What do you look for in a bed and breakfast?

bikerming

As the title says i'm keen to know what other riders look for in a B'n'B.Just doing a little market research,as we're looking at opening one.Many thanks for taking the time to look.

Rich.

Jimfrandisco

A friendly welcome and a good place to lock up a bike. Doesn't have to be in a garage or indoors, just out of site and secure - I've stayed at quite a few places that don't understand why you don't want to leave your bike in the front garden!
The only other thing that makes for a good B&B is not feeling like you're intruding in someone's home - so the guest rooms well away from the owners space etc.
That's about it really - stayed in a lot and no two are ever the same but have always been good.
Good luck.

Majski

Secure bike lock up (at least a garage for me), bike wash, outside seating area if possible. Sometimes it's nice to get a chippy and a few tinnies rather than eat out each night.

Most importantly - awesome massive breakfasts!

pilch

Plenty of hot water, warmth, drying facilities... and a good pub within walking distance

rhext

Friendly welcome, somewhere to lock up and store bikes out of sight (doesn't need to be under cover), hosepipe, somewhere to strip filthy outer layer and shoes off before going to room, lots of drying room, nearby pub and great big enormous fried breakfast with proper sausages. And black pudding.

angry_bird

Decent bike storage, preferably somewhere for a quick clean of the bike if necessary. Friendly, somehwere to dry some wet kit.

Most important is a decent comfy bed and a good sized breakfast.

Mccraque

Our MTB group no longer looks for a grumpy ginger MUNT that waits up for hours with the sole purpose of dishing out a BOLLOCKING for being late home.

The miserable sod didn't like us bundling eachother on his landing or wearing his cat on the shoulder like a pirates parrot either. - Threatening to call the police and suggesting that we were the worst guests he'd had in 20 years of being a grumpy bastard.

However, his wife did cook lovely sausages though.

cooldad

Being a grumpy bastard myself I don't like B&B's - too close to living in someones house and having to be nice. Best place I stayed in didn't even have people. Just stick your card in, keycard pops out.
Job done.

Barteos

I also may be a grumpy type so please NO sustainability/local produce/ecofriendly organic BS, forced smiles, too much attention and bullying me to post a positive review in Tripadvisor

Majski

Yeah the whole 'not feeling like you're in someone's house' thing is really really important IMO

cooldad

Barteos wrote:

I also may be a grumpy type so please NO sustainability/local produce/ecofriendly organic BS, forced smiles, too much attention and bullying me to post a positive review in Tripadvisor

Majski wrote:

Yeah the whole 'not feeling like you're in someone's house' thing is really really important IMO

If I wasn't so grumpy and antisocial I might even like you two. A tiny bit.

paul.skibum

I like it to have a bed and some breakfast.

But if I am using it for biking then I agree - no rules about lights out by 10pm, decent bike store/wash facilities, pub near by (cos you need to have dinner before bed, and beer), washing drying facilities I am less bothered about - handy if on a tour but if I am away for a weekend I usually just carry a couple of changes of clothes, maybe somewhere to dry shoes, breakfast defo has to be cooked (bacon obviously, eggs, beans, toast, no croissants or muesli).

S-M

We booked one near Langley Castle/Hexham a few months back because we were invited to a wedding, we figured we would look for a cycle friendly one so we could take the bikes, then the following morning nip over to Kielder and me+the missus could do a lap of the lake.

We stopped here.
http://www.thereadingroomshaydonbridge.co.uk/local.html

Cycling facilities

Gill has a small supply of puncture repair kits.
Secure bike storage shed.
Drying room.
Nearest cycling hire and repair shop - The Bike Shop, Back Street, Hexham.
Hadrian's Wall Bus AD122 incl. timetable

This is the "secure" storage shed.



WTF?



Maybe its not so bad, maybe it has a proper decent floor anchor?



When i questioned this, the young lass who was showing us the storage said "ohh they will be fine, nobody comes back here" :shock: :evil:

I told her that i would not be leaving our bikes in that, i know i am a "towny" but FOOK ME!

Once she buggered off back to where she came from, i unloaded the bikes from the bike rack and put them in the most secure storage i could find, our bedroom :P



Like i say, we only booked the fecking place BECAUSE it was supposed to be for cyclists, FWIW the breakfast was decent the following morning, but we could have found somewhere a lot cheaper without "secure storage" :?

an_original_name

As people have already said, proper secure bike storage is a must, not just a garden shed like above :? . i'd expect minimum of a secure lockable garage. a ground anchor would be a nice touch. or even allowing people to take bikes into their room. Use of a hosepipe for cleaning would be a nice, and even a few basic tools (tyre levers, hex keys etc) would be a nice touch.

its always nicer if it doesn't feel like your staying in the spare room of someones house, but that isn't really a deal breaker for me. So long as the bed is comfy, the breakfast is massive, and there is somewhere close by to get some decent grub in the evening I'm not too fussed.

