XTremo54 asked:

Bed and Breakfast Spain

Adrian Adams asked:


There are many reasons to stay at a Bed and Breakfast. However, many Bed and Breakfasts offer different amenities and services, so you need to learn about what a particular Bed and Breakfast offers before reserving your room. Nothing helps you take a vacation that feels like home more than a good Bed and Breakfast.

1. Romance Can Blossom

A Bed and Breakfast can be a great way to spend some time alone with your partner. As opposed to hotels, a Bed and Breakfast is usually somewhat secluded and often surrounded by beautiful, romantic settings. The limited number of rooms is well suited for couples.

2. Private And Personal

If you are looking for a private and personal place to stay, a B&B may be exactly what you are looking for. It is easy to get to know your innkeeper, and you can make special requests if you are longing for some hard earned private time. Innkeepers will help make your stay as comfortable as possible.

3. Homemade Cooking

There is nothing better than a home cooked meal. At a Bed / Breakfast, you are guaranteed a home cooked breakfast. An innkeeper will often plan their grocery outing around guest arrival times to ensure the freshest food possible is delivered to your plate every morning.

4. Affordable And All Inclusive

The cost of a B&B is all inclusive. You won’t have to pay additional fees for parking or extra amenities. The amenities available at a B&B may vary, so find out ahead of time if they offer everything you will want or need for your stay.

5. A Unique Experience

Each Bed and Breakfast is located in a unique area which will allow you to have a unique experience. Many Bed and Breakfasts have a rich history behind them or places nearby. Innkeepers are often very knowledgeable about interesting events and places to visit in the area that you may not otherwise have had a chance to visit. The different personalities and preferences of innkeepers will also help to make your stay unique, memorable and enjoyable.

Remember that a Bed and Breakfast is not run with a full-time staff but more likely by an individual or couple that must do everything from cooking your breakfast to making your bed. Be considerate, arrive on time and enjoy your stay at a wonderful, romantic, affordable, and unique bed and breakfast! And of course remember to have plenty of fun!

Richard Clement asked:


If you’re planning on visiting County Galway, Ireland, consider lodging at a Bed and Breakfast. Whether you’re going to see one of the many music festivals, to explore Galway City or to simply enjoy the scenery, you’ll find that bed and breakfast accommodations go beyond the typical experience.

Visiting a new country can be both a thrilling time and the cause of some anxiety. After all, you’ll have no concrete idea where anything is located, you certainly won’t know the city and the customs and language can seem foreign, even when you’re in a country that speaks your own language by and large. Having a friendly host to help you navigate the area can not only be of great comfort; it can help one make certain not to miss what’s really worth seeing and doing.

A bed and breakfast offers just what the name implies, and much more. Instead of staying at a hotel one stays at a private residence which lets rooms to tourists and other travelers. It’s somewhat akin to the “Inns” of the past. In some cases, you’ll have difficulty figuring out exactly what’s changed about the business model since travelers arrived at such destinations on horseback seeking lodging for the night and a good meal in the morning before setting out. The famous hospitality is still there, the proprietors are still experts in the areas in which they do business and the portions are still generous. Sometimes a taste of the old-fashioned is particularly welcome. In a nation with as much history as Ireland, it’s certainly appropriate.

Your accommodations will not be ones where you are simply a room number to be cleaned in the morning and billed every day. You’ll meet real people, get to know them a bit and very likely come to learn a great deal about their culture and customs. It’s amazing how fast the anxiety of being out of place can be overcome with some meaningful interaction with the locals.

If you’re seeking accommodations off the beaten path, a bed and breakfast is, by far, the best choice. After an outdoor adventure, there’s nothing quite as comforting as slipping in to a comfortable bed in a real house. Instead of listening to the sound of doors slamming, people making noise all night and traffic, you’ll spend the night in a home where you’ll know each and every one of your temporary neighbors.

Bed and breakfasts are much more than accommodations. They’re an opportunity to network socially which can be of great use in an unfamiliar place. If there are multiple rooms for let at the establishment you choose, you’ll likely meet other tourists and quite possibly end up passing some of your time getting to know them. Depending on where you’re from, you may well run into people from your own country of origin, as well.

If you’re looking for a travel experience that you’ll remember for the rest of your life, consider staying at a bed and breakfast.

