(EMAILWIRE.COM, December 06, 2008 ) Spencer, IA -- If you're eager to know about some of the outstanding books for a bed and breakfast owner this Christmas, you'll find some top picks below. There are holiday non-fiction books featuring how tos, from opening a new inn to operating it. Aspiring innkeepers and experienced ones won't be disappointed either, as most have great tips for any level owner.

Here are our top picks:

The book, "Opening and Operating a Bed & Breakfast in the 21st Century" by Amelia Painter is now expanded and revised in its 2nd edition and is the perfect book for any level operator. In this down economy every B&B owner needs to realize the importance of a business plan and the first chapters in the book motivate the reader into writing a strong plan. The real "guts" of this publication, however, is in its Internet chapters. Insight into technology is a must today and this book gives you the facts. Sells for $24.95 at Amazon.com, allbookstores.com, target.com, and alibris.com

"How to Open a Financially Successful Bed & Breakfast or Small Hotel" by Lora Arduser and Douglas R. Brown is a handbook with companion CD ROM that demonstrates how to set up, operate and manage a financially successful bed-and-breakfast or small hotel. The Companion Cd Rom contains all the forms in the book as well as a sample business plan you can adapt for your own use. This is the second essential book for anyone ready to seriously look at the financial fesability of operating a bed and breakfast business. Sells for $39.95 at Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, Powells.com

"How to Open and Operate a Bed & Breakfast" by Jan Stankus is now in its 8th edition and has practical, first-hand info about operating a new bed and breakfast business, meeting guests’ needs, and publicizing your new venture. Sells for $18.95 but can be found discounted at Amazon.com

"So - You Want to Be an Innkeeper" by Jo Ann M. Bell, Susan Brown, Mary Davies, Pat Hardy, and Mary E. Davies is now in its 4th edition and is staple for many established B&B owners. Highly recommended by the Professional Association of Innkeepers International (PAII), it presents the facts from the insiders on how to start, operate, and promote a successful establishment -- two of the authors are the founders of PAII. While lacking in current Internet marketing information, it makes up for it in sound advice and the inn-side scoop from those who've successfully opened their own B&B. A bargain at $4.59 from Amazon.com

Last on this Christmas gift list for innkeepers may be one of the most important books to own, "Hospitality Law: Managing Legal Issues in the Hospitality Industry" by Stephen Barth. Now in its 3rd edition, the book provides the legal understanding that ensures both the safety of guests and the success of the hospitality operation. At 480 pages, the book offers bed and breakfast owners a common sense approach grounded in essential principles rather than an encyclopedic knowledge of the law. Sells for $60.60 at Amazon.com, Wiley.com, barnesandnoble.com, and booksense.com

Contact Information:
Iowa Bed and Breakfast Innkeepers Associ
Anissa Jepsen
Tel: 712-580-4242
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