If you run a B&B do you have to live there and serve breakfast??

[NJ Brazen_3133]

Originally Posted by doodlemagic

New York is the only city I'm aware of that has eithr enacted or tried to enact a rule banning single night rentals of private residences. I'm sure some cities have some rules that could loosely be used to go after smoenoe doing airbnb however almost everything can be construed as illegal in this day and age. I know several people who do airbnb as a business and haven't had any problems. As long as you pick the right place and choose airbnb tenants with positive reviews who are respectful you probably wont have any problems. The peopl I know who do this have done it in condos which I would think would be even more difficult than SFH.

I have heard this too, but for some reason, I doubt it is legal in most places. I just cannot see it happening. In this economic crunch, why arent I hearing about people converting their homes like in LA, SF, major tourist areas, into hotels practically? Heck I should hear people in the Jersey burbs right outside Manhattan doing this. They can add a few partitions, maybe sneak in another bathroom. It would be like a more private hostel. Then what is the point of zoning laws?

[RabidWolverine83]

Originally Posted by PureHapa

VRBO - Vacation Rentals By Owner? Now owned by Homeaway.com.

I stay at B&Bs a lot when I travel. I've never stayed in one where the owners lived there. I think the owner-lived-in situation is how B&Bs got started, and those still exist, but now a B&B is like a very small hotel that serves a set breakfast menu.

What is your situation? What is your goal?

Bed and Breakfasts are changing quicker than ever before with the creation of AirBnB and other such services. It has always been a deep passion of mine to create a bed and breakfast with a twist. I want to offer themed rooms to fit the desires of different demographics and offer all 3 meals to guests with the option to choose international dishes from across the globe made with authentic ingredients and yet fit the budget of even the most cost conscious consumers. Does this sound like a viable option to anyone? Where could I go to pitch my idea to potential investors? Could I even call my establishment a bed and breakfast or have I gone into some other realm. I am in the early stages of my in-depth market research and would love some input from those that have stayed in or operated bed and breakfasts in the past. I have never had the privelage of staying in one myself due to financial constraints and the proper connections to finding good deals on such experiences.

[Parnassia]

Originally Posted by RabidWolverine83

Bed and Breakfasts are changing quicker than ever before with the creation of AirBnB and other such services. It has always been a deep passion of mine to create a bed and breakfast with a twist. I want to offer themed rooms to fit the desires of different demographics and offer all 3 meals to guests with the option to choose international dishes from across the globe made with authentic ingredients and yet fit the budget of even the most cost conscious consumers.

Does this sound like a viable option to anyone?

Offering themed bedrooms can be done...I've stayed at small hotels/B&Bs that had them. Most notably, a place on the OR coast that catered to bookworms. Each guestroom was decorated and themed in honor of a specific author: Poe, Dickins, Hemingway, Steinbeck, London, etc. A selection of their best works in the room too. The Poe room had dark red/black era-specific wallpaper, black window treatments, a fake bricked up wall in the closet (with part of a hat protruding from between the bricks), even a stuffed raven perched on a skull. Hemingway's room was decked out like a safari tent, London's Klondike gold rush. There were other more public nooks for reading too, bookshelves everywhere, big comfy armchairs. Seem to recall the small restaurant was named "The Tables of Content". Great place!

As for the bolded, no, doesn't sound feasible. Just keeping all the specific meal ingredients on hand for the limited number of guests for all those meals sounds like a supply nightmare in itself, but you also want to keep the cost down? The prices you'd have to charge probably won't appeal to the majority of your guests. Realistically, how many of each of your international selections would end up being served at any meal? Not many based on the low occupancy rate of a B&B. You need to consider economy of scale. Then there's the "jack of all trades but master of none" aspect to consider. A more limited theme menu is more likely to be done well, and isn't that what theme dining is all about? Part of the appeal of a B&B (IMHO anyway) is that its a jumping off point for local excursions during a guest's stay. Expecting travelers to go back to to the lodging for every meal just to take advantage of what you're trying to offer? I'd bet your carefully constructed meals wouldn't be well attended so you just wasted your effort not to mention $.