Green enhancement!

I am working on Travel Green Wisconsin application and that will provide you easier ways to find more information about our property!

I am looking forward to have the account activated with them within the next couple of weeks!

Other news

We decided to have an account for the Inn on Facebook, if you are a fan, - feel free to sign and join the conversation; see link on the right side of our blog page

Along with that see the latest pictures of Spring Green village and we would love to have you add your pictures, if you have some.

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All in ONE Week

The good the bad and what lesson can you learn!?


It is happened that customers always will post their opinion, experience, rather their expectations from places they stay, (lodging), visited, shopped at and so on....

I am not aware of any network those in the hosting industry have a place to express their experience with customers; and what is it OK to say OR not to say.

However, I am taking the time to post this weeks' experience with customers from both extremes; life is challenging and some time is tough, you can run short of help, then some emergency can take place, and you have to close the office.

• The best customers of the week: It was this couple I have stay by us one night and you can tell by their action that they were very considerate to the property and treated the business with lots of respect; deciding to use the second bed to place a luggage on, the gentleman came in the office and asked for an old towel he will be able to put on the bed before having the luggage on; "wow", ... I thought his gesture was very considerate of them, to show that much respect for the goods in the room and the property as a whole, and to participate in preserving the business integrity.

• After all they told me they will be out for breakfast and will come back to drop the key and check out. An unfortunate event took place and I had to leave office and close for an hour; ( a note was left on the door of me being absent from the reception desk) they came back and after all they still left a considerable tip for housekeeping. This was the "Wow" number 2.

************************ It was that you do your best to make customers happy at all time and not to consider to filter them in any odd way. It is then they come to the desk to check out and they will bring a long list of negative things to mention and, don't they always have the best suggestions for you!!!
Oh boy!
I am patiently listening, considering what they say and give it a thought to apply changes or implement improvements as necessary or as time and money will allow.
I make a point of thanking people for acknowledging their concern, suggestion or constructive input.
OK, Iam open minded, and that was all good so far! *********************************

• The worst customer of the week: A younger couple checks in and it looks like it's all OK, they buy a bottle of wine and go on with they evening. Next morning, they dropped the key and after a brief conversation they took of; going in the room to clean was another story!

• For the first time since I am running the hotel business, someone decided to be very upfront in expressing their believes or disbelieve as if anyone asked them anything about that;
  

• It was very insulting to the business, to me personally and VERY Disrespectful to the entire establishment, to go in that room and find the Holly Bible (the physical book) laying in the trash can next to the bed, and in addition a small print I usually have in the night stand drawer.
  
• I have news for you "my friend" God is watching your every step, and if this is what you decide to practice every place you go, SHAME ON YOU!
  
• Nobody asked you to convert to any religion and share or express your convictions, no one brought up any sensitive religious subject to discuss with you in particular, and if you are mad at the whole world, that is not any of my problems.... if you don't want to see The Book - DO NOT open drawers. If you don't believe in anything, that's not what I am worried about.
• No one should Disrespect and insult my business practice, and trash the integrity of our establishment with this type of attitude and think they can walk away smiling - that will NOT LAST, my friend!

This post is informational and expresses my pure dissatisfaction with people that walk on this earth with no integrity!

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Happy Father's day!

Where are you taking your father, or husband this time for father's day!

This should be a family fun time when you can share memories and create some new ones; at home or away from home, if you travel - take advantage of a fine hotel - at our facility, The Usonian Inn LLC (http://usonianinn.homestead.com) and a distinguished restaurant in Spring Green.

Yard Sale for special Items

We will have some items for SALE the weekend of May 29, and 30.

In the effort to recycle and reuse older items that are in a very good shape, we decided to have a Yard Sale
scheduled as follow:

Friday 10AM - 6PM
Saturday 10AM - 4PM or as long as we have any items left.

Items list:

Light fixtures
Bathroom mirror with shelf
Smaller size Sink with Faucet
Closet Door with mirrors and trimming frame
Air Conditional Units - all operating

and more FREE items.....

Thank you for helping the community stay SUSTAINABLE!

What's hot in Spring Green

If you plan on having a night well spent at our establishment, consider to purchase one of our special wines we feature in the lobby!

