What is the point of not allowing single nights at B&Bs?
 

Anyone have a decent explanation for why a lot of B&B's won't allow single night bookings on weekends? It seems like, so long as the room gets filled, why should they care? Just wondering.

They'd prefer to fill up with people there on two-day stays, rather than one-day stays, because that's less work for them. If it's the last minute and they don't have a booking for that weekend, they might feel differently.

Nobody likes to change and clean bedding every day.

Once you've taken a booking for one weekend night, you can't accept a subsequent whole-weekend booking for that room.

B+Bs do most of their business at weekends, and many hotels impose similar restrictions at peak periods. They want to deter one-nighters until they're as close to sure as possible they won't get whole-weekend bookings.

That makes sense, I guess. Doesn't help me any, but it makes sense.

this policy is often only in effect in the high season or on bank holiday weekends.

this should not be such a mystery...most holiday apartments or villas work this way but with a week minimum...for exactly the same reason.

As others have explained, taking a one-night booking may effectively take more than one night out of inventory. You'll see this practice occur even in hotels during special events periods, for example. In Las Vegas, you may find some hotels reluctant to book a Saturday check-in because they know that they've diminished the opportunity to get a Friday night check-in for that room over the weekend.

My suggestion is to wait until the last minute (usually a week out). Oftentimes they will be happy to rent to you for one night & may even give you a 'deal'.

Yeah, it does all make sense; I usually am looking at hostels, so it came as a surprise (I had to get a B&B for one night in York, because the hostels were full, which is why it came up). Thanks everyone.

If the hostels are full, it's most likely an in-demand weekend, which makes minimum stay requirements even more likely.

Luckily we have never had that problem and didn't know it was one.

The thing is, if an establishment doesn't like single-night bookings, they should make it clear that they do not. Once in London, I booked a B&B for a week, then I was to be in Oxford for a week, then I was coming back to London for one night at the same B&B. I made the reservation 2 months in advance, only to be told when I showed up that the one-night reservation wasn't on the books. I had to find someplace else. I was surely bumped because it was for only one night. I even had a fax confirmation, but too bad for me, because they were full.

So now I avoid making one-night bookings at a small hotel or b&b, because I'm paranoid!

The other side of the story...tourist hotels and other such rooming places survive on weekend business. Few can charge double rent for a Saturday only stay. Their simple solution, A 2 night only booking. Some will insist on prepayment.

I actually talked to the old lady who runs the place I'm staying at on the phone, and my booking is specifically for only one night, so it had better not be cancelled when I show up (she seemed nice enough, I doubt it will be).