Jan 14
The Traditional Bed and Breakfast
The bed and breakfast, a time-honoured English tradition, was traditionally a low-cost alternative to hotel accommodation. The client's expectations were commensurately lower-while not communal like hostels, closely separated sleeping quarters and shared bathroom facilities with the host and other guests were tolerated as part of the experience. To stay at a B and B was a little like being a temporary family member, thus its unique and powerful appeal. Many travelers find this arrangement satisfactory, and even superior to the more sterile and impersonal hotel and motel accommodation.
The Missing Market
Unfortunately for traditional innkeepers, there is a significant part of the traveling public that will not stay at a traditional bed and breakfast. They do not appreciate cloistered accommodation; they are protective of their privacy, and want to take their meals in a restaurant-like setting. This type of client (the author fits this category!) will never be captured by the B&B market unless operators of Bed and Breakfasts are willing to offer something different. Established operators may be unwilling to change; there is comfort in an existing niche, however limiting it is. Certainly financial reasons deter most changes. As a new entry into the market, you are better positioned to affect change.
The New Bed and Breakfast
For the past few decades, a revolution has taken place: bold, new entries into the B and B industry are tapping into this vast market, previously the unchallenged domain of motels and hotels. Increasingly, tourists and business travelers are demanding more of their hosts; new entries in the bed and breakfast industry have responded by becoming more upscale and offering hotel-like features, while retaining the personal touch. It is noteworthy that the innovative new establishments are often theme-oriented as well, emulating the success of major hotels in becoming one-stop destinations, and adding value to their basic accommodation function. Examples of this are "farm experience", "wilderness" and "wellness" B&B's. We are therefore seeing a remarkable dichotomy on the market today, 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.
Which kind of B&B is right for Me?
If you wish to reach the greatest number of potential clients, you need to offer the broadest platform of services that your niche can provide. If you are considering starting a Bed and Breakfast, now is the time to decide on this option; it is more difficult later, when construction will impede your business. The purpose of these articles is not to suggest marketing ideas; I will assume in 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: 1) what unique service niche can I provide 2) How can I tailor my existing house to optimize my appeal to travelers? The next article in this series will assess the question: Why build an Optimized Bed and Breakfast?.Read all the How to Bed and Breakfast articles at Douglas Murray's [http://evergreen-bed-and-breakfast.com]Bed and Breakfast near Wiarton Canada. Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Bed-and-Breakfast-Guide:-Getting-Started&id=5647992] Bed and Breakfast Guide: Getting Started
Bed and Breakfast Guide: Getting Started
Many great business ideas fall by the wayside, victims of poor foresight, unfortunate timing, or inadequacy of prosecution. The B&B enterprise is no different. Every Bed and Breakfast owner brings his or her skill set to bear on their business. It would serve you well to think about which category of the business is right for you.The Traditional Bed and Breakfast
The bed and breakfast, a time-honoured English tradition, was traditionally a low-cost alternative to hotel accommodation. The client's expectations were commensurately lower-while not communal like hostels, closely separated sleeping quarters and shared bathroom facilities with the host and other guests were tolerated as part of the experience. To stay at a B and B was a little like being a temporary family member, thus its unique and powerful appeal. Many travelers find this arrangement satisfactory, and even superior to the more sterile and impersonal hotel and motel accommodation.
The Missing Market
Unfortunately for traditional innkeepers, there is a significant part of the traveling public that will not stay at a traditional bed and breakfast. They do not appreciate cloistered accommodation; they are protective of their privacy, and want to take their meals in a restaurant-like setting. This type of client (the author fits this category!) will never be captured by the B&B market unless operators of Bed and Breakfasts are willing to offer something different. Established operators may be unwilling to change; there is comfort in an existing niche, however limiting it is. Certainly financial reasons deter most changes. As a new entry into the market, you are better positioned to affect change.
The New Bed and Breakfast
For the past few decades, a revolution has taken place: bold, new entries into the B and B industry are tapping into this vast market, previously the unchallenged domain of motels and hotels. Increasingly, tourists and business travelers are demanding more of their hosts; new entries in the bed and breakfast industry have responded by becoming more upscale and offering hotel-like features, while retaining the personal touch. It is noteworthy that the innovative new establishments are often theme-oriented as well, emulating the success of major hotels in becoming one-stop destinations, and adding value to their basic accommodation function. Examples of this are "farm experience", "wilderness" and "wellness" B&B's. We are therefore seeing a remarkable dichotomy on the market today, 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.
Which kind of B&B is right for Me?
If you wish to reach the greatest number of potential clients, you need to offer the broadest platform of services that your niche can provide. If you are considering starting a Bed and Breakfast, now is the time to decide on this option; it is more difficult later, when construction will impede your business. The purpose of these articles is not to suggest marketing ideas; I will assume in 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: 1) what unique service niche can I provide 2) How can I tailor my existing house to optimize my appeal to travelers? The next article in this series will assess the question: Why build an Optimized Bed and Breakfast?.Read all the How to Bed and Breakfast articles at Douglas Murray's [http://evergreen-bed-and-breakfast.com]Bed and Breakfast near Wiarton Canada. Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Bed-and-Breakfast-Guide:-Getting-Started&id=5647992] Bed and Breakfast Guide: Getting Started
