If you are going away, one of the biggest considerations is where to stay. In this day and age, there are many options in terms of accommodation for vacations, especially in the UK. There are hotels, hostels, boutique hotels, Airbnb and homeshare options as well as Bed and Breakfasts. In the UK specifically, staying in a bed and breakfast is a great option as bed and breakfasts tend to have character and great insight into the area’s history and culture. Here are some tips if you are thinking of staying in a Bed and Breakfast:
- Location is key; as with hotels, try to look up the address and the area to see if it suits your desires and needs. If you are visiting a bigger city, are you ok staying outside the downtown core and experiencing the countryside? If you are staying in a smaller town, look for amenities nearby to make sure that there are stores, attractions and things near you in the case that transportation is limited
- Rent a car; renting a car gives you access to greater variety of accommodation, amenities, and different places to visit.
- Pack first aid; in a bed and breakfast, there are no concierges and limited ways to access emergency services and get advice. Try downloading an app like livi to give you access to a doctor instantly in the case of health issues.
- Tipping is not necessary; unlike the hotel, you do not need to tip the cleaning lady (it is the owner), or the owners/staff for breakfast- that is the point of a bed and breakfast.
- Read the rules; often the innkeeper or the staff will outline any rules or restrictions in terms of public and private spaces. Read any rules in your room in terms of further parameters including curfew, noise rules, etc.
- Web presence is key; in this day and age, if a bed and breakfast does not have an adequate web or social media presence, this can be a red flag. Sometimes this is just indicative of not enough resources to maintain an online presence, but a great web or online presence is an attractive quality and a great indicator into the innovative nature of the bed and breakfast.
- Communicate with your host or innkeeper; communicate regularly with your innkeeper so that you are able to ask questions and communicate about any issues that may arise. For example, communicating any and all dietary restrictions or preferences will ensure that you get the most out of your stay
- Book the right room; make sure to consider things like how many people you are with, how much noise you can tolerate, etc. Many bed and breakfasts have multiple rooms and sometimes bed and breakfast rooms have different themes, something to consider as well.
