Every Bed and Breakfast owner brings his or her skill set to put up with in their business. It would serve you well to think about which category of the business is right for you the traditional bed and breakfast or the any other. Bed and Breakfast is a time-honoured English tradition. It was traditionally a low-cost alternative to hotel accommodation. As a part of the experience the client's expectations were to an extent lower-while not communal like hostels, closely separated sleeping quarters and shared bathroom facilities with the host and other guests were tolerated. Staying at a Bed and Breakfast was a little like being a temporary family member and thus it was a unique and powerful appeal. Many travelers find this arrangement satisfactory, and even superior to the more sterile and impersonal hotel and motel accommodation.
For traditional innkeepers unfortunately there is a significant part of the traveling public that will not stay at a traditional bed and breakfast. As they are protective of their privacy they do not appreciate cloistered accommodation they prefer to take their meals in a restaurant-like setting. Unless operators of Bed and Breakfasts are willing to offer something different this type of client will never be captured by the bed and breakfast. Established operators are often unwilling to change as there is comfort in an existing niche, however limiting it is. Certainly financial reasons discourage most of the changes. But as you are a new entry in the market you are better positioned to affect change.
A revolution has taken place for the past few decades; bold new entries into the Bed and Breakfast industry are entering into this vast market, previously the unchallenged domain of motels and hotels. More and more tourists and business travelers are demanding more of their hosts. While retaining the personal touch new entries in the bed and breakfast industry have responded by becoming more upscale and offering hotel-like features. It is noteworthy that the innovative new establishments are often theme-oriented. Following the success of major hotels in becoming one-stop destinations, and adding value to their basic accommodation function is an addition. With an older establishment of Bed and Breakfasts, offering a traditional expectation of service, and a new breed of "Optimized" Bed and Breakfasts, going head to head with the big players.
You need to offer the broadest platform of services that your niche can provide if you wish to reach the greatest number of potential clients. If you are thinking of starting a bed and breakfast it's the right time to decide on this option; it is more difficult later, when construction will impede your business. All that follows that you have already paid due diligence to whether your area is right for a B&B, whether the local market is saturated, whether local by-laws prohibit their construction, etc. I would suggest to anyone contemplating a plunge to ask of themselves two questions: what unique service niche can I provide and how can I tailor my existing house to optimize my appeal to travelers?
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