Articles - Running a Bed and Breakfast

Choosing a good name for your inn is extremely important; these tips can help you find one that's absolutely perfect.

Guests love to be treated like royalty, and it's not difficult to do. Here are some simple tips to inspire your imagination.

Innkeepers talk about the most unusual items guests have left behind in their bed and breakfast rooms.

A look at the top 10 myths about bed and breakfasts.

Author Nora Roberts is planning to open a bed and breakfast in Maryland.

Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, want to open a bed and breakfast.

Advice for bed and breakfast innkeepers on whether or not to provide microwave ovens for guest use.

Innkeeper and consultant Sallie Clark talks about the myths and realities of being an innkeeper.

Information about Tori Spelling's bed and breakfast, Chateau La Rue, in southern California.

These stories provide touching and humorous examples of why the bed and breakfast experience is unique and so special.

Straight from the source: professional innkeepers.

More advice from professional innkeepers.

Innkeeper Lynette Scofield discusses the fantasies and realities of being an innkeeper, and notes what makes her inn so special.

Want to know what you'll be getting into when you own a B&B? Learn the main obstacles you'll encounter and the attitude you'll need as you begin your quest.

Five small gestures that can make a difference.

There are many inns in the mountains of western North Carolina. Twenty miles east of Asheville in the town of Hendersonville, the Waverly Inn has been welcoming guests since 1989.

Before you can become an innkeeper, you have to buy an inn. As with any business, you’ll need a business plan to make sure that your dreams can become a reality.

Innkeeper Debbie Mosimann discusses the fantasies and realities of being an innkeeper, and notes what makes her inn so special.

Profiles and features are constantly changing. To save you from searching, use this page to find stories you might have missed.

What did it take to foresee the potential of something called the Internet? And how do you marry a traditional industry with an emerging technology? Mary White knows. She was there.

For all hopeful innkeepers who think it’ll be a snap to convert a residential home into an inn: Do your homework.

Jay Karen is the president and CEO of the Professional Association of Innkeepers International, the largest bed and breakfast organization in the world with approximately 2,200 bed and breakfasts and 400 associate members.

Every innkeeper can share stories about the fine art of taking reservations. How much to take for a deposit, when to process the charge, creating a cancellation policy… While there’s no definitive reservation policy in the industry, there are some tips to know that will protect your profitably.

Create A Degree Of Difference

Not every guest is as concerned about your inn as you are. How do you handle it when guests treat your B&B like their private resort?

Any innkeeper will tell you that running a bed and breakfast is a 24/7 operation. With constant demands, how do you save your sanity – and your relationships? Innkeepers have some secrets.

Given a choice, is your money better spent on membership in your local chamber of commerce or investing those funds into an Internet presence? It all depends on your intentions.

Innkeeper Donald James and partner Andrew Kohn fulfilled a dream by purchasing an inn in March 2011. Like veteran innkeepers, they’ve already learned the realities of running an inn. From the unique perspective of a fledgling innkeeper, James discusses the surprises and successes of the Orchard House Inn.

Innkeeper Donald Jones and partner Andrew Kohn fulfilled a dream by purchasing an inn in March 2011. Like veteran innkeepers, they’ve already learned the realities of running an inn. From the unique perspective of a fledgling innkeeper, Jones discusses the surprises and successes of the Orchard House Inn.

Innkeepers Daniel and JoAnna Jimenez approached their search for a bed and breakfast a little differently than most. They didn’t know they were looking for a bed and breakfast. But when they found a home with the right zoning in a residential neighborhood, JoAnna realized it was time to work from home and start a family. A year later, everything...

Jay Karen is the president and CEO of the Professional Association of Innkeepers International, the largest bed and breakfast organization in the world with approximately 2,200 bed and breakfasts and 400 associate members.

How can you make more money while keeping your room rates at a price that won’t drive away guests? As innkeepers across America have found, there are multiple ways to pair your talents with the resources of your bed and breakfast to generate additional income.

Mary White, founder of BnBFinder.com used her knowledge of the industry to write an invaluable guidebook for finding and operating a bed and breakfast. “Running A Bed & Breakfast For Dummies” was first published in 2009 and has been continually updated to reflect new technologies that can help a traditional business.

Following the loss of her husband, Linda Kesler examined her life and decided that her love of hospitality would satisfy many needs. A bed and breakfast would be the most direct path to that goal.

For innkeepers, a deposit is insurance that a guest will arrive. But sometimes you have to make a judgment call on whether a guest’s excuse for cancelling is worth a refund. Based on an open question that asked ‘Why do guests cancel?’, innkeepers offered their takes on the art and science of cancellations.

By and large, bed and breakfasts seemed to have weathered the economic storm. What's ahead in 2012? It's your turn to share your thoughts about what changes you foresee.

Interim Innkeepers – also known as Innsitters – may be the unsung heroes of the profession. Stepping into the spotlight when an inn’s owners need a break, they have to be quick studies to understand the intricacies of each bed and breakfast and perform tasks that took owners years to perfect. In this ongoing series, you’ll meet innsitters from...

It’s been a few decades since bed and breakfasts experienced the boom that put them on the radar screen of many travelers. Many travelers, but not all. To that end, the Professional Association of Innkeepers International initiated the Better Way to Stay Program to bring awareness to lodging options that can be more affordable than a standard...

Basil Fawltey, John Cleese’s fictional innkeeper would’ve enjoyed his profession if he didn’t have to deal with guests. But guests are the reasons many innkeepers get into the business. But there’s a fine line between spending time with your own guests and knowing when you should give them some space – and give yourself a breather.

It’s far easier to retain an existing customer than it is to gain a new one, so when a guest checks into your bed and breakfast, what can you do to ensure that they’ll return? In addition to being your usual charming self, consider some additional approaches that may catch their interest and keep you on their itinerary.

How do the social media discount sites work for B&Bs? Some innkeepers wouldn’t touch the deals with a ten-foot pole, but others swear by them. See what innkeepers had to say about the cost – and the return.

For some, a bed and breakfast is a natural when they travel while for others it’s an entirely different world of which they know very little. For those travelers, B&B.com compiled a list of myths that potential guests should know – and that all innkeepers should share.

When two inns are side by side, how does one stand apart? It all gets down to service.

What kind of background does a person need to start a bed and breakfast? Frank Salvo has proven it doesn’t have to be in hospitality. It can even come from a hospital. As long as you have the desire, vision, and the dedication to do the work and obtain the training, you can run a bed and breakfast. Here’s how he did it.

Dealing with city rules and regulations is one thing. Dealing with neighbors is another. Anyone who has opened a bed and breakfast where there wasn’t one before has to do a lot of tap dancing to assure neighbors that their new business will be an asset.

Most innkeepers are familiar with the “seven-year itch” – the amount of time it takes to satisfy the urge to own and operate a bed and breakfast. After that, the inn is for sale and a new life begins. That is unless you’re Fran Ambroselli and you really, really enjoy being an innkeeper. Then, not even a fire can stop you.

Innkeepers take a lot of calls for rooms. Free rooms. Because a bed and breakfast is a popular item at charity auctions and there’s always a good cause that needs funds, innkeepers are often asked to donate gift certificates. So I asked innkeepers, who receives the benefit of your B&B largesse?