Bill's Beneficial Blog
Does anyone really read the millions of blogs out there? Or are they really just a ploy to entice Google for a bit more ranking or space? Every other ad agency blog is going to be all about how great they are, why they are the smartest and other clearly self promoting stuff.
So we decided to just write about what interests us. Our only hope is that - every now and then - you find a nugget that is a slight value for you. We hope. If you want to get these rantings in your inbox every so often, Signup to get emails. Here goes.
Eloise Rocks Out at Hi-Tide Resort
By Wm. May
Published: 07/10/23
Topics: Art, Fishing, Hi-Tide Resort, Photography, Vacation
Comments: 0
No one knows exactly how it all got started. Maybe it is a myth.
The dreamy story goes like this. Long ago a young guest brought along a painting set to the beach.
The plan was to create a Vincent Van Gogh worthy painting of the sundown just as the mythical magical but very real great green flash that winks when the sun disappears completely. And just for a second.
Her name was not recorded at the time, but for now we have come to call her "Eloise". There is no record of whether she successfully caught and depicted the momentous moment. But it is something that can be frequently be seen year round from the condos at Hi-Tide.
After wandering the beach, exploring the Moclips River and digging a full limit of Razor Clams , Eloise decided to use her leftover paint to leave a message and art on a small round river rock.
The portrait of her dog, who had accompanied her to HI-Tide, included the dog's name "Picasso" and these lovely words, "I love it here. I will be back."
She placed the rock gently into a flower bed just outside the entrance to the resort office. What happened next started slowly but has grown to become a must-do activity for visitors from all over the world.
Travelers journey to Moclips Beach, staying at our lovely Hi-Tide Resort , and enjoying the very same peace and quiet and stunning beauty of the North Beaches of Washington State.
Some stay for just a few days. Others stay for a week or two or longer. But before they leave, they can ask for paint and a brush with directions were to find a suitable rock on which to paint their message for posterity.
Today, the gardens of HI-Tide Resort are filled with painted rocks and messages of love and life. Better yet, most visitors return year after year. To paint a new rock or to touch-up those which have graced the gardens for decades.
You are invited to make your own memory here and rock out at Hi-Tide.
Author: Wm. May – Rock Out at Hi-Tide Resort, Hi-Tide Resort
Blog #: 0940 – 07/10/23Sponsor: Hi-Tide Resort – You can't get any closer to the beach than this. comfy, cozy, modern condos at Hi-Tide-Resort on Moclips Beach WA State. – Hi-Tide-Resort.com
Oh Canada - Lodging Newsletter June 30, 2023
By Wm, May
Published: 06/30/23
Topics: Education, Hotels, Housekeeping, Inns, Lodging Newsletter, Reputation, Vacation
Comments: 0

"Management by wandering around" explains a style of business administration which involves managers wandering around, in an unstructured manner, through the workplace to check with employees, equipment, or on the status of ongoing work.
There may be no other industry as appropriate for MBWA than travel and lodging.
Great managers must keep their fingers on every aspect of every dang little thing. Nothing can be taken for granted, everything must be inspected, schedules must be maintained and, no matter how diligent a company, some guests will want more than they pay for.
But you'll only know that if you talk to guests, staff, vendors, competitors and even the government. All this in hopes that changes can be detected to find opportunities or to avoid problems in the future.
That idea can be stretched to walking around other businesses too, so for a few weeks we have been wandering around British Columbia and Alberta, staying at or visiting great lodges, speaking to staff, and just watching their world go around.
It has been said that Canada and the US are countries born of common ancestors, separated by a common language. The differences in lodging management are subtle but noticeable.
Businesses cooperate together to promote their destination in ways that can seem lacking elsewhere. Employees seemed authorized to make good decisions.
This letter isn't to say that Canada has everything figured out. Turning on the television shows some of the same political skullduggery that exists in every country. People just don't agree on everything.
As we departed one lodge we saw the attractive young manager, who had taken time to talk on several occasions, walking around the property, policing the area, straightening things up.
