Bed and Breakfast

The most important aspect of travel is accommodation. Planned travel usually also has planned or pre booked accommodation. This way, the travelers can make use of the lodging to rest, store their belongings and finally come back to their boarding after a long day’s schedule. One aspect of boarding that is not very popular is the Bed and Breakfast. Bed and Breakfast (B&B) operates in the mode of an inn. Inn lodging used to be a popular concept in many countries and those countries which had the practice of inn lodging, have still not given up the tradition, but have extended it in the form of Bed and Breakfast. Before Bed and Breakfast emerged out to be a business, travelers who had hosts in their destinations could have such comforts. For example, a doctor might stay in the house of another doctor or a pharmacist whom he had knowledge of. Such Bed and Breakfast settings had informal customs and did not require a lot of effort from the part of the host. The concept of Bed and Breakfast is that, the travelers could use the lodging to rest for the night and the inn authorities would provide with breakfast, the morning after. The meal is usually served either in the bedroom, or at the dining hall. Such a type of boarding is best suited for unplanned travel. Usually such Bed and Breakfast inns encourage only small set of travelers and this is not ideal for families. The main factor to be noted in this is that, the Bed and Breakfast inns serve only one meal of the day, that is the breakfast and the travelers get to check out of the inn, once their dining is finished. They seek alternate means for the other meals of the day. Bed and Breakfast inns are very cost effective, as the lodging provided is small and lacks luxury. It would be ideal just for a night’s stay. The customs of Bed and Breakfast inns differ between countries. The food that is provided in British Bed and Breakfast inns are usually on the demand of the customers and the meal may include eggs, bacon, salads, and sausages. The guests are expected to leave by noon and payment to be made on arrival. Some of the key factors to be noted while choosing a Bed and Breakfast are: - The hygiene of the place: Since the check in is made during the nights, one may not give much importance to the cleanliness of the place. It should be ensured that the Bed and Breakfast is situated in a clean environment. Taking references from previous lodgers can help in this. The hygiene also applies to food. Food provided must be checked for its quality; therefore the choice of the lodging must be made judiciously. - Tariff: A detailed study of the tariff must be made, as there can be many Bed and Breakfast inns which charge exorbitant amounts for just a night’s lodging and the morning’s breakfast. A comparison can be made, incase the travel and the stay are pre planned. - Safety: The safety of the Bed and Breakfast inn should be doubly ensured. An ideal Bed and Breakfast inn should have fire safety equipments and also provision for storing valuables and bags.