Inkeeper's Blog - Campbell House Bed & Breakfast

Campbell House Elopement Pre-planned Wedding…Just bring your license-leave the rest to us.

Patti — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 02:54:07 +0000

Campbell House Elopement package includes: Package I $795. Package II $695 (Album with 12 photo’s)

Two nights lodging in a Romantic Queen or King Suite.
Arrangement of Private ceremony in Ligonier’s beautiful Gazebo or in Campbell House
Bouquet for the bride and boutonniere for the groom
Wedding Cake for two
Bottle of bubbly
Wedding Dinner for Two ($100.00 value at a local restaurant)
Breakfast for two (Photo of first breakfast as Mr. & Mrs)
Deluxe Wedding Album
NOTE: Wedding couple is responsible for obtaining PA marriage license
Advance reservations with payment in full required.
Rate is based on bridal couple. All inclusive price.
This Wedding Package is Not a Traditional Wedding with Attendants.
Family & Friends May Gather for Gazebo Wedding Ceremonies Only!
Campbell House B&B can only accommodate 6 adults for in house ceremonies.
Additional Charge for Wedding Dinner Guests Call for details!

Campbell House is an “Adults Only” B&B Save $ with Elopement Package II 12 Photo Album $695.00

Good-bye 2011! Hello 2012 & Changes!

Patti — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 00:02:03 +0000

Good-bye 2011…A year to remember!

My first marketing grant from The Laurel Highlands Visitors Bureau

A tour of the Consol Energy Center which included Old Man Winter dropping inches of snow in a short time frame. Took over 5 hour to to get home from Pittsburgh. I was white knuckled when I stopped at Chef Robinson’s in Jeannette to ask to use the ladies room. Even though the restaurant was closed they not only let me in but made me dinner. I am forever grateful.

I paid more for snow removal for two parking places and the sidewalks in front of the B&B than I spent in 6 years. Yes there was a lot of snow…but the cost was way past my budget. Can you imagine the cost if I would have had professional snow removal from the long drive-way, the parking lot in back and spaces in front of the motel. (I now own a 30 inch snow blower with power steering)

Next I got caught in a hail storm on my way to Greensburg! The Soupkid van had dimples and dents-so off to the body shop for a huge make-over paid for by insurance. I was scared as the golf ball sometime baseball size hail beat against my van. I felt like popcorn inside a micro-wave. If I thought I had van damage it was nothing compared to the roof damage on the B&B. Hail beat the roof up and the roof lost the battle. Half of my two car garage is filled with shingles as well as other roofing materials. The replacement must be complete by April 15, 2012. If you are wondering why the roof hasn’t been replaced as of now-well I am happy to say the B&B was to busy week days for me to close for 5 days so the work could be completed. Can you imagine guests trying to enjoy breakfast or a relaxing more with all the noise above them. I convinced my insurance company to let me postpone the work (on the word of my contractor who said it wouldn’t be a problem). MY ROOFER IS LOCAL! No storm chasers on my roof.

I enjoyed a busy year…along with business booming, there was never ending laundry, ironing, cleaning, cooking and more of the same. As a single innkeeper I found myself working long hours (nothing new) needing additional help with serving breakfast and housekeeping. Good help is not easy to find in Ligonier and I didn’t like the position I found myself in…paying more and getting less. Sometimes there were four of us working and still couldn’t keep up-well the help couldn’t keep up. After a long hard look as well as a lot of thought of my business I have had to make some changes. Starting January 2nd, 2012 Full breakfast will be served week-ends only…Continental breakfast will be available Sunday through Friday mornings with the exception of guests who have booked their 2012 accommodations in 2011. This was not an easy decision for me to make as I enjoy cooking breakfast and personally am not fond of continental breakfast. I will be able to handle breakfast on my own with out the added cost of help and or the help not showing up or not guest friendly.

Although I welcome small groups with many asking for discounts because they are filling up the B&B. In fact; the B&B fills up based on size, repeat guests and Ligonier being a destination. Just like a restaurant has a charge for parties of 8 or more, Campbell House will have a 10% surcharge for groups of 6 or more starting with the new year. Exception any groups who booked their 2012 reservations in 2011.

As I say good-bye to 2011, I look forward to a new year in which I am about to embark on my 19th year in business…I look forward to a growing business while taking in to consideration changing times and an older Innkeeper…that’s me.

Book your 2012 Elopement with 2011 Price

Patti — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 01:51:43 +0000

Elopement Package Inncludes: $695.00 * Two nights lodging in a King or Queen Suite

* Breakfast for two (Photo of first breakfast as Mr. & Mrs)

* Wedding cake & toasting for Two

* Arrangement of civil ceremony (Local Officiate Preforms Ceremony

* Private ceremony at Campbell House B&B or in Ligonier’s beautiful gazebo .

