Travel journalist Mark Orwoll recently published a story about the exorbitant $12 hotel minibar fee for a can of nuts. This just doesn't happen at B&Bs!  In his story about the world's most outrageous hotel fees, provided by Travel & Leisure Magazine, Orwoll reveals how hotels stand to gain $12.5 billion in add-on fees that you simply do not find at a bed and breakfast.  I know we beat our "B&Bs are more affordable" drum over and over, but Orwoll's insight into the ever-increasing hotel add-on fees proves our contention here at BedandBreakfast.com. Click here to read more, and you may never want to stay at a hotel again.

My recent trip to the Inn at Westwynd Farm was combined with a “kidcation” to Hershey Park, and while the roller coasters were the high point for my girls, the highlight for me was the chance to stay at this fabulous farm and inn. The Inn at Westwynd Farm had been on my “B&B Bucket List” for awhile, so when planning our end-of-school trip, there was some method to my madness in taking the kids to Hershey Park, just three miles from the inn.

Take a big dose of romance, combine it with a gorgeous horse farm, add a kid-friendly attitude, and you begin to understand the Inn at Westwynd Farm. Now imagine huge helpings of extra amenities like a guest fridge filled with wine, beer, soft drinks, juice, popcorn, Pennsylvania Dutch pretzels, plus four or five different offerings for afternoon refreshments, along with free wi-fi, and you’ll fully appreciate the haute hospitality and extra value here. Gorgeous rolling hills with horses grazing, manicured gardens and lilies popping open everywhere complete the picture.

My youngest child went right to work making friends and managed to find her way to the kitchen to help Carolyn Troxell, the inn’s co-owner and innkeeper, make zucchini bread for the next morning. Carolyn’s husband Frank had no trouble luring both daughters away from the kitchen  to see the horses and the barn. We all got the chance to meet the goats, alpacas, horses, cats and barn dogs, which were a highlight for the girls. My youngest stayed behind to help feed and brush the horses while my older daughter and I set off to explore the waterfall, koi pond and gardens next to the inn.

Just three miles from the thrills and chills of Hershey Park, I was impressed with how quickly the landscape changed from outlets and amusement parks to the rolling hillsides and farms of Pennsylvania Dutch country. The inn offers a perfect bucolic retreat for rest and relaxation, with complete access to the restaurants, outlet shopping, concerts, caverns and rides in Hershey. Yet once at the inn, it’s tough to think about leaving. Upper and lower living rooms featuring snacks and TVs, ambling porches, a library with a guest computer, plus a barn filled with interesting animals mean that common space and built-in entertainment are plentiful.

Rarely does one inn do so well catering to diverse interests, yet here honeymoon couples can easily co-vacation with families and corporate guests. Guest rooms are located throughout the house, and the two-story carriage house adjacent to the inn offers living and dining rooms, a kitchen and a bedroom spacious enough for a family or those wishing for extra privacy.

The note on the chalkboard in the dining room captures the essence of what vacations are all about here and hit home with me; it read “it doesn’t matter where you go in life, it’s who you have beside you”. The Inn at Westwynd Farm is a place to enjoy having those you love beside you. I did.

For More INNformation:

Inn at Westwynd Farm, 1620 Sandbeach Road, Hummelstown, PA 17036, 1-717-533-6764 or 877-Westwynd(937-8996). Rates: $109-189/nightly, a BedandBreakfast.com Diamond Collection member.

Fly Jet Blue direct from Boston to BWI or Philadelphia Airport, then drive under two hours to Hershey. Alternately, fly from Boston Logan to Harrisburg, and then it’s a twenty minute drive. Enjoy lovely country views, gourmet breakfasts and afternoon refreshments, and comforting amenities in rooms accented by antiques, fireplaces, jacuzzis and luxurious linens The inn is also fully equipped for business travelers with wi-fi access and a guest computer. Experience the attractions of Hershey and Pennsylvania Dutch country, go biking or canoeing, explore Amish Country and Civil War sites easily from the inn's central location.

BedandBreakfast.com, the largest online B&B directory and reservation network worldwide, recently conducted a survey in which more than 5,300 travelers shared their travel plans and preferences for décor and food. The survey confirmed that travel is on the rise, with the largest majority of respondents (43%) expressing their plans to take two leisure trips during the second quarter (Q2, 2010), and 22.5% anticipating three or more trips. The survey showed how travelers’ ages influence their travel preferences:

• Nearly eight out of ten respondents (79.8%) plan to take as many or more leisure trips in Q2 as they did a year ago.  Not surprisingly, the younger the traveler, the more likely they are to take shorter getaways, with more than 63% of time-starved Gen Y (18-34), Gen X (35-45) and Pre-Boomers (46-55) preferring shorter getaways to week-or-longer vacations.
• The older the traveler, the more likely a longer trip, with 41.5% of those aged 55-65 and 53.8% of those aged 65+ planning a vacation of week or longer in Q2. 

• The majority of younger travelers (ages 18-45) preferred an “urban chic” décor to a “ruffles and Victorian” look when shown guest room photos. The largest segment (45%) of Gen-Y travelers chose a more modern, chic look and 33% of Gen-X travelers (also the largest segment of this age group) preferred that same look.  The majority of 45+ travelers chose a more ruffled, Victorian décor with 40% of those aged 55-65 selecting a more traditional and lacy style for guest room decor.
• Organic food is more important to the Gen-X and Gen Y population than to older travelers, with the largest majority of travelers age 46 and up seeing little benefit to organic ingredients. The largest majority across all age groups felt that a low-fat option would be "nice to have." 
• Travelers want “bells and whistles;” the younger the traveler, the greater their tech needs. Travelers of all ages indicated that flat-screen TVs, fireplaces, whirlpool tubs, and steam showers would be “nice to have.”  Wi-Fi is similarly rated by the largest majority of all ages except for the 65+ group, the majority of whom deemed it totally unnecessary. Gen X and Gen Y travelers indicated that an adequate supply of electrical outlets was important to them, due in part to the need to charge phones, iPods, and must-have electronics.   

I just read on the SmarterTravel.com blog, a great resource for up-to-date travel news, that the United and Continental merger has been approved.  What does that mean for B&B travelers? United and Delta could potentially control 41 percent of the domestic market.  According to to the NY Times,  United and Continental airlines' respective boards voted to approve the $3 billion deal on May 2, and the  formal announcement came today, creating a "coast to coast behemoth with a leading position in top domestic markets".The merged company will maintain the United name bearing a logo more reminescent of Continental's.

What does it mean for frequent B&B flyers?
According to the merger site, Glenn Tilton, Chairman, President and CEO of the UAL Corp maintains , “Today is a great day for our customers, our employees, our shareholders and our communities as we bring together our two companies in a merger of equals, create a world-class and truly global airline with an unparalleled network serving communities worldwide with outstanding customer service." The site also promises "competitive fares", but time will tell. For many B&B travelers, rising airfares will continue to fuel the staycation trend, since the majority of B&B travelers are most likely to travel within 50 to 150 miles from home in the upcoming months.  Read more here.
 

We New Englanders are hearty folk, but after weeks of spring weather, many of us weren't ready for the late April Fools Day joke Mother Nature dealt yesterday.  We heard from Leslie Mulcahy at Rabbit Hill Inn that parts of Vermont's Northeast Kingdom got almost a foot of snow.  She shot the photo of one lone tulip that braved the cold yesterday.  Phone and Internet service were knocked out all day.

Jackson, NH, home to many inns and B&Bs accumulated about 8 inches of snow yesterday.  Yet with weekend temps predicted in the 70s, all evidence of snow will be gone, and golf courses will open in force.