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What do you need in a B&B?

59 posts & 42 voices | Started 3 years ago by No_discerning_taste | Latest reply from bent_udder

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giant_scum - Member

Stay in a lot of B+B's for work! Things my work buddy and I look for are in no particular order

Clean and welcoming.
If a twin room decent space between the beds.
En-suite with a bath and a shower(helps if the shower is powerful and hot)
Good breakfast with decent bacon and sausages.
Comfy bed with a duvet big enough to cover you.
Black out curtains.
Window that opens
Good toilet and sink combo (the ability to have a bowel movement and a spew at the same time is handy)
Free Wi-Fi

Things we don't like
Carpet in the bathroom.
Decent sized room not cluttered with pointless chairs and tables.
Out of date UHT milk.
Glade plug-ins in every second socket.

I could go on all night

Good luck

Posted 3 years ago #
GrahamA - Member

How about a small fridge in the room?

Agree with the comments about not unpacking.

Posted 3 years ago #
crazy-legs - Member

Comfy bed that doesn't creak every time you move.
A good proper shower that works even when taps/other showers are turned on. And, connected with that, a constant supply of hot water.
Proper coffee with real milk.
Keep it simple and spotlessly clean.
Good breakfast with the items delivered at the right time - I don't want my Full English dropped on the table when I've only just started on my cereal!

Not that I'm demanding at all, oh no! Best of luck with it.

Posted 3 years ago #
Sandwich - Member

De-humidifier in the drying room to speed the drying process.

Posted 3 years ago #
wellhung - Member

Just one to add no carpet in the Bathroom it's a big no no for me and her carpet in a bathroom yuk

Posted 3 years ago #
cbike - Member

Grading and Inspection to ensure it is up to standard. Ask your tourist board - They will tell you what you need for your level of Grading/Stars.
Pointless Dressers, mirrors, chairs, hairdryers and Suitcase holder will all be on their list. However daft and irrelevant you think they might be other people (Americans especially) expect and do use them and you do actually want to make a profit!

A graded establishment can charge more and get a better quality of customer.

How are you going to Guide as well?, Clearing breakfast, changing beds and cleaning takes until about 11am. Then the day is yours until 5pm when the next lot arrive.

Gawd I've turned into My Mother aaaaaaaaaaaaaaghghgh!

Posted 3 years ago #
samuri - Member

If I were mountain biking....

Bike storage
Clothes washing facilities and drying room.
Bedroom would need....

Wifi (preferably included in the price)
TV would be nice, especially if it had proper channels. Nowt worse than being sat in a B&B room with nothing to do all night.
Warmth
Shower+Bog
Coffee and Tea making facilities with a proper amount of Teabags/Coffee.
Snack availability would be nice but I usually make sure I bring my own food.

That'd do me.

Posted 3 years ago #
piedi di formaggio - Member

Agree with pretty much everything said above (for an example of a very clued up bike friendly B&B, have a look at the Bikers Retreat in Dolgellau).

I would add to the list a decent light in the bath/shower room. Too many times there are what appear to be 2watt cheap energy savers installed that take 20 minutes to warm up and still leave you fumbling around in the semi gloom

Posted 3 years ago #
No_discerning_taste - Member

That is a lot of good advice you have all given me!

I got the feeling people have the same priorities as myself, good food, good, practical and clean facilities. I'm not particularly interested in attracting "normal" people (or good quality customers)since we only have two bedrooms available to let (one double, one kingsize)and I don't want to fill every weekday/weekend up anyway. I know I won't make loads of money from it and that isn't the point of doing it anyway.

So this is where it's up to now:

Good comfy mattresses (tick)
One en-suite bedroom, one with private bathroom (tick) Neither with cream carpets or carpets in the bathrooms!
Lots of hot water (tick)
AGA for drying all sorts of stuff (tick)
Laundry service (tick)
Route cards (tick)
Secure bike storage (tick)
Bike washing facilities (tick)
Work shop with all the tools and stand (tick)
Good selection of high quality breakfasts (tick)
Communal honesty bar/snack area with tea/coffee making facitities (tick)
TV/DVD/Nintendo Wii/books/Magazine in the guest lounge. (tick)
Real Italian coffee from home ground beans with real milk (tick)
Super trails and fantastic views (tick)
Pint glasses in the rooms (tick)
Pub 10 minutes walk away (tick)
Friendly dog (tick)
Guiding if desired (however don't expect your beds to be made that day!!)

Wifi is a tricky one. The wireless networks aren't working very well in our house due to the increadibly thick stone walls (don't think they had wireless networking in mind in the 17th century!) but there are networking points in a lot of rooms so I might look into that side of things as it seems quite important to a lot of people.

Just need to get a few reading lights and a few other bits and bobs and do some more route cards and then I'll open for business from mid June onwards!

I'm doing a website that should be ready in about three weeks time. If anyone would like the link to it when it's ready email me. Don't want to look for business on the forum so won't post again about it, but very happy with all the good advice from people here!