When girlfriends meet, - they shop and dine and then have a little more wine; coming to Spring Green, lately is more special - you should know there are more things happening HERE; There is shopping and there is fine shopping; special late Fridays events (just the 1st Friday of the month) for now; you can enjoy a special shopping tour with wine tasting and after 8PM (after dinner) at open floor restaurants hours. Take a tour of the village for shopping at art galleries, our specialty stores and enjoy some live music along the way into the night!

Girlfriends meet and drink more!

Earth day - the beginning and today's

"This year’s Earth Day is the 40th one; the first one was held April 22, 1970.

Participation in an event like Earth Day in a visible way is important—even if it is what you are doing behind the scenes that has the greatest positive impact on the environment.

We show our guests and our staff that we care and it certainly is a great marketing opportunity.

There is no need to get wrapped up in debates about global warming; Earth Day is about taking care of your own plot of land, being a good neighbor in your community, and being a good steward of the planet.

Be sure to make every day Earth Day at your property."

http://www.ecoquestintl.com/CatalogProduct.aspx?ProductId=3569#ordernowstart

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Odd Jobs and Spring Celebration

We are celebrating Spring in STYLE!

There are a few odd jobs to do too; some painting, some garden work; always that routine maintenance and a little more planning then just Spring stuff.

We are getting excited for being able to celebrate the birth month of the business shortly in May; , there is that and mid month is the FAMOUS MOREL MUSHROOM FESTIVAL close by.

If you haven't visited with us in a while, even on line, make sure you are looking for our calendar of events and our special promotions. http://www.merchantcircle.com/business/The.Usonian.Inn.LLC.608-588-2323/coupons

See more info on our Merchantcircle Blog Page. So far the weather is great and we like you to take advantage and stop by early this spring!

MORE NEWS here:
Usonian INN Liquor License APPROVED!
April 15,2009 (Page 8) Home News (Local paper news article)

• Liquor license for Usonian

Carolina and Teofil Dursina, of the Usonian Inn on Highway 14, requested approval
for a Class B beer and a Class A retail liquor license. In a letter to the board, they
said they plan to enlarge the current hotel lounge for use not only as a breakfast bar
but a cafe with internet access. Beer would be sold during business hours for
consumption on the premises.
The Class A license includes selling hard liquor, which hotel guests would consume
in their rooms. The Dursinas intend to serve breakfast in the lounge and also serve
items such as panini sandwiches at lunch and during the evening.
In a letter to the board responding to the license request, Alan Pecham, village
attorney said under a Class B license the licensee might sell beer for consumption
either on or off the premises. With a Class A license, the licensed operator may sell
all liquors including wine and beer if consumed off premises or in the hotel rooms.
Wendy Crary, village clerk treasurer, said a hotel room is considered a private
residence when rented and occupants may consume beverages purchased at the
Usonian Inn or from other sellers. Hard Liquor could be sold but not consumed in the
motel cafe.
Village police chief Kevin Wilkins recommended the licenses be granted and the
board voted approval.

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Today's interesting Quotes

I run into this quote today and I thought it was interesting!

"The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page."
--St. Augustine, philosopher and theologian


"Just living is not enough. ... One must have sunshine, freedom and a little flower."
--Hans Christian Andersen, Danish author and poet

Travel - renovation and a competitive advantage!

Interior makeovers give historic buildings new life as hotels

Historic buildings that evoke the elegance of a past era are finding new lives as modern, instantly iconic hotels.

One benefit of the reuse, recycle mindset that has developers creating fabulous new properties in the shells of once-grand buildings is that elegance and glamour are returning to interior design.

This is just an informative article for our customers.
http://www.hotelinteractive.com/article.aspx?articleid=13065

Renovations:

The development of capital replacement budgets and the setting aside of reserves for replacement are long term strategies that keep a property fresh and competitive in the marketplace. If an organization has reserves for replacement set aside, now may be a good time to implement needed renovations which will allow the property to emerge stronger when the economy improves.

The accelerated price of energy earlier this year suggests that renovations related to energy efficient technology would yield future returns. If the property is experiencing reduced occupancy, renovation disruptions will be minimized relative to the guest experience. So, I think we did very well for the past year!

