Just checking in...how's everyone been?

Shirl:
people are not taking vacations and are spending weekends with family
right there at home visiting local attractions that don't require hotel
stays

Andrew Gideon wrote:
Well, I'm obviously not in - or anywhere near - the hotel business. But
I've this sense that, somehow, there's perhaps some small opportunity
here. For example, what if Jay's hotel manages to become a "local
attraction".

Certainly, he's invested enough money being a unique hotel. What would
it take to be an attraction to locals?

I vaguely recall that there's a nice simulator setup there; nice enough
that it's better than what most people would afford on their own.
Perhaps he could expand this and introduce something like "league play"
in air combat? I also recall reading here about what might be as
sophisticated as a "simulated aviation world" available via the Internet;
perhaps access to this with high-end gear has value?

Again, I'm no expert so I'm probably nowhere near the mark. But I like
the idea of no crisis going unexploited grin. Best of luck to you, Jay.

Very "enterprising"! :-)
My guess is Jay would have to spend some $ on advertising to get that
kind of thing rolling; then he'd have to charge for the "air combat"
arcade-type play -- does he have more than one simulator $et up? If not,
wouldn't be much fun for 20 people to stand and watch while one (or two)
are at the controls. You'd have to have support staff on hand to monitor
the sims, keep them working. Would people actually use the *hotel* for
overnight stay? or just show up for the sim play? Would sim play be
enough to cover the overhead of the whole hotel? Would people hanging
around for sim play disrupt actual paying hotel guests? What if a paying
hotel guest wants to use the sim? Would the insurance cover *customers*
on the premises for non-hotel purposes?

Well, I'm obviously not in - or anywhere near - the hotel business. But
I've this sense that, somehow, there's perhaps some small opportunity
here. For example, what if Jay's hotel manages to become a "local
attraction".

That's precisely our target market this winter, Andrew -- and every winter,
quite frankly. A HUGE proportion of our off-season business is from locals
(defined as folks who live in the same county) doing weekend getaways,
spending time "flying" the sim, soaking in the hot tubs, and watching our
(free) aviation movies. When gas was $4/gallon, we were even getting a lot
of these folks during the season. (Defined as April - November)

But that's primarily a weekend business affair, leaving the other five
nights wide open without the traditional business travelers. We need those
companies -- and families moving to the area, staying with us while looking
for a house -- to come back. And that's going to take economic confidence
to achieve.

I take some solace from the Black Friday sales, which -- by most accounts --
were actually UP over last year. Let's hope this signals a turnaround.

Either way -- it's just 236 days until our 2009 Oshkosh Fly-In Pool Party!
Winter is just a few months long...
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
Ercoupe N94856
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

My guess is Jay would have to spend some $ on advertising to get that
kind of thing rolling; then he'd have to charge for the "air combat"
arcade-type play -- does he have more than one simulator $et up? If not,
wouldn't be much fun for 20 people to stand and watch while one (or two)
are at the controls. You'd have to have support staff on hand to monitor
the sims, keep them working. Would people actually use the *hotel* for
overnight stay? or just show up for the sim play? Would sim play be
enough to cover the overhead of the whole hotel? Would people hanging
around for sim play disrupt actual paying hotel guests? What if a paying
hotel guest wants to use the sim? Would the insurance cover *customers*
on the premises for non-hotel purposes?

We've allowed anyone and everyone to "fly" the Kiwi flight sim anytime
they'd like, ever since we built it back in '05 -- hotel guests or not.
Remember, this is a prototype of EIGHT sims were building for a new aviation
exhibit (slated to open in Summer of '09) at the Iowa Children's Museum --
so we "kid (and parent) test" it at every opportunity.

You should see the finished products! Unlike the Kiwi, they look and feel
like real airplanes, and we've incorporated all the ergonomic touches that
the Kiwi lacked. They are so cool, I doubt we'll be able to control the
mobs of kids that will be clamoring to get into the museum next summer!

:-)

From there, it's just a short step to taking flight lessons. We're working
with our local FBO so that they'll be involved with the exhibit, and
hopefully offer a discounted "discovery flight" as part of the museum
experience.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
Ercoupe N94856
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

"Jay Honeck" wrote in
news:e%3Wk.447348$yE1.325469@attbi_s21:

I gather that the Germans are a bit more responsible about drinking.
Specifically not getting blitzed. Which leads to the question of
how to get that across the pond into the American culture...

I think you get that across the pond by treating drinking as a normal
adult pastime, and ostracizing people who over-do it. Our culture
has evolved (at the legal level, anyway) into treating drinking as
quasi-criminal and thus, for the younger crowd, romantic. In this
atmosphere it becomes the forbidden fruit.



You're an idiot


Bertie