goddesstogo
""Ah, Scarlett, I believe we were twins separated at birth!"

Oh Good! I always felt that goddess should be part of my name! ((F))

Loved the thread. It's bringing back many memories of my B&B stays. Just this week, I was subjected to the large communal table with one guest complaining about not being served eggs. "We like eggs every morning. Will you have eggs tomorrow? We also really like whole wheat toast." Not my idea of fun, but it was for my mother.

I have worked at one for 5 years now and would never think of going back to an office job. There is much more fun than not.

Here, everyone has breakfast in their own room at their own table. I always see a hugh sigh of relief when I tell them that.

Anyway, I thougt I would share a couple of stories from the "other" side. My favorite is the 2 couples who showed up 3 days after Mardi Gras was over and asked "Where is the parade schedule?"

The Germans who were arrested in the French Quarter during Mardi Gras for crossing a police barricade. Him-"I had to pay $600 to stay there last night and breakfast was terrible. Where is the nearest liquid store?" Me-"What kind of liquid do you want?" Him-"Vodka"

And the man whose wife forced him to stay here. He really began to enjoy the balcony while she was out shopping everyday. One day he was so drunk, he thought he locked himself out on the balcony (impossible) and started screaming to anyone passing by. The doorbell rings with someone explaining the situation to me. I look up at him all red-faced and exasperated. Then I walk into his room, thru the window and tried to convince him that this was HIS room. He insisted it was not HIS room and he had been knocking all afternoon at the open window, but no one answered.

I don't like people in the morning, I really don't even like my husband in the morning if I have to talk to him, so, I do hate B&B's and that awful communal breakfast table. Like others on this thread, we stayed at B&B's thru Ireland and found them to be ok as the owners gave a lot of local information that was useful. When we were younger we backpacked Europe for 3 weeks and stayed in B&B's, the kind where you really DO save money cause not only do you have a communal table, you also share a bathroom. I would absolutely hate that now and could not do it!

Generally, we really like them. But I research the heck out of them, just as I would any hotel. So far, we haven't been disappointed.

But there are a couple of things that make this kind of arrangement good for us. We don't travel with kids. And I'm an extrovert so I really enjoy meeting and talking to people. That said, my wife is introverted yet she also enjoys B&Bs because of the small group setting and interactions where she excels.

We much prefer the B&Bs or Inns where the owner is off site, although we stayed at one in Charleston this spring where the owners lived on the entire second floor and we really enjoyed that experience probably because they were just so darn friendly and nice.

The B&Bs we choose offer the same kind of privacy and amenities we'd get in the kind of hotels we'd use (we're not 5 star hoteliers). Again, this comes down to research.

Plus, by having interactions with the local owner(s), we get a perspective on the area and its issues which we wouldn't get from a hotel. Sightseeing is fine and dandy. But being able to also get a feel for the area and its customs, quirks, etc adds greatly to the travel and learning experience.

We find that the people who stay at B&Bs are also generally looking to meet and talk with fellow travelers and are very friendly, which makes for wonderful interactions. From reading the posts here, many of you don't look forward to such interactions so hotels would definitely be a preferable alternative.

As far as horror stories, I'm sure someone could start a thread on hotel nightmares and get tons of responses. Again, the better the research, the less likely there will be a problem.

And there are times and places where we don't want the B&B experience and stay at a hotel.

I am always curious about people who run B&B's, particularly the "romantic" jacuzzi-type ones. Maybe it's the scientist in me, but all I can think about is cleaning up everyday after people having sex on my sheets and in my tubs!

Yuck, hate them.
On our getaways we want
to actually *get away* and reconnect, not be forced to
make new friends.
(we've been blessed with
plenty of friends around here)
And as someone else said,
we don't appreciate thin walls,
questionable plumbing and
making conversation before
our morning joe.