A native of Germany, he says this is a European sensibility. "In America you think, 'It's bigger, it's better,' but many places in Europe you didn't have the space, so you made very small jewels."

This is exactly how we think about our property as a "JEWEL" - that is!

Renovation, staying in business in tough times and meeting the "GREEN" guidelines

http://www.ahla.com/Green.aspx?id=24560

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and just another 'Green" fun link!

http://green.yahoo.com/blog/daily_green_news/8/twelve-amazing-shipping-container-houses.html

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Innovation in tought times

How it helps when you keep your networking live and building it continually.

I don’t know too many small business owners hanging around looking for bailouts. The bailout of choice for the small business owner is innovation and determination.

ONE great step we took in the last year was Renovations:
The development of capital replacement budgets and the setting aside of reserves for replacement are long term strategies that keep a property fresh and competitive in the marketplace.
If an organization has reserves for replacement set aside, now may be a good time to implement needed renovations which will allow the property to emerge stronger when the economy improves.

The accelerated price of energy earlier this year suggests that renovations related to energy efficient technology would yield future returns. If the property is experiencing reduced occupancy, renovation disruptions will be minimized relative to the guest experience.


I am listing this link here in this posting to bring it to live that we, the small businesses are trying so many ways to be innovative and make our businesses going and more attractive in this economic downturn!

Innovation in tough times

developing oneself

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Morel Mushroom Festival (coupon)

Celebrating our neighbors UNIQUE Festival!

The World Capital of Morel Mushroom Festival happens in MUSCODA, WI a great little town where you can feel at home. Come celebrate an entire weekend with great foods, arts and live music, UW parade and so much more.

Usually the Festival is held every spring the weekend after Mother's Day.

Let's discuss where the morels accompanying a dead elm tree are most apt to be located. If it is early in the season, they will be on the south edge of the timber or on the south facing slope near the top of a hill because he sun warms these areas first. As the season progresses, the morels begin appearing further into the woods, further down the south side of the hills, and near the top of the north facing slope. At last, near the end of the season, they will appear at the north edge of the woods and in the bottom land.

Take your time to visit us on merchantcircle.com to find our coupon:
http://www.merchantcircle.com/business/The.Usonian.Inn.LLC.608-588-2323/promotion

Your savings Opportunity!

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Hello everyone,

I am taking the time to list here a few opportunity that I was thinking about and I came to the conclusion that is worth publishing this information.

As every business is looking into different strategies to save a "buck", we decided to pass Our savings Opportunity into you.

We have Decided TO USE different ways of saving you money and making it easy for everyone to pay for their travel leisure or business or more, like shopping in our beautiful artsy village.


I. - OUR NEW POLICY stands for a percentage down payment of the total bill, and we though this will have everyone split their payment and this way is not so much of a burden to pay a chunk at once.


II. Yet, another way to book and save is using our on line booking system that allows you to take advantage of the flat fee discount (which we will keep uniform for all offers), this system is limited to 45 day advance booking, but not more. The offer is a flat Fee Discount!

Once we get your request we will produce the invoice for your reservation and you are in your way!

Thank you for helping us speeding in a great way to get more "green," and being an active participant!



We all strive to be in front of customers as often as possible and be our best. But, when we think about it, our clients and prospects give us many opportunities to stay in their minds in positive ways and we want to give them a reason to remember us for future business.

Yet, these opportunities are often overlooked, simply because we neglect to have open communication.

In conclusion:

• If you can find your the room type on line on our system, use our online booking and SAVE - http://usonianinn-online-booking.genbook.com
• The down payment will make it easier for you to pay in small bites and not a big chunk. (I also had people feel comfortable to pay 100% up front, we are NOT asking for that.)

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Spring is in the Air!

It might not be that Spring had arrived yet, but, we get the feeling of the whole nature returning to life and getting ready to revive, to bloom, to challenge the entire environment (atmosphere) with all kinds of fragrances! ... with those birds songs, geese are lined up in the sky and started migrating....

The sun is on the ski mostly every day, all day, sometimes all week. It's long since we had any forecast,...it's like we need that, and we are awaiting for something to happened, maybe some rain,...

