Bed and Breakfast Directory

To make your stay as comfortable as possible, it is important to consider some of the differences between full service hotels and private family homes that offer bed and breakfast. As our bed and breakfast directory lists both we thought it better to differentiate.

By booking a bed and breakfast holiday or short break you will enjoy the social and cultural benefits of meeting friendly family hosts. We know of many bed and breakfast hosts that have gone on to become friends with their clients and many people return year after year - the bed and breakfast becomes their home from home.

There are many differences with bed and breakfast around the world and this bed and breakfast directory lists quite a number!
For example, in America bed and breakfast is now associated with the country inn type of accommodation, with housekeepers, staff and often with a restaurant. Whereas most other B and B residences worldwide are private family homes (like bed and breakfast in England UK), and often older properties, sometimes several hundred years old, and consequently may have smaller rooms than you are used to at home or in modern hotels.

You shouldn't really expect are air conditioning or lifts (elevators) unless they are specifically mentioned. You will find that some of the homes have attached "en-suite" bathrooms, however at a number of other homes the private bathrooms may be adjacent to the bedrooms or a few steps away.

As you will be given a key to the proprietors home this is a courtesy that should be respected. If you intend to return late, please be considerate of other guests and the host family - think of how you would like to be treated. The rooms are regularly serviced, varying from home to home, but there is very rarely any 'room service'. You are staying "en famille" and not at a full service hotel.

An obvious but often overlooked difference between hotels and staying at private family homes, is that of service; there is no receptionist on duty, so it is vital that the family knows what time to expect you, as they have daily family business to attend and many hosts have other daytime jobs to work around as well.

Of course the real bonus to the personal contact of staying at a private bed and breakfast is that you will be staying with hosts who really know the area and can give you the great advice about places to eat, shop and visit.

It's like having a personal guide to your holiday!

Take a look through our bed and breakfast directory, it's a big world out there.

Tess Dawson

If it's not this bed and breakfast registry you're looking for then maybe you may like to see our sister company for Private Villa Rentals & Holiday Villas