|
|||||||||||||
Printer-Friendly
Email this Story
Post a Comment (0)
Bed and breakfasts opening doors to public
A group of Loudoun's bed and breakfasts will open their doors for free for one afternoon this month in an effort to drum up more business.“It's one way to bring attention to the beautiful properties in Loudoun County,” said Beth Van Houtte, one of the proprietors of the six-room Stone Manor Vineyard & Orchard Bed and Breakfast in Lovettsville.
“It's all about supporting our rural economy,” she added.
Ten bed and breakfasts located throughout western Loudoun have signed on to take part in this first-ever county-wide open house scheduled for April 26. It's being organized by the Loudoun County Bed & Breakfast Guild.
Like the rest of the hospitality industry, local bed and breakfasts have been pinched by the economic downturn.
Van Houtte said bookings were off by about a third last month but are starting to pick up as the weather improves.
Bookings were also slow in March at Fran Wire's five-room Georges Mill Farm Bed and Breakfast, also in Lovettsville.
Like Van Houtte's property, Wire's Civil War-era stone house on 100 acres will be part of the open-house tour. She's hoping the day will bring in a slew of potential customers who are not familiar with Loudoun's blossoming bed-and-breakfast industry.
“That's the idea,” she said. “We're hoping this will be a big success.”
Besides opening their homes, Christine Geno, with the Loudoun Convention & Visitors Association, said the bed and breakfasts will partner with area wineries and restaurants, which will provide samplings of food and wine during the day.
Prizes such as free overnight stays and restaurant gift certificates will also be available.
“Hopefully, if this works out this will be an annual event,” Geno said.
The open houses, which are self-guided, will run from 1 to 5 p.m. For more information, see www.loudounbandb.com.
Contact the reporter at jjacks@timespapers.com
You must be logged in to post a comment.