Bed and Breakfasts
 

I only vaguely knew what these were until I watched Borat.

I went to one the first time last Sunday. One of my dad's friends rented an area outside for his b-day party. Some of us took a tour inside, and I was totally fascinated. The rooms were very nice, I expected them to be sort of plain.

Has anyone ever stayed in a B&B? Did you like it better than staying in a nice hotel?

I love them-- it's much cozier and quieter than staying in a big hotel-- a much more personal experience with the staff than your typical Hilton or Marriott. And I think they are wonderful if you are having an event like a big party-- sometimes you can even get free rooms thrown in with your big affair. B&B's can be a lot more flexible to your needs b/c they're usually a small and family-run business. Plus, I think the rates are competitive to a typical hotel.

Then again, it depends on what you are looking for when you are on vacation.

Love them! Everywhere we traveled in Europe, we tried to stay in a B&B if we could. It was usually less expensive then a hotel, plus the rooms are cozier.
Stayed in one in Estes Park on our trip out to Colorado in May. VERY personalized service.

I can recommend the Crystal River Inn in San Marcos, TX very highly! The best part is breakfast - yummy!

We stay in these anytime we're out in the sticks. Very nice.

Beats the hell out of a tent (which is typically plan B).

A nice change from big hotels.

If you like to be up, washed and dressed by a certain time, be back for dinner at a certain time, have no food or pet allergies, and possibly share a bathroom with complete strangers, then you'd like Bed & Breakfasts. If you think you're going to save money at one, forget the idea immediately.

I've only stayed at one, and trust me, it will be the last time. The place was beautiful, the company pleasant - but it continually felt as if we were staying with old Aunt Effie and her 15 cats. We had to cross a wide hall and staircase every time we needed to use the bathroom, and there wasn't even a shower. As I said before, it wasn't as if we saved any money by staying there; I'd be willing to guess that we actually paid more.

Give me the impersonal but sanitary conditions of a good hotel over a B&B anytime!

Pamela Laniers B& B site is a great link to B & Bs throughout the country. You can sign up for their newsletter.

Aw, HC, you just had a bad experience. There are tons that are lovely!

We've stayed in a few and always get rooms with private baths - I don't do bathroom sharing with strangers!!! And each one is different in terms of meal times and such. Actually, every one I have stayed at have had specific meal times, but if you weren't going to be awake or there, you just let them know and they'd provide you with someting else - usually wrapped in the fridge with your name on it.

And it depends on the area and what's available if you will save money over a regular hotel.

I love B&Bs. We stayed in one near Snowshoe, West Virginia ( that was incredible. It's been 10 years, but I can still invision the wonderful food. I have also stayed in B&Bs in Evansville, Indiana and in San Francisco. My advice is to call and ask plenty of questions- such as are there pets, do you have to share a bathroom, what time is breakfast, are other meals offered, etc.
They aren't necessarily cheaper than a hotel, but sometimes they have better locations than similarly priced hotels.

I've never stayed in one here in the states, but I've stayed in the all over Europe. Depends on what country you are in, but I'd say for the most part they are less expensive than hotels and you get much more personable service.

This is also a good listing of nice B&Bs and "country inns".

http://www.selectregistry.com/

I stayed at one of the properties listed and it was a wonderful experience!

The one I went to, the rooms were quite expensive. Not a problem if it's worth it. Most of the rooms had a private bathroom, in fact some of them had whirlpools.

It looked very couple oriented (ex. mirrors over beds and heart-shaped hot tubs). So do you have to be a couple to rent a room out? I forgot to ask the tour guide that.

How clean are they compared to hotel rooms? This is my biggest concern. Many places look clean, but once you turn over the cover and look at the sheets it's a whole different story.

The ones I have stayed in have been very clean, and all had private bathrooms.

Mirrors over the beds? Heart shaped tubs? Sounds like a bad night at the no-tell motel to me.
Cleanliness depends on the B&B proprietors and cleaning staff if they have one. I've stayed in super clean ones, and some that could have used a bit more dusting.