This is a very interesting discussion. I have a B&B:

Old house - very thick walls
More amenities / freebies than most hotels
Individual "cafe" tables for breakfast
Coffee available anytime so you can have a few cups in your room / on the balcony and give the caffeine time to kick in before having to face anybody.
No chintz or ruffles of any kind anywhere
Separate Owners Quarters so entire house is guest space.

There are definitely many "traditional" B&Bs and there will always be people that love them, but a lot of B&Bs nowadays style themselves more after a small country hotel.

I have a B&B with my husband, six rooms, historic house in a small town but one that's relatively cosmopolitan and close to major cities. We do live on premises but don't share any of our own living quarters with guests. Our business has increased by 50% since we've been here and we have plenty of repeat customers.

All that said, can I just say that I am really glad that all of you who don't like them don't stay in them. There's nothing worse as a B&B owner than dealing with 'hotel' people who look down their noses at your hospitality. Thanks for staying away!

I've always thought that a B&B is a private residence, with the owners living there, letting out 1-4 rooms and providing breakfast, but no other meals or amenities, whereas an Inn is a converted residence (no longer a "home") that offers additional meals and amenities. Inns can also have "add ons" as they get more successful - adding a building on the grounds with additional rooms, etc.

I don't care for the B&Bs - Scarlett's stated my dislike of them almost perfectly, except that I also want the ability to stay out until 2 a.m. and not have to require someone to wait up and let me inside.

I don't stay at "fine hotels" either, choosing instead Travelodges and Quality Inns, etc. I don't spend a lot of time in my hotel rooms and I don't need the amenities the better chains offer.

This summer, I will be staying at a place with one room cottages - I'm looking forward to that. It may end up being my perfect stay. :)

Ouch. I am truly pained by the responses I've read so far. We go out of our way to provide our guests with the best possible amenities (all free, BTW, try getting anything free at a hotel these days).

We don't hang over your shoulder to see what you are doing; we have separate dining tables for breakfast; no doilies; comfortable, premium mattresses on the beds and no one has to sleep in the room next to the elevator (we don't have one) or the ice machine (ditto) or the screaming family who crammed 4 kids under the age of 5 into their room.

And guess what, I actually wash the bedding. Besides the sheets, the quilts and duvets and blankets and mattress covers get washed every couple of days, not once a year like hotels. (Ever see anything besides sheets and towels on the cleaning cart in a hotel? Hmmm...)

And the drinking glasses? They go into the dishwasher everyday. They don't get swiped with a dirty rag and replaced on the counter. (Ask yourself, when was the last time you saw a cleaning cart in a hotel with glasses on it? Right, I thought so.)

For those who say B&B's have no privacy, I might point out that the privacy it seems to imply is that you get to howl your love at the top of your lungs and bash your partner's head against the headboard for a good solid hour but you don't have to face the guests in the next room you kept up half the night. But, they DID hear you, I'm guessing you realize that.

That's been what I've had to endure staying in a variety of different hotels. Elevator all night, ice machine, kids screaming and running up and down the halls, 'romantic' couples and the ever popular 'continental breakfast' with kids and adults sticking their hands into the food and deciding they don't want it.

Glad those of you who love hotels haven't had to deal with any of that.

Also glad those who love B&B's continue to find us. We're happy to see you every time you return!

Not all B&B's have communal tables. Many do tho.

There is a great place in Rocky Mount Virginia we stayed recently that offered breakfast delivered to the room. It was excellent too! The innkeeper really impressed my wife, when the coffee arrived first with a long stem red rose on the tray! SCORE.

I think B&B's are far superior to hotels. The personal touches are there, all the little extras.

My advice would be to really read their WEBSITE. I am not wanting to stay in ANYONE'S spare room. I want privacy. I think the website is a good indicator. If it is not professional with many photos, then go on to the next one.

Also be sure to read the rewiews, I know BedandBreakfast.com allows guests to post reviews on every B&B they have on there, and of course tripadvisor.

I forgot to add - hotels stink. From the bleach and disinfectant smells to rid the prev smokers out of the room to the tv noises in the next room and people talking and kids running up and down the halls. You know you fling the comforter off that bed before you sit on it! COME ON ADMIT IT!