Landon Colins asked:


There are a hundred and one reasons Amsterdam is a city like no other. What makes Amsterdam special? It’s the city’s rich culture and heritage. Its the high quality of life and commercial dynamism. It’s in Amsterdam’s unique blend of cosmopolitan culture and old-world charm. Most of all, it’s in the people. These factors, and more, make Amsterdam one of the most popular European destinations. What better way to experience the city’s beauty and cultural attractions than by staying in cheap bed and breakfasts in Amsterdam?

Bed and Breakfasts in Amsterdam

More comfortable than hostels and backpacker accommodations but considerably cheaper than full service hotels, cheap bed and breakfasts in Amsterdam are usually exceptionally nice places to stay in. Cheap bed and breakfasts in Amsterdam are often remodeled old homes and mansions, painstakingly restored to represent the way they were originally built. These affordable accommodations give you a sense of going back in time, while giving you a glimpse of all that the city has to offer.

What’s In A Name

As the name promises, cheap bed and breakfasts in Amsterdam give you exactly that – a bed and a breakfast. Cheap bed and breakfasts in Amsterdam provide clean and comfortable rooms for you to stay in, usually complete with an en suite bathroom.

Breakfast varies and is usually included in the room rate, depending on your host. Some cheap bed and breakfasts in Amsterdam provide full meals of eggs, meat, pancakes, freshly squeezed juices, and coffee. Others provide much lighter meals. Still, there are some cheap bed and breakfasts in Amsterdam that may require you to pay extra for breakfast.

What To Expect

Cheap bed and breakfasts in Amsterdam are perfect for the gourmet traveler on a budget. When staying in a bed and breakfast, you can guarantee that all your senses are pampered, from the moment you arrive to the time you leave.

On arrival, it is possible to find a glass of champagne or a platter of fruit and cheese in your room. Many cheap bed and breakfasts in Amsterdam will provide baskets with goodies to pamper your weary travel-worn body with such treats as scented candles, soap, shower and bath gel, and specially formulated shampoo. Some go the extra mile if providing you with the best quality bed sheets, blankets, and duvets and pillows as soft as clouds.

Most cheap bed and breakfasts in Amsterdam give you access to your own bathroom, too, and often, these are equipped with showers and bathtubs. Smaller bed and breakfasts may provide shared bathrooms. Do not fret, however, because hosts go through great lengths to keep shared bathrooms clean.

Lodging in a bed and breakfast can often give you the feeling you’re staying at a five-star hotel sans the hefty price tag. In essence, staying in a bed and breakfast is living in somebody else’s house in style. Hosts of cheap bed and breakfasts in Amsterdam have opened up their homes to strangers like you, with the idea of making their home your home away from home.

Patti Rob asked:


If you want to run a bed and breakfast, then do it with style. There are too many of them out there with for vacancies night after night. There are also plenty with for sales signs in front of them. You goal should be to have a very profitable as well as exciting place to offer. People travel all the time for work so why not offer them as close to home comfort as they can get?

When you run a bed and breakfast, you really need to get the message out about what you offer. Most people have hotel or motel on the brain when they are looking for a place to stay. Therefore you need to make sure your own business is one they will find too. Advertise everywhere that motels and hotels do including the internet, locally, billboards, with fliers, and more.

Having multiple streams of advertising in place when you run a bed and breakfast will bring you in more guests. You can easily track where the traffic is generating from as well. This can be done by having a code with the advertising that they use when they make the reservation. Evaluate that data so you can keep the forms of advertising that work for your bed and breakfast. Get rid of the rest so you can get the most return for the dollars you invest in advertising.

There are many ways to personalize your bed and breakfast. Start out by having a central location. Remember that people have to be able to conveniently get there. Otherwise they will choose another place to stay. They also want to feel very welcome so make sure you have fliers with pictures as well as a tour online they can take. People don’t like the risk of staying in a place they haven’t seen before.

Be genuine in your efforts as you run a bed and breakfast. Guests will be able to tell if you are really happy with what you do or not. They want to be able to relax and enjoy the atmosphere that you provide. They also want an affordable cost so budget wisely. Don’t spend a fortune getting things into place.