* Photo Album of “your” Special Day (4×6 photos) Custom album available for $50 additional)

* Bouquet for the Bride/Boutonniere for the Groom

* Wedding Dinner Voucher (local restaurant)

* NOTE: Wedding couple is responsible for obtaining PA. marriage license…

* Advance reservations with payment in full required.

Call 888-238-9812

If you live in Pennsylvania or ever lived in PA…You should read this!

Patti — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 01:19:49 +0000

Here is what Jeff Foxworthy has to say about Pennsylvanians…; If your local Dairy Queen is closed from September through May, you may live in Pennsylvania. If someone in a Home Depot store offers you assistance and they don’t even work there, you may live in Pennsylvania. If you’ve worn shorts and a parka… at the same time, you may live in Pennsylvania. If you’ve had a leng…thy telephone conversation with someone who dialed a wrong number, you may live in Pennsylvania. If “vacation” means going anywhere south of Harrisburg for the weekend, you may live in Pennsylvania. If you measure distance in hours, you may live in Pennsylvania. If you know several people who have hit a deer more than once, you may live in Pennsylvania. If you have switched from ‘heat’ to ‘A/C’ in the same day and back again, you may live in Pennsylvania. If you can drive 75 mph through 2 feet of snow during a raging blizzard without flinching, you may live in Pennsylvania. If you install security lights on your house and garage, but leave both doors unlocked, you may live in Pennsylvania. If you carry jumpers in your car and your wife knows how to use them, you may live in Pennsylvania. If you design your kid’s Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit, you may live in Pennsylvania. If the speed limit on the highway is 55 mph -you’re going 80 and everybody is passing you, you may live in Pennsylvania. If driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with snow, you may live in Pennsylvania. If you know all 4 seasons: almost winter, winter, still winter and road construction, you may live in Pennsylvania. If you have more miles on your snow blower than your car, you may live in Pennsylvania … If you find 10 degrees “a little chilly”, you may live in Pennsylvania. If you actually understand these jokes, repost this so all of your Pennsylvania friends and others can see,you definitely do live – or have lived – in Pennsylvania

An October Snow Storm Occurs On Our Wedding Day hosted by Campbell House B&B

Patti — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 22:06:09 +0000

We had planned to have our wedding at the pavilion (Gazebo) in town, but Mother Nature had other plans. It snowed on our day, but Patti rearranged a room for us so that we could get married in warmth! She was very accommodating and having all of the plans taken care of for us made for a fantastic day and at an exceptional value! We loved our room, the food, our wedding, Ligonier and and the Campbell House!

Latest Elopement Couple shares their experience with a positive review!

Patti — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 21:58:00 +0000

We had planned to have our wedding at the pavilion in town, but Mother Nature had other plans. It snowed on our day, but Patti rearranged a room for us so that we could get married in warmth! She was very accommodating and having all of the plans taken care of for us made for a fantastic day and at an exceptional value! We loved our room, the food, our wedding, Ligonier and and the Campbell House!

The Breakfast Parlour is Dressed in Fall Colors!

Patti — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 23:39:03 +0000

The colors of fall greet guests at breakfast each morning. The window table is adorned with am autumn gold tablecloth, topped on a leaf tray with an autumn gold sugar and creamer, the center table is wearing a burgundy table cloth topped by two leaf trays each showing off russet sugar and creamers, with matching ceramic baskets filled with splenda and toothpicks. Each table features vibrant leaf shaped salt & peppers. The leaf place-mats are topped with square fruit plates in fall yellow, green and burgundy. Guests enjoy fresh breakfast blend coffee or tea in colorful leaf design mugs. Breakfast fruit is served in small leaf dishes and placed on top of the square fall colored fruit plates. Guests delight to see their breakfast entree served on a leaf shaped plate in either autumn yellow, burgundy or orange.

Today’s breakfast menu: Fresh breakfast blend coffee, hot tea (flavor of your choice) Fresh Apple Cider, OJ, Cranberry or V8 Spiced baked plums Pumpkin Pecan Baked Pancake with Maple syrup from the Amish Country and bacon. A tasty fall foliage array awaits guests.

