There are many different types of establishments that are classified as B&Bs.
From an historical perspective they originated as someone’s home where the homeowner rented out bedrooms for weary travelers and offered them a breakfast to start their day for a low, reasonable charge…. probably in Europe and more so in the United Kingdom.
The concept came over here to the United States where many B&Bs started on the east coast especially in the New England area. Over time the concept evolved and caught on by many more people, and this part-time occupation or sometimes hobby for some innkeepers has now turned into a full blown profession, with innkeepers holding down the Inn as a full time job, taking classes to improve the operations or procedures in running this type of business, and even organizing into professional associations locally and nationally.
Some Bed & Breakfasts are ran as a fulltime venture with the innkeepers earning a living and some are doing it part-time and also holding a fulltime job or they just may be doing it as a hobby for fun to meet other people and earn a little side money to help supplement their retirement. In any of the cases, the Inns are uniquely different as are their owners/innkeepers. That is what makes a B & B such a wonderful travel experience, each Inn has its own personality that has transpired from the personalities of the owners or innkeepers.
What makes the difference among a Bed and Breakfast, an Inn, a Guest House, or a Country Inn? This sort of a gray area. It really is semantics. Some people refer to an establishment with 1-4 bedrooms as a B &B, while a place with 5-10 is an Inn, and a place with more than 10 as a County Inn. Others have no distinction, so a B & B can also be called an Inn.
It is hard to say what is a bed & breakfast and at what level the lodging becomes a hotel. I would say that a B & B and/or Inn are smaller, more quaint and homey. Many B & Bs offer almost the same amenities as a hotel except a breakfast is included, as well as many other perks. Sometimes the more expensive perks like bike rentals or packages for weddings nights, birthdays are sold separately form the room price. Some hotels are trying to be like a B & B and offer a variety of “free” amenities, or included perks, but what they lack is the real essence of a B & B and that is the personalities of the place due to the one-on-one owners/innkeepers. The innkeeper-guest interaction, whether for suggestions for restaurants or area events, or just a social chat about world economics, is where a B & B differs from a hotel.
To the innkeeper, this is their life not a job as in the place of a hotel/motel. Due to the smallness and this bonding with the innkeeper, there is also a chance for the guests… total strangers to each other, to bond and form relationships. It happens all the time around the breakfast table in a B & B, but try sit with a stranger at a breakfast table in a hotel, or in the lounge… it doesn’t happen… not as often as at a B & B.
Bed & Breakfast and/or Inns are becoming more wide spread and frequently used by travelers for vacationing or for business. Yes, the business traveler is finding out how nice traveling can be if they stay with a Bed & Breakfast. Now that’s another Blog post, so I’ll hold on that for now.
So, when making a reservation at an Inn, be sure to book early because this type of lodging has become very popular with vacationers, people just passing through, and business travelers. Innkeepers are charming, informed about their area, gracious hosts, and even just plain fun…. They can be some of the nicest folks around!
You can always find out more information on the Bed & Breakfasts and Inns of North Carolina by visiting the North Carolina Bed & Breakfast and Inn Association at www.NCBBI.org
OR....... Just Come Visit Us Sometime If You Are Ever In Raleigh, North Carolina! www.oakwoodinnbb.com
Gary
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