BED, BREAKFAST
AND THE
BUSINESS TRAVELER

Smaller accommodations can offer many charms and comforts when you have to be away from home
By Sharon McDonnell

Think of a bed-and-breakfast or inn, and the image conjured is of a lazy vacation or romantic weekend. But, many business travelers are finding the charm, gourmet breakfasts, small size, personal service and individually decorated rooms are a welcome alternative to chain hotels.
Big hotels might offer predictability, but frequent business travelers tire of the anonymity, cookie-cutter decor, and expensive breakfasts. For some, the answer is seeking out “club” or concierge floors at hotels. But others are turning to smaller inns and B&Bs, which, because of their small size, can offer special, personalized touches. Many companies are now also holding meetings and events at B&Bs and inns, sometimes booking the entire property for privacy.
A 2005 survey of members of the Professional Association of Innkeepers International found 74 percent of the inns with 21 or more guest rooms had meeting rooms—and they had more, and larger, meeting rooms compared to 2000. Some B&Bs and inns offer high-speed and even wireless Internet connections, weekday corporate rates, desks and chairs suitable for work use, optional breakfast room service, catering services for lunch and dinner, and a “business traveler” section on their websites to address their needs.
The following are some B&Bs and inns that have taken special strides to accommodate the business traveler.

Los Poblanos Inn
& Cultural Center
Albuquerque,
New Mexico
On 25 sprawling acres of formal rose gardens, cottonwood trees, lavender fields and farmland, Los Poblanos is only a 10-minute drive from downtown Albuquerque. This facility has attracted corporate clients from Intel, Wells Fargo, Sandia National Laboratories and the University of New Mexico. The grand ballroom can accommodate up to 100 people in the15,000-square-foot cultural center, which also features a meeting room with wireless Internet, audiovisual equipment, and an art gallery. Beautiful Spanish territorial revival-style details include mosaic tile fountains, hand-carved wood doors, traditional tin fixtures, ironwork and rounded kiva fireplaces. Eight guest rooms include three suites.
www.lospoblanos.com
(866) 344-9297

Portland’s White House B&B
Portland, Oregon
This mansion is furnished in ornate Victorian style with period antiques, king- or queen-sized featherbeds, gilt ceilings and leaded glass windows. Originally built in 1912 for a lumber baron, the B&B has drawn corporate business from Nike, Pfizer, Merck, Kaiser Permanente, and Chipotle Grill. In fact, a regional marketing director at the Mexican-style casual restaurant chain is now a huge fan, staying eight-10 days a month here because it’s “comfortable, safe, not Hiltonesque, and only 22 blocks from downtown,” says co-owner Lanning Blanks. The grand ballroom can accommodate up to 70 people for meetings and events. Full catering services are available, and the B&B has a liquor license. Wireless Internet is available throughout the White House, so-called because four massive white columns flank the entrance.
www.portlandswhitehouse.com (800) 272-7131

Charming Inns
Charleston, South Carolina
Built in 1763, the John Rutledge House Inn has a delicate wrought-iron façade that is reminiscent of New Orleans, and an opulent parlor that serves wine and sherry during cocktail hour. It is one of five Charming Inns in Charleston’s postcard-perfect historic district. All are members of Historic Hotels of America, with varying price ranges. Another is the Wentworth Mansion, a Gilded Age manor with Tiffany stained glass windows, ornate plaster ceilings and woodwork. The Wentworth’s meeting rooms are both garden-level and above its restaurant in a former carriage house, circa 1886, which serves contemporary Southern cuisine and does catering.
www.charminginns.com (843) 722-8680

Villa Marco Polo
Victoria, British Columbia
Italy meets the exotic East at this Italian Renaissance-style mansion, whose four lavishly decorated suites are inspired by Persia, the Silk Road, Alexandria and Zanzibar. Gourmet breakfasts are four-courses and feature locally grown produce. There’s an elegantly furnished library and living room, plus a flower garden. The inn has wireless Internet. Pfizer, Merck, consulting firms and doctors have stayed or had meetings at the Marco Polo, a 20-minute walk to the city’s Inner Harbour, where ferries depart for Washington state. It’s one of only four lodgings in British Columbia listed in Conde Nast Johansens, a guide for luxury hotels and business venues.
www.villamarcopolo.com
(877) 601-1524