Bed and Breakfast

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A Bed and Breakfast (often referred to as a B&B) is a type of boarding house typically operating out of a large single family residence.

Guests are accommodated at night in private bedrooms and breakfast is served in the morning - either in the bedroom or, more commonly, in a dining room or the host's kitchen.

Bathrooms can be private or shared (with other guests or with the family in smaller establishments) or en-suite (where the ablutions are directly accessed from the guest's bedroom).

B&Bs may be operated either as a primary occupation or as a secondary source of income. Staff often consists of the house's owners and members of their family who live there.

Guests are usually expected to pay for their stay upon arrival and leave before noon (or earlier) on the day of departure. A big advantage of this type of hosted accommodation is the local knowledge of the host(s).

When guests stay more than one night, in some smaller B&Bs they will be expected to be away from the B&B during the main part of the day. This arrangement, however, may not be inconvenient since many popular B&Bs are located in beach and mountain areas, such as Hawaii, New England, and Colorado where daytime recreation and tourism activities are popular. One advantage of staying at a B&B is readier access to popular locations "off the beaten path" which may not be convenient to the city center.

Because most B&Bs are small, rarely with room for more than about 2-12 guests, it is advisable for anyone wanting to stay at a bed and breakfast to make reservations well in advance of their travel date. Consultation with a qualified travel agent knowledgeable in this type of accommodation may be helpful; However, many B&Bs belong to associations and have a web presence. Be aware that prices and tariffs described in various books and travel guides are often obsolete by the time they are published.

The B&B arrangement is actually a very old one; before the 20th century, it was quite normal for country travellers to spend the night at a private house rather than an inn, and the custom persists in many parts of the world. However, prior to the 19th century, this was strictly an informal arrangement constrained by acquaintance and social rank; a doctor might stay with a doctor or pharmacist, while a nobleman would only stay with the local gentry. The abbreviation of `B&B' on roadside signs first became popular in the British Isles.

In the British Isles, breakfast is usually cooked on demand for the guest and usually features bacon, eggs, sausages, tomatoes, mushrooms, baked beans, etc but increasingly, because of either a desire of owners to economise or guests to minimise their calorie intake, a `continental breakfast' is becoming more common.

In the British Isles where hotel prices are often outrageous, B&B's are a budget option and this tradition continues in many parts of the world.

However, many B&Bs in North America and New Zealand often consciously seek to recall earlier days; they are frequently established in attractive older houses that have been renovated and filled with antique furniture. In some cases in North America an existing inn will relabel itself as a "B&B" to improve business and move itself `up-market'.

In Ireland, most B&Bs serve a traditional Irish breakfast as a point of pride.

In Cuba, which opened up to tourism in the 1990s after the financial support of the Soviet Union ended, a form of B&B called casa particular ("private home") became the main form of accommodation outside the tourist resorts.

The term "bed and breakfast" is also used to refer to a meal plan where breakfast is the only meal provided, commonly in package holidays, in a major hotel that may provide other meals to only some customers.

See also: List of types of lodging

Regulations

As they are often run by amateurs, with little lodge management experience, strict laws should govern the operation of B&Bs. However, regulations vary in each jurisdiction both in content and extent and in enforcement.

The most common regulations B&Bs must follow pertain to safety. They are required to have fire resistance, a sufficient fire escape plan in place, and smoke detectors in each guest room.

Kitchens and equipment used to serve meals must also be monitored for sanitation.

Most B&Bs are generally compliant with their jurisdiction's laws. However, guests are mostly unfamiliar with these guidelines and tend to overlook any violations.

Associations: While various local governments have regulations, membership in a state/provincial/national bed and breakfast association often indicates a higher standard of hospitality. Associations often review their members and tend to have additional standards of care. While the associations also facilitate marketing of the individual bed and breakfasts they also provide a stamp of approval that the business in question is reputable.

References

• Sakach, Deborah Edwards, Bed & Breakfasts and Country Inns (American Historic Inns, Inc., 16th edition, 2004) ISBN 1-888050-16-0
• Jan Stankus, How to Open and Operate a Bed & Breakfast (Globe Pequot Press, 7th edition 2003) ISBN 0-7627-2813-2
• Martha Watson Murphy and Amelia Rockwell Seton, How to Start and Operate Your Own Bed-And-Breakfast/Down-To-Earth Advice from an Award-Winning B&B Owner (Owlet, 1994) ISBN 0-8050-2903-6
• Mary Davis, So-You Want to Be an Innkeeper: The Definitive Guide to Operating a Successful Bed-And-Breakfast or Country Inn (Chronicle Books, 1996) ISBN 0-8118-1226-X
• Susannah Craig and Park Davis, Complete Idiot's Guide to Running a Bed and Breakfast (Alpha Books, 2001) ISBN 0-02-864000-4
• Cheryl Verstrate, Homestay 101 for Hosts (Start and Run a Successful Homestay), 1st edition,2006 ISBN 1-84685-347-8