The Best Way to Research Before Starting a Bed and Breakfast

Last week we had a last-minute night away at the Harbourmaster Hotel in Aberaeron for our wedding anniversary. It’s our favourite hotel and one we’ve been visiting for over 20 years. And as someone who has both run a B&B and now trains aspiring owners through B&B Academy, I can’t help but see every stay as research. Whenever I stay in a hotel or bed and breakfast, I find myself mentally critiquing what the accommodation does well — and what it doesn’t — because those details are exactly what matter when you’re planning to start your own B&B.

Back when I was running my own B&B, I’d also be on the lookout for new ideas, sometimes going into a slight sulk if they were doing something better than I was! But be assured, despite all of the mental criticism going on, I never leave reviews on TripAdvisor unless they’re very positive, whatever our experience — partly because I know how hard running a B&B can be, and partly because I’m a bit superstitious. Who needs the bad karma of writing a one-star review?

One of the advantages of going back to somewhere familiar is that I know what to expect, which makes it easier to switch off the inner B&B course trainer and simply enjoy the stay. This time though, we tried a new room we hadn’t stayed in before, which did bring a little anxiety. Luckily (or maybe not, given it’s the most expensive room in the hotel and now our new favourite) it was wonderful. Even on an August bank holiday — the hottest day on record in Wales and the day of the Aberaeron carnival — everything was just right.

That night away also reminded me how valuable it is to experience life as a guest — one of the best forms of research you can do when planning your own bed and breakfast.

Why Research Stays Are Essential When Opening a Bed and Breakfast

When you’re planning to run a B&B, it’s easy to focus on the big things like decorating guest rooms, setting your pricing, or deciding what to serve for breakfast. But the most useful insights often come when you put yourself in the guest’s shoes. Really understanding what your customers want from their stay is key to building a successful business.

Nearly all of my own new ideas — from room improvements to breakfast tweaks and even marketing strategies — came as a direct result of staying somewhere new. Research stays let you see first-hand what works well, and just as importantly, what you’d want to do differently in your own bed and breakfast.

Why Guest Research Feeds Directly Into Your B&B Business Plan

Research isn’t just about having a nice night away. Every stay gives you insights that feed directly into your B&B business plan. It helps you shape the kind of experience your future guests are going to love, while also avoiding mistakes that could put them off. Paying attention to the small details — how the welcome felt, whether the room lighting worked, how breakfast was presented — means you won’t overlook the little things that make such a big difference in running a successful bed and breakfast.

If you need to borrow money to start up or buy your B&B, a business plan is essential. Your lender will want to see that you understand your future customers, your business, and how you plan to market it to be a success.

While business plan templates are easy to find, actually knowing what to put in them is another matter. Staring at a blank page can feel overwhelming. This is where your research stays really help — they give you real-life examples and experiences you can feed straight into your plan, making it feel more practical and achievable.

To make the process easier, in my B&B training course I include a detailed example business plan for a fictitious B&B — built from a mix of real-life, successful plans. I have to say, it was much easier writing a business plan after 17 years of running my own B&B than it was when I first started out! The example gives you a clear structure and shows the type of information you’ll need to gather for your own. I’m also working on making this section available as a standalone resource for those who just want extra support with the planning stage.

Whether you’re starting from scratch or refining your ideas, your research stays will make writing that plan so much easier. If you’d like step-by-step guidance, you can find out more about my B&B training course here.

How to Research a Bed and Breakfast Without Staying Overnight

Most of us don’t have the budget to stay at lots of B&Bs and hotels purely for research — though I’d still recommend staying at one or two different ones if you can. The next best thing is to spend time looking at their reviews. Sites like TripAdvisor, Google, and Booking.com are full of honest feedback from past guests.

You’ll quickly spot what people rave about — often things like “the amazing breakfasts” or “the warm welcome” — as well as common complaints such as “thin walls” or “patchy WiFi.” Both the positives and negatives are incredibly useful when shaping your own ideas for your bed and breakfast.

This is worth doing even if you’ve stayed somewhere in person. It’s easy to get a bit of tunnel vision when you’re designing your own B&B, but reading a range of reviews gives you a broader picture of what future guests are likely to value — and what will have them heading to TripAdvisor.

