| What makes a bed and breakfast room a great | | | | the market for low end rentals. Do the low end |
| bed and breakfast room? The client who returns | | | | rentals necessarily have to be dirty and lack |
| or recommends your establishment to friends and | | | | facilities? Obviously not, but a lot do. |
| family is a great bed and breakfast room! | | | | For the average priced bed and breakfast room, |
| Over the years, I have traveled extensively and | | | | you will no doubt be competing with other |
| stayed in many bed and breakfast rooms, hotels | | | | establishments; unless you are in the middle of |
| and gites. Gite is the French word for shelter; this | | | | nowhere and yours is the only one for miles! With |
| is usually a self catering rental that people take | | | | competition, there is always the desire to out |
| for a whole week. In those years, there have | | | | price. There comes a point in which the profit |
| been many great places that I have stayed in; | | | | margins are so low, it defeats the object of being |
| however, some not so great. I would go as far | | | | in business in the first place. Therefore, |
| as saying horrid places! | | | | concentrate on the basics. Most people are happy |
| It never ceases to amaze me how oblivious the | | | | to pay the going rate, if not a little more, if the |
| owner seems to be. In essence, the B&B, hotel | | | | cleanliness and facilities are good. The friendliness |
| room and gite are the same; at least from the | | | | from the owner costs nothing and making sure |
| perspective of the owner. The owner tries to | | | | your place is spotlessly clean doesn't cost an arm |
| maximize his return on investment by letting the | | | | or leg either. |
| rooms as much as possible. With that in mind, | | | | The next time you wonder why you are not |
| surely the owner would get the basics right, right? | | | | getting referrals from previous clients, then it |
| Obviously not in some of my experiences. | | | | may be time to spend a night in your own bed |
| In my opinion, the basics are as follows: | | | | and breakfast room to find out why. Usually it is |
| cleanliness, facilities, friendliness and then price. | | | | pretty obvious, but if you still can't understand |
| Some owners might put the basics in a different | | | | why, perhaps it is time to try your hand at |
| order, but the price should not first. Many | | | | another business! |
| travelers are on a budget and there is a place in | | | | |
