WOODINVILLE, Wash. -- The tanking economy is taking some of the fun out of life.

Travelers are slashing their budgets, and local inn keepers are feeling the pinch. Hotels booked 18 percent fewer rooms, and charged almost 8 percent less per night.

Tucked in the woods of North King County, L'Auberge is a little getaway on the edge of Seattle. It's a bed and breakfast that's been booked solid for five years -- that is, until this year.

"Once we did the honeymoon suite, it was busy right from the very beginning," said owner Nancy Douglas.

Douglas sells her inn on luxurious bedding, french antiques and furniture. This year, the guest book is short a few names. Business is down 20 percent.

Some of Douglas' friends have told her it may be time for them to get out of the business. But she's still making do, renting space for outdoor weddings, and offering indoor space for cooking classes and wine tastings.

"I think now with the economy that has changed, the cooking classes are going up, and the staying here is averaging out. So in that respect, I am very lucky that I did that," she said.

Douglas has begun using the cooking classes in her kitchen as corporate team building exercises.

And unlike her friends, Douglas has refused to cut her advertising budget. She markets the inn's wood-burning fireplaces and french décor as a perfect retreat for both couples and singles.

She has found that in this economy, she has to offer a little more.

"Yes, but I like doing that," she said.

Douglas is convinced those extras are keeping her business out of the cold.

"This is how I exist. This is my life," she said.