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Letters
of Recommendation
Innkeepers
Share ... InnLight
The
following letters were penned by innkeepers regarding the
works of Christine Gustafson, marketing specialist and owner
of InnLight Marketing.
Considering
hiring Christine Gustafson, InnLight Marketing?
Please read on ...
Being
in the advertising/marketing industry exposes our company
to an extremely large number of website designers. By far
we place InnLight Marketing at the head of that list in terms
of concept, creative design, and follow-through when it comes
to travel websites. We are continually receiving compliments
on the travel website we hired InnLight Marketing to create
and its financial success has far exceeded expectations, due
to a large part on the insights of InnLight Marketing prior
to actual production. Not only was the design good looking,
the thought process that went into its design was extremely
effective. We strongly recommend InnLight Marketing if you
are ever considering having a travel website designed.
Sincerely,
Gerry
Rose
Vice President
May/Partners
____________________
From
Santa Nella House, Guerneville, CA
We both want to thank you for designing a great web site.
It has really been a big plus in our business and has made
this a great experience. We have many comments about how well
designed it is. You should feel complimented because some
of these comments come from guest that are in the business
for well established companies.
Sincerely,
Bob and Betsy
____________________
A
recommendation from Michael & Stephanie McCaffrey,
McCaffrey House Bed &
Breakfast Inn - Pure Elegance in a Wilderness
Setting:
We
have been working with Christine Gustafson for four years.
In the first month Christine worked with us, she helped us
write our mission statement, form a marketing plan which included
updating our web site, web site marketing, rack card and post
card designs, a return guest program, media marketing, and
setting up a small gift shop. Needless to say she works tirelessly
for her clients.
Although
we know Christine has many clients, we sometimes feel we are
her only one. She finds time to listen, seems to always be
in touch, answers emails and phone calls almost immediately,
comes up with great ideas to promote our inn and has a calming
effect during times of stress. Christine has a good eye for
design and can turn around a project quickly. Our guests are
always complimenting us on our web site They find it easy
to use, comprehensive in content, and user friendly
We
love working with Christine and find her energy, creativity
and love of what she does uplifting. She is a big part of
our success and we appreciate all she has done for us. Christine
believes in the clients she chooses to work with and helps
us believe in ourselves.
We
are members of a regional association of bed and breakfast
inns. Last year we recommended that our group hire Christine
to design the association web site and to help some of our
struggling members as well. She has since met with our group,
redesigned the web site and helped some of our member inns.
Over
the years Christine and her husband / photographer - Frank
Marshall - have become very good friends of ours and we look
forward to working with them for many years to come.
____________________
Regarding
the design and marketing of UNIQUEINNS.com
It
is wonderful to feel that after 20 years I finally have a
co-employee! Christine is extremely attentive, and considering
the number of clients, very quick to respond to requests for
site updates and adjustments. How she accomplishes it all
while maintaining such a positive outlook is beyond me! A
real pleasure to work with.
Rose Allen, Executive Director
Unique Inns
_____________________
Dear
Innkeeper:
Christine
Gustafson has done public relations for the Martine Inn for
several years. She is very creative and we have had articles
about the Martine Inn printed in 12 newspapers and magazines.
She worked up our annual publicity campaign that includes
special events and maximizing the use of our web site. She
produced our first newsletter and it has been received extremely
well. She has designed advertisements, undertaken photography
projects, worked individually with members of our staff, and
has added to the positive experience of our guests. Christine
is reliable, timely and has wonderful contacts. She represents
the Martine Inn currently and will continue to do so. I recommend
her to you without reservation.
Sincerely,
Don Martine, Innkeeper & Co-founder of CABBI
California Association of Bed & Breakfast Inns
Martine Inn, Pacific Grove
_____________________
Christine
Gustafson has provided invaluable insight into marketing.
First, she is knowledgeable and our most valuable interaction
is in discussing what works and what doesn't. Second, she
understands marketing to different tiers in the market. Third,
through the conversations, we are able to craft a marketing
plan that is not overly expensive. Marketing on the Internet
can be extremely expensive, consuming not only dollars but
also time, while, traditional marketing is in disarray. Even
feature articles in major newspapers and magazines are not
necessarily driving guests to inns.