EDIT: make sure the place is clean as well (especially the bathroom). its not very nice to go for a shower after a long days riding or whatever and find the whole bathroom covered in mould etc :x

Red.Devil.Ghost

Most things have already been said, but it will depend entirely on your target market. If you are looking for nice quiet people staying in the area it will likely be different from a group of MTBers traipsing dirty muddy kit everywhere.

If your target market is MTBers, the primary thing for most is good secure bike storage. Not necessarily inside, but I think most people would prefer that if it was available. It could be something simple like a cellar with lots of storage in, similar in principle to the chalets in Europe that have space for skis/snowboards etc (although they aren't usually in cellars).

Friendly staff goes a long way. Cleanliness in a well maintained building. As soon as you walk into somewhere, if it looks dull and dingy people will automatically assume unclean. If its bright and well maintained it creates a nice welcoming atmosphere.

Other than that, for me personally, good showers. I hate getting somewhere andd the shower is a pipe on the bath taps or a shower with less pressure than I can piss at. A comfy bed and a good choice for breakfast - cereals, porridge, cooked and probably continental. Possibly the option of providing some food to take away with them (even at a slightly extra cost) if people are going to be out on the hills everyday. I love some good homemade sandwiches, quiches and things like that.

If you do set up such a business, then the very best of luck to you.

mrmonkfinger

bikerming wrote:

As the title says i'm keen to know what other riders look for in a B'n'B

If biking: secure lock up for bikes & somewhere to hose the crud off it

Always: a nice comfy bed and an enormous unhealthy breakfast containing a lot of fried pork products

I think my wife would modify that only slightly, a healthy breakfast containing smoked salmon and eggs benedict, but she's much classier than I am.

bikerming

Thank you all for taking the time to answer.we're looking at a place on Monday,so fingers crossed.

Gazlar

Obvious one is location, if you are after riders, getting it in a nice riding distance to a ride is preferable to having to unload and then reload the car.

A laundry/drying facility is always useful

also make sure its not in Rhyl

wobbem

A land lady who does extras and has false teeth,
with a big fry up in the morning.
Makes me feel like I'm home. :twisted:

Bigchris

Where are you planning on setting this up?

If you do what others have mentioned and the right location you will smash it imo.

The idea of providing ride snacks is a good idea aswell I think.

oodboo

Location then cost. All I want is a bed for the night so the cheaper the better. Bike storage is a plus but putting them in the room is always an option, as long as you bring them in clean and dry then no problem. On-suite shower is a plus. If travelling with the missus then something a bit nicer is better as she can be fussy.

Anonymous

cooldad wrote:

Being a grumpy bastard myself I don't like B&B's - too close to living in someones house and having to be nice

Some are nice. Little welsh one some of us stayed at a couple of years back was nice. Pleasant enough couple who served up nice bacon. Though when they were talking between themselves it was all in proper welsh so couldn't understand their private conversations.

Best place I stayed in didn't even have people. Just stick your card in, keycard pops out.
Job done.

Travelodge kind of craphole. They're okay but not cheap and the bacon is crap (if you get any at all). Though travelling in US I stayed in a range of stuff like that and general motels and they were fine and loads of them. Doubt any had a secure bike lock up though. Bikes are alien to them. I mean, they even drive to the shop a 100 yards down the road!

diy

1. Clean and modern, 2. with a kettle and reasonable telly. Wifi maybe and somewhere to park. Secure storage has to be more than a wooden shed.

mcnultycop

1. Bed
2. Breakfast

Usually in that order.

frankspencer1979

Decent boozer nearby is a bonus

t4tomo

cooldad wrote:

Being a grumpy bastard myself I don't like B&B's - too close to living in someones house and having to be nice. Best place I stayed in didn't even have people. Just stick your card in, keycard pops out.
Job done.

Do you work in IT?

cooldad

t4tomo wrote:

cooldad wrote:

Being a grumpy bastard myself I don't like B&B's - too close to living in someones house and having to be nice. Best place I stayed in didn't even have people. Just stick your card in, keycard pops out.
Job done.

Do you work in IT?

Nope it's just raw natural talent.

A16UYF

Hey,

I’d have to say a good quality shower with nice warm water is essential. After that make sure the rooms are well decorated and warm, a friendly welcoming owner is always a bonus too.

A pub within walking distance is always going to help and as for breakfast, I find a help yourself buffet style breakfast the best, as that way people can pick and choose exactly what they want rather than feel awkward by having to ask if you can swap and change bits. (For example, can I swap my mushrooms for an extra rasher of bacon?)

Hope this helps