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Why To Choose a Bed and Breakfast Over a HotelAdvantages of Staying at a Bed and Breakfast |
Your Home Away from Home
Do you miss the comforts of home when you travel? Does it take more than a sterile, impersonal bed and bathroom in a massive modern hotel to make your travel experience complete? If you want to be treated like family and stay in a place with beauty and character, the Bed and Breakfast environment will take your trip to the next level. |
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What is a Bed and Breakfast? |
Bed and Breakfasts, or "B & B's," are lodging establishments that usually contain only a few bedrooms, often in beautiful or unique buildings owned by one or two people. Most B & B's are owned by an individual or married couple who live on the premises and take care of travelers for a living.
B & B's tend to offer beautiful, unique bedrooms with all the basic amenities, as well as a full hot breakfast each morning. Most B&B's serve breakfast in a main dining room where you can enjoy conversation and laughter with other guests. In season, some B & B's serve breakfast on the porch or outside in the open air.
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The History of the B & B |
The B & B is one of the oldest forms of lodging - in concept, if not in name. As long as people have moved from place to place on the land, travelers have relied on the kindness of others.
In Europe, after World War II, soldiers were left waiting for transport home, according to Open Your Own Bed & Breakfast, Fourth Edition by Barbara Notarius and Gail Sforza Brewer. Young women or families opened their homes to these young men, offering a room, a hearty breakfast, and advice on local attractions in return for a few dollars. Even after the young men were gone, entrepreneurial spirits kept their doors open to other travelers.
The idea spread across the globe like wildfire. You can find B & B environments in any country in the world, where friendly hosts make their living by offering one-of-a-kind fare and rooms to small numbers of travelers.
In the U.S., travelers stayed in family homes during the Westward Expansion. Gold rush miners, families looking for unclaimed land, migrant workers - people of all stripes had exchanged a few dollars for a roof and a bed. As the country shaped itself, boarding houses and "unofficial" private rooms were already in operation, so the B & B concept found fertile ground on U.S. soil.
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Why a B & B? |
So why choose a Bed and Breakfast over a hotel or motel? Here are the reasons that most travelers prefer B & B's:
- Unique character. Bed and breakfasts tend to operate out of homes and buildings with a unique history. From a home built by Frank Lloyd Wright, to a lighthouse, to historic Victorian mansions, B & B's have a story to tell. Stay in one, and you'll have a story (or five) to tell, too.
- Beautiful furnishings. B & B's tend to be furnished with antiques and collectibles. Often each room will have its own theme. Instead of a cookie-cutter hotel bedroom with cheap furnishings and blankets, you can stay in an atmosphere that feels opulent, as if it's been designed to stand the test of time. B & B bedrooms surround you with a sense of personality, care, and love.
- Unparalleled service. Successful B & B's focus on customer service. B & B owners make it their job to be helpful and friendly. Even the rooms are designed to accommodate your needs, according to Rachel Reid of the award-winning Andon-Reid B & B in Waynesville, NC. From ample space to keep your luggage and personal items, to alarm clocks programmed to hold your own iPhone with your own music selection, a good B & B is designed with you in mind.
- Amenities. B & B's design their amenities with the client in mind. Many have game rooms, and the little comforts of home - like the iPhone-compatible alarm clocks at Andon-Reid. Some advertise rooms with televisions and telephones - while others make a point of removing most electronics from the room, giving you a restful break from the informational clutter of everyday life.
- Insider's perspective. When you stay at a B & B, you have a local expert fixing you breakfast. They'll be able to tell you the best local attractions - the places locals go to eat, to shop, or to enjoy themselves. They tend to have more knowledge at their fingertips than even the best hotel concierge, since they make their living by being the best of the best.
- The food -oh, the food. B & B's are known for the best breakfasts anywhere - and it's included in the cost of the room! B & B owners cook fresh for you right out of their own kitchen. And since half their reputation relies on the food, you can expect some of the best breakfast food you've ever eaten. Many also offer an afternoon wine and cheese hour, drinks on the porch, or specially-made nightcaps.
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Find the Best B & B's |
Since you'll be staying in someone's home, it can be difficult to decide which B & B to choose. The industry is growing, according to an Entrepreneur article - and with more than 28,000 B & B's and Bed and Breakfast Inns in the country (according to TIME), there are plenty of options.
Look for a B & B with a strong website, an active social media presence, and the recognition of major B & B organizations. Andon-Reid, for example, has been recognized byBedandBreakfast.com as one of the Top 10 B & B's in the South, and received a 2012 Traveler's Choice Award as one of the Top 25 B & B's and Inns in America.
Look for a place that lets you make your reservations online and that has put time and effort into their online presence. You'll be able to see a little bit of the owners' personality and their commitment to excellence in the way they handle their internet visibility. Look for B & B operators that make an obvious effort to set themselves apart, and you'll never be disappointed.
Says Rachel Reid, "What sets Andon-Reid Inn Bed and Breakfast apart from other properties... is the fact that we take a sincere interest in our guests' experience and happiness during their stay-and that they leave knowing that they are a part of our family."
And that's what makes a good B & B experience so special.
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