Leaves will grow fast and will enhance the sound of winds in the area, coming through and going by and again, carrying life and beauty along to perfect our enjoyment and fulfilling what is usually missing those winter months.

This winter it wasn't as long and dragging, I was busy with different projects. I managed to take a short vacation.

With spring coming there are some other events we are celebrating this time of the year!

Starting with St Patric's Day, then is Earth day - we do have a special event for that date!

Then there is a proposed "GREEN" Open House and Busness Fair on the premises planned for last weekend of March and 1rs in April. More to be listed in details on our Calendar on the web page. We are remembering the Customer Appreciation date as well - now called "Sprint into Spring," so, visit us and enjoy shopping in our great area.

Keep an eye on our calendar of events! (Off my web page - it's constantly being updated)

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TWO Successful Years

When I look back to the last two years, - I realize, we had a great success!
Many things there have been said about the place, our service and we managed to get this place finally to meet our own standards.

“We must make sure customer service culture is established early and deep,” I said,
“If we are not doing it better than anyone else, we are not getting the best return on investment on our hotel.
In this poor economy you have a real opportunity to take customers away from the competition, while also moving the needle on customer service upward.
Every incremental increase will create additional process by capturing new and retain customers."

It’s possible to fix most any problem before a guest’s departure, thereby ensuring their stay is a memorable one. Also, by addressing customer concerns, I am convinced it will make the difference in capturing repeat business hotels would otherwise lose.

We are extracting the negative from the guest before they leave. This is not a money-back guarantee; this is good operations and common sense.

The renovation we approached this past year was a great success and we get compliments all the time.

This is an exciting time in our business.

We are on the move and we, the hotel owners have achieved our goal quickly, we got into the spotlight on the local news paper, the TV station, and being awarded 3"Green" leaves out of 5 on http://www.istaygreen.org/; it is going to be proven that quality in customer service, comfort and cleanliness is what matters.

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Getting Back from a Short Vacation!

I was gone for a short time and it seems like an eternity.

It's so much I have to catch up with that is not as easy as I thought; sorry to those I missed your call.


I'll get back to my e-mail as soon as tomorrow and don't worry I will have a room for you for your event!

We are entertaining a wedding next weekend and rooms are limited.

We are expecting a wonderful spring season and great offer for your stay with us.

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GRAB your coupon and GO!

Valentine is approaching quickly and we want you to have a special time;




We are offering a special rate that weekend; see our coupon on this link:

Valentine Day Special Offer

Other offers, by e-mail orders, will be at a discounted price when you order by February the 12th, 2009
The right Nutrition for a Healthier YOU!

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Back on track

As the Holidays are over, and things go back to normal, I am taking the time to update you on what's going on at the business.

The bathrooms renovation is close to be accomplished in entirety, just a few odds and ends;

We are OPEN and operating, and we are running a special coupon for the "BALD EAGLE WATCH" event. during the month of January only - click on the blog title to see coupon, mention it when call in, and take advantage of the offer.

Sauk City is just a short drive away from our property.
Follow the Scenic route 60 going North from Spring Green towards Sauk City and Prairie du Sac (Sauk Prairie), where winter are the gathering of the Bald Eagles traveling down from the Northern part of the state and neighbors states. See official WI site link.

It is definitely a great season in Wisconsin, roads are kept clear and snow is limited, it's just beautifying the scenery; you can experience the winter wonderland wright here in our backyard.

Take a vacation away from your indoor environment and enjoy the nature wonders of Wisconsin!

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Making any place Sustainable

There is so much anyone can do about becoming Green, you can take the smallest steps and you can still see results.

I wrote soome articles about the subject, and I would say it's a list of rewards we got for accomplishing a "GREEN" establishment. See for yourself.

How to get your house green in small steps

and

Making our Historic Inn Sustainable,


For those in the industry,

"You are invited to sign up for a FREE subscription to the lodging industry’s only weekly environmental news publication. (See sample below.) You will never be charged to receive it. How does one sign up? Go to www.greenlodgingnews.com and fill in your e-mail address in the form on the right hand side of the home page."

We wish everyone a successful 2009!