I think you have all been to the wrong B&B's. There are actually some younger innkeepers out there who provide plenty of privacy like that place in Rocky Mount Virginia. We only saw the owner when we rang their bell, they were never sitting by asking us about our lives. In fact they were kinda cool.

You all need to get out more often and experience some GOOD B&B's. NOT HOMESTAYS, you are classifying a B&B as a homestay. Do your homework. Read their website. Here is a suggestion - if you want to test the waters - Stash Tea has a buy one night get one night free offer. Give it a shot, they list all the places on their website.

You might just be surprised what a hearty home cooked breakfast can do for you! (versus the continental at the Hampton)

meinnkeeper, I do not dislike them, but I do dislike the communal bkfst table. I do apreciate a well run "Inn".

I think the success of B&B's is the reason so many hotel chains started giving complimentary breakfasts.

Me_Innkeeper - I don't think it should pain you, as Thomas6 states, it's better that we DON'T stay in B&Bs and make everyone else as miserable as we feel for the duration.

I do think whether or not you like B&Bs has something to do with how you live your life. Just like Scarlett, I don't have people over for stays at my house and I don't sleep over at other people's houses. I much prefer a cold and impersonal hotel to a warm and friendly home belonging to someone else.

I'm also quite comfortable and at ease being alone at night, etc., so I don't "need" the feel of a welcoming community when I travel. In contrast, I often have a "need" to recoup in a quiet solitary manner at night after being out with people all day.

From the folks I know who do like B&Bs, they tend to socialize a lot with house parties, people visiting, family staying, etc. They don't usually have the need to "get away" from people but rather tend to want to be near people.

By and large we prefer hotels, but we have also stayed at B&Bs that were superb. Case in point, the Ballastone in Savannah, the Madrona Manor in Healdsburg, both wonderful properties.

As far as communal tables for breakfast are concerned, I only remember one and that was at the Casci in Florence. It was never full when we ate, so we weren't sitting next to "strangers." But actually don't think it would bother me if there had been. It's sort of like getting to know the others at a table on a cruise. We actually met some fabulous people on our river cruise last July at open seating, some we are still in contact with.

A travel agent booked all of the places my husband and I stayed on our recent honeymoon. We're in our 60's and trusted that we'd get places that suited our temperaments.

One of the inns we stayed at was the type that some here equate to hotels, it was rather large, on SelectRegistry, so somewhat posh.

The second place we stayed was a small B&B, about 7 rooms. When we arrived the owner greeted us and showed us around. She took us to our room (offering to carry our bags) and told us to just ring if we needed anything and she departed. We saw her again the next day at breakfast where we thanked her for the small 'wedding gift' she had left in the room. She and her husband gave us a congratulations card and a small box of local chocolates with hearts on the top.

Of all the places we stayed, no one in the larger inns or hotels acknowledged that we were on our honeymoon. I called the travel agent who made the reservations and mentioned she should keep this quiet B&B on her list.

To the original poster: we like our own space in the morning as well. But a table in a B&B is usually a lot quieter than a table in a hotel with upwards of 100 other people trying to eat at the same time. Even though I am not a morning person, I would rather chance a communal table at a B&B with real OJ on the table than a 'private' table at a hotel.

I suspect what pains ME_innkeeper are the misconceptions that are being posted here about B&Bs. Plenty of places have individual tables, upscale and free amenities, innkeepers who give you space, coffee in your room or available way before breakfast, etc., etc. - we have most of those things at our B&B. And not very many tchotkes or doilies. Like any place of lodging, you should check out the specifics for the place you are interested in and make an informed decision.

