What's the atrraction about B&B's?
Nov 6th, 2000, 11:26 AM
#41
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I guess I have been lucky with my few B&B experiences because we have not put a lot of effort into it. One key would be to get a personal recommendation from someone you trust. This works if you are going somewhere close by or somewhere known for their B&Bs. Apparently making a phone call to the prospective B&B and asking questions should also be done. I don't know if this would be considered a "huge" amount of research. It is always hard to predict "unexpected" things that will ruin a trip, but a conversation with the host might give you a feel for the place. Questions about pets and children (theirs) should probably be a given (in hindsight!). Ask about breakfast accommodations, dress code, etc. If it concerns you, ask. Ask questions on boards like this.
I have never felt uncomfortable flushing the toilet or taking a shower. I guess I just assume that other people staying there are going to expect some mild noise during the night, as I do. I have certainly had noisier stays in motels.
Neither my husband or I are very outgoing, however we have both found that even though we think we won't like making conversations with strangers we are always glad we did. It always adds to the experience and yet I know we would never strike up a conversation if we weren't in a situation where it would be rude not to.
Last of all, I always break our vacations into either "serious tourist" or "relaxing" modes. To me B&Bs fit better into the "relaxing" mode, or at the end of a "serious tourist" trip. I know this isn't for everyone, but that is when I can appreciate the slower pace, the gardens, the wine, the big breakfast, at a nice B&B! In "serious tourist" mode I only see my hotel room for about 1.5 hrs a day, half hour before sleep, and an hour in the morning (I am a sloooow riser). I want cheap, clean and close to where I am going!
I have never felt uncomfortable flushing the toilet or taking a shower. I guess I just assume that other people staying there are going to expect some mild noise during the night, as I do. I have certainly had noisier stays in motels.
Neither my husband or I are very outgoing, however we have both found that even though we think we won't like making conversations with strangers we are always glad we did. It always adds to the experience and yet I know we would never strike up a conversation if we weren't in a situation where it would be rude not to.
Last of all, I always break our vacations into either "serious tourist" or "relaxing" modes. To me B&Bs fit better into the "relaxing" mode, or at the end of a "serious tourist" trip. I know this isn't for everyone, but that is when I can appreciate the slower pace, the gardens, the wine, the big breakfast, at a nice B&B! In "serious tourist" mode I only see my hotel room for about 1.5 hrs a day, half hour before sleep, and an hour in the morning (I am a sloooow riser). I want cheap, clean and close to where I am going!
Jan 7th, 2002, 09:49 AM
#44
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Wow, interesting range of posts here! I've stayed at a number of different B&Bs, some which I wouldn't return to and some which I would go back to in a second. I am not an extrovert and don't really like making conversation with strangers at breakfast. I also like my privacy.
One I wouldn't go back to - a beautiful townhouse in Boston's Back Bay area. The hosts were very nice and they made us killer breakfasts, but they lived on the second floor and our rooms were on the fourth, forcing us to walk right through their living area to get to our rooms. Looking into their bedroom every time we climbed the stairs was not comfortable for me, nor was the shared bath.
Completely different experience in NO. A house on the edge of the FQ with the hosts living downstairs. We came in through the front door but headed straight upstairs to our room - the entry was more like an apartment rather than a room in a house. Breakfast was left on a bar in our room every day - no joint breakfast with anyone. The room was incredibly comfortable and private, with a little sitting area and a great view over the rooftops of the FQ.
Over Christmas, my parents and my husband and I rented a couple of rooms at a B&B in northern MN. We instantly got along with the hosts and felt very much like we could take over the house as our own. We spent a lot of time in their huge living room, sitting by the fire and watching videos. The other guests didn't hang around much, so we only saw them at breakfast (which was pretty much served whenever you came downstairs, between 7 and 9 - you had the option of sitting at a big table, or smaller tables by the windows).
Gloria's B&B on Kauai. Very private room (the noise from the surf outside kept us from hearing the other guests at all), loved sitting out on the lanai watching the ocean for hours. Breakfast was set out in heated pans for us to grab whenever we were ready. We had the option of sitting at the big table or loading up a tray to take back to our room/lanai. Coffee was ready at 6:30 a.m., and my husband and I would enjoy a cup or two on the lanai, watching the sun rise, before breakfast.
I like B&Bs where you're allowed to set your own schedule for breakfast and don't feel like you're sleeping in your grandma's house. Research on the web and recommendations are key. I like them once and awhile as a change of pace from hotel rooms, which are all the same.
One I wouldn't go back to - a beautiful townhouse in Boston's Back Bay area. The hosts were very nice and they made us killer breakfasts, but they lived on the second floor and our rooms were on the fourth, forcing us to walk right through their living area to get to our rooms. Looking into their bedroom every time we climbed the stairs was not comfortable for me, nor was the shared bath.
Completely different experience in NO. A house on the edge of the FQ with the hosts living downstairs. We came in through the front door but headed straight upstairs to our room - the entry was more like an apartment rather than a room in a house. Breakfast was left on a bar in our room every day - no joint breakfast with anyone. The room was incredibly comfortable and private, with a little sitting area and a great view over the rooftops of the FQ.