The more overhead expenses you have, the more you will have to charge your guests to stay there. They may not find it holds the same value or they can stay someplace else for a lower cost. As a result you may end up with empty rooms too often to make your bed and breakfast a success. It can be stressful to need to make a set amount of money just to break even with such a business. Avoid having your money that restrained and you will feel better.

Start out with the necessities and build your business from there. You can always upgrade down the road when you have saved up some profits. This way you don’t risk getting yourself too far into debt. You can successfully run a bed and breakfast that you really enjoy if you are creative, pay attention to advertising, and you keep your costs low.

Darlene Berkel asked:


Spring Break is here! Going on a short vacation is a wonderful and relaxing way to take a break from the hurried and stressful lives that so many of us lead. Career pressures, family problems, and a number of other issues seem to crowd our daily lives until we feel like we may explode. That’s the first sign that it may be time for vacation.

Taking a vacation with your family, your spouse, or even a close friend can be a fun and exciting time. It’s a great way to help your family become closer or a marriage to become more intimate and stronger. Finding a quality bed and breakfast accommodation to fit your style and budget is a perfect place to spend the nights of your vacation getaway.

Why Choose A Bed And Breakfast Accommodation Instead Of A Hotel

Many people are not familiar with the plentiful bed and breakfast accommodations that span the landscape as well. They may think that a hotel or motel are the only accommodation choices available. However, a bed and breakfast offers many features that a hotel does not, namely a personalized experience that is fitted to your individual needs as a couple or a family.

One unique feature of the bed and breakfast is that the customer is usually provided with a gourmet breakfast which is included in the price of the room. Bed and breakfast accommodations can be situated in a variety of landscapes, such as a mountain hideaway or a beach setting. Different styles of homes are often turned into fine bed and breakfast accommodations. Old, vintage style homes are often renovated and turned into Victorian homes which offer fabulous furnishings and antique appeal.

These homes are often very friendly in nature, as the owners like to get to know their guests and treat them as old friends or family members. For those guests who enjoy a more private vacation, the hosts often leave a couple alone and only intervene on an as needed basis. Separate bungalows or cabins are sometimes a part of this experience as well, depending on the layout of the bed and breakfast.

No matter what type of vacation you are looking forward to, a bed and breakfast accommodation helps the experience to be memorable for all. For those taking children along, there are many bed and breakfasts that are child-friendly, offering a pool or other fun experience. Bed and breakfast accommodations are a comfortable and affordable way to spend precious vacation time in a home away from home.

Cliff Calderwood asked:


Inns and bed and breakfasts can be a wonderful type of accommodation for a vacation or getaway weekend. Understanding how they work and the pluses and minuses of choosing them over a traditional hotel room is key to making sure your stay is both delightful and stress-free.

In New England, inns and bed and breakfasts are a popular choice and often located in historic homes full of antiques and unique furnishings. In other parts of the country and world the term is more loosely used in describing a place to rest your head for the night and then move on.

In my book, inns are a delightful alternative to hotels and resorts. But they are not for everybody, and here’s the answers to some basic questions to determine if it’s the type of accommodation that’ll work for you…

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN INNS AND BED AND BREAKFASTS?

Let’s start by clearing up any confusion on the differences between inns and bed and breakfasts. And it’s not so much in the name as how they advertise themselves.

Firstly, there’s rarely any difference in accommodation. The personality of a bed and breakfast can be every bit as good as the charm of an inn. The difference is in the prepared meals. A bed and breakfast is just that… expect a bed… and a breakfast, but you’re on your own for dinner. But at inns, they’re set-up to provide dinner as well, although it’s usually an option, and not included in the quoted price. The listing will be very clear if dinner is offered. But assume its just bed and breakfast if nothing is mentioned.

In many areas of the world inns and bed and breakfasts are also called guesthouses. If at all possible ask to see a picture of the place, or visit their web site, where one should be posted. A lot can be surmised from a picture of your potential accommodation.

ARE THEY RIGHT FOR MY KIDS?

Many inns and bed and breakfasts don’t accommodate young children. Sometimes the age and furnishings of the place are not appropriate for the fingers and playfulness of kids. But when an inn says kids are welcome, then you’d better believe they really mean they’re kid friendly. Now there’s nothing wrong with that (I have three myself), but don’t expect too much peace and quiet and solitude.

