Hotels vs. Bed and Breakfasts: Pros & Cons and the Doily Factor

Ooh, my! Today's Washington Post article in the Travel section interviews two individuals from respected travel organizations, Brooke Ferencsik of Trip Advisor and Marti Mayne of BedandBreakfast.com.

The gist of the article, titled "Getting the Best Hotel Room for the Best Price," has to do with where to find the best rates, how to avoid hidden charges, when to travel for better rates, how to do comparison shopping on the Web, etc.

Here's something that caught my eye under the heading, Consider alternatives to hotels:

"Bed-and-breakfast" is no longer synonymous with "death by doilies." . . .and are becoming more popular with budget-minded vacationers and business travelers alike. Why? First of all, there's that second "b": The cost of breakfast is factored into the room price. Plus, as Mayne says, "it's often a gourmet breakfast," with three or four courses.
Then there are the amenities. A recent survey found that nine out of 10 B&Bs have free WiFi, Mayne says. And forget those hotel mini-bar charges: The same survey, Mayne adds, found that a whopping 93 percent of B&Bs offer complimentary refreshments such as bottles of water, coffee, wine, cheese and bottomless cookie jars.

When you're thinking about vacation or business lodging in Oregon, be sure to include the inns of the Oregon Bed & Breakfast Guild. On the Guild's website, you'll find an expanded listing with detailed information about each B&B (including Internet access, rates, amenities, pet friendly or children friendly), plus a link to each inn's website.

And many of our members inns have sworn off the doilies!