What to Pay Attention to During a B&B Research Stay

Next time you check into a B&B, take your “future owner” hat with you. Have a notebook or your phone notes app ready, and pay attention in time order to the full guest experience:

• Before you arrive — Was the website clear? Did social media and marketing give you all the information you needed to book and plan your stay?
• Arrival and check-in — How easy was it to find the property and parking? How did the welcome and check-in process feel?
• The room — Comfort of the bed, bedding and pillows. Décor and cleanliness. Were there enough towels? Did the amenities (hairdryer, tea tray, toiletries) meet expectations?
• Guest information — Was the information in the room clear and helpful (e.g. WiFi, breakfast times, local recommendations)?
• Breakfast — What was the quality, choice, and presentation like? Did it feel flexible and guest-friendly?
• During your stay — How smoothly did systems work (WiFi, heating, payments, communication if you needed help)?
• Check-out and after your stay — Was the process simple? Were you left with a positive final impression? Did the host follow up afterwards?

These are exactly the details your own guests will notice too, so training yourself to spot them during a research stay is invaluable.

How to Research Your B&B USP and Stand Out From the Competition

When you’re doing your research, don’t just stay at B&Bs that all look the same as each other in your area. Try mixing it up — if budget allows, spend a night in a small hotel or even a higher-end property. You’ll get a wider range of ideas and inspiration to help you create your own unique selling point (USP).

Before I set up my own B&B, I’d only stayed in a couple of UK B&Bs, and to be honest, they were pretty disastrous. Think a plastic sliding bedroom door with no lock and a shared bathroom down the corridor! Most of my inspiration actually came from B&Bs we’d stayed at in the States, which gave me the confidence to create something a little different from the typical farmhouse B&Bs that were popular in my area at the time.

That said, don’t throw the baby out with the bath water. If a certain style of B&B is thriving locally, there will be a reason for that. Take the time to understand why and then decide which elements you might want to emulate — and which ones you’ll do differently to make your own B&B stand out.

How to Record Your Ideas for Your Bed and Breakfast Business Plan

Don’t just enjoy the stay and move on. Make notes and discreetly take photos so you can use them later:

• Jot down your first impressions as soon as you arrive
• Take pictures of things you liked (menus, welcome books, room details)
• Write down anything that didn’t work so well
• Ask yourself: how would I do this in my own B&B?

Should you tell the B&B owner that you’re doing research? It’s entirely up to you. Some owners will be happy to chat and share useful information about their business, while others may be more guarded. It’s important to be sensitive to the situation — if the owner looks rushed, stressed, or busy with other guests, it’s probably not the right time. But if they seem relaxed and open to conversation, you may find they’re happy to share tips and stories that you wouldn’t pick up otherwise.

Why Research Matters Even After You’ve Opened Your B&B

Research isn’t only useful when you’re planning your B&B — it’s just as important once you’re up and running. After every holiday away I’d come back full of ideas, many of which I’d implement at my own B&B. One of my repeat guests once told me that part of the joy of returning was seeing what little changes I’d made since their last visit. Small improvements can make a big difference to how guests experience their stay. I did draw the line at creating a different origami design out of the end of the loo roll every day, though!

How Research Inspiration Helps You Start and Run a Successful B&B

The more B&Bs you stay in — or the more reviews you read — the clearer your own vision will become. You’ll start to see patterns: what makes you feel welcome, what puts you off, and the type of experience you want to create for your guests.

All of this feeds directly into the bigger planning stage of starting a bed and breakfast. It will help you define your target market, design the guest experience you want to deliver, and set up a business that reflects your values and goals.

Ready to Take Your Bed and Breakfast Research Further?

Research trips are a brilliant way to gather ideas — and they feel like a holiday at the same time. But at some point, you’ll need to turn those ideas into a clear plan.

That’s where my B&B training course comes in. It walks you through every step of planning and running a bed and breakfast — from creating the right guest experience to pricing, marketing, and beyond — so you don’t just dream about your B&B, you actually make it happen.

Find out more about the B&B training course here.