One of the many ways to enjoy a weekend relaxing at an interesting location is
to book an accommodation at a unique Bed and Breakfast. B&B’s as they
are commonly called, have a long and wonderful history. While the B&B type
of arrangement has been around for ages, the B&B that we are familiar with
today can be traced back over 100 years ago.
The usual set up for a B&B is a pension type of home in which there are
rooms that can accommodate between 2 and 12 guests- usually 1 to 6 rooms. Most
early B&B’s usually targeted travelers that were passing through.
Locations that were popular for B&B’s were mountain regions of the
Northwest such as California and Colorado, as well as other regions, specifically
the New England States.
The majority of travelers that frequented B&B’s in the 1800’s
were pioneers, miners, 49’ers seeking gold or professionals traveling
from one area to another. Most B&B’s offered an accommodation for
the night along with a breakfast in the morning which many hungry travelers
took advantage of before setting off on the next leg of their journey. It should
be noted that before the 1900’s, many of these B&B’s were private
residences that usually catered to specific types of people. For instance, a
doctor or lawyer would offer accommodation for another professional, and a middle
class private home owner would offer accommodations for cowboys, miners, pioneers,
etc.
As more inns, lodges and hotels were built in the 1900’s, B&B’s
were seen as an affordable accommodation for people traveling through small
towns or in areas that weren’t heavily developed.
In the later half of the 20th century, B&B’s enjoyed a renaissance
in popularity, as many college students and young adults spent time visiting
Europe. Most of these travelers spent time in small B&B type of pensions
or private residences and came back to the states to either open their own B&B’s
or sought them out as affordable accommodation options.
Today, B&B’s offer a warm and cozy alternative to the corporate hotel
or motel. Most B&B’s pride themselves on being privately owned and
operated, as well as offering accommodations in quaint and cozy homes in locations
that offer historical, leisure or small town attractions.
If you're planning to visit Europe you can find a lot of B&Bs by searching
your perfect accommodation on Bed and Breakfast in Europe, a directory of selected B&Bs, Guest Houses and
Country Inns.
