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The Psychology Behind Being a Great Host
Exceptional hosts have a unique ability to anticipate and respond to the needs of their guests, creating an experience that goes beyond the ordinary. This post explores the psychology behind hosting and highlights the key traits that make a host truly outstanding.

Sue Marko
Jul 125 min read


My Italian Stays - Hefty Price Tags For Disappointing Products
We were expecting clean and charming apartments, clean linens, and hosts who cared about their guests because that's what they advertised on the sites we booked through. Instead, I found myself in one place that was just OK and another that fell shockingly short of anything they claimed to be.

Sue Marko
Jun 94 min read


Exploring the Best Wineries in the Okanagan: My Favorite Experiences and Wine Recommendations
Visiting this area offers more than just tasting wine; it’s about experiencing the hospitality, the unique terroir, and the passion behind every bottle. I recently explored several wineries here and want to share my favorite experiences along with some wine recommendations that stood out.

Sue Marko
May 244 min read


Sustainable Practices for B&Bs: Green Travel Tips for Eco-Friendly Stays
This post explores practical ways that I and other B&B owners have embraced green travel ideas keeping sustainability in mind.

Sue Marko
Apr 124 min read


Turn a "Stay" Into An "Experience"
Creating a memorable experience for guests at a B&B goes beyond offering a comfortable bed and a good breakfast. Many travelers seek unique moments and personal touches that make their stay special and worth remembering. (In my 14 years of experience many guests created their own wacky experiences... LOL, but you can read all about that in my book!) With the cost of living skyrocketing, the challenge for B&B owners is how to add value without significantly increasing costs. F

Sue Marko
Mar 296 min read


Tipping.... To Tip or Not To Tip?
My theory for restaurant tipping is what I think of as the 20% variable. Every server is a potential 20 right off the bat and they can slide downhill from there.

Sue Marko
Mar 157 min read


Bad Hosts - Sadly, It's A Thing
There were, of course, some rare exceptions, where I lost my cool and had to react harshly but as an everyday rule the name of the game was to make the customers happy.

Sue Marko
Mar 85 min read


You Can't Be Everything to Everyone.
What do you think I did? Well, tempting as it was, I did not throat-punch them; that would probably guarantee that shitty tip I just referenced. I tried baking my own bread.

Sue Marko
Feb 14 min read


RATES: How Much Is Too Much?
I used to always joke, "someone's gotta be the priciest, might as well be me". But I never just sat on those high rates, I always worked hard at/for them... and I deserved them.

Sue Marko
Jan 254 min read


Hospitality Excellence
Just to balance the scales, since I wrote to you about a hospitality blunder last week, let's head into the Christmas week with a super-feel-good hospitality experience I was able to share with 5 friends a couple of weeks ago, none of whom had ever attended this particular event, with or without me, before. The evening was, in one word, STELLAR. A Shout-Out to Support Local! Most of my friends love to support local and we are pretty lucky to live in Canadian Wine Country and

Sue Marko
Dec 21, 20253 min read
What Happened to Great Customer Service?
A little trip to happy hour turned into an outrageously bad customer service experience.

Sue Marko
Dec 14, 20254 min read
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