STAAH Blog
  • Home
  • MANAGEMENT
    • Why Every Hotel Needs a Channel Manager…

      Program Konsorsium Hotel: Bagaimana, Mengapa & Berapa…

      โปรแกรม Hotel Consortia: อย่างไร ทําไม และค่าใช้จ่ายเท่าไหร่?

      ตัวจัดการช่องทาง Channel Manager คืออะไร และทำไมผู้ให้บริการที่พักจึงจำเป็นต้องมี?

      The Top Traits of Exceptional Hospitality Professionals

  • Marketing
    • Smart Hotel Distribution: What Every Hotelier Needs…

      The Ultimate Guide to Turning Negative Reviews…

      6 Social Media Trends Hoteliers Must Leverage…

      ไอเดียโพสต์โซเชียลมีเดียที่กําลังมาแรงสําหรับโรงแรมในปี 2025

      Xu Hướng Nội Dung Mạng Xã Hội…

  • Tips & Trends
    • Smart Hotel Distribution: What Every Hotelier Needs…

      Maximizing Hotel Revenue: Advanced Channel Manager Strategies…

      The OTA Balancing Act: How a Channel…

      Tapping into Wellness Tourism: A Hotelier’s Guide

      Overcoming common challenges in channel management for…

  • News
    • Cloudbeds and STAAH partner to enhance channel…

      STAAH Achieves Prestigious Seamless Product Badge from…

      STAAH Product Updates You Can’t Miss –…

      Thoughtful Thursday – Reporting for Properties: Converting…

      Thoughtful Thursday – Matrix – Revenue Control…

  • Success Stories
    • The Komu Boosts Direct Revenue by 25%…

      Online Revenue Jumps 50% for Mangkuluhur Residences…

      23% more online bookings for Vivatel Kuala…

      STAAH boosts Indonesian resort’s direct bookings by…

      Nova Express Pattaya expands online visibility with…

  • Resources
    • All BLAAH BLAAH @STAAH Connectivity News e-Books Events Podcast Quiz Testimonials Webinars

      Connect with Expedia – Expand Your Reach…

      Alexa+ could earn “top-of-the-funnel” spot in travel…

      STAAH & Hotelbeds: A Powerful Partnership Driving…

      STAAH’s new eBook to guide hoteliers through…

      BLAAH BLAAH @STAAH with Captain Mihir Deepak…

      BLAAH BLAAH @STAAH with Dia Mirza

      BLAAH BLAAH @STAAH with Avijit Arya and…

      BLAAH BLAAH @STAAH with Mauro Risch

      Connect with Expedia – Expand Your Reach…

      Alexa+ could earn “top-of-the-funnel” spot in travel…

      STAAH & Hotelbeds: A Powerful Partnership Driving…

      EMPOWERING CHANNEL PARTNERS: THE POWER OF CONTENT…

      STAAH’s new eBook to guide hoteliers through…

      STAAH ReviewMinder Playbook

      STAAH GDS Playbook

      The Expert Guide to Drive More Direct…

      BLAAH BLAAH @STAAH with Suwamana Wahyu Putra…

      BLAAH BLAAH @STAAH With Matthias Dybing And…

      BLAAH BLAAH @STAAH with Vikramjit Singh and…

      BLAAH BLAAH @STAAH with Suhail Kannampilly and…

      STAAH Weekly Hospitality Quiz: 17 January

      STAAH Weekly Hospitality Quiz: 10 January

      STAAH Weekly Hospitality Quiz: 20 December

      STAAH Weekly Hospitality Quiz: 13 December

      The Domain Hotel and Spa, Bahrain

      Pramana Experience (Indonesia)

      Merusaka Nusa Dua, Bali (Indonesia)

      Acappella Suite Hotel (Malaysia):

      From Search to Stay: Maximize your Visibility…

      STAAH Webinar: From Search to Stay: Maximize…

      STAAH Webinar: Manage Revenue Mastery: How to…

      STAAH Webinar: Manage Revenue Mastery: How to…

  • Free Demo
LATEST
Smart Hotel Distribution: What Every Hotelier Needs to...
Cloudbeds and STAAH partner to enhance channel management for...
STAAH Achieves Prestigious Seamless Product Badge from Booking.com
The Komu Boosts Direct Revenue by 25% with...
STAAH Product Updates You Can’t Miss – April...

STAAH Blog

  • Home
  • MANAGEMENT
    • Why Every Hotel Needs a Channel Manager…

      Program Konsorsium Hotel: Bagaimana, Mengapa & Berapa…

      โปรแกรม Hotel Consortia: อย่างไร ทําไม และค่าใช้จ่ายเท่าไหร่?

      ตัวจัดการช่องทาง Channel Manager คืออะไร และทำไมผู้ให้บริการที่พักจึงจำเป็นต้องมี?