Between those inns that ban children, and those that embrace them, you’ll find a number of listings that put age restriction on children. For example they’ll say something like: 12 or older, or above 6-years old. These places are also catering to a single or couple looking for a chance to unwind and free of noise and high activity. If you’ve got high-action kids then bed and breakfasts may not be ideal for your family.

WHAT SERVICE CAN I EXPECT?

Staying in inns is different than staying at a hotel. You shouldn’t expect a country inn to be like a Hilton, with hordes of staff at your beck and call, and soundproof walls. Also, having a party and playing loud music after 11:00pm won’t win you any brownie points with your host or the other guests.

Remember… the innkeeper or host is there to provide you, and other guests, with a unique experience in unique surroundings, but to do that they’ll need your understanding.

WHAT’S THE USUAL CHECK-IN CHECK-OUT TIME?

Your host will go out of their way to greet you when you check-in. Usually when you reserve you’ll be told when their normal check-in and check-out times are. But most can accommodate your arrival and departure outside those hours.

But you need to let them know if you’ll be late arriving so they can arrange for you to get into the house (yes, the doors are locked after a certain hour), and to your room. It’s one thing to show up at midnight at your hotel – they’re staffed round the clock – but it’s entirely another matter to roll-in after 11:00pm at a bed and breakfast, and expect your host to get out of bed and greet you smiling. After all, they’re probably making an early breakfast for everybody in the morning.

CAN YOU NEGOTIATE PRICE?

Just like hotels the room rate for inns is negotiable. The main difference is unlike a hotel, the person on the other end of a phone is usually the owner of the bed and breakfast, and they can make the decision on the spot. All you have to do is ask in a nice way.

Just remember the innkeeper may only have a few rooms to begin with anyway, and if you’re haggling over the last room then don’t be offended if they don’t give you a price reduction. But on the other hand one room of a four-room inn without a paying guest reduces a host’s profit by 25%. So it’s always worth asking for a reduction!

HOW MUCH CAN YOU REALLY SAVE?

Most inns can book their weekends or popular seasonal period’s weeks in advance. For instance, in New England the fall foliage season makes rooms a premium, and most are booked many months in advance.

But outside these constraints filling the rooms at an inn during the week, particularly off-season, is much more difficult. You’ll get the best deals for bed and breakfasts traveling mid-week and out of season. Now contrast this with hotels that have the opposite problem, because they cater to the mid-week business traveler, but can’t get people in rooms at the weekends.

WHAT ELSE DO YOU NEED TO KNOW?

Here’s a few extra tips once you’ve decided an inn or bed and breakfast is the right choice for you…

Be sure to get detailed directions to the inn as many are converted homes and blend in with the surroundings, and don’t have neon advertising signs like hotels. When you call make sure you understand the cancellation polices as they are usually much more restrictive than hotels. And don’t forget your host is familiar with the area and can point you to attractions and restaurants not on any tour guide or map.

I love staying in inns. They’ve a lot going for them. Inns are usually very affordable, offer tons more variety than a bland hotel room, and are a great way to meet fellow travelers or vacationers.

Rolf Joho asked:


When traveling on a budget, it is important to seek out bed and breakfast places which are not expensive but also not such a dump. The term bed and breakfast means that the place where one is considering on putting oneself up is capable of feeding the person as well as giving him or her a good night’s sleep. There are certain aspects that may be overlooked when choosing a bed and breakfast for a traveler’s needs.

Safety

Safety is always the number one concern when choosing to stay in a bed and breakfast. It may not necessarily mean bodily safety but is also entail being safe with regards to other property. It is wise to check out the area that one wishes to travel and stay in a bed and breakfast. Areas which may be well known for thievery or muggings may not be a good area to stay in. In case, there are no other options, taking extra precautions to ensure that one is relatively safe should be exercised. Choose a room in the bed and breakfast with a dead bolt or a lock which can be bolted from the inside as well as a key lock. Windows should also be checked for fully functioning locks and catches to avoid entry from those portals. If all else fails, sleep with personal and important belongings under the bed or the pillow to prevent their loss. Hiring a safe for the time being in the bed and breakfast may be an option except when in doubt as to the validity of such safety in the safe.

