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Some people like B&B's, some people do not.
Personally, I try to avoid them whenever possible. I don't care for the format, and I prefer the amenities of a nice hotel. (Of course there are exceptions to my usual "rule.") |
I love this thread. Someone should write a book about B&B horror stories. We live close enough to drive to Stratford, Ontario, home of the Shakespeare Festival. Most of the accomodations are B&B's and we have stayed in our share of them over the years.
The funniest one was when had a last minute booking into a house full of people sleeping everywhere, on couches, cots, etc. We were in the sunroom on what was obviously a makeshift bed. Arriving late from the theater I tiptoed through the house to the bathroom. I could hear snoring through the thin wall next to me and, trying to be as quiet as possible, turned on the water to disguise any "noises". When I flushed, the old plumbing started howling and pounding. I raced redfaced back to the sunroom where hubby was already resting on the bed next to the wall. I crawled in, leaned over to kiss him goodnight and the entire bed crashed and collapsed in a heap on the floor. On the other hand, my favorite accommodation in Stratford is L'Aubergine (ergo the purple front door). It's a B&B, but you actually rent the whole house for yourself. The house is whimsically, yet tastefully decorated with scenery flats from the theater. No chintz here. The owners used to own a bookstore and there were stacks of brand new recent books everywhere. I stayed up half the night just perusing the books. It was like spending the night at Barnes and Noble. In addition, the owner came in the mornings to cook a true gourmet breakfast and every day the table was beautifully set in different color schemes and china. |
<i>It was like spending the night at Barnes and Noble.</i>
Now THAT I would like (even without breakfast)! |
Funny, I don't mind them a bit in England or Europe but have no desire to stay in them in the U.S. It feels awkward -- like I'm in someone's house and neede to be careful not to disturb anything. The ones overseas just seem more practical.
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Since my hotel taste is a step or two above chains.. I don't have a problem with missing out on something that a B&B or "home" might have. I used to be one of those people who wanted to live in a nice hotel...Used to be? I might still be lol
But B&Bs are not bargains! I was looking for one in Portland, Or for my son to stay a couple of nights .. as expensive as the really nice luxury hotels and no room service, no soundproofing, none of the things you pay for & get in a hotel. Flounces on the bedcover and chintz with my tea is not worth that much money. Although I agree wholeheartedly with the idea of staying in a nice B&B in England, maybe in Bath..or the Cotswolds..because for this girl who grew up on stories about girls who lived in the English countryside..it would be soooo romantic and charming! Even the lady who talks our ears off at breakfast :) |
One advantage of a B&B can be that you are actually staying in a historic or "genuine" neighborhood versus the outskirts in a strip mall, fast food, Wal Mart, Holiday Inn Express ghetto.
Depends on where you are of course. |
Depends on whether you would consider staying in a Holiday Inn on a strip mall too lol
Is this an either or choice? I will stay home :( heh heh |
I have to agree with Anonymous. My experience with B&Bs in Europe has been better than in the States. On a 3-week trip to England & Scotland, we stayed in all B&Bs except a few days in London. I've been to Ireland twice (one 3-wk trip and one 2 week trip) and we stayed in B&Bs the entire time. Of course, some were better than others but all added to the "flavor" of the trips.
Some had communal tables and some had individual tables. I enjoy the commual tables because it gives you the opportunity to chat with other travelers (I do carry an immersionable water heater with me so I have my first cup of coffee or tea in my room before going to breakfast). On my last trip to Ireland, at one B&B communal table, the guests included: my friend and I from the US, a couple from England, 2 ladies from Sweden and a young couple from Holland plus the Irish owner! What a great opportunity to talk to folks from so many different countries. |
I tend to like them. But I'm easy going and also totally extroverted. My SO likes them at times, even more than I do.
But because of some logistics and having the house in MI, we hardly use B&B's any more. At one time I think maybe in 3 or 4 states, and definitely in the SW (Sante Fe, all over AZ North of Phoenix etc.) we used them on drive vacations very often. You really have to like people and some ARE uncomfortable. But overall my most favorite place to stay outside of my own home was a B&B in MI called Mendon's Country Inn. It is/was the nearly 200 year old crossroad between Detroit and Chicago on the old horse trail, and has 11 bedrooms and several ghosts and the best host and hostess I have every met, bar none. And he is a concert pianist, cordon bleu chef (lived 10 years in Paris) and also my favorite South African (emmigrated in the early '90's after France). Plus they have about 5 or 6 Amish living in the house too at any one time and games on the roof going in most mild weather. You could write books upon the place and never know what the morrow will bring. No phones, no tv's and the electric is there but not everywhere. MY SO doesn't fit in the showers. 1800's had smaller people. It's the only place I've ever been for a walk in the gardens at night and meet up with a tribe doing a ceremony in full dress (Native American)too. |
And there are about 12 to 15 at breakfast, which she serves while he plays the baby grand. He cooked it, and the table cloths are real lace and the candles are lit- even in the morning.
And sometimes it looks like a volcano of creipes with different "linings" of flavor and it is just incredible. |
This thread is too funny.