Walking around Canada provides new insights we can use to make our business better every day.
====================================
The pace of change is accelerating. Here are some changes we noticed in Canada, specifically in the stunning mountain towns of Banff and Jasper.
TEXTILES: Each property had daily housekeeping an "option." Some said, "Call us if you want maid service or just towels." Or here is a $5 coupon for each day you don't ask for housekeeping.
COUPONS: The coupons were to their in-house restaurant. They save far more in cleaning labor than the cost of the food, probably $20.00 or more. And guests lined up early to cash in.
STAFFING: Half of the lodging and restaurant employees who served us were young Aussies. Companies recruit in Australia for seasonal staff. Young folks love the travel and come back year after year.
COSTS: Staffing in this way is not cheap, as employers pay for food and housing. At the incredible Columbia Ice Fields (www.BanffJasperCollection), where you can ride onto the glacier on giant wheeled vehicles, over 250 staff room in what they laughingly refer to as "The Ice Palace", but looks more like a very old college dorm stuffed with people.
WELCOME BOOKS: None of these pricey places had an in-house welcome book - but they all had gorgeous printed materials about all the other things they were anxious to sell you - boat trips, gondola rides, museum walks and, of course, their restaurants.
CUSTOMERS: Canada has a fast growing immigrant population and the diversity of travelers is everywhere. Many languages, styles of dress and behaviors. Some cultures travel in big family groups, while others dominate the ever present tour busses.
GENUINE: Every business wants every staff member to exude friendliness. Although there are dozens of restaurants in Banff alone, from fast food to fancy food, employees provide quick service without seeming to be hurried. This is management honoring their people.
HONOR CODE: Most businesses had famed "Codes of Honor" proclaiming how well they would treat you and including how well you must treat fellow customers and staff. We bumped into them in fancy hotels, low-cost restaurants, in bike shops, in museums and even in Starbucks.
GUEST TERMS: Having started as vacation rental owners, we have always felt that a clear set of terms was essential to foster good guest behavior. We have wondered if we ask too much, but then we seldom have a problem guest. Perhaps, we should call them the "Codes of Honor."
STRESS: Banff sees 4 million visitors a year and the small business core is alive with visitors. Jasper welcomes 2.5 million per year. Together this is a non-stop stream of inquisitive travelers who could overload a system, but there is little stress because both towns admit that tourism is what pays the bills. (And pays them well.)
In U.S. locations, there are always curmudgeons who want visitor income but would prefer that people stay away. American cities and counties who are chasing vacation rentals out of town are myopic.
Author: Wm, May, Vortex VIP
Blog #: 0960 – 06/30/23Sponsor: Vortex VIP – – VortexVIP.com
AtTheBlue.com at Blue Heron Resort
By Libby Rogers
Published: 04/22/18
Topics: Hood Canal, Timeshares, Vacation, Vacation Rentals
Comments: 0
Yourshare.biz which offers resort and owner direct vacation rental bookings for timeshare properties announced today that it has opened a new website for the Blue Heron Condos on Washington State's pristine Hood Canal. Read more
Sponsor: YourShare.biz – Yourshare.biz makes it easy for guests to find quality timeshare vacation rentals, for owners to rent out unused weeks, and for resorts to generate income and attract buyers for their available weeks. Everyone wins with these well maintained properties in attractive locations. – http://YourShare.biz
Oh No, Mount Rainier Has Disappeared
By William May
Published: 04/15/12
Topics: Mount Rainier WA, Vacation
Comments: 0
Mount Rainier disappeared today. Poof. Gone. I looked up and it was missing from the horizon. Reminded me of the day, 20 years ago, when Mount Saint Helens disappeared. Read more
Sponsor: MountRainier.com – Every shop, restaurant, lodge and vacation rental around the entire mountain. Ashford, Packwood, Greenwater, Morton, Eatonville, Carbonado & Enumclaw. Book a stay instantly online.
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