Captain Lord Mansion Frequent Stay Program
Now 30 Years Old
KENNEBUNKPORT, ME, May 26, 2009 - While frequent stay programs are not new to the lodging industry, they have taken on increased importance as travelers seek rewards for travel. While hotels and airlines tout points, B&Bs throughout the country have become far more creative in rewarding guests for stays. BedandBreakfast.com surveyed innkeepers in 2008 and estimated approximately 1200 B&Bs throughout the U.S. offer frequent stay programs. However none is more distinctive than the Captain Lord Mansion's guest rewards program, presumed to be not only the first B&B program in the country but also the most sophisticated.
The hallmark of the Captain Lord Mansion's frequent stay program is the Memory Garden, filled with stone pavers bearing the names of guests who've stayed at the inn ten times. Such a mighty incentive for guests to return, this Memory Walk is now expanding to encircle the yard. Yet, pavers are not the only gifts offered to return guests of the Captain Lord Mansion. The innkeepers here have become extremely creative as they celebrate one guest's 80th visit.
Initially, when the Captain Lord Mansion's frequent stay program launched in 1983 the motivation was to celebrate a guests' tenth visit. Back then, guests received a pewter hurricane lamp upon their tenth stay. However, as the list of returning guests grew, Rick Litchfield and Bev Davis, owners of the Captain Lord Mansion, decided to give guests something permanent. Thus, sixteen years ago, they went to the Atlanta Gift Show, and found stone pavers that could be engraved with the names of their guests. In 1993, they started the Captain Lord Memory Garden, and to this day each time a guest stays ten times, a stone paver is engraved with their name and placed into the memory garden. Today, a circle of pavers around a water fountain has been filled with more than 475 pavers bearing frequent guests' names. There are so many now that a walkway around the yard is being built to accommodate the newest pavers.
Captain Lord Mansion guests love seeing their stones, and are motivated (especially on their 10th visit) to come to see them. "We never realized how successful it would be; the Memory Garden really motivates people to stay, so they can be memorialized in the garden," says Rick Litchfield. Upon a guests' ninth visit, they are asked how they want the paver engraved, so on their tenth visit, they can return to find their paver placed in the garden.
The pavers are not the only gift, offered to Captain Lord Mansion returning guests. Each time a new guest comes to the Captain Lord Mansion shortly after they return home, a beautiful engraved pen and a $25 gift certificate to use at the inn upon their next stay arrives. Upon their second stay, fresh baked cookies are awaiting their arrival in their room. Thereafter for every fifth visit, guests receive special gifts including:
5th visit - a beautiful cut glass bud vase
10th - paver engraved and placed into the Memory Garden
15th - a lovely cut glass candy dish
20th - a gorgeous large cut glass vase
25th - cobalt blue salt and pepper shakers with silver tops
After the 25th visit, Rick and Bev get creative depending upon the guests' interests. Kathi and Hal Nelson, of Boston-area, are about to enjoy their 80th stay at the Captain Lord Mansion in July, 2009. For their 75th visit, Kathi Nelson received a solid gold lobster claw necklace with a diamond in the claw as a gift from the Captain Lord Mansion. Because Hal is a Red Sox fan, he received a Daisuke Matsuzaka Red Sox shirt. Rick and Bev are going to surprise them with a very special harbor cruise for their 80th stay.
As lodging properties struggle to maintain return guests in this struggling economy with discounted rates, the Captain Lord Mansion's frequent stay program offers an excellent example of an established and powerful incentive to return. With incredible forsight and intuition,
The Captain Lord Mansion is a premier bed & breakfast inn located in the heart of Kennebunkport, Maine. Combining luxury amenities with spa services, an extensive gift and wine shop, beautifully appointed guest rooms and haute hospitality, all within Southern Maine's extensive beaches and recreation, Captain Lord Mansion is the ideal choice for romantic getaways and celebration vacations. Selected among the top 100 Hotels in the World by Conde Nast Traveler, described as a "great value" recently by Travel & Leisure Magazine, and an AAA four diamond rated inn for 29 years, Captain Lord Mansion takes its place among New England's most distinctive inns. For more information on Captain Lord Mansion, visit www.captainlord.com or call 800-522-3141 to order Captain Lord Mansion gift certificates.
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