<i>To the original poster: we like our own space in the morning as well. But a table in a B&amp;B is usually a lot quieter than a table in a hotel with upwards of 100 other people trying to eat at the same time. Even though I am not a morning person, I would rather chance a communal table at a B&amp;B with real OJ on the table than a 'private' table at a hotel.</i>

I'm actually quite extroverted and love talking to strangers. But as I said, I can talk to strangers anywhere, I still prefer the ability to be invisible in a hotel. Oh, and I never, ever eat breakfast in a hotel -- for one thing, I would never spend what they charge, and for another thing, I much prefer to find a local coffee house/bagel joint for my breakfast (for example, the fabulous The Croissant Shop, I think it's called, on the same block as the Residence Inn Times Square, or the Coffee Pot in Sedona).

To the innkeepers on this thread, don't be bothered by those of us who don't want to stay at B&amp;Bs. Luckily, there's something for everyone. I don't take group tours either, but they still exist and plenty of people prefer them to traveling independently.

99% of my stays are at mid to top end hotels and I prefer it that way, but the very few times I stayed at a B&amp;B I had some good luck.

Christchurch, New Zealand - It was a true B&amp;B as per <b>Patrick's</b> defintion. a huge apartment in the center of town. It had 3 or 4 bedrooms and live in owners. A couple in their 50s or so. My very modern bedroom had a private bath/toilet (deal maker/breaker for me), TV, phone and free wi-fi. The owners were not intruding in any way, I had my own key to the apt. I was asked what I wanted for breakfast. I chose to skip it as I knew that it would involve some socializing. They were both still working, so from ~9am to about 5pm the apt was empty. I was given permission to raid the fridge for any breakfast items, fruits, snacks I wanted. On the 3rd evening I joined the owners for a little NZ wine tasting. It was the first time I actually met the husband. We had fun comparing California wines with NZ wines. I got to sample some great local wines. That was about the only time I socialized/interacted with the owners. Nobody else was staying there at the time. It worked for me because , in the morning I felt like I was at home as the apartment was empty, I was gone during most of the day. Rested and refreshed in the early evening and then out till late. The owners were almost invisible and nobody else was occupying the other bedrooms. Very nice stay.

Just recently - London Gatwick area B&amp;B - I just needed a place to crash for the night and didn't want to spend lots of $. Found a nice 12 room B&amp;B in the town of Horley with free airport shuttle, in room TV, phone and free wi-fi. The breakfast room had about 5-6 smaller tables so no need to socialize. The house also had a small bar room. I prefered a pub in town so I didn't stick around to see if they got busy. It was only open for couple of hours in the evening. It wasn't meant for outsiders. The B&amp;B was somewhat busy. I would say about 75% occupancy, but with a private bath/toilet I never really did meet any of the other guests unless it was on the shuttle from/to the airport. Served it's purpose.

The best stay I had in a semi B&amp;B was on Easter Island. It was actually a motel type set up but with breakfast included. This was one time I didn't mind a communal breakfast table. The room did have smaller tables but as I waited for my cooked to order breakfast I chatted with the owner's son and his beautiful gf. There were only handful of guests staying there at the time. Anyways, I was invited to sit at the big table. I really didn't want to but since evverybody else did, I reluctantly did. That turned out to be a great decision. One of the guests was the Under Secretary of the Chilean Ministry of Antiquities. Each morning he would advise me where to find the out of the way statues. He would fill the room with stories and history about the island. I actually looked forward to breakfast every morning.

The best part came Friday evening, our last evening. It was his birthday. The entire staff of the motel(and I mean the entire staff, lights out) together with the few guests (young English couple, American couple, myself and the minister) went bar hopping. We danced, we drank, we danced some more, we had a blast! Next morning everybody was leaving on the same flight to Santiago and we must have looked like hell. I know I felt like I was about to die. The minister didn't look that much better. The couples were suffering as well. The staff driving us to the airport looked frazzled and they had a long day ahead as new guests were arriving on this one, every few days flight. This is a long flight, about 5.5 hours. Fortunately for me and the minister, we sat in business class, the couples were in the back.

So, while I prefer nice hotels, and it will always be my first choice, I can't say anything bad about the 3 B&amp;B stays. Each one had it's own charm, and rewards.