Jeff
Stanford
Stanford Inn & Spa, Mendocino
_____________________
Dear
Christine,
We
have been working with you for over 6 years now. Your experience
and knowledge of marketing as it applies to the Bed &
Breakfast industry is truly amazing! Your focus, energy and
enthusiasm keep us on the path to success. Your guidance produces
results. It is consistent with our goals and takes advantage
of the unique aspects of our property and personal strengths.
We sincerely appreciate that you are both professional and
fun to work with. Thank you!
Sincerely,
Ann & John
J.
Patrick House Bed & Breakfast
Cambria
California
_____________________
Dear
Christine,
J
and I want to express the joy we experience every time we
see the beautiful website you created for our “Butterfly
Universe”. The stories and many photos we sent you were
arranged and designed better than we could ever have imagined.
This is such an unusual website, in that, it is a special
and personal story that we wanted to share with everyone.
You were able to capture that feeling in the way you designed
our website.
We
appreciate so much the quick way in which you work and how
you always respond to our requests and/or changes with a positive
and “can do” approach. It’s been over a
year now since the “Butterfly Universe” was created
and it receives approximately 300 visits a day. The emails,
letters, and visitors to the “Butterfly House”
always comment on how beautiful and unique our site is and
sometimes brings a tear of joy or compassion after reading
the stories. Thank you for helping us to share our experiences
with all who visit us.
Love,
J
and Sonja Jackson
www.thebutterflyuniverse.com
_____________________
Dear
Christine:
It
is my pleasure to highly recommend you and your marketing
company. As we have multiple inns, all with different styles
and needs, it’s been a bit of a puzzle to figure out
what works best for each, but you made it look easy! It is
much appreciated to have someone with your expertise to turn
to in this world of ever changing technologies. Our inclusion
in national publications and great presence on the web are
to your credit.
The
ability to have a full service marketing company, complete
with great photographer, has been a real plus. Our meetings
have always been insightful, productive and pleasant. Your
recommendations regarding publications, hosting services and
web site services have always been right on and well received.
We
hope to have the pleasure of working with you for many years
to come.
Cordially,
Dawn Dull, Vagabond House Inn, Carmel, California
_____________________
We
have been working with Christine Gustafson for over a year
now and what a difference we have noticed. We have an excellent
web presence that we do not have to worry about or constantly
change. Christine monitors and adjusts it for us and then
lets us know what she has done. She is constantly coming up
with ideas for us to try out and they all are very successful.
Advertising for our Inn has become more focused and our increased
occupancy reflects this. Anna and I love to work with Christine
as she has become a special friend that truly cares about
helping us grow as Innkeepers as our business grows. We look
forward to a bright and prosperous future with Christine’s
guidance. Christine understands our needs and knows what works
due to her vast experience in the Bed & Breakfast Marketing
Industry. Christine is friendly, responsive, enthusiastic
and we just love working with her. We are anticipating a constant
increase in our business directly due to Christine’s
hard work and dedication. Thanks Christine, you are helping
us make our dream a reality right before our eyes.
Stan
and Anna Smith, Owners/Innkeepers
The Shelford House Bed and Breakfast Inn
Cloverdale, California
www.shelford.com
e-mail: info@shelford.com
707-894-5956
_____________________
From:
Lynnette Sands, Owner / Innkeeper
LA BELLE ÉPOQUE BED AND BREAKFAST INN
Napa, California
Dear Christine:
I want to thank you for all of the effective help and expert
advise you have given us at La Belle Époque. From the
moment we started working with you, you have been thoughtful,
innovative, have clearly listened to what we wanted to accomplish
and have been key to our achieving it. Your guidance and process
in setting up an ongoing marketing calendar and monthly marketing
goals is a significant key to our success. I look forward
to continuing our positive and successful relationship. Should
you need a reference or testimonial, please do not hesitate
to ask for it.
Sincerely,
Lynnette Sands
www.labelleepoque.com
_____________________
Dear
Christine:
Thanks
so much for all the effort you have put into the marketing
of my little, but wonderful inn. I have just the three suites,
but as you know I have put forth a great deal of love and
effort into achieving a highly rated Bed and Breakfast in
St. Helena.
You
have certainly helped me in this quest, you have helped me
to realize very good traffic flow, and a great web site that
finds its way to either the first page or the first three
pages in many google search.
Plus,
I must say you are great fun to work with, always available
to update my site or to give suggestions for promotions, or
to take a new photo or two. I love your visits every year,
and look forward to a strong continuing relationship!
