what do you think of bed & breakfasts?

[disykat]

I've stayed at a bunch of them in Europe. We were going for cheap so were basically renting someones spare room for the night and sharing the bathroom with the family - very uncomfortable at times! I much prefered the bigger ones where we were not the only guests - some of those where wonderful experiences.

Here I've only stayed in one and it was fine. In general, I find nice bed & breakfasts to be pricey. I prefer budget motels, but if I'm going to spend big bucks I'd rather do it in a regular hotel.

 

[Micca]

Bed & Breakfast? Two of my favorite things

 

[barbeml]

I have stayed at 2 B&Bs.

First one in Cape Cod was a cesspool. Seriously. The septic system was overloaded and had risen to the lawn and the odors wafted through my window all night (of course they had no AC and it was August).

Took DH to one just after we got engaged. It was tons better than the first, but still kind of icky. No AC there either--is having no AC a qualification to be a B&B? I felt like a burgler skulking around the "common" kitchen at night, but at least we had a private bathroom (no water pressure).

I have heard some true horror stories from others (and some great tales from Travel School) about B&B's with unbelievable insect problems, scary owners, etc.

I will stick with known resorts and chains, thank you very much!

Barbe

 

[Beth E. (NJ)]

I've been to a few and enjoyed them. I will only book a room with a private bathroom though. I'm not sharing my bathroom with strangers!

Some are very beautiful -- they have great antique furniture and fireplaces. Very romantic!

 

[Winka]

For me, it REALLY depends.

Though they may be in the same region and have similar rates, some b&bs will be incredibly professional and well-managed (while still maintaining a highly "personal" feel) while others will feel just a little TOO "homey". The latter always feel as if they've read about fantastic inns somewhere and try to mimic the touches and the menus etc but things just fall short. Like having towel warmers but in a bath with chintzy, ticky-tacky unprofessional wallpaper and window treatments...sometimes I think these kinds of places would do better if they didn't try so hard. But they'll still charge almost as much as the more "together" operation down the road.

I like B&Bs in general, but before I sign up I have to do more diligent research than I would when reserving at a Westin.

Oh and maybe I've been lucky, but the pensiones and b&bs that I've tried throughout W. Europe have been really wonderful! No research, just hitting the road and calling days in advance...but I was a young student and maybe my standards were a bit lower then.

 

[poohtown]

thinking maybe I'll rule out B & B's in the near future. Or at least I'll try to really research it. I've learned you need a private bath, not scary homeowners, and really really good food.

 

[faithinkarma]

my honest advice to you would be that if you are looking at a B&B as a way to save money, you are going to end up in one of the less than ideal places. If you are looking to spend a bit for somethng unique and different, then B&B is an excellent choice. There are B&B associations for each state that are easy to find online. They will give you all the info you need about any one place you are considering, from price to pictures to breakfast menus. Good luck !

 

[floridaminnie]

I stayed at one when I visited Williamsburg and it was walking distance. I did a ton of research about it before hand. Had a private room with a private bath...even breakfast was in a private room right off our room. Had DD with me (whe was 18months at the time I think) and it was perfect. Would do it again...but then I'm a research crazy person.

 

[minniecarousel]

We've stayed in 2 different ones here in Northern California. The first one was years ago on the North Coast - the B&B was a little in-land - in the Redwoods. It was a brand new building, with private baths & TVs. Breakfast was buffet-style between certain hours in the morning. The second one was just last November. We went to Nevada City, which is considered "Gold Country" in the Sierra foothills. We again, had a private bath & a TV (the only room with a TV!) Breakfast was at 9AM, with all the guests in attendance. We served ourselves in the kitchen and ate in the dining room. It was friendly, but not stifling! The owners even made dinner reservations for us. We'd go again - but only if we can have a private bath & a TV!

 

[Figaro]

poohtown, if you check the places out online and with the B & B state associations, you should get a pretty good idea of what you are getting into. Plus you can just ask if you call about the bathroom, tv, air conditioning and meals.

The one we stayed at on the Cape they made a special strawberry bread for me because I had mentioned that I didn't care all that much for banana bread. Plus they provided beach chairs, umbrellas and a cooler that we could fill or they would for a day at the beach.

We wanted to do a whale watching tour and they called, found one for us, told us we wanted the evening one because the whales were feeding and before we left we had a glass of wine with the owners along with some baked brie and crackers.

The whale watching was so incredible that the captain jumped off after we docked and ran up to his girlfriend and said: "This was the most incredible one I've ever been on! It was just perfect."

And he was right(smile), it was perfect. We saw all kinds of whales including mamas and their babies, who came right up next to the boat and laid against it. We also got to see a mama and her baby breach over and over again. Then when we went back there was a full moon and the dolphins were leaping back and forth off the stern of the boat. All in all, it was a wonder time and we had so much fun at the B &B.

 

[Jenn Lynn]

We stayed in one in South Carolina. It was a plantation and they still had the slave houses and chapel up. The chapel had the original pulpit in it.

They had to buildings separate from the main house they they made into bedrooms and each had their own baths. The rooms were really beautiful. One of the buildings used to be a school house. There was a lot of history there and the people who owned it were ancestors of the original plantations owners. They had great pictures of one of the workers who had killed a huge alligator.

It was one of those places where you can just feel the history and really see it if you took the time.

I did a lot of research online and saw pictures of the place before I made a decision. I would only stay in one if we got our own bathroom.

 

[nativetxn]

I've never stayed at a bed and breakfast. I will stay at Sarah's Bed and Breakfast Inn in July, for Travis's wedding. I'll let you know what I think after that

 

[KristaTX]

We've stayed at some, and they have been nice places. But like some of the other posters, I prefer the anonymity of staying in a hotel, as long as it is a nice one. I don't like being on someone else's schedule. I like being able to come and go as a I please, eat when I please (and what I please), and get up in the morning whenever I please. I feel like someone's houseguest when I'm at a B&B, and I just don't like being a stranger's houseguest. But it just depends on what you like.

 

[grinningghost]

Originally posted by catsrule
We stayed at one in Key West, it was very nice. It wasn't a person's home, more like a small motel. It had a large deck and pool in the center and the rooms surrounded it. Lotsa kitties running around it too. The balcony overlooked the Hemingway estate, which was so cool. I could see the kitties over there from it.

Were they Hemingway kitties? Those sweet little polydactyl kitties? I hear Key West is crawling with them. My own kitty is a polydactyl, and if he traveled better, I'd take him to go see his "family".