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Ashland B&B earns statewide honor Bayberry Inn owner Francesca Amery by the fireplace at the Ashland inn. Daily Tidings / Jamie Lusch Friday Dec 30, 2016 at 8:56 PM Dec 30, 2016 at 8:56 PM By Bert Etling Ashland Daily Tidings An Ashland innkeeper convinced a caller's news was too good to be true almost missed out on a lavish luncheon at a posh Portland restaurant where it was announced her establishment ranked number two in the entire state in a tabulation of fan-favorite destinations. "I thought it was a scam," said Francesca Amery of the repeated calls from Portland-based media company MEDIAmerica. Finally the callers kept her on the line long enough to have the company CEO himself tell her, "This is a big deal, Francesca." That — and that she wouldn't have to pay for her meal — finally convinced her the award was the real deal. Amery's six-room Bayberry Inn at 438 North Main St. tallied second only to one other Oregon establishment in a ranking of ratings based on 22,000 reviews posted in the past year on Google, TripAdvisor and Yelp, according to Oregon Business magazine. Scores were tallied and combined to determine the level of travelers’ overall satisfaction. The scores were then ranked to create the 100 Best Fan-Favorites Destinations list. In the top spot was Pendleton House Historic Inn in Pendleton, followed by Ashland's Bayberry Inn. Others in the top-10 included the Oxford Hotel in Bend, Tu Tu Tun Lodge in Gold Beach, and FivePine Lodge in Sisters. Other lodgings on the top-100 list from Jackson County include the Prospect Historic Hotel (97) and Crater Lake Lodge (99). Attractions on the list include Crater Lake National Park (in Klamath Couny, No. 9) and Ashland's ScienceWorks Hands-on Museum (77). The full list is online at www.oregonbusiness.com. The "100 Best" list will be published in MEDIAmerica publications Oregon Home and Oregon Business, as well as the Discover Portland in-room hotel guest guide. Oregon Business, founded in 1981, reaches more than 20,000 business leaders across the state. The top 100 destinations will also appear on a guide for traveling the state. A total of 75,000 statewide maps will be distributed in 2017 at most of the state’s entry points and visitor centers. “Consumers have a high level of trust in online, third party reviews,” Andrew Insinga, CEO of MEDIAmerica, said in a release about the list, “So for us to be able to crunch the data and compile a usable, valuable list of the best destinations in Oregon is exciting.” “It’s very meaningful," added Craig Peebles, MEDIAmerica events manager, "that the actual scores and decisions that created the ranking were based on customers, and not derived by us. This is a list that Oregon fans, both visitors and residents, will find extremely useful.” Bayberry Inn gets 4.9 out of five stars on Google reviews, five out of five stars on TripAdvisor, and 4.5 out of five on Yelp. Other Ashland inns did better on some of the sites. Ashland Creek Inn and the McCall House, also earned 4.9 on Google reviews; Abigail's Inn, Lithia Springs Resort and Ashland Creek Inn also earn five out of five stars on TripAdvisor; and McCall House, the Peerless Hotel and Winchester Inn top the Yelp list of Ashland bed and breakfasts (Bayberry is 14th on that list). Amery has owned the Bayberry Inn for three years. Before owning a B&B, she owned an Asian antique store and dealt in contemporary Asian art. Email Tidings Editor Bert Etling at [email protected], call him at 541-631-1313 and follow him at www.twitter.com/betling.