Warm
regards - Polly
Polly Keegan, owner/innkeeper
707-963-2238
www.adagioinn.com
_____________________
Working
with Christine has been an answer to a prayer. Innkeepers
of small bed and breakfast businesses have many responsibilities
that we may not be an expert at performing. It was a pleasure
to find and work with a person that has an outstanding reputation
in the field of web designing especially as it pertains to
the bed and breakfast industry. Her marketing expertise, up-to-date
packaging suggestions, and understanding of the unique intricacies
of the bed and breakfast field has made her an invaluable
part of our small business team. Christine is timely, responsive,
and respectful of the people she works with while developing
a professional product. She started developing our web site
in July, it was up and running in August, and our monthly
statistics for the past three months have surpassed all previous
stats for the same time period. Also, a special added bonus
in that Christine is a truly nice person. What more could
a small bed and breakfast owner ask for!
Gail
Golding
Lavender Hill Bed & Breakfast
Sonora, California
_____________________
Dear
Christine:
We must tell you we can see a major difference in our operation
since working with you. We are more focused in our goals and
objectives and are able to think in terms of how our decisions
impact/help our goals and vision. You have provided invaluable
advise that has helped us make our bed and breakfast a star
attraction on the Central Coast.
Before
you redesigned our web site, our guests would comment during
their stay that our web site did not do our inn justice. Since
your redesign we now hear compliments that our inn is everything
(and more) than they expected from the web site. Thanks to
your help, we have been able to effectively increase our visibility
on the internet and this has paid off in more bookings (with
lots of repeat guests).
Your
tips on how to get publicity have also been very beneficial.
We have now won first place in Inn Traveler’s Book of
Lists for Best Breakfast in the USA for two years in a row.
We also used your advise in reaching out to the community
and it has paid many dividends for us.
We
enjoy working with you, enjoy your visits and also enjoy our
friendship with you. You truly care about your clients and
the bed and breakfast industry.
Sincerely,
Marjorie Ott, Owner
Olallieberry Inn
Cambria, CA
_____________________
Hi
Christine,
Just a note to tell you how much I truly appreciate you and
the advice you have given me. So much has changed during the
past 2 years that we have been working together. The direction
that you have taken my inn, from the web site design and the
ease in navigating the site (daily I receive compliments on
that fact). My inn is also enjoying the fruits of your advice
as to advertising and the closeness that you have worked with
me not only to advise, but to the direction I wanted to take
my business. Just to mention a few: webervations, gift certificates
and the advertisers that I needed to add and those I needed
to drop. It truly does make a difference to have professional
guidance.
Even though I have owned and operated my inn for 20 successful
years, I have found that marketing has changed radically from
when I first started. Especially advertising and the entire
marketing concept really does need to be left to someone with
experience in that field.
Again, thank you and I do so are appreciate your advice and
upbeat style.
With kind Regards,
Marlene McIntyre, Owner
Sea Gull Inn, Mendocino
_____________________
I
have been working with Christine Gustafson for three months
now and she has saved my life! There were so many marketing
projects which I wanted to get off the ground but did not
know where to start. Christine adeptly and painlessly helped
me to define my goals for the Inn. I quickly realized how
little time I had been spending on marketing and how much
I needed her expertise. She quickly went to work optimizing
what marketing I had done and the difference was immediate!
What I thought was going to be a mediocre year has turned
into one of my best.
It
can be hard to have a working relationship where you are on
opposite coasts but Christine makes it easy! She is enthusiastic
and always interested in my life and my business; always responsive
to my needs when I know she has tons of other projects going
on at the same time. I feel like I am her only client. I look
forward to continuing to work with her. We still have a lot
of projects to tackle!
Heidi
Senkler Godbout, Innkeeper
North Bridge Inn - Concord, MA
_____________________
I
have worked with Christine Gustafson for over two years now,
first through her association with CABBI and now through InnLight
Marketing. She designed and maintains our web site, which
gets rave reviews. I rely on her expertise about what works
and what doesn't in marketing as she has a unique understanding
of the bed & breakfast industry. Because of her efforts,
our web presence is much stronger that it has ever been, which
means more guests coming through our doors. Christine has
an easy, warm demeanor which makes her very comfortable to
work with....she is prompt and responsive and very professional
as well. I have highly recommended Christine's services to
several associates, and would not hesitate to do so again
and again.