A few years back, DH and I went to a B & B for a romantic weekend without kids...we were a bit surprised to see the host had her daughter in law and toddler grandchildren there -complete with toys and a playpen in the common area. Breakfast was drug store brand english muffins listening to the owner's stories of her health ailments. Not exactly the romantic getaway we imagined -that was our last B & B getaway! On the flip side, my favorite lodging in France and England was at B & B's. The hosts came up with great ideas for us and my favorite parts of the trip came from their suggestions. So...it depends on what you're looking for I guess. |
I've stayed in a few that I really liked, but my most memorable one was in Iowa. When I checked in, the owner's husband was on the couch, slumped and looking deathly. He was an elderly man who "had a door fall on him yesterday." He was moaning and seemed to be in quite bit of pain, but he "refused to go to the dr." His wife was very stressed. I offered to help get him to the dr. or an emergency room. He wouldn't go. I told her that I didn't need breakfast the next am and spent the evening tiptoeing around, so as not to disturb them any further. I was half expecting him to be dead in the am. Fortunately, he was still alive when I left. I was relieved to get out of there and felt like I was intruding on the poor woman who had such bigger problems to deal with. In general, I prefer the anonymity of a hotel.
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Have stayed in a couple of pensions or gasthouses in europe that I guess could qualify as B&Bs. But none were run as the 2/3 extra rooms and eat in the kitche with the family variety. Each had at least a dozen rooms, with a guest lounge and a breakfst room - as well as private baths - even though they were modestly priced.
If you 're ona budget and can find similar it seems a great idea. BUT - if you're talking about a private house that is renting out a couple of rooms, feeds you breakfast in their dining room and expects a lot of conversation/interaction - no thanks. Give me the decent anonymity of a hotel any day. I know a lot of people find them friendly. But, we don;t go on vacation to make random new friends. (We have enough current friends we have trouble finding the time to spend with.) Now we go on vacation to relax and want a full service hotel to do it in - with 24 hour room service, large rooms with comfy sofa/chairs, multi-channel TV and a concierge to book things for us. |
Oh jeez, "had a door fall on him yesterday" lol...
I am not a cheery chatty person first thing in the morning, if I sat down to my nice quiet peaceful first cup of coffee and had someone start pounding away on the baby grand, I would probably throw my cup at him :O Give me a nice soft bed in a nice soft hotel room with room service..I will be just fine. I should add that I don't like people sleeping over at my home ( kids don't count) and I never...ever...sleep at a friends home. |
"I should add that I don't like people sleeping over at my home ( kids don't count) and I never...ever...sleep at a friends home."
Ah, Scarlett, I believe we were twins separated at birth! ((F)) |
The ones we have stayed at made me feel like Gulliver in Liliputt.
Nuthin' fit. At one I couldn't even get my finger thru the loop on the coffee cup. Felt like I was having tea with my 4 yr old niece. |
First of all, B&Bs are very different in France. Most often, not in the same building as the family. The prices are usually not expensive. Here in Boston-Cambridge area. there are not any to find as inexpensive as in France
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We stayed in a B & B in the Perigord region one October towards the end of the tourist season. Our room was the kitchen of an estate and still had the baking chamber. The male owner was an American who married a French woman and all he did was complain about owning a B & B and his intentions to sell it.
We also stayed in one in Evora, Portugal, a most charming town. At one end of the stables were beautiful appointed rooms and at the other end the horses were quartered. The stable itself was at least 600 feet long but it did give new meaning to putting on the feed bag. Yes, we stayed at the human end. We also stayed at a lodge in Belize twice which was small and family run and all the food prepared by the daughters. We loved the family that owned it. Ken once chased a guest around the lodge with a wrench, because the guest was very annoying. And Judy once called a guest an a--hole. The guest's wife agreed. When we told Ken that we had never seen a caiman, we all piled in a canoe and spent the day looking for caiman. I will take that any time over little muffins. |
That is pretty much all we stayed in prior to having children. Now we opt for cottages/apartments & such. I loathe hotels/motels & avoid them at all costs. I hate spending that much $$ on a sterile, bad bedspread having closet. At least a B & B typically has some character. And usually some character(s) as well + most times you get a great breakfast. For those of us that are not morning people, or just plain anti-social, many B & B's will bring breakfast to your room. For those of you who don't like having kids around, most also have an age limitation.
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I just realized we haven't ever stayed at a B&B in the US. We were finally going to a few months ago, we reserved one that looked nice and started driving out to Hot Springs, AR for the weekend. But there was a huge wreck on the highway, hours of traffic jam, a truck driver's dog bit my wife.... Anyway - doomed trip and then having bigger priorities as she needed care, we turned around in the median and came home instead. Could have been a sign about us with B&Bs. I have this vision of me as Ben Stiller, with the woman in curlers "You are not B&B people!". We have done a few guesthouses/B&Bs in Ireland and some other European countries. Separated tables and privacy respected so far. My rules of thumb are - - big enough to be professional and not just renting out the spare rooms. 6 guest rooms or more - They seem flexible, as in we're not working into the family schedule or something and not locked out if we want to go have a late dinner or drinks or something. And that the breakfast isn't designed to make everyone up and at their stations at a set time. I'm on vacation. I like meeting people, including the owners, but they need to realize I didn't come to visit them |
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