Hotel vs B&B smackdown

Here’s another article in our travel series in preparation for the 2010 World Equestrian Games in and around Lexington, Kentucky.

A YouTube parody of the “Green Acres” theme song

A friend once gushed over the glories of the bed&breakfast inn. She raved over the antiques. The decor. The friendly hosts. The breakfasts. She sighed, “Once you go B&B, you’ll never go back.”

All I could think of was, pass me the Kool-Aid. Instead, I was polite.

So, I countered, But I like hotels. Especially the business class chains.

After all, I’d feel paranoid among the antiques. Would I break one?

And I’m a grouch in the morning, so charming hosts at breakfast would be wasted on me.

Let alone the legendary B&B breakfast. I have specific dietary needs – protein and plant matter. No pretty pastries.

The chains offer ample parking. The freedom to come and go. As well as the freedom to leave towels in the floor.

The whole coversation sounded a lot like Eddie Albert’s and Eva Gabor’s “Green Acres” duet. “Haampton Inn is where I’d rather be … “

But perhaps I am missing something with the corporate anonymity of the chains? Perhaps there’s an element of the travel experience that the chains cannot provide? A chance to live in a local home.

Perhaps it’s time to consider staying at a B&B instead of one of the national chains?

My history with B&Bs is not encouraging

A year or so ago, a web search turned up an interesting-looking B&B in Kentucky’s Bluegrass. I emailed with my dates of travel and a request for an estimate. Email is a valid contact option, right?

I received no response. No “thank you for your inquiry.” Nothing. Nada. Not even an bounce notice for the email.

So, I stayed in chain hotels for that that trip.

Last year, I called another B&B in Kentucky. I wanted to stay for a few days after Derby weekend. The Derby crowds should have thinned out by then.

No, was the firm reply. We’re not open then. Click.

Um, okay. Click??

More recent developments

Flash forward to this year. I’m attending a writers workshop in shoreline Massachusetts in early April, long before beach season. I began my quest for a place to stay shortly after New Year’s.

The writers workshop is in a picturesque town that has no chain hotels. It’s not close to a major highway, either. The town is probably picturesque, as I’m sure that NIMBY lives there.

Of course, where there is the picturesque, there are B&Bs.

So, now’s my chance to try one.

I clicked onto Kayak, where I can see what’s in the area, and Trip Advisor, for consumer reviews. Kayak gave me a map showing the location of the library where I need to go and showed me where the inns are in relation to the workshop site.

Kayak shows that some of the inns have websites. Other listings suggest that I “call for rates.”

I started with the B&Bs with web links. However, some websites were not up-to-date.

One URL led to a parked page, which indicated that the domain name might be in trouble and on the verge of expiring.

Not good business these days.

I emailed another for a rate with the dates of my stay. I received no reply, which gave me a feeling of deja vu all over again.  Also not good business these days.

My decision?

I have reservations at a Comfort Inn. Yes, it’s one of the chains. Yes, it’s a ways out of town.

Worse, in these times, that’s business I had been willing to conduct with an independent inn owner.

Too bad.

So — do you have a B&B? Do you think I’ve been unfair? Or are you another potential customer sucked in by the tease of charm but dropped by butter-fingered business practices?

Let the B&B operators begin their case. Bring me your best game.

But so far, though, y’all can’t seem to get off the bench.

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Tags: B&Bs, bed&breakfast, hotels, Travel