Posted 3 years ago #
GrahamA - Member

How about plug adding extra plug sockets, say a minimum of four unused for charging phone/camera/PDA/laptop etc.

Posted 3 years ago #
samuri - Member

I personally would prefer a TV in the bedroom but that's because I'm an antisocial git and probably not the sort of guest you're looking for. No matter, if there's a network connection in the room then TV can easily be achieved through the use of iplayer and the like.

edit: Looks like they're parsing the input properly Graham.

Posted 3 years ago #
Bunnyhop - Member

You say a kingsized room and a double. I presume that in one of those rooms will be either a set of bunk beds, or a pair of singles?

An obervation is that , big hairy rufty tufty mtbers ( and that's just the girls) don't like sleeping together in a double bed.

If you ever need a back person when guiding give me a shout

Posted 3 years ago #
No_discerning_taste - Member

Yes, Bunnyhop you are right about the beds. I don't mind putting up just one person/room to start off with until I know if I like the B&B thing or perhaps will have lots of couples (lots of walkers around here). Another idea would be to do tailor-made packages for people wanting to introduce their other half to mountain biking. You could hardly pick a more romantic place really than this hillside! I could offer a bit of skill training as well and if it's a lady lend her a high-spec bike for the duration of the stay.

Thanks for the offer of helping guiding, bunnyhop.

Posted 3 years ago #
Bunnyhop - Member

Have sent you a mail, which has been returned, is your addy correct?

Posted 3 years ago #
No_discerning_taste - Member

Strange, it is correct although I haven't put "at" in capitals. Can you try again?

Posted 3 years ago #
uplink - Member

2 hair dryers per room - 1 for each shoe

Big white fluffy towels are nice but if you inadvertently skimp on the ablutions - they do show the stains

Oh & a bog brush - don't you just hate leaving a great big skiddie in the pot?

Posted 3 years ago #
Bunnyhop - Member

I have this very afternoon been to visit this B&B which is now up and running.
Who ever stays there is in for a treat. It's on the side of a bridleway, the accommodation is so nice that you'll want to go back and take your partners. The views are breathtaking.

The riding in the area is top class. The secure bike storage is indeed secure.

So go on, visit the hidden places on the edge of the Peaks. You know you want to.

http://www.lilybankfarmcottage.co.uk/

Posted 2 years ago #
RichPenny - Member

Have to echo the comments about having twin beds/bunks in at least one room. Not many people would travel to go biking on their own or with just a mate, and as stated, mtb is a male domitated sport. For a weekend away, there's always 3 - 6 of us.

Personally wouldn't want somewhere too pristine, as I come back from riding covered in mud, and sometimes blood White duvet cover looks like a liability...

The idea of route cards is a good one, maybe put a few examples up on the site? Back them up with GPS files, as lots of peeps have those now? Get some pictures of the food up to tempt people in? Have to admit that the thought of paying £60 for a weekend of guided riding struck me as a bit expensive, but I can be a tight git.

Good luck, you have a lovely place. Might even come and stay, never ridden in the Peaks before.

Posted 2 years ago #
woodsman - Member

Keep everything simple but don't skimp on anything! No frilly things or horsebrasses. Good, clean simple bedding, a good sized bath and a wholesome breakfast - not just the stock greasy fry up. Tasty eggs, not pre-sliced bread, thick you've cut it yourself toast etc, and plenty of it.

Open fire, secure bike storage and a hose.

The Old Parsonage at Over Stowey has to be one of the nicest B&B's I've stayed in, in fact the only one that I consider good enough to return.

Posted 2 years ago #
smiffy - Member

Lots of comments re tea and mugs, but I'd like to add FRESH MILK! UHT ruins a cuppa. the best places I stay will let you take a small jug of fresh milk up with you.

Posted 2 years ago #
zaskar - Inactive

5 Japanese Lady masseurs :O)

Serious note-shower, bed, loo, tv and damp clean room/house/towels.

Shower gel and soap extra fees.

Area to fix bike for mechanicals?

Friendly owner/staff.

Posted 2 years ago #
mattsccm - Member

No beans with the fried brekky!!!!!!!
Filter coffee fro brekky.
Decent duvets not the scabby little things that are so common.
Ditto pillows
No tatty paint work or bathroom grouting.

Posted 2 years ago #
alpin - Member

i always find i'm disappointed with the volume of beans whenever i have a cooked english that i haven't cooked.

i love beans. haven't had any in ages. found some heinz beans a while back but most of the tins here are really shit.

Posted 2 years ago #
bent_udder - Member

Have a look at this place in Brecon: http://www.bridgecafe.co.uk/

Stayed there with Mrs Udder a few years ago, and it was a great place. They do pretty much exactly what people are asking for up there ^. Good, simple accommodation above a caff, with lots of lovely extras.

Posted 2 years ago #

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