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How to Choose a Bed and Breakfast. Is a B&B really for me? B&B's are often great properties in residential neighborhoods that have a real appeal for travelers or those looking for a getaway. They are smaller and have a more personal feel than hotels. However, they are not for everyone. Here's a list of the major ways B&B's are different than hotel lodging: Smoking. B&B's are usually 100% non-smoking. Hotels have both smoking and non-smoking rooms. Late Night Check in. B&B's often have check-in hours that end by 8:00 or 9:00 at night. Hotels generally have all-hours front desk check-ins. Last Minute Cancellations. Hotels often accept cancellations 24 hours before arrival. It is rare that a B&B will accept cancellations without a week notice. The Adobe is unusual. We accept cancellations on most reservations up to 72 hours before arrival. Early Check in and Late Check out. Hotels have a huge advantage here. They often have hundreds of rooms that are not identified individually. When you arrive they put you in a room that is ready and they always have extra rooms to absorb any late check outs or early check ins. B&B's typically have 3-5 rooms and don't have the flexibility that hotels do. Two Night Minimum. Almost all B&B's require a two night stay, especially on weekends and holidays. The Adobe is one of the only B&Bs we know of that never requires a minimum stay. Knowing How to Read a B&B Web Site. B&B web sites are often built by the owners who are doing everything they can to promote their inns. Don't make an assumption that all the photos were taken at the B&B. We've seen B&B's that are miles from the beach with photos of the beach on their web site. Do your homework and learn to separate stock photos from actual pictures of the inn. Know what kind of B&B experience you are seeking and then seek out an inn that caters to your needs. If an inn highlights their family style breakfasts and writes about the importance of the owners chatting with each guest, that probably isn't the place to stay if you are looking for a private and reclusive getaway. Focus on what each web site highlights. Your experience will likely be influenced by the inn's main features. Does the web site emphasize it's "way out in the country" location? This might not be the place for you if you're looking to explore the urban core of a city. Read What Others Have Said. B&B's often publish their guest comments on their web sites. Read as many of these as you can. They won't offer objectivity so you can rate the inn. The owners are only going to publish their good reviews. However, these are still useful and will tell you what others liked about the property. Find out if those who write value what you value. Try to determine when the guest comments were written. Does the inn update their comments with the seasons or do they have have one set of comments on their site indefinitely? This is important because at some point every inn has had something good said about them. What you're looking for is consistency, a long term pattern of good comments that give you a feel for the place and its management. B&B's change ownership and management quite often. Make sure the comments you are reading were made when the current owners were in charge. The more current comments you can read the better you can judge what your experience might be like. Use All the Resources You Have. You don't have to rely only on the innkeepers to get a feel for their B&B. There are other tools on the web for you to use. TripAdvisor.com is a large site with guest reviews on many B&Bs around the world. While you don't know exactly who is writing these reviews, you can get a good feel for a place based on the majority opinion of the reviewers. Yelp.com is another review site with B&B reviews in California. Type in the city or B&B name into these sites and see what comes up. Google Maps is another great resource. This web-based mapping tool is adding street view to its maps every day. If street view is available for the address of the B&B you are interested in, use this tool to view what is across the street or next door to a particular B&B. This is so valuable because the inn's web site will never show you these off-site views. Interested in walking once you arrive at your B&B? Go to WalkScore.com and type in the address of the place you're thinking of staying at. This web site will give that location a rating based on how close it is to all the things people like and need. A rating of 90 or more out of 100 is considered a "walkers' paradise." WalkScore.com rates the Adobe on Green Street at 97 out of 100. Summing Up. It's difficult to describe the nuances of an overnight experience on a two dimensional computer screen. However, with some sleuthing you can get closer than you ever could before. None of the tools and strategies above will make your search for the perfect place quick and easy, but when combined, these resources will help you find an inn that is likely a good fit for your needs and desires. |