Over Christmas, my parents and my husband and I rented a couple of rooms at a B&B in northern MN. We instantly got along with the hosts and felt very much like we could take over the house as our own. We spent a lot of time in their huge living room, sitting by the fire and watching videos. The other guests didn't hang around much, so we only saw them at breakfast (which was pretty much served whenever you came downstairs, between 7 and 9 - you had the option of sitting at a big table, or smaller tables by the windows).
Gloria's B&B on Kauai. Very private room (the noise from the surf outside kept us from hearing the other guests at all), loved sitting out on the lanai watching the ocean for hours. Breakfast was set out in heated pans for us to grab whenever we were ready. We had the option of sitting at the big table or loading up a tray to take back to our room/lanai. Coffee was ready at 6:30 a.m., and my husband and I would enjoy a cup or two on the lanai, watching the sun rise, before breakfast.
I like B&Bs where you're allowed to set your own schedule for breakfast and don't feel like you're sleeping in your grandma's house. Research on the web and recommendations are key. I like them once and awhile as a change of pace from hotel rooms, which are all the same.
Jan 7th, 2002, 10:17 AM
#45
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Many people are mentioning a b&b as a romantic getaway. I'm curious how comfortable one would feel getting "romantic" during the night at a b&b and what some of your experiences have been in the morning when you have to face your neighbors over breakfast. Have you felt uncomfortable because of sounds you heard in the night or perhaps because of sounds you might have made?
Jan 7th, 2002, 10:56 AM
#47
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I've had good experiences at B and B's - I prefer the small inn type.
But, I had a friend who had an interesting experiece at one in teh Napa Valley. She and her husband went for a romantic getaway to celebrate thier first anniversary. The host couple fought at every meal. She said it reminded her of when she was a kid and her parents were getting ready to divorce - hardly romantic.
A few years ago, I went on a house and garden tour in my own home town. One of the homes on the tour was a B and B. I pity any guests they may have. It was a 1960's suburban ranch, nothing special, in a very ordinary subdivision. They had one guest room. They were very proud of the new deck they had built for breakfasts. However, it was surrounded by thier small yard, which was surrounded by a chain-link fence, through which you could see the neighbor's pitbull. Add to that the fact that it is not particularly close to any attractions most people would want to see here.
But, I had a friend who had an interesting experiece at one in teh Napa Valley. She and her husband went for a romantic getaway to celebrate thier first anniversary. The host couple fought at every meal. She said it reminded her of when she was a kid and her parents were getting ready to divorce - hardly romantic.
A few years ago, I went on a house and garden tour in my own home town. One of the homes on the tour was a B and B. I pity any guests they may have. It was a 1960's suburban ranch, nothing special, in a very ordinary subdivision. They had one guest room. They were very proud of the new deck they had built for breakfasts. However, it was surrounded by thier small yard, which was surrounded by a chain-link fence, through which you could see the neighbor's pitbull. Add to that the fact that it is not particularly close to any attractions most people would want to see here.
Jan 7th, 2002, 10:59 AM
#48
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I had to respond to anon's question about facing the other guests the next day after a romantic evening. I'm responding as the guest who "heard" as opposed to the guests who "got romantic."
I was staying alone at a nice B&B in Virginia and had a wonderful time. But I do remember awakening on Sunday morning to the sounds of my next-door neighbors getting frisky. I had to stop from giggling. At least they were having a good time and weren't loud about it. When I saw them at breakfast (they were the only people besides me who were there), they looked pretty darned happy. I don't think they had any idea I had heard. It didn't detract from my stay, just made for an amusing anecdote.
I DO remember a less pleasant experience at a guest house in Maine. I was staying next door to two young women who were being intimate and got quite vocal. The bizarre thing was that they had QVC on the TV at the same time! I could hear everything. Fortunately, I think the host must have spoken with them because they were quiet the rest of my stay. And I never had to face them because breakfast was a coffee cake when you want it-type business.
Like others have said, research helps a lot. But I think I may save my future B&B experiences for when I get married.
That broken bed story was a hoot!
I was staying alone at a nice B&B in Virginia and had a wonderful time. But I do remember awakening on Sunday morning to the sounds of my next-door neighbors getting frisky. I had to stop from giggling. At least they were having a good time and weren't loud about it. When I saw them at breakfast (they were the only people besides me who were there), they looked pretty darned happy. I don't think they had any idea I had heard. It didn't detract from my stay, just made for an amusing anecdote.
I DO remember a less pleasant experience at a guest house in Maine. I was staying next door to two young women who were being intimate and got quite vocal. The bizarre thing was that they had QVC on the TV at the same time! I could hear everything. Fortunately, I think the host must have spoken with them because they were quiet the rest of my stay. And I never had to face them because breakfast was a coffee cake when you want it-type business.
Like others have said, research helps a lot. But I think I may save my future B&B experiences for when I get married.
That broken bed story was a hoot!
