By running a good B&B in your home, you are there already! You can offer real
uniqueness, not the spray-on corporate kind. You don’t have to pretend to be a quirky,
characterful, idiosyncratic private home welcoming guests – that is what you are!
So do remember that one of the reasons people choose a B&B is because they want that
personal welcome and those individual touches. Many B&B owners aspire to the status
of hotels by copying them: they think that minibars, trouser presses, generic “hotel”
decor and “hotel style” reception desks will help. In fact, by aping hotels they are
throwing away the one biggest advantage B&Bs have, which hotels themselves are now
trying to pretend to: individuality.
The trick is to get the balance right: clients appreciate character and individuality, but
also have some non-negotiable areas of expectation. Private en-suite bathrooms are one
example: no amount of character will make up for having to walk down a corridor in
the middle of the night for a pee. And “quirkiness” has its limits too: a witty theme to
the décor is good, but bizarre or disturbing “art”or uncomfortable furniture (however
stylish) is not going to encourage recommendation or return visits.
The great B&B revolution
The Guardian Saturday May 17, 2008
"For elegant accommodation, look to the new breed of
homely yet stylish British bed and breakfasts" says Sally Shalam
Champion of the individual B&B and creator of the Special Places guidebooks Alastair Sawday says: "If
you pay £90 for a B&B for two, you will get all sorts of little extras: conversation, views, peace, breakfasts
to remember, advice and even help when needed. And all this from delightful human beings rather than
corporate functionaries. For the same £90 a hotel simply cannot do it."
Nikki Tinto [of trendsetting interned accommodation site i-escape.com] goes even further and ventures to
compare modern owners to "personal concierges" who will give invaluable insights into the local area.
What has happened is that a generation of well-travelled, discerning, often design-literate professionals has
decided that urban stress is fine Monday to Friday but at the weekend they deserve a break. As the number
of short trips we take increases (up to 10 per year on top of longer holidays), cheap flights to European
cities aren't always the answer and Britain, as a consequence, is getting a bigger and bigger slice of the
weekend-break pie.
We spent an incredible £1bn staying in B&Bs last year. While holidaying in our own backyard enables us
to keep an eye on the carbon footprint, it's not the full story. The fact is, short breaks in Britain are now
undeniably hip.
According to VisitBritain, which assesses the lion's share of the accommodation in this country, 41% of it
is bed and breakfast. And in my experience, and others', much of it has upped its game.
"The style of accommodation has evolved dramatically," says Sawday. Many bed and breakfasts are
offering luxurious elements such as flat-screen televisions, designer furniture and high-quality bedding."
The AA - celebrating the centenary of its hotel services this year - had to introduce a new category to its
annual awards last year to reflect the current change. In addition to its traditional Landlady of the Year (a
delightful anachronism worthy of sponsorship by Bryson), an award is now made for the funkiest B&B.
The title might sound a bit like your dad trying to sound street but you get their drift. I even hear that
adding more categories is currently under discussion.
Owners are part of a new breed of "landlady" (though many are male, of course). These are often relocating
How to Start & Run a B&B
www.howtorunabandb.com