Basic Bed and Breakfast Etiquette for Guests

One appealing thing about bed breakfast inns is their warm and more personal service. Hospitality is the core of this kind of business and guests book a certain inn depending on the quality of hospitality service they want to get. Some guests want to share a common room while some want to have privacy for their belongings. They also have the option to dine with fellow guests or have the foods served right at their door.

What is the basic etiquette that every guest must know every time they check in on this kind of establishment?

• Communicate. It’s important to discuss or communicate certain things with the staff of these inns because they offer various amenities and services depending on the needs of each guest.

Provide details about room preferences, food allergies, dietary restrictions and other special requests before staying. Don’t forget to disclose the arrival and departure details so that they can have an organized record of arriving guests.

When celebrating a birthday or an anniversary, inform the innkeepers in advance about it. Some of them provide complimentary upgrades depending on the celebration. For instance, they serve chocolates and sparkling wine on such guests.

• It’s okay to skip the breakfast they serve. While eating with fellow guests is one the fun perks they offer, innkeepers will usually understand if their guests want to skip their meals. When checking in at smaller properties with limited seats, any plans of skipping breakfast must be coordinated to any of the staff ahead of time so that the reserved seat can be opened to others.

• Know more about their policies for delayed flights and late check-ins. Innkeepers understand reasons for experiencing travel uncertainties such as traffic jam and flight delays but make sure to contact them when one of these happens.

• Check their pet policy. Bed breakfast inns have various rules when it comes to bringing pets. Some find it perfect while some strictly doesn’t allow it.

• Be honest especially when something is spilled inside the room. As part of the customer service compliance, innkeepers don’t have the right to blame or shame their guests for spilling something inside their rooms. Tell them the incident right away so that they can clean the room immediately.

• Start a conversation with fellow travellers. One good thing about staying at these inns is the chance to start a conversation with other guests while having breakfast. This is a good opportunity to know more about the tourist destinations in the area and share common experiences. In doing so, make sure to stay away from topics like politics and religion because other guests may come from places or countries where there’s a different belief on these two things.

• Ask for best sites to visit and activity ideas. Usually, innkeepers know more about the places to visit within the area than their guests. Take this opportunity to ask for their advice about other potential itineraries to visit. They are more than happy to provide what they know by giving away books, brochures, flyers and other helpful materials. Some bed breakfast inns also have small libraries to help travellers reach other destinations and do exciting activities.