As an innkeeper and someone who’s been around the industry for about 20 years, I should know better by now. I mistakenly assume that everyone knows everything about B&Bs and have a habit of welcoming guests as if they’ve stayed at inns for years. That’s why I was pleased to run across information posted by the folks at BedandBreakfast.com. They’re sharp enough to know that there are always first-time inn-goers out there so, to help them get acquainted with why inns are (in the words of PAII) “a better way to stay,” they compiled a common misperceptions.
As I looked over their list, I realized that not only will this information help novice inn guests get comfortable with the idea of staying at a bed and breakfast, but if you’re an innkeeper, this is essential and valuable information that can easily be posted on your website to educate first-time B&B guests. This little bit of information may help them understand why their first B&B deserves a second look.
Myth: B&Bs Lack Privacy
Many B&Bs feature spacious bedrooms with private baths, and some even feature private entrances, separate cottages, and even carriage houses. While much of the pleasure is meeting other guests and chatting with the innkeepers, at a B&B you can spend as much or as little time socializing with innkeepers and other guests as you choose.
Myth: All B&Bs Have Shared Baths
It’s been quite awhile since inns had guests waiting in line to use the bathroom, but the myth persists. According to information collected by the Professional Association of Innkeepers International, more than 97 percent of B&Bs offer private baths in some, if not all rooms.
B&Bs Are Expensive
That depends. Like the price of a home, rates will vary primarily based on its location. You’ll pay less on weekdays and even less off-season. Yet any time you visit, when you add in the unique nature of inns, the upscale décor, upgraded amenities such as fine linens, personalized customer service and “concierge service,” a freshly prepared breakfast, free parking, and often an afternoon snack of some sort, then it all seems like quite a deal.Myth: B&Bs Are Old Homes In Rural Areas
Actually… no. Visit sites such as BedandBreakfast.com, BnBFinder.com. and Pamela Lanier’s Bed & Breakfast Inns and you’ll discover B&Bs in cities as well as in charming “art” towns. Inns are often in elegant, historic homes and, more recently, post-modern boutique inns that have added a new look to a traditional profession.
There are inns in the mountains, on the beach, on ranches, in residential neighborhoods, and farms. And with such an investment on the line, innkeepers are inclined to maintain them exquisitely.
And one more thing. It’s worth noting that the popularity of bed and breakfasts flagged little during the Great Recession. Clearly, experienced travelers know value when they find it.
And they find it at inns. All hits. No myths.