My husband equates B and B's with romance and courting, and since we are long married and have a 15 yo in tow, he thinks they are out, but in looking at apartments on Crosspolinate, it doesnot appear that apts. and B and B's are much different than small hotels. They certainly are a better value. Wondering what the Fodor boards thoughts are on this topic.

Here are some tips for the B&B Apartment Romance...

Rome:
http://www.bbgliartisti.com

Florence
http://www.palazzogambaflorence.com

Not sure what you are exactly asking, but we rented an apartment for a week in rome and it was great. We used www.romepower.com and they were great as well.

It was nice to have somewhere to come back to and all be together and also we were able to make dinners as well which saved us some cash.

B&Bs, as a rule, are no more "romantic" than hotels. Apartments are not romantic at all, since you have to make the beds, wash the dishes and mop up the bathroom yourself.

I certainly have to disagree about apartments not being romantic. It all depends on the location and the apartment, just as it does with a hotel.

A well located apartment, with a terrace or balcony, really can't be beat except perhaps by a 5 star hotel in the same location.

Why do you have to do the dishes? You can eat your meals out, just like you have to do in a hotel.
Sure you have to make the bed, but I do that in a hotel room anyway.
Most apartments come with cleaning at least once a week, so I have not mopped any floors either.

It took us many trips staying in hotels before I was willing to try the apartment option. Now that I have, I wouldn't do it any other way.
I do amend that with this comment: If I was visiting a foreign city for the first time, where I had no knowledge of the language, I would opt for a hotel

I used Crosspollonate to find places in Rome, Florence, and Venice. Of them, the one in Rome was the only one close to a true B&B and probably not even that. There was a very simple breakfast served at a table for all the guests; that was about it. In Florence, the landlord was not there most of the time; someone came to clean I think once a day. You were basically on your own. In Venice I had a single apartment (superb location; since they price by the person and I was a solo traveler there, it was actually quite cheap).

Compared to hotels, only the one in Rome had any sort of "service" at all (if I had a question), but the landlady basically did not speak English; if her son was around I could ask him. At a regular hotel, I'd expect much better service. On the other hand, I found my accommodations (especially in Venice) quite satisfactory, especially for the price, and still more "homey" even without the service. I enjoyed the place in Florence despite it being slightly off the main drag, because it was a neat dwelling. I did find them a better value than cheap hotels. But they aren't for everyone - very "no-frills." Most of the places are individually reviewed (two of the places I stayed were listed on Trip Advisor) so read up before booking anything.

With a teenager would definitely go with an apartment. The teen can have their own bedroom, which usually helps to keep everyone happy. A 2 bedroom apt is generally far cheaper than 2 rooms in a hotel.

Check out www.sleepinitaly.com for Rome apartments. Great company to do business with. One of their apartments is incredibly romantic...antiques, round bed, heavy tapestries but unfortunately sleeps only two...but look at the others.

I would never stay at a hotel and do not like feeling so "confined" in their small spaces.

We stayed here in Venice. We loved it.
http://realvenicevacationflats.com/