Remembering September 11, 2001

Patti — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 22:33:52 +0000

September 11, 2001 was the most glorious, beautiful day. The sun was shining, temperature absolutely perfect, birds chirping happily while I was preparing breakfast for guests. While coffee was brewing I called a business friend to ask her a question for my guest…I said, “Cathy, how are you this glorious morning?” She said, “fine except for the plane hitting the twin tower”. I shook as I reached to turn on the TV (first morning I didn’t have the Today Show on) I witnessed the second plane flying into the tower. I felt sick-Cathy and I continued to talk-she lived in Manhattan for years while I worked for a Manhattan Company for years-we both had friends, former co-workers still living there. I could hardly continue with breakfast…I called out to my guests to alert them as to what was happening. One woman was to take a train from Latrobe-I said, “Mary there won’t be a train coming” that is how I told her. When the plane went down in Somerset, I panicked as my friend was quilting in Somerset, and my friend Roger was working in Somerset…but where did the plane go down my mind wondered. Somerset County, borough or township! Then I heard the local fire alarms…I went out on my porch to the most eerie still glorious day. There wasn’t a bird, bee, fly, butterfly, dog, cat, person, or vehicle-I felt like I was in a grade B movie or before Godzilla was coming. My friends! I thought the plane missed Pittsburgh and feared germ warfare and we would all be dead. Here I was fretting that I was going to die with people who paid me money…I found out later the guests were thinking the same thing (here we are going to die in a Bed and Breakfast with someone we don’t know) I will never forget the fear of the day “We” were attack. Our life as we knew it was forever changed… I just prayed all the people who died didn’t suffer long. I just could not imagine what they went through in their last moments.
It may have not been good for me to watch every waking moments of the tragedy but I just couldn’t stop watching-sometimes feeling guilty while being thankful of being safe and sound in my home. The daily issues, feuds, irritations in our life really diminish in comparison to events of September 11th and the days and years following. God Bless America!

It’s August…A wonderful time to visit Campbell House B&B

Patti — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 22:00:40 +0000

Spring arrived with a flourish to 305 East Main Street. There was so much to do and as always not a lot of time. The big news came with a marketing grant through the Laurel Highlands Visitors Bureau. I decided to change marketing strategies by saying good bye to some people and company associations-many of which I been working with for over 17 years. I made the cancellation calls with mixed emotions while anticipating the unknown. I hoped I wasn’t making a mistake. The marketing strategy takes in 2011 as well as the Laurel Highlands 2012 tour book where I will place a photo ad…something I have not been able to afford in the past. While I was loyal to Verizon-extremely loyal I experienced problems with my business internet server for an extended period of time so in the process of rethinking a bad business relationship I made a big move to Comcast for my business phones and internet service. Just so you know I kept my end of the deal…I paid big bugs for two phone lines, high speed wireless (this was a joke) and in return I received great phone service but lousy wireless. Sending email confirmations was almost impossible. I am most thankful to my friend and Ligonier business owner Joe Vella who noted my distress-so much distress that he sent a Comcast business rep to talk with me. Well I took the leap, made the necessary change in service and I have been happy ever after. Verizon kept me as a customer as I have a long awaited for i-Phone which I am very happy with.

Next came the transformation of the Campbell House web-site. Oh the web-site received a fair amount of good comments it was out dated as well as the person who was maintaining my web-site. I was tired of bad attitude, smart remarks, and waiting until he was good and ready to make changes…hard to believe I was paying for this behavior. I was indecisive if I was ready make the necessary changes needed on the web-site-but all it took was one phone call-bad choice of words from the web-guy and it was all over for me. I wrote out his last check and never looked back. Again my friend Joe Vella came to my rescue with a recommendation of Sillett Designs. Erich Sillett took the old and created a new updated web-site, even matching business cards…a site I can make most updates on my own! I no longer have to call, beg or email to make necessary changes and best of all I have a site I am really proud of.

I took advantage of other marketing opportunities with the grant money in order to get more visitors to Campbell House, Ligonier and the Laurel Highlands.

When you own a B&B you have never ending maintenance, updating, up-keeping and 2011 was no different. Had some AC issues all repaired immediately. I haven’t had my roof redone from the ice storm as I am not willing to shut down the B&B for the work to be done during busy season. I did get my van repaired, so there are no more ice dents. There sure were a lot of dents in the Soupkid van. The weeds were looking really nice, yes I said weeds as I was late in planting flowers but they are now looking good despite the fact that I forget to water. I have a reminder note “water plants” on the frig only to walk past and ignore, however; there has been enough rain to keep the flowers alive. I have been in a war with a chipmonk…he or she keeps making a hole in the flower bed and I keep covering it-so far it is a draw. The big rock I placed over the hole yesterday seems to be working so far. Installed a custom shower door in the Campbell Suite, refinished the oak floor in the main part of the suite, rearranged and rearranged again…so if you come back to stay in the Campbell Suite you will be in for a pleasant surprise. The “box room” called that because I kept all my shipping boxes as well as other storage items in this room has been cleaned and organized. Sitting or kneeling room only-so Bill (my handyman) and I were hurting after that big ordeal. I feel like I am in the wrong house every time I walk by the newly named “storage room”. Come to think of it, I have been having an ongoing battle with spiders and webs…I get rid of them and they come back.

There is always mounds of laundry, beds to make, rooms to clean, groceries to be purchased, food to be prepared, phone calls to be answered, guests to meet and greet, breakfasts to be served and the next thing I know here is is August…a wonderful time to visit Campbell House B&B in the beautiful Laurel Highlands.

April Showers Bring May Flowers & Elopements at Campbell House B&B

admin — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 15:13:37 +0000