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For as long as bed & breakfast hotels have been around they have offered their guests lodging at reasonable rates. It used to be that all you expected from a B&B was the basics, a firm bed, a shower and a cooked breakfast in the morning for a good price. Generally coming second to hotel accommodation, B&B’s rarely competed with a hotel for luxury and services offered.

However a new trend for travelers in the 21st century, particularly in North America, is to look at the B&B sector for their accommodation needs. There are various reasons for this turn-around, but the main one is that with the downturn in the economy people still wish to travel but now need to tighten their belts. Looking at bed & breakfast options makes economical sense.

The increase seen in the bed and breakfast occupancy comes from all sectors, the domestic market, international travelers seeking unique holiday accommodation and corporate travelers. As a result, more B&B’s, country inns and bed and breakfast hotels are updating their properties to offer luxury furnishings and provide additional services.

By offering attractive packages and pricing structures to travelers, B&B’s are able to compete with local hotels. Frequent traveler programs are popular with guests and aim to produce business and encourage returning customers. These types of programs generally involve free nights or discounts after a certain number of nights.