Sam

I'm a male technology consultant. I've never gone by Sharon but I assume if I had enough to drink it could be possible.

Seriously, the thought that everyone who recommends ANYTHING is a travel agent is old and tiring.

comeout

We already knew you were a drag queen, Sharon.

Ghost

We have a very lovely and quite large B&B in our town, the only one, in fact. It has been a B&B for over five years now. But before that, for about 95 years, it was a funeral home. And, yes, there are all kinds of sounds during the night. Spooky, hey?

T.M.

If I'm not mistaken, I read somewhere that they turned the actual house that the murdered Borden family lived in (of Lizzie Borden fame) into a B&B.

That's one place I don't think I'd ever want to sleep.

patooty

Couples who stay in B&Bs are lame. It's like they don't know what to do when they're on vacation - so they rely on a doting hen to feed them their meals, and the conversation of other guests to keep their minds occupied.

Why? They can't stand their own pathetic relationship that's built on romance. Put that in your underwear and let it marinate for a while.

B&Bs Make Me

Most B&Bs remind me of being on high school choir tour and staying at the home of some random family, and feeling like they had hastily tidied up the room for me so I could sleep there for one night. When the owners live in the B&B, it's a nightmare. Either their taste is hideous or they are so worried about their knick-knacks and furniture that they hover around to make sure you aren't breaking anything. I have stayed at ONE B&B that I would return to, but the owners lived in a separate building and the whole place was treated more like a small upscale hotel. In general, B&Bs expose you to low-end accomodations, mediocre food, nosy "hosts," and obnoxious neighbors. Add a shared bathroom to that mix and it's enough to make you soil yourself.

JJ

I've never stayed in a B&B, but after a reservations brouhaha, I swore never to even consider them again.

Made a reservation for a B&B a few hours away in the foothills, for a romantic anniversay getaway. Proprietor seemed very nice on the phone. The day before we were scheduled to leave, we had one of the worst downpours on record, lots of local flooding, and get this, a mudslide on the highway to the foothills.

We called to tell the B&B that we couldn't make it there due to the flooding and highway closure. B&B owner charged our credit card for the stay anyway, claiming that we had not given her a 72 hour cancellation notice! Pointing out the obvious, like our inability to get there, was no deterrent for her. Spent a great deal of time writing letters to our credit card company and disputing the charges, all because of a B&B that we've never even seen. Credit card company finally backed us and credited our account, but what an enormous pain. We're sticking to hotels.

Another voice

Why so many severely judgemental posts? I personally prefer b&bs over generic hotels. Their individuality is part of their charm for me. Sure, I have booked a few duds - i.e.a grumpy host,thin walls - but after choosing carefully, the huge majority have offered privacy,and were cozy and well-run. But, hey, different strokes for different folks!

xxx

Some of these experiences are hilarious!

linda

I just returned from 1st B&B experience at Camellia Inn in Healdsburg. I booked it online after asking others about thier experiences there.The owner called me at home to see if we were celebrating anything, or had any special needs. I chose an outside entrance with porch and private bath .They had a 3 hr window for breakfast, so you didn't feel rushed. We enjoyed talking to others about travel- it's our passion and we always learn about new places this way.The owners gave us honest info on wineries and restaurants- not trying to sway us in any way.This was a real bargain as well, IMO, especially in the Sonoma Valley.

Maggi

I just remembered another one, in Key West this time. The house had a large veranda we went to in the early morning, waiting for breakfast. Large open windows from the two front bedrooms faced the veranda. I was taking pictures of my hubby sitting in a wicker rocker, backing up slowly to get a better shot when I heard a noise to my right. I looked over and three feet away was a couple, ahem, I can only describe as "being frisky". Can't remember seeing them at breakfast later.

cl9

I think you have to pick a B&B that suits your style. I had a good and a bad B&B experience on my honeymoon. First two nights, we stayed at a very interesting and nice B&B in a residential area of CO Springs. It was beautiful, with vaulted ceilings, hot tub and fireplace. But everything was so fancy and we sort of felt out of place (too young too poor etc.). It was also in the middle of a normal middle class neighborhood, nowhere near anything we wanted to see. My husband picked at the inventive but unappatizing food every morning and whined. It felt uncomfortable and I was happy to leave. The last night, however, we stayed in a B&B up in the mountains (St. Mary's Glacier). The accomodations were simple, although still quite expensive, but we could walk outside into trails into the woods. The innkeepers were much more layed back and breakfast was eggs, sausage and hashbrowns. We really hated to leave. The second B&B just suited our style much better.

underway

Depends on what you like.
Creaky floors,civil war era window treatments, high decible plumbing, unfinished George Washington portraits, Needlework pillow cases, canopy beds, big breakfasts (original recipes: fresh from the oven "turnip muffins" , getting to meet interesting people or those you want to forget. Most B&B's tend be pricey as you get to pay for quaint.

For less money I can stay
at a nice motel with all amenities including a continental breakfast.

Because the B&B is more relationship driven than hotels and motels I have a hunch most reservations at these places are made by women. The innkeeper(s) are by far more relational than desk clerks. A plethera of relationship opportunites abound in the B@B.. rubbing shoulders with other guests while reading a magazine or book in the parlor or while breaking bread. The VCR library will always include "The English Patient". And lets not forget those antiques...For we all know how important relationships and antiques are to the gals.

sandra

wow it took awhile to get to the end of this list but had to add my response-only stayed in one B&B so far and it was great! MENZIE's in Victoria,BC--we had our own two rooms and bath and meals brought to our table

2cents

My hubby LOVES b&bs! So there!!!

kam

We've never been great fans of B&Bs either. Prefer small, preferably historic inns/hotels. Sometimes we stay at a B&B, but the thing we will not do is share a communal breakfast around the common dining table. It reminds me of enforced friendliness like on a cruise. Sometimes you meet compatible people on trips and other times you don't. We even dog sat for a Tuscon family in the GC while they had lunch, but we didn't meet them at a B&B. But, I know lots of folks love them.

curious

What are some of the nicest features and/or amenites you have found at b&bs.

Diane

I've stayed in 2 B&Bs in the states & never again will I make that mistake. The 1st was in Jefferson, TX where we slept in the daughter's bedroom with the owners of the house in the next room. Only a swinging half-door with slats separated the hall between the bathroom & kitchen which partially exposed us to the owners who were desparately trying to find a tea bag early the next morning. Their attempts at "Eggs Benedict" for breakfast was enough to make us leave hours earlier than originally planned - to go find a decent breakfast. Last year, I decided to try again & booked a room at a B&B in Georgetown, TX. It was a hot Texas night in August & the A/C was struggling to keep the room in the ancient building at 80 degrees. Go with the motels. Sure, there are some bad experiences with them as well but all in all the prices are more reasonable & your chances of a pleasant experience are more predictable. B&Bs are like tea rooms. Too many folks are in the business on a "shoe string" or trying to supplement their retirement income & have no idea what they're doing.