Bed and Breakfast vs. Hotel: How Cozy is the Cottage?

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Difference between B & B and Hotel

For people planning to take a trip, there are usually a number of accommodation options to choose from, aside from the traditional hotels. There are motels, inns, pensions, and the more and more popular option, B&Bs. Offering a number of advantages over traditional accommodations, B&Bs are compared to hotels in this article.

B & B
Hotel

Profile

B&Bs or bed and breakfasts are small lodging establishments that provide customers with room accommodations along with breakfast. Most such places do not offer any other meals however. In most cases, bed and breakfasts are actually homes owned by the proprietor. They generally have fewer than 10 bedrooms available for rent.

Hotels are establishments that provide customers with accommodations on a short-term basis. Originally offering only simple rooms with beds, possibly a cupboard, table and a washstand, most hotels have since provided more amenities such as bathrooms and temperature control facilities.

Characteristics

In most B&Bs, guests are provided private bedrooms that typically come with their own bathrooms. Some other establishments offer suites of rooms with a bathroom shared among all the occupants of the suites. The breakfast offered may be served in the bedroom, the dining room, or the kitchen of the house.

B&Bs may either be operated as a primary or secondary source of income for the homeowner. Many older B&Bs carry on the tradition of the owner of the house providing the breakfast and cleaning services themselves, although many newer establishments typically hire people to perform these tasks.

As mentioned previously, most modern hotels offer bathrooms right in the suite, and air conditioning or climate control facilities. In addition, most hotel rooms now come with telephones, a TV, a mini-bar, and even alarm clocks or a safe. Pricier hotel rooms also come with a choice of pillows, twin-sinks in the bathroom, and even a Jacuzzi-style bathtub. Many also offer bathrobes and slippers for free. Many of the larger hotels may also have one or more restaurants, a swimming pool, a fully-featured gym, a business center, childcare facilities, and conference rooms.

Similarities And Differences

Technically speaking, B&Bs and hotels are differentiated by a single factor: the hiring of cleaning and/or cooking personnel. While many B&Bs typically hire a staff to perform these tasks, doing so means that they do not fall into the technical definition of a “B&B”, and are instead more accurately referred to as an inn or a hotel.

Summary:

B&B

  • Small lodging establishments that provide customers with room accommodations along with breakfast
  • Most do not offer any other meals
  • Most are actually homes owned by the proprietor
  • Generally have fewer than 10 bedrooms available for rent
  • Newer establishments typically hire people to perform cleaning and cooking tasks

Hotel

  • Establishments that provide customers with accommodations on a short-term basis
  • Originally offered only simple rooms with beds, a cupboard, table and a washstand
  • Have since provided more amenities such as bathrooms and temperature control facilities
 
 

Discuss It: comments 3

  • Guest
  • Dorothy Johnson wrote on May 2013

Thanks for sharing this information! I have been looking to find some good lodging that could satisfy my needs but I’m not sure how to tell a good one from a bad one. This gave me some great insight how good bed and breakfast is! Thanks for sharing.

  • Guest
  • J.Dorothy wrote on May 2013

This is an interesting post I’ve seen on this subject. You really have a good feel on this topic, and the way you wrote about it made it both interesting to read, and informative at the same time. I'm glad I dropped by. I will definitely check back in the future to read more of your entries. Keep writing and sharing your insights. Best of Luck!

  • Guest
  • Dr Rochelle Greenfield wrote on July 2013

Thanks fro sharing your wonderful tips.As i travel also i want a nature friendly and very relaxing hotel or B&B. Through searching and information it will be a good vacation!

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