Bed and breakfast is a system of accommodation in a hotel or guest house, in which you pay for a room for the night and for breakfast the following morning.
How Do a Bed and Breakfast Work?
Bed and breakfasts offer hospitality services on a personal level. In most cases, the limited number of people they accommodate allows a host to establish a stronger connection with their guests. For example, if a guest has dietary restrictions, room preferences, or physical limitations, the host can make necessary preparations to make their stay more comfortable. Though many bed and breakfasts are run entirely by the owner, it’s not uncommon for them to hire a small staff.
What is the difference between hotel and bed and breakfast?
The main difference between a bed and breakfast and a hotel is that the owners of a B&B see their patrons as guests, while hotels may see their patrons as customers. In fact, some B&B owners are willing to rent out their whole inn to a group for a weekend so they can have a fun get-together.
Pros and cons of staying in a bed and breakfast
Benefits of Bed and Breakfast
There is an abundance of benefits to staying in a bed and breakfast. Usually built from charming old houses, beds and breakfasts possess an atmosphere intended to make guests feel like they are truly staying in a home.
Scheduled Activities
Bed and breakfasts often offer a list of scheduled events each day, including activities like crafting or tours of the house or nearby attractions. For some, this is a great advantage because it makes filling your days with activities even easier, plus you may try something or visit somewhere you never expected before taking the trip.
Get Local Advice
One of the best parts about staying in a bed and breakfast is that you have a built-in tour guide to provide all the local insight that you want when traveling to a new place. You can inquire with your innkeepers on everything from restaurant recommendations to the best spots to watch the sunset, and they’ll likely have a long list of suggestions for you.
Meeting New People
Depending on the type of traveler you are, meeting the other people staying at the bed and breakfast could be a pro or a con. If you’re a social butterfly who loves to talk to new people any time of the day, then you’ll enjoy the structure of staying in a bed and breakfast. Each morning, guests usually dine together or mingle in the evenings over a cocktail hour. During this time, you’ll have the unique opportunity to connect with other travelers with who you can exchange travel tips or even make plans to embark on an adventure in the area together.
Personalized Experience
For travelers who shy away from the impersonal nature of hotel rooms, a bed and breakfast stay is exactly what you need. Because you are staying in a house with other guests and the innkeepers, there is less privacy than you would expect at a hotel, but this environment is perfect for a personalized experience. The innkeepers get to know each individual guest better and can provide them with friendly service and individualized suggestions on activities in the area.
Delicious Breakfast Each Morning
Included in the price of the stay, breakfast is served fresh every morning when you stay at a bed and breakfast. While many hotels now offer complimentary breakfast, it’s usually the same few items day after day. At a bed and breakfast, the innkeepers have the resources and the ability to cook up something tasty and new each morning. If you have any allergies or dietary restrictions, you can let your innkeeper know ahead of time, and they will be happy to accommodate you.
Disadvantages of Staying In A Bed and Breakfast
While there are many benefits to staying in a bed and breakfast, some of the elements that certain travelers would find enduring may be less exciting to a different kind of traveler. If you enjoy the detached feel of staying in a hotel without having to talk to other people every day, then you may not enjoy a bed and breakfast stay.
Here are some cons to consider before booking your accommodations.
Close Quarters Means Your Stay Will Be Very Personal
Because of the design of a bed and breakfast, you will run into other guests and the innkeepers often, and you will likely get to know them at least in passing. If this does not sound appealing to you, and you enjoy the anonymity you get when staying in a towering hotel, then this is a factor you may want to consider before booking.
Bed and breakfast can Lack Some Standard Amenities and Privacy
While some bed and breakfasts offer unique amenities not easily found elsewhere, like on-site spas, a saltwater pool, or a movie theater room, often times a bed and breakfast does not have the space for standard hotel amenities like a fitness center. Most people are willing to sacrifice these items, particularly if the bed and breakfast they’re looking at have additional amenities, but it is something to keep in mind when deciding where to book your stay.
Structured Environment
Between the scheduled activities and the strict breakfast times, bed and breakfasts can scare off some people who tend to travel with more of a free spirit. If you don’t like the idea of having a very specific time that you need to eat or be somewhere, then you should consider staying in a different kind of accommodation such as a cabin or lodge, which allows you more freedom to explore and make your own schedule.
Stay Select!
After you’ve weighed the pros and cons of staying in a bed and breakfast, you can browse our collection of BnBs in Malindi Town.
They include Summer Time Villas, JoyVillaFamily Holiday Home, Woburn Residence Club Apartments, Villa Fortuna Malindi, and Swahili House.