I also stayed in them while I was traveling on my own...you don't have to be a couple.

I am thinking about going to one for a weekend, just me and the man, before the baby gets here. there is one in Yorktown VA within walking distance of the beachfront down there. whirlpools, chocolates, roses...dont think ive ever gotten that at the Marriott! they are a bit pricier, and the some of the ones i researched in Va only have 3 or 4 rooms total in the house...nice if nobody else is around!

I forgot to mention the gold blinds. Obviously, the owners are stuck in the 90's. :o I enjoyed most of the themes though. One room had a beach theme and there was sand on the floor and a huge aquarium behind the bed. I also liked the uptown theme, it was pretty Real Worldish, I guess that was geared towards the twentysomethings. The one with the mirrors over the bed was named "reflections", LOL.

It sounds kind of tacky, but in person everything looked nice.

Kinda usless when you're pregnant.;)

My office just had our retreat at the bed and breakfast and I loved it. It would be an awesome place to go for a romantic weekend.:) They can do so many special things like set up a romantic dinner in your room with chocolate covered strawberries and they even had rooms with fireplaces. So nice.:)

In Europe, some hostels run more like B+Bs rather than the huge traveler dorms people think they are (think Hostelling Int. and the like). I stayed in a great one in Glasgow. It was really three houses with the walls knocked down and then connected. There were all sorts of crazy passageways and weird stairways. And the breakfast was *awesome*. And we all had wee tea kettles in the rooms too. I think our whole stay cost 45 pound (90 USD) for two nights (we had a double bed and a private bath, the group rooms w/o bath were cheaper)

We also stayed at a lovely B+B in Dublin, both times we were there. Its called ABC house. Absolutely lovely room, comfy bed, delicious breakfast, wonderful owners.

I used http://www.hostelworld.com/ to find both places. They'll send you a text with the details too, for free.

ABC house in Dublin: http://www.hostelworld.com/availabil...BB-Dublin-8776
http://www.abchousedublin.com/

McLay's Guest House in Glasgow:
http://www.hostelworld.com/availabil...e-Glasgow-3904

:rolleyes:so is the free bottle of champagne lol! maybe ill stick my feet in...

My boyfriend surprised me with a trip to Williamsburg, VA in February and we stayed in one, and it was amazing. The owners were so friendly, and our room (with a private bath) was absolutely beautiful. We can't wait to go back :) No clue how much it was though...seems like it could've been pricey.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...amsburg043.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...amsburg045.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...amsburg051.jpg

I love the fact that you learned about bed and breakfasts from Borat... haha

Here is a B&B in Denver that is run by a local Delt and his wife who is a Pi Phi. It is called Castle Marne.

I've never stayed there, but my wife, her sister and her mother have and really enjoyed it.

http://castlemarne.com/images/MarneWilderSmall.jpg

Just as a comment, it's too bad that so many threads have to be ruined for people who are interested by other posters cheap comments.

Every B&B I've been to has private baths. The link below is where we got married in Appomattox, VA, right near the surrender grounds.

http://www.springgrovefarm.com/

Each room has its own bath, and it was fantastic. The owner was actually my 6th grade teacher. She let us decide what time we wanted breakfast, etc. Several of our friends had such a good time that we're all planning on going back for a weekend for a reunion.

My personal preference is the anonymity you get with a hotel.....the last thing that I want to do in the morning when I'm on holiday is to go down to the B&B's dining room for breakfast and feeling like I have to "make nice" with the hosts or with the other guests. I don't like people being "up in my business".

I second that recommendation! We stayed there and didn't want to leave :) Breakfast was outstanding (they made a huuuge basket of pastries) as well as eggs/sausage/bacon, and dinner was on the garden patio with all the twinkling lights.

That's how I feel, too. Of course, having had the one bad experience, with no private bath or any shower at all, didn't really help. I'd add a photo, but the property changed hands and the website doesn't work. Maybe they're busily adding more bathrooms with showers...