Revisiting the Bed & Breakfast

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BRITAINONVIEW

Backpackers hiking in the Lake District find a vacancy at the Stone Close. People stay at B&Bs for all sorts of reasons, and the choices have never been greater.[/caption]

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COURTESY OF CAPEL DEWI UCHAF COUNTRY HOUSE

Fresh fruit lines Capel Dewi’s breakfast board.[/caption]

WHEN BRITISH newspapers report that a prince of the realm is moving into the bed-and-breakfast business, you know it’s time to refurbish your image of the B&B market. Prince Charles recently bought the beautiful 192-acre Llwynywormwood estate near Llandovery, Carmarthenshire, in early 2007 for an estimated £1.2 million and immediately submitted plans to transform its ramshackle collection of farm buildings. The scheme included eco-friendly accommodations decorated in a traditional, “back to nature” theme, where paying guests could sit on furniture carved out of wood from Charles’ estates and be served organic breakfasts.
It sounded a far cry from the cheap-and-cheerful reputation that has hung like a creaking sign around the neck of British B&Bs for too long. Indeed, revisit the Cinderellas of the accommodation scene and you find that many have turned into if not princesses, then high-quality places to stay that offer value for money. With the current dollar-sterling exchange rate making U.S. travelers feel a little lighter in the pocket, maybe it’s worth foregoing a night or two at the hotel in favor of the B&B.

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COURTESY OF CARR HOUSE FARM

Yorkshire countryside draws folk to Carr House Farm.[/caption]

The B&B concept has existed for centuries and in many countries. In Britain, monasteries offered room and board to medieval travelers; some still open their doors. And it was in Britain that the designation “B&B” first became popular—advertised on a wooden sign beside the garden gate or a notice stuck in a window. You entered someone’s private family home, shared their bathroom and ate at their breakfast table (most B&Bs today offer en suite or at least a guests’ bathroom, and you’ll most likely breakfast on a separate table). In contrast to staying at an inn or guesthouse, you could be one of just two or three visitors.
B&Bs sprang up especially where the working classes holidayed, such as the seaside, or off the beaten track where no larger commercial establishment would survive on occasional passing trade. Now they are ubiquitous. For its owner, the B&B provided a few extra bob on top of the day job, and the guest got an inexpensive stay. At best, so the old cliché went, there were roses around the cottage door, a home away from home and a hearty repast of bacon and eggs with a congenial host. At worst, you had an intruder tiptoeing between poky beds in a spare bedroom, and breakfast carefully rationed to maintain a shoestring profit.

‘B&Bs have become a holiday lifestyle choice’

THE REAL PICTURE TODAY? Chains like Travelodge may have eased into the less expensive end of the accommodation market, where “B&B” describes a meal plan package. But the original B&B—a family home with guest rooms—maintains a flourishing niche. While there will always be establishments that underwhelm, the reputable B&Bs are a delight for anyone who enjoys personal interaction and individuality (if you prefer anonymity look elsewhere). Their range is greater, too: once an option taken for reasons of economy, in our more affluent times they’ve also become a holiday lifestyle choice.
Where will you find them, who runs them, what will you get and at what price? Visit Britain, which has done much to standardize accommodation ratings and encourage quality, is one place to look. Prices for bed and breakfast lodging in its grading scheme begin at around £55 for two people per night. Tourist information centers are another “feeder system” to locate the B&B that suits your budget and tastes, and there are all sorts of agencies.
Farm Stay UK, a nationwide network of quality-assessed farm accommodations, lists 704 B&Bs. Most bedrooms have en suite facilities plus TV and tea/coffee tray. The network’s chief executive, Nigel Embry, says guests can look forward to hosts’ genuine hospitality and knowledge of the countryside, as well as accommodation with “extremely high standards that match those found in hotels, but in peaceful and often stunning locations.”
Travelers without private transport may not be able to access all farm B&Bs, but Embry says, “We’re very popular with Americans who love the Cotswolds and traditional olde worlde areas.” Askhill Farm, Loweswater in the Lake District, was used in the opening and closing scenes of the film Miss Potter, and it’s just a step from other working farms to many rural film sets. Average price for B&B on the Farm Stay UK network is about £26.50 per person based on two sharing a double room (the range is £20 to £45-plus).

TRADITIONAL FULL ENGLISH FARMHOUSE breakfast is another selling point. Hosts pride themselves on serving fresh, local produce, sometimes homegrown. Anna Lupton has provided accommodation for up to eight guests at 16th-century Carr House Farm, Ampleforth, York, for 29 years (B&B from £30 per person). She buys eggs, bacon, sausages and bread locally, and uses tomatoes and fruit from her 85-year-old father’s garden.
“I make my own strawberry, rhubarb and plum preserves,” Lupton says. “We’ve had some amusing experiences. You can’t take things for granted. I’ve had to tell Americans that marmalade isn’t relish, otherwise they’ve put it on their eggs. And sometimes they’ve thought fried bread was toast and spread jam on it.

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COURTESY OF CAPEL DEWI UCHAF COUNTRY HOUSE

Guests take breakfast on the terrace at Capel Dewi.[/caption]

“I used to offer evening meals, and years ago we all sat down at the same time to eat. But these days, people want choice and I direct them to some great eating places nearby.” Lupton, whose family has been here more than 100 years, also makes a point of sharing insider knowledge to help guests make the most of their time: the quickest ways to attractions like Rievaulx and Byland abbeys, and where to get the best views.
Freddie Burns agrees that demand for choice and quality has risen during her 15 years providing B&B at 500-year-old Capel Dewi Uchaf Country House, near Carmarthen, Wales (B&B £35 per person per night/£220 per week). In addition to her home’s lovely blend of period décor and modern comforts, she offers guests private fishing on the River Towy and stabling for those who want to bring their horses to ride in the countryside. She specializes in looking after businesswomen/ladies holidaying alone: “Many years ago I was widowed, and it made me sensitive to the experience of women traveling on their own.”
Guests hail from around the world (nearby attractions include the National Botanic Garden of Wales). “I get titled people, judges, doctors. B&B is becoming much more upmarket and trendy,” Burns says. “So many people come back, it’s like a club.” Behind the scenes, she admits to working 18 hours a day, seven days a week catering for a dozen guests at a time—not for the fainthearted!

AND THE SEASIDE B&B? Where better to look than Blackpool, home of candyfloss and kiss-me-quick holiday culture—as well as home to the five-star winner of the Best B&B Gold Award in Enjoy England’s Awards for Excellence 2007. Number One, quietly located in Blackpool’s South Shore, epitomizes a “new breed” (B&B from £60 per person). Run by Claire and Mark Smith, who have 17 years’ experience in the business, it’s a three-bedroom boutique (i.e., small, specialist) B&B promising “sybaritic self-indulgence.” Think beds with Siberian goose down pillows and en suite bathrooms with flat-screen TV.
“Guests’ expectations rise all the time,” Claire Smith says. “You have to be flexible, too. In the old-style Blackpool B&B of my youth—we’ve always lived in Blackpool and Mark’s parents and grandparents ran a B&B—breakfast for everyone was served at 9 a.m. We serve between 7:30 and 9, and we take up champagne hampers to guests’ rooms if they want.
“People stay for all sorts of reasons,” Smith says. “Some stop here between London and Edinburgh. I enjoy being surrounded by lovely, interesting guests. B&B is our main business, but it’s not a job it’s a lifestyle.”

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