I am curious are bed & breakfasts too personal for some people?

We travel alot (at least two trips per month for minimum two night stays) mostly for business, but sometimes for pleasure. We spend about $40,000 a year on hotels. We always stay at hotels because the two times that we stayed at Bed & Breakfast were bad experiences. The first many years ago (Waxahachie, Texas), had us running to the drug store for anti-itch medicine from 30 seconds in their hot tub.

The second bad experience is that in Nickerson, Kansas, an employee who was quite nice to us when we were there left me a voicemail asking what liquids were on the towels (or bedding I don't remember). She wanted to know what was on them so she would know how to wash them. Is is just these two weird places? I can't imagine a Marriott Hotell or Hilton Hotel leaving that voicemail.

Maybe I am just not a bed & breakfast type. Is this how we are supposed to be treated?

Those experiences are out of the ordinary. Most people stay at a b&b to be pampered, to view a glimpse of the local history, to have a vacation to always remember, and even make new friends. The key term is "unique". Many hotels cannot claim this (unless the luxury ones), with rooms that look exactly alike with little in the way of personality.

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Travel America Guides
http://www.Southpoint.com

Try again.  I think these two were rare instances.

IMHO B&B's aren't too personal and perhaps folks who stay at cookie-cutter hotels are not use to the attention and personal service they receive at a B&B, inn, which actually is quite nice.

Think of it as going home again...without having to do the dishes.  Talk to other guests if you want.  Retreat to a cozy corner when you like. Snuggle up with a loved one (or a good book) in privacy.  Visit the local haunts and enjoy.

I've been to some 15 B&B, inns and only had one odd instance where the innkeeper had "do not" signs (use towels, water, pay for your soda etc.) posted all over the place.  We never went back there.  All else were great experiences.

Try again. ;)

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Nat'l Country Inn, Bed & Breakfast Day - 1st. Sunday of October. Here's to you, Grand Dames, Painted Ladies and your innkeepers!

David and I have stayed in B&B's all over the country, especially in our research before opening our own Inn.  All were wonderful, albeit very different from each other.  Some Innkeepers are more personable, some you hardly ever see.

Were both these Inns larger, more commercial establishments?   The hot tub situation and reference to employees makes me think so.  Often guests who are not comfortable with the idea of B&B choose larger Inns where they will feel less conspicuous.  This often results in a less personal and more hotel-like experience.

As a general rule, I don't stay at larger B&B's or Inns that have employees...dealing with employees rather than an owner/innkeeper tarnishes the experience for me.  Large Inns require employees to operate, but lose their uniqueness; the Innkeeper's personality does not show through. 

If you want to go un-noticed and can't stomach the idea of encountering other guests in the parlor or at the breakfast table, then B&B may just not be your thing.  If bright and interesting conversation in a warm and comfortable home atmosphere with room to spread out sounds good, then please try it again!

Wendy Keene
Applesauce Inn B&B
Bellaire, MI

    Hi, I agree with your other responses.  Stick with smaller B&B's (5 rooms or less).  They tend to offer more personal, quality service.  I have only rarely encountered a similar situation to what you described.  The best way to avoid having a negative experience is to look at the reviews before reserving the B&B.  If the reviews are mixed, I don't stay there. 

    Also, as in any situation, you usually get what you pay for.  We generally stay in a B&B that is around $100 per night - depending on the location.  As a result, our beds are soft, the rooms are clean, the breakfasts are gourmet, and the owners are highly professional.

    If, for any reason, you do encounter a negative experience I would encourage you to go forward with posting your negative experience online at BedandBreakfast.com or TripAdvisor.com so that other travelers can be warned before booking.  Similarly, please post positive experiences each time to reward those wonderful B&B owners who make your stay so nice!

    My husband and I prefer a B&B stay whenever we can.  We do our research before booking.  We almost always meet new friends as a result and get new ideas on decorating, recipes, and feel much more at home than at a hotel which may have loud air/heat, loud noises in the halls, and an institutional feeling.  Staying at a B&B enhances our travel experience.  It immerses you in the local community.  So please do not give up because of these two places.  There are so many clean, polite, and wonderful places waiting for your business!

Take care and happy traveling!

Thanks for a great response!  A few additional thoughts:

I have stayed at B&Bs ranging from one guest suite to 20, and have enjoyed almost all of them.  More than the size, though, what usually makes the difference to me is whether they are owner-operated or not.  Although there are exceptions, I find the best experiences to be when the owners are on site and involved in the day-to-day operations of the B&B or inn.

In terms of reviews, yes, yes, yes, please post reviews!  It makes a huge difference to both consumers and to innkeepers.  Regarding negative reviews -- although I take them very seriously, I also take seriously the owners' response (or lack thereof).  If, for example, someone complains that they didn't have enough hot water for the shower, and the innkeeper responds something like: "Yes, you're right, we've just replaced the tank with a larger one, and everything is now A-OK"  I wouldn't be deterred by the negative comment at all.   On the other hand, if they don't respond....

Sandy

 

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Sandy Soule
BedandBreakfast.com
Sandy@BedandBreakfast.com

Absolutely not. B & B's are usually great places to stay. Most of them provide service that is unique

and personal. Try again I'm sure you will enjoy it.

 

     Marcella at The Maids' Quarters B & B in Pottsville, Pa.

My wife and I have stayed at about 50 B&Bs during the past 10 years, all within a 3.5 hour radius of our home in south Jersey (in exchange for her support in getting a Miata, I had to demonstrate how much I'd love to drive it by planning little weekend getaways; not a bad deal).  We've only had three or four experiences when the innkeepers didn't really seem to love the hospitality business.

The vast, vast majority of our stays were in B&Bs that were at least 100 years old, generally had fewer than 10 rooms, and generally included a gourmet or "full" breakfast.  The rooms were adequately-sized (some were rather big; a few were tiny), clean, and generally decorated with antiques.  We've almost always been quite pleased with the inn and the innkeeper's hospitality.

In terms of "too personal", I had one innkeeper actually offer to wash a golf shirt for me when I sloppily got some blueberry jelly on it at breakfast.  It was ready to wear that evening after we returned from a day of activities.  I love that an innkeeper will know my name, offer input about activities in the area, and sincerely ask if there's anything else she can do to make my stay more enjoyable.

On the downside, we once stayed in a place where we were the only guests and the innkeeper left breakfast on warming trays while she watched TV in the next room, seemingly ignoring us.  The innkeepers of two other B&Bs appeared to have gone into business because of bad investments which prevented their retirement.  Each seemed somewhat chilly in his or her own way.

None of the innkeepers ever seemed to be "in our face" as in your two examples.  There are rules in most about smoking, using candles, etc., but, we've never been made to feel uncomfortable.

By the way, if you ever want to take an extra moment to try to trim that $40,000 tab, check out iloveinns.com.  You can buy a directory of inns which includes a coupon for one free night when you pay for one night.  "Some restrictions apply...", generally dealing with days of the week and months of the year when an inn will accept it.