawks game when the meeting was done.

HomeAway Summit - Presented by the owners of VRBO.com, VacationRentals.com and dozens of other websites this seminar was all about their company, with only a few offerings by other vendors.

HomeAway admitted they have work to do to confront the advent of AirBnB, but their purchase by Expedia (headquartered in Seattle) gives them powerhouse technology and marketing.

Their newly implemented guest service fees has been despised by vacation rental managers and owners, but they reason that new income is necessary to advertise more which helps property owners.

They did not mention that $400 million in additional fees will help pay for the $4 billion price Expedia paid. Hmmm.

HomeAway is finally taking a bigger role in opposing vacation rental prohibitions pursued by some cities including San Francisco and even Seattle. Time will tell.

AirBnB Open (Conference) - Held in Las Angeles, AirBnB continues to promote "home sharing" as just a way for owners to pay their bills. While that is true for some, it has not stopped new regulations - San Francisco and New York State have both passed laws that prohibit renting by many home owners.

Big events were Delight Guests, (Interior) Designing for Success, and The Future of AirBnB. Finding your Inner Happy Host. The event is a love-fest for many hosts who actually share rooms in their homes for the joy of meeting other people.

That concept is growing, although it differs some from many vacation rental owners who want to make money, while keeping their places safe and secure.

Just last week AirBnB announced they were going to offer personalized tours worldwide, so that guests in homes could find "Authentic" experiences. This might be a brilliant idea, but some guests are already confused by a lodging website that does not focus on lodging.

It is fascinating to see AirBnB grow so fast, but their customer service seems to be falling behind trying to keep up. Complaints are growing from guests, owners and managers.

Summary - The WA Lodging group has a comprehension of the industry that other segments can not match. There is great collaboration for the mutual good, while allowing diversity of properties and competitiveness. HomeAway's recent fee changes may or may not result in benefits to managers and owners. AirBnB holds to its roots of room rental, but whole home Vacation Rentals are a huge portion of their income.

For your information we advertise on HomeAway, AirBnB and over 300 other lodging websites, plus thousands of search engines as well as hundreds of websites in our network.

Advertising widely is what yields inquiries which yield bookings. No one does more than we do. We keep owners apprised of industry trends as we incorporate them into the best management services in the world.

Author: Wm. May, Vortex Managers
Blog #: 0509 – 11/16/16

Conferences Conventions - Lodging Newsletter October 31st, 2016

By Wm. May
Published: 10/31/16 Topics: Lodging Newsletter Comments: 0

Yes it is Thanksgiving season with Christmas soon to arrive. But did you know its also conference, seminar and meeting time for many industries?

In every business, keeping up with what's new and changed is important. In the lodging market it has become absolutely critical as it seems every aspect of our niche seems to be under constant improvement and sometimes threat.

Some changes are operational as guest expectations continue to rise. But technology continues to leap ahead requiring our constant attention and initiatives.

Although it eats up hours and even days, we do participate in many industry training and learning opportunities. I am attaching a summary of some of the new things to be thinking about.