I just read a cute little romance where the heroine inherited a bed and breakfast on the beach in California. She’s thrilled, this is the answer to her lousy jobs, crappy ex fiancé and aimless life.
And I’m over here going: Who in their right mind dreams of running a bed and breakfast that requires daily cleaning and dealing with customers????? And how is a bed and breakfast romantic? I’m not drawn to it even as a guest as it feels like I’m a guest in someone’s home rather than a paying customer in a hotel with a certain expectation of privacy and boundaries. That’s probably because I’ve never stayed in one and therefore could be simple ignorance on my part.
For the record, I’m all for inheriting a beach house! If I have any unknown relatives living in a beach house looking to pass it on soon, I’m wilding waving my hand. Unless it’s a bed and breakfast that I have to manage, then I’ll politely pass 
That’s just me, though. I know lots of people have this romantic idea of a bed and breakfast. I see this whole “heroine inherits a bed and breakfast” set up a lot in romances (or it feels like a lot to me) and I usually mentally roll my eyes because I consider it hard work, not romantic. But I have to admit, this book sucked me in anyway. I actually wanted to go to the character’s beach house bed and breakfast for a writer’s retreat or something like that, LOL.
Of course it’d help if I was actually writing, but I digress.
The point is that the idea of owning and running a bed and breakfast is a major NO for me. I’ll read and enjoy the story in a romance, but I’m not going down that road in real life. What about you guys? Would you ever be interesting in running a bed and breakfast? And/or do you find bed and breakfast lodgings romantic to stay in?
March 23rd, 2022 at 7:29 am · Link
LOL, I’ve been watching ‘Fixer to Fabulous: Welcome Inn’, where Dave and Jenny Marrs are trying to renovate an old house they’d bought into a bed and breakfast. If you ever had the notion to do the same, this show would cure you quick, lemme tell ya. “Hemorrhaging money” is the term Dave used and it’s only the second episode. On last night’s show, they had the building inspectors in. Blerg. It was tragic.
When I went to meet Hubs face to face for the first time, he booked me into a B&B in the town where he lived, but he rented their ‘bunkhouse’, so I had the whole place to myself. It was nice. I didn’t spend much time there. After we were married, we ended up renting the place to live in. Other than that, I’ve never stayed in one. Like you, I want a hotel room that’s all mine for the duration I’m there. I don’t like the thought of living in someone else’s home.
March 23rd, 2022 at 8:54 am · Link
Yeah…no! Too much work. I don’t like cleaning my own bathrooms. Why would I be happy cleaning up after someone else? Plus all that laundry, dusting, vacuuming, and cooking breakfast for…many! Nope. Not my thing. I’ve never stayed in one either but the kids go on their anniversary every year. They’re friends with the owner and the place started out life as a retreat for a early-day governor/US Senator and then became a monastery so it’s large and has several “cabins” in addition to the rooms inside the main building. It’s large, unlike say a…Victorian house that’s been converted. I keep thinking I’d like to take a weekend and go stay there just to relax, enjoy the small lake and nature and write but then I’d be worrying about what’s going on at home. LOL Just like I do whenever I’d go to Nationals.
Anyway, I can see a B&B being romantic for a couple going for a weekend but for the owner(s), again, NOPE!
I catch “Fixer to Fab” sometimes and get really tickled in Jenny calls Dave “Dave Marrs.” That is such a southern thing, using the full name like that. LOLOL
And to make this comment even longer and more randam, there’s a B&B and figures largely in two of Anne Bishop’s The Other’s fantasy series. The books are an acquired taste (I happen to love the world and characters!) but in LAKE SILENCE and the follow-up CROWBONES, a woman receives a run-down property called The Jumble in her divorce. It’s a B&B that caters to rather…unique guests. Despite what I said above, I could run The Jumble. 🤣 But it’d be the ONLY B&B I’d ever consider.
March 23rd, 2022 at 2:59 pm · Link
I totally agree with you. There is NO WAY I’d want a B & B. I work hard enough on the home I live in, why would I willing set myself up to bust my butt for people to vacation in the home. And like you stated, I would never want to stay in a B & B because I too would feel like I was staying in somebodies house.
Have a wonderful afternoon!
March 23rd, 2022 at 5:23 pm · Link
B.E., I just caught part of that show this week! But then I ended up turning it at a commercial and forgot about it. I’ll have to make more of an effort to watch it and quit channel surfing during commercials
That’s sound like a nice place you stayed. But yeah, I’m more about hotels myself. And I’m not up for more cleaning in my life, LOL.
March 23rd, 2022 at 5:30 pm · Link
Silver, I’m so with you on the cleaning and maintenance. And since I just now finished cleaning our three freaking bathrooms (technically it’s 2 and 1/2 baths), I’m rather passionate about not having more bathrooms to clean! Plus people I don’t know in my home probably isn’t for me.
In your daughter’s case, knowing the owners helps. The cabins would be more comfortable for me personally. But everyone is different.
The Jumble sounds like it would interest me too — but only if magic helps with the cleaning
I’m more afraid of the cleaning than the “unique” guests, LOL.
March 23rd, 2022 at 5:33 pm · Link
Viki, I’m so glad I’m not alone. I felt like I was showing my lazy side, but it’s just never been my dream to do that. And I really like my personal space.
Hope you’re having a great afternoon too.