There are many different takes on bed and breakfast, we experience a wide range of understanding - so here is a little explanation.

Bed and Breakfast is both a specific type of small business AND also applies to a description of a level of service you may buy in many different hotels, motels, guest houses etc..

Bed and Breakfast seems to be a typically British pheneomenon, developing widely after World War II. Visitors needed a place to stay & locals opened their homes & served a breakfast to their overnight guests. The significant feature is that a B&B is accommodation offerred in someone's private home. There are generally no staff employed, the family also live normal lives in the property and breakfasts are home made. So generally what you get is a warm, home-like atmosphere with personal contact and great local knowledge from the owners.

There seem to be many countries where bed and breakfasts do not exist & the term only refers to the offerings of Hotels or Guest houses. People from Europe or further afield may naturally not be familiar with this very British peculiarity, so it does help to understand the limits of what you are being offerred! Reading owners individual websites will reveal what each establishment offers, the variation is tremendous.

By contrast, Hotels also offer bed & breakfast, as opposed to dinner, bed and breakfast or full board. This is a decription of what services they offer; hence causing some confusion. Hotels employ staff which enables them to be able to offer more flexible entry & exit times, along with many other services such as an on-site restaurant.

A traditional british B&B has up to 3 rooms they let within a private home. This may have ensuite rooms, private bathroom or shared facilities. You may get extra facilities such as a guests lounge, private parking or private outside space you have access to.

Bed and Breakfasts in the true sense of the term - "accommodation in a private home" are as variable as their owners. Location, architecture, decoration, cleanliness, services & standards vary hugely. The joy of B&B is that very variation - you will make contact with local people and can communicate direct with the owners. It will not be a bland, generic experience which we have all had when waking up in a chain Hotel.