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.
Posts Tagged ‘Need’
Inns And Bed And Breakfasts – What You Need To Know
Category Food And Beverage
Whole Health Foods and you – What you Need to Know!
Category Health Food
Looking to improve your quality of life? Switching to whole health foods will cause your body to do back flips, eliminate that tired sluggish feeling and improve your quality of life.
There are plenty of benefits to eating whole foods and the sooner you start the better you’ll feel. Eating whole foods leaves plenty of immediate health benefits as well as the obvious ideological ones.
One of the most important reasons to eat whole health foods is simply to see the difference that this diet will impart.
In today’s world, if you’re anything like me, you run around from morning until night, and the food that is readily available to you is no where near as good for you as you would like.
The overly processed food that saturates our supermarkets results in us eating more and still not getting the same nutritional benefits or satisfaction that we would get from a smaller amount of whole health food.
Do you remember food tasting better when you were younger? Over the last few decades, food processing has increased a great deal, leaving us with food that is poorer in tastes and nutritional benefit.
Do you know that it would take 38 cans of todays spinach to equal the nutritional value of just one 1954 can of spinach. That is a big difference!
Your whole family will reap the benefits of your shopping for whole health foods. If you have young children, an increase in whole foods will improve their memory and their attention span, something that is essential during their early developmental year.
With older family members, a diet of whole health foods provides a boost in energy. With more energy to spare, I’ve found that people have a good deal more patience for each other, something that any family can use!
Buying whole health foods is also a great way to introduce environmental responsibility to your family.
Did you know that the normal processing that goes into regular foodstuffs contributes heavily to air pollutants? With this in mind, even a small thing like switching your household over to whole foods can make an important difference.
Eating whole foods is a way to be eco friendly while integrating this theme into your family’s regular life.
When we talk about leaving a legacy to our descendants, we’re usually talking about property or money or trust funds, but what about things like their planet and their bodies?
Through eating whole foods, your family is making an investment in the future and ensuring that the planet your grandchildren receive is as clean and as unspoiled as possible.
Likewise, kids who grow up on a healthy diet pass this on to their children, so you are helping untold generations to lead healthy, fulfilled lifestyles! Insure that you leave an inheritance of environmental concern to you family beside the heirlooms.
Take a look at your diet and then take a look at the world around you. If you’re looking for a way to make a difference in both your own health and that of a planet take a look at whole health foods!
The Voice of Small Business: It's a Start, But Small Businesses Need to Hear More
Category Uncategorized
When Sen. John McCain delivered the keynote address at the National Federation of Independent Business 2008 National Small Business Summit last month, he did much more than speak to several hundred interested small business owners. He pushed the concerns of a significant voting bloc to the forefront of the presidential campaigns. In fact, both Sens. McCain and Barack Obama have spent much time specifically addressing the No. 1 issue among small businesses — healthcare. And it’s about time.
Recognizing that healthcare costs have become unmanageable for many entrepreneurs, Sen. McCain said, if elected, his administration would introduce healthcare reform that would provide hardworking Americans more options and expand portability of coverage.
Sen. Obama, who was invited to speak at the Summit but did not attend, responded to Sen. McCain’s remarks by reiterating that small businesses need more options to access quality, affordable healthcare coverage. We also know both candidates recognize that implementing health information technology and addressing an inequitable tax structure should play a part in any comprehensive reform package.
Over the past few weeks, it’s been encouraging to see the candidates discuss the issues facing the small business, especially the rising cost of healthcare. But they — and all of our country’s leaders — must realize that entrepreneurs deserve more than just discussions. Because the truth is, these job creators, those on the front lines of the healthcare crisis, are the voters who will be electing the next president, and they are demanding the next administration and Congress implement real change that makes healthcare more affordable for working Americans.
According to a recent NFIB survey, 81 percent of small business owners and 52 percent of employees do not feel the presidential candidates are adequately addressing issues that are important to them, specifically healthcare. In fact, nearly three-quarters of those polled say fixing healthcare should be a top priority for the next president, and nearly 80 percent agree that “it is important to me to vote for a presidential candidate whose healthcare plan makes sense for small business.”
A similar survey showed that the small business community comprised 43 percent of U.S. registered voters and nearly 32 percent of the electorate on Super Tuesday. These numbers prove that small business is a powerful, motivated group in a position to demand substantial solutions to the healthcare crisis from their candidates.
Both candidates are focused on reforming our ailing healthcare system and have begun to recognize that small business must be considered in any proposed legislation. The National Small Business Summit may have ended, but small business’ commitment to achieving quality, affordable healthcare has not.
We’re at the beginning of long and productive discussions with both candidates to ensure the needs of small businesses remain at the forefront of the healthcare debate. Because we know that solutions to America’s healthcare crisis must start with small businesses, the backbone of the U.S. economy. When healthcare is fixed for small business, it will be fixed for America.