Kristi Hallamore Jeppesen, Owner
Glenelly Inn & Cottages
www.glenelly.com
e.mail: glenelly@glenelly.com
707.996.6720
_____________________
From: Georgia Jump, Owner / Innkeeper
Former Owner of La Belle Époque
Napa, California
Dear
Christine:
I
want to thank you for all your help and expert advise you
have given us at La Belle Époque. As you know, I wanted a
"Publicity Program" for our inn for some time but really could
not personally afford to give the time necessary or the money
necessary to have an outside firm do the work. Then CABBI
came up with your program which was both affordable and excellent.
Through you guidance we have set up goals and a time schedule
to accomplish those goals. That alone has helped me focus
on the job at hand. The press release you wrote was excellent
as were the photos. We were featured on the front page of
a local paper who used your press release WORD FOR WORD along
with the photos. The phone is still ringing with the mention
of the FRONT PAGE ARTICLE thanks to you. In closing, I can
only tell you I look forward to the continuation of our ongoing
project.
Sincerely,
GEORGIA JUMP
_____________________
Directed to:
Ms. Sandy Hazen, Executive Director CABBI
2715 Porter Street Soquel, CA 95073
Dear
Sandy:
I
wanted to take a moment to compliment CABBI on its decision
to contract with Christine Gustafson as a publicist for CABBI,
and better yet, for its member Inns. We have been working
with Christine since late July and words cannot adequately
express how pleased we are with her level of commitment, her
extensive knowledge of publicity campaigns and, in general,
her rapid responsiveness and overall follow-through. Though
CABBI has provided us with many benefits as members, the availability
of Christine's services and the recent creation of the CABBI
media web site are wonderful additions to that membership.
Sincerely,
Paula and Bruce Stanbridge
Windrose Inn Jackson, California
windrose@volcano.net
_____________________
From: The Hanford House
In the heart of Sutter Creek
"Winner of the Golden Web Award"
Sent
to the CABBI Administrative Office
Not
to paint all innkeepers with a broad brush, but we all think
we can do it ourselves. Most if not all were successful business
people who now long for the ambiance and the reduced stress
of operating a B&B. The simple fact of the matter is at the
end of a day operating an inn, we are just too tired to grind
out a press kit, an article, or a press release. "Boy, if
I only had a publicist like we had at the corporation!". Well,
now we do. Christine Gustafson is our personal publicist,
she's also yours too. After 5 years we have a renewed commitment
to our media plan, a press kit pending approval, a Conference
Center brochure in production and a rewrite of our rate card.
We now also have a clearing house for media inquiries. Not
a bad deal. We urge everybody no matter what the size of your
inn to consider their own "virtual" publicist---Christine
Gustafson.
Regards,
Bob & Karen Tierno, Proprietors
_____________________
Ms. Christine Gustafson InnLight
109 Sixteenth Street - Suite Six
Pacific Grove, CA 93950
Dear
Christine:
Sandy
and I would like to take this opportunity to express our appreciation
for the work you've done on behalf of the Eureka Street Inn.
We
originally considered that your involvement in the marketing/advertising
aspect of our business would be somewhat limited because of
Sandy's extensive marketing background. We were wrong on several
points.
First,
there are unique requirements in effectively marketing in
the Bed and Breakfast industry, i.e., not only specific marketing
skills but intimate knowledge of varied media/marketing resources.
And, like many small businesses, regardless of how much experience
you have in your own industry, it is always difficult to find
the time to organize all of the projects into a cohesive,
achievable plan. In addition to the industry specific information
you provided, your creative talent combined with your organizational
skills enabled us to develop a marketing plan, tailored to
our inn, which is organized, prioritized and infinitely achievable
within a specified time frame.
Secondly,
as a marketing plan is developed, there must be ready access
to the developer. How many times have we all become enthusiastic
about a given project only to be disappointed by an inability
to remain in constant communication with key resources? How
refreshing it was to be able to call, knowing that you would
be readily available with sound advice and quality input.
Anyone
enlisting your services will benefit far beyond the initial
cost, regardless of how long they have been in the innkeeping
business.
We
believe that this is the best resource that CABBI has to offer!
Your enthusiasm, dedication and special talents will serve
to increase business exposure and revenue better than any
other marketing idea that we have seen.
Truly,
we thank you not only your creative inspiration, but for providing
the Eureka Street Inn with a marketing and media plan that
we believe will well support the growth of our inn.
Sincerely,
Chuck and Sandy Anderson
Eureka Street Inn
Sutter Creek, CA 95685
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potential
and optimize their overall profitability.