Jan 7th, 2002, 01:15 PM
#49
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On our trip to Alaska last May we stayed mostly at B&B's and loved them all. They all came recommended in Frommer's Alaska or other travel books, and they all had web sites with pictures so we could see in advance what they would be like. I'm sure advance research of this kind is important, as other posters have said.
The great advantage (apart from the fantastic breakfasts) was that we could talk to the interesting people who kept the B&B's and ask them what living in Alaska year-round was really like. We felt this was a real advantage over - say - seeing Alaska from a cruise ship. We felt we could handle the lack of privacy/shared bathrooms etc, although in fact May in Alaska is early in their tourist season and we were the only guests at each place.
The great advantage (apart from the fantastic breakfasts) was that we could talk to the interesting people who kept the B&B's and ask them what living in Alaska year-round was really like. We felt this was a real advantage over - say - seeing Alaska from a cruise ship. We felt we could handle the lack of privacy/shared bathrooms etc, although in fact May in Alaska is early in their tourist season and we were the only guests at each place.
Jan 7th, 2002, 01:19 PM
#50
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B+B's are not for me. I like to be left the hell alone. I don't want to chat with anyone about anything. And if I want to eat breakfast at 1pm, then that's what I'm going to do. Besides, I am even less pleasant in the morning than I am the rest of the day. I snarl, sneer, cuss, and read the paper at the table. I sure as heck don't want to be further irritated by some chatterbox no-nothing who wants me to explain to them what's in the paper that day. Read it your dam self!
I prefer a high end hotel that has a staff that doesn't speak until spoken to, and doesn't ask me for anything except my credit card number.
Sorry to spew my views, but you all need to realize that there's a bunch of us grumpy bastards out there that like to travel too, but don't want to talk to anyone.
I prefer a high end hotel that has a staff that doesn't speak until spoken to, and doesn't ask me for anything except my credit card number.
Sorry to spew my views, but you all need to realize that there's a bunch of us grumpy bastards out there that like to travel too, but don't want to talk to anyone.
Jan 7th, 2002, 01:50 PM
#52
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Oh, come on, B&B's can be fun or not depending on your mood. On some trips I prefer inns and then on other trips I would like to mingle with other tourists. I recently stayed at a lovely B&B in Mendocino, CA, and met some nice, interesting people. We had our own bathroom and didn't hear a thing from other guests at night. (Motel room walls are not that thick either you know.) We had a lively conversation and genuine laughs at breakfast, then we were on our way. We
Jan 7th, 2002, 02:17 PM
#54
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I enjoy B&Bs for romantic weekend getaways with my husband. I would not stay in one for and entire vacation however. Neither would I bring my whole family.
Also I do not expect B&Bs to be less expensive. On the contrary, these are used for luxury weekends for me and are very indulgent. I only stay at ones with a private bath, telephone, TV and VCR/DVD in each room. Most of the ones I stay at are decorated with antiques and have heated towel bars and even in room jacuzzis and fireplaces. Believe if you stayed at these $150+/night you would not be disappointed with B&Bs. To me this is a different type of trip. Again it is usually a romantic weekend getaway where I plan to do little. If going to NYC for instance I would stay in a hotel, there is a difference.
Also I do not expect B&Bs to be less expensive. On the contrary, these are used for luxury weekends for me and are very indulgent. I only stay at ones with a private bath, telephone, TV and VCR/DVD in each room. Most of the ones I stay at are decorated with antiques and have heated towel bars and even in room jacuzzis and fireplaces. Believe if you stayed at these $150+/night you would not be disappointed with B&Bs. To me this is a different type of trip. Again it is usually a romantic weekend getaway where I plan to do little. If going to NYC for instance I would stay in a hotel, there is a difference.
Jan 7th, 2002, 03:05 PM
#55
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Just noticed that this thread was over a year old when it was topped. Couple of observations:
Horror stories are more interesting than those from people who have good experiences.
Those who plan ahead, who are flexible and non-judgemental usually have a better time than those who don't.
You can't generalize about B&B's any more than you can about anything else. Can you imagine a posting that began "I've only met one (fill in a ethnicity, religion, restaurant, place - anything) and It was a horrible experience." I keep reading on this board of people's love of (same) and I have to ask Why?
Horror stories are more interesting than those from people who have good experiences.
Those who plan ahead, who are flexible and non-judgemental usually have a better time than those who don't.
You can't generalize about B&B's any more than you can about anything else. Can you imagine a posting that began "I've only met one (fill in a ethnicity, religion, restaurant, place - anything) and It was a horrible experience." I keep reading on this board of people's love of (same) and I have to ask Why?
Jan 7th, 2002, 03:20 PM
#56
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Reality, your thoughts are valid, but there are quite a few specific examples of discontent with B&B stays here, for a variety of reasons. I think forewarned is forearmed. If you know what to expect, the best AND the worst, you can decide for yourself if it will be the type of accommodation you will enjoy. For most Americans, myself certainly included, vacation time and dollars are just too limited and valuable to be squandered on something I won't enjoy, so I appreciate reading ALL comments in order to make informed decisions. Thanks to all added their experiences here.
