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The association was founded in the late 1960s by
Norman Simpson, the "father of Country Inn travel in America." In
his pioneering book, Country Inns and Back Roads, Simpson noted that
"each (member) inn is original and unique, a reflection of the
personalities and tastes of the individual innkeeper-owners…this was
never intended to be a total guide to country inns in the United
States and Canada, (but rather) a carefully selected group of inns.
The purpose is to encourage travelers to visit…and to experience
this unique type of personal hospitality…"
When Norman Simpson first compiled a directory of
inns, there were 12 properties, primarily in the New England area.
Today, we represent nearly 400 of the "finest country inns, B&Bs,
and unique small hotels" from California to Nova Scotia-the very
best the travel industry has to offer.
What makes Select Registry different?
Select Registry carries out a quality assurance
inspection for each of its nearly 400 inns. This program involves
independent inspectors-not employees of Select Registry-with
years of experience in the hospitality industry. The inspectors
arrive unidentified, spend the night, and evaluate the inn on a
detailed point system, which translates into a pass/fail grade for
the inn. Inns applying for membership are inspected, as are existing
members on a periodic schedule. Not all inns have what it takes to
pass the inspections, and this process provides a guarantee to the
traveling public that a Select Registry inn is in a class of its
own. A recent Internet directory identified over 20,000 "country
inns and B&Bs" in the United States and Canada. A select few of
those are members of the Select Registry.
No other online directory or organization of
innkeepers has a comparable inspection program. In fact, a
recent New York Times article noted that the proliferation of
"inns" has resulted in an industry rife with misrepresentation, lack
of quality control, and widely varying room rates. With its rigorous
inspection program, Select Registry has established quality as a
hallmark of its member properties.
Select Registry doesn't rank our members with
diamonds or stars-although many of our members carry the high
ratings you'd expect from various groups that evaluate inns and
B&Bs. If you're a member of Select Registry, you're the cream of the
crop. All of our inns are "the best"-and our inspections prove it!
Hospitality.
For many years, the symbol of the Association was a
lit lantern, symbolizing "the Shining Light of Hospitality." Today,
this value continues to be an essential component of who we are. In
an increasingly impersonal world, the "personal touch" of a
welcoming innkeeper is often what sets apart a lodging experience,
and, in conjunction with Quality, is what our properties are known
most for. Whether it is the personal greeting by the
owner/innkeeper, a convivial meal, solicitous meeting of special
needs, or passing along our guidebook as a gift to a new
friend-hospitality ultimately continues to define the concept of
"traveling the Select Registry way."
A brand you can count on.
In years past, the registry book in the lobby of
hotels and inns welcomed guests and provided a connection between
innkeepers and travelers. The historical registry "quill"-the
original instrument of guest registration-has been incorporated into
our association's graphic identity, and the predicates of
"preference, distinction, choice, and authenticity" establish our
members as "the best of the best" in an industry that has become
notorious for its plethora of "inns" and a correspondingly wide
range of quality.
Since 1972, millions of our Association guidebooks
have been printed and distributed by innkeepers throughout North
America. These books have an extended shelf life, and many are still
being used by travelers. This year, over 400,000 new guidebooks
will be printed and distributed, making ours the largest such
referral program and publication of its kind in the travel industry.
Select Registry Membership Criteria.
1. The Inn must be owner-operated, or managed
and operated as if it is.
2. The Inn should be the primary business of the owner/operator.
3. The innkeeper must have been an active innkeeper for at least
three years (this criteria may be reduced depending on prior
experience in the hospitality industry).
4. The Inn must have a minimum of six guestrooms.
5. The Inn must pass Select Registry's Quality Assurance
inspection, and be fully licensed according to state
requirements.
6. A common room should be provided for guests only. This is not
to be a bar, lounge, waiting room for the dining room, pass
through lobby, etc.
7. All meals must be pleasant dining experiences. If the evening
meal is not provided on the premises, fine dining or quality
regional dining must be readily available in the area,
preferably within walking distance.
8. Personal hospitality is the touchstone of innkeeping, and
this quality will be of the utmost importance in evaluating new
members.
9. The overriding objective of Select Registry is to admit inns
that will materially enhance the overall quality of the
organization.
10. It is required that each member participate in the
distribution of the Select Registry guidebook by giving a copy
to each guest. Innkeepers must also be willing to attend
association meetings and to share their expertise with other
members.
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