Bodily safety can be achieved by doing the same precautions stated above. Lock what can be locked and avoid advertising or showing off one’s finances when checking in the bed and breakfast. Make sure that one’s money is divided into small bunches or groups to ensure that when one’s pockets are picked, there may be some other money left over. When checking in to the bed and breakfast, do not request loudly for a safe to use or a secure room since these might arouse the suspicions of unscrupulous individuals that you have some considerable wealth to hide or keep safe. Doing so might also tempt some individuals into mugging you.

Always make sure that some one else knows of your whereabouts when going off on your own. This precaution will help family an friends keep track of one’s whereabouts and also make them suspicious of you do not check in on them from time to time. One should have a regular schedule of calling or emailing them to alert them if something might be wrong.

Room Requisites

While it is understandable that many of the bed and breakfast places may be considerably lacking when it comes to creature comforts, there are also some requisites that will need to be present for living comfortably. A clean and functioning comfort room and bathroom should be top on the list of needs for a bed and breakfast. It is useless to rent a room in a bed and breakfast that does not have the functioning comfort room and bathroom. These are daily needs that should be present in even the most spartan rooms.

Am emergency exit should also be present in the floor of the bed and breakfast that one is staying in. This will enable you to avoid any disasters that may occur during your stay in the place. It is also worthwhile to check the windows of the room one is occupying to see if they open and lock well enough to give one an emergency exit as well as relative safety from intruders.

gofaster1000 asked:

Henderson Castle is a unique castle built in the late 1800’s. A true castle now restored and a bed and breakfast. Spend a night in a real castle!

Natalie Wilcox asked:


Whether it is a bed and breakfast in Vermont or an overnight stay with a continental meal somewhere else, good customer service has always been an ingredient guests look for. For example, many people assume that a Jay Peak bed and breakfast will be just another stay in a rustic hotel or lodge in Vermont.

For a bed and breakfast, however, customer service and hospitality to guests is a key ingredient to ensure a guest’s satisfaction. Regardless whether guests prefer to stay at a Vermont bed and breakfast or some posh hotel down the road, guests deserve the best customer service possible.

Good customer service has always been the lifeline of any hotel, inn, bed and breakfast, or other business establishment for that matter. The best customer service, however, is more than just a comfortable bed or a gourmet breakfast or the additional amenities that go with the usual Vermont bed and breakfast package.

Though the quality of a service or a product is essential, the best customer experiences revolve around delivery and approach. One can easily advertise that staying at a beautiful Jay Peak bed and breakfast entitles a guest to a day of horseback riding in Vermont’s woodlands; but, making the right pitch to persuade the customer to make a reservation in the first place is an entirely different story.

The whole point of excellent customer service is two-pronged — bring them in and send them away happy and satisfied. While both aspects of customer service can be challenging, the latter presents a greater challenge. A guest who opted to stay at a bed and breakfast in Vermont should leave happy — happy enough to pass the word of his stay in the establishment to his associates, friends, and loved ones, who in turn will want to stay at the same Vermont bed and breakfast.

Here are some of the best customer service practices every Vermont bed and breakfast must apply:

1. Politely answer the phone – a good business establishment, whether a posh hotel in a big city or a bed and breakfast in Vermont, should have someone to answer the phone in a friendly, polite manner. Hire an extra person if you have to. The important thing is that customers should have a real person on the other end of the line and not a recorded message with instructions to wait for the next 25 minutes or so.

2. Deliver the goods – simply put, keep your establishment’s promises. If a two-night stay at your bed and breakfast includes a 50% discount on the guest’s next stay, then it is best to stay true and deliver the promise should the same guest reserve another stay.

3. Listen to your guests – whether they are babbling about their rooms’ mismatching colors or simply want to engage you in a dialogue, be attentive. If there’s a complaint, do not interrupt. Let your guests finish talking and offer to make solutions. If it’s just a warm, friendly conversation they desire, then show you are interested by listening intently and contribute to the conversation as best as possible.

4. Always have a helping hand ready – when a guest requires assistance, immediately offer it, even if you do not profit from it. Offering a sincere helping hand will guarantee you land a great impression with your first time guests as well as those who are returning. With impeccable service from your Vermont bed and breakfast, your guests will be inclined to stay with you time after time.

The bottom line remains the same — excellent customer service creates customer loyalty.