Many folks out there have never stayed at a bed and breakfast because, well…they’re scared! So we want to debunk any preconceived ideas you may have about staying at a B & B:
1. You have to share a bathroom. Maybe in Europe, but in the United States, that’s pretty much a thing of the past. In fact, quite often B&B bathrooms are luxurious with jetted tubs and separate showers. We also provide fluffy towels, hair dryers, makeup mirrors, glycerin soap and conditioning shampoo. (We have had people ask us if they need to bring their own sheets and towels! Uh…no.)
2. I don’t want to have a curfew and have a bunch of rules. We have one basic rule here: have a good time! We do not care what time you come in – you are provided your own key and front door code. We are not your mama!
3. But there’s no privacy! We guarantee you will have more privacy here than you will at a hotel and it’s much quieter, too. Each of our rooms are separated from each other so it’s rare if you even hear other folks. After we check you in and make sure you know how to reach us if you need anything at all, including giving you our cell phone number, we leave you alone – unless you want to visit and lots of folks like to.
4. But you have to eat with a bunch of strangers! All B&Bs are different, but in our case, we do have one large table and one 9:00 a.m. seating. We are always happy to serve you in your room if you prefer, but we rarely have anyone ask because getting to know other folks is fun and interesting – and we always make sure we laugh a lot at breakfast!
5. The innkeepers are going to be hovering around us to make sure we don’t mess up their stuff. Yes, this is our home but it’s primarily our business. We have faith in people (and have rarely been proven wrong) to be respectful of our property and we never hover – we make sure you can find us if you need us, but sometimes we don’t see folks at all except during breakfast (and sometimes not even then, if they choose to sleep in).
6. All B&Bs are old, creaky houses with Grandma furnishings. B&Bs nowadays can come in all shapes and decors. There are many modern B&Bs, log home B&Bs, traditional B&Bs and, as ours is, Victorian B&Bs. So while you might expect ours to have tons of doilies, nope, not the case. While we do have some lovely antique furniture that befits our 130-year-old house, we have upscale furnishings, decor and bedding. We provide flat-screen TVs, iPhone docking stations/ alarms, free Wi-Fi, refrigerators and microwaves in the rooms. We even have electricity! (Little joke there…).
7. B&Bs don’t accept credit cards. Not only do we accept credit cards, that’s the majority of our business.
8. Innkeeping is just a hobby for them. Unless it’s a very small B&B, 1 or 2 rooms, most B&Bs, including ours, are our business. We make it our 7-days-a-week job to take care of you and make sure you have a wonderful stay. We’re not out just putzing around some place while you’re here – 90% of the time we are right on the premises and if we’re not due to necessity, we make sure you can reach us.
9. Innkeepers aren’t on site, so there’s no 24/7 front desk. You’re right, we don’t have staff on 24/7, however, we live here! In Eureka Springs, it’s the law that innkeepers live on site and that’s true of most B&Bs around the country, even if it’s not a requirement – it’s what makes a B&B a B&B and not a hotel or motel! That’s the whole point of a B&B, to have it seem like home with someone right there to take care of your needs, but to be unobtrusive.
10. B&Bs are expensive. B&Bs are very comparable to many hotels and, trust me, we provide much, much more for the price! Most hotels will nickel and dime you to death with their charges, but we provide not only a large 4-course breakfast with your rate, but cold soft drinks and waters in your fridge, coffee pot and microwave in your room, along with coffee, tea, popcorn and cocoa. We make sure you have utensils to use, wine glasses, drinking glasses and a corkscrew, just in case. We have games and puzzles and videos. We have chocolates all over the house and do homebaked treats for you each afternoon that we place on your bed as we do maid service. What hotel does all that?
So tell your friends, tell your relatives, send this to all the folks you know that would never stay at a bed and breakfast because they’re “too old-fashioned and stuff”. Send ‘em here – we’ll change their minds.
It’s most definitely A Better Way to Stay!
Warmest regards,
Jeff and Nadara (Sam) Feldman – and Sophie, too!
