| There have been many changes in the b & b industry throughout the years, and there will be lots more changes to come. Gaining a perspective of these changes will give you perspective for the changes that are coming. Evolution is a natural aspect of business, the more prepared you are for it the easier and smoother everything will be for you.
Perspective on the industry changes depending how long you are in it. For those who've been around for a while, you will have seen some massive changes in the business approach and the experience for any guest. What has changed? You may be surprised by the answers. Even more importantly, all of us will see lots of changes in the coming years. Having some perspective on the past will help you prepare for the future.
When I first got into the industry 20 years ago it was common to see B&Bs with shared bathrooms and double beds. You rarely found phones or TVs in the rooms. There were private baths, queen and king beds, phones and TVs here and there, but they were only for those who could afford it.
The best way to promote your B&B was to get into one of the best B&B books, but that took a long time to get into, because of print schedules and the innkeeper's dedication to quickly submitting their B&B for inclusion. The number of B &B books available rose from a just a few to over 100 in a few years, showing you how popular they were with the travelling public and publishers alike. An ad in the yellow pages and in local newspapers was important. Printed brochures were used rampantly, along with the regular forms of advertising already mentioned.
Room rates tended to be cheap and discounting room rates was very normal. B&Bs were popular for just being a B&B; that was once sufficient for an innkeeper's success.
A bed and breakfast is a small establishment that offers overnight accommodation and a small meal in the morning but does not usually offer other meals. Typically, bed and breakfasts are private homes with fewer than 10 bedrooms available for commercial use. The term bed and breakfast originally comes from the U.K.
Generally, guests stay in private bedrooms with private bathrooms, or in a suite of rooms including an en suite bathroom. Some places have private bedrooms with a bathroom which is shared with other guests. Breakfast is served in the bedroom, a dining room, or in the kitchen.
B&Bs and guest houses may be operated either as a secondary source of income or a primary occupation. Usually the owners themselves prepare and serve the breakfast and clean the room etc., but some bed and breakfasts hire staff for cleaning or cooking. Although some bed and breakfast owners hire professional staff, a property which hires professional management is usually no longer considered a bed and breakfast, but then becomes a hotel or an inn.
A new concept originating from Seattle has been a floating B & B, where the accommodation is on a boat.
Today it's mostly common to have private baths and large beds. You will find phones and internet as standard in guestrooms now, and more TVs with DVD players can be found too. There are still inns that have traditional shared baths, double beds, and no phones or TVs, but they are much less common and usually much cheaper. More B&Bs are installing hot tubs or jaccuzi’s and fireplaces. Innkeepers are always finding new ways to pamper their guests so they may return in the future.
Nowadays the best way to promote your B&B is via the internet. There still are B&B travel books, but they are less useful than they were many years ago. Yellow pages and newspaper ads are still important, but again much less than they were in years gone by.
With all the change that has happened, some things have stayed the same. Cleanliness is still important. Customer service continues to bring guests back and build great reputations among travellers. Developing and working your marketing program is still what brings in business. Innkeepers, today as yesterday, are concerned about their income and expenses. Networking with other innkeepers and businesses is still an important activity. Innkeepers understand that teamwork with their staff and other innkeepers makes for light work and happier days. Owning a B & B, when done well, evokes positive emotion in guests that they share with their friends, family and associates. And the need for an exit strategy from the B&B is as important as ever, and probably as overlooked as ever.
B&Bs, and frequently guest houses, are a budget option where owners often take pride in the high service levels, local knowledge and personal touch that they are able to offer.
In recent years B&Bs in the u.k have struggled against budget hotel chains. Traditionally, business travelers used B&Bs but many of these clients now tend to stay in budget hotels. However, in holiday areas the B&B and guest house are still just as popular. Unlike the hotel chains, they provide a more comprehensive service and breakfast is included in the price, and some who stay regularly may simply like knowing their hosts.
B&Bs tend to place their bedrooms in different sizes.
Deluxe: This standard of B&B accommodation is considered to be very high and deluxe rooms would be available in high end B&Bs and guesthouse accommodation. Deluxe rooms would often have additional furniture or Jacuzzis in the bathroom.
Standard: There is not a bathroom within the bedroom. In this case there will be shared bathroom facilities in another room on the corridor. Usually there will be a washbasin within the room.
The most common regulations B&Bs must follow are about safety. They are usually required by local and national law to have fire resistance, a sufficient fire escape plan in place, and smoke detectors in each guest room. Kitchens and equipment used to serve meals are also often required to be monitored for hygienic operation, but there are significant national and local differences.
Many inns and bed and breakfasts are members of professional associations. There are international, national, regional, and local associations, all of which provide services to both their members and the travelling public. Many require their members to meet specific standards of quality, while others simply require a lodging establishment to pay dues. These associations also facilitate marketing of the individual B&Bs and provide a stamp of approval that the business in question is reputable.
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