      The Top Traits of Exceptional Hospitality Professionals

  • Marketing
    • Smart Hotel Distribution: What Every Hotelier Needs…

      The Ultimate Guide to Turning Negative Reviews…

      6 Social Media Trends Hoteliers Must Leverage…

      ไอเดียโพสต์โซเชียลมีเดียที่กําลังมาแรงสําหรับโรงแรมในปี 2025

      Xu Hướng Nội Dung Mạng Xã Hội…

  • Tips & Trends
    • Smart Hotel Distribution: What Every Hotelier Needs…

      Maximizing Hotel Revenue: Advanced Channel Manager Strategies…

      The OTA Balancing Act: How a Channel…

      Tapping into Wellness Tourism: A Hotelier’s Guide

      Overcoming common challenges in channel management for…

  • News
    • Cloudbeds and STAAH partner to enhance channel…

      STAAH Achieves Prestigious Seamless Product Badge from…

      STAAH Product Updates You Can’t Miss –…

      Thoughtful Thursday – Reporting for Properties: Converting…

      Thoughtful Thursday – Matrix – Revenue Control…

  • Success Stories
    • The Komu Boosts Direct Revenue by 25%…

      Online Revenue Jumps 50% for Mangkuluhur Residences…

      23% more online bookings for Vivatel Kuala…

      STAAH boosts Indonesian resort’s direct bookings by…

      Nova Express Pattaya expands online visibility with…

  • Resources
    • All BLAAH BLAAH @STAAH Connectivity News e-Books Events Podcast Quiz Testimonials Webinars

      Connect with Expedia – Expand Your Reach…

      Alexa+ could earn “top-of-the-funnel” spot in travel…

      STAAH & Hotelbeds: A Powerful Partnership Driving…

      STAAH’s new eBook to guide hoteliers through…

      BLAAH BLAAH @STAAH with Captain Mihir Deepak…

      BLAAH BLAAH @STAAH with Dia Mirza

      BLAAH BLAAH @STAAH with Avijit Arya and…

      BLAAH BLAAH @STAAH with Mauro Risch

      Connect with Expedia – Expand Your Reach…

      Alexa+ could earn “top-of-the-funnel” spot in travel…

      STAAH & Hotelbeds: A Powerful Partnership Driving…

      EMPOWERING CHANNEL PARTNERS: THE POWER OF CONTENT…

      STAAH’s new eBook to guide hoteliers through…

      STAAH ReviewMinder Playbook

      STAAH GDS Playbook

      The Expert Guide to Drive More Direct…

      BLAAH BLAAH @STAAH with Suwamana Wahyu Putra…

      BLAAH BLAAH @STAAH With Matthias Dybing And…

      BLAAH BLAAH @STAAH with Vikramjit Singh and…

      BLAAH BLAAH @STAAH with Suhail Kannampilly and…

      STAAH Weekly Hospitality Quiz: 17 January

      STAAH Weekly Hospitality Quiz: 10 January

      STAAH Weekly Hospitality Quiz: 20 December

      STAAH Weekly Hospitality Quiz: 13 December

      The Domain Hotel and Spa, Bahrain

      Pramana Experience (Indonesia)

      Merusaka Nusa Dua, Bali (Indonesia)

      Acappella Suite Hotel (Malaysia):

      From Search to Stay: Maximize your Visibility…

      STAAH Webinar: From Search to Stay: Maximize…

      STAAH Webinar: Manage Revenue Mastery: How to…

      STAAH Webinar: Manage Revenue Mastery: How to…

  • Free Demo

Setting Up A Bed & Breakfast – Do You Have What It Takes?

27 April 2018
Bed & Breakfast

At some point many of us have dreamed of quitting our jobs and running a B&B. There’d be hard parts, but not having a daily commute into work surely makes it all worth it! B&B owner, Donna Brooke delves into how you can make this common fantasy come true.


There could be many reasons that triggered your B&B dream. You might be inspired to ‘set up shop’ after a recent vacation. You might be looking for a new project in retirement. You may even be looking to make a sea change and step out of the rat race. It can be tempting to launch in headfirst … and worry about the details later.

However, it is those very details that will make – or break – your business. Are you really cut out for this type of work? Do you live in the right location for a B&B? How will it impact on your life and your home?

Here are my top six things to consider when it comes to setting up a B&B.


Location & Target Audience

Location, Location, Location & Target Audience

You’ve heard it in real estate and the same goes for B&Bs. What is it about your location that would make someone want to stay there? A picturesque view in a holiday hotspot? Proximity to inner-city nightlife?

Is there an available market for the type of accommodation you can offer in this location? Do some research and identify who the market is in your location. Are they tourists, international or domestic? Perhaps there is a market for business travellers in your area? Know your location and know your market. Then figure out how to make them a perfect fit.

Local Knowledge

Local Knowledge

 When a guest chooses to stay in a B&B, they are choosing specific local knowledge, over a generic ‘could-be-anywhere’ experience. They are paying for – and relying on – your personal knowledge of the area to ensure they have the best experience. Your local knowledge will contribute significantly to the success of your B&B.

Be in the know-how of timings for tourist spots and supermarkets, as well as other functional and local information that makes visitor experience even better. As a B&B operator, you will be expected to be an ambassador for your area.  Building and strengthening your local relationships is important too. It’s not who you know, but who

knows you in the B&B business. If other people and businesses in your area know you and your business, they’ll be great ambassadors for your B&B.

Guest Experience

Delivering an Excellent Guest Experience

The ability to offer a great experience for your guests starts from the moment they arrive at your front door. As a host, you must always be there to meet and greet your guests. For unmanned receptions, this can sometimes means long waiting periods – are you prepared for these? Will you be able to cope when guests’ best-laid plans go awry and you have to adapt to accommodate their needs?

A positive guest experience relies on you being present and on-hand to assist, as and when required, for the duration of their stay. The time and effort this takes is entirely dependent on the guest, but it helps to be prepared for adaptability!

Personal Routines

Personal Routines

 If you’re not a morning person … forget it! And if you hate cooking, running a B&B is definitely going to be a challenge. Some B&Bs don’t offer breakfast at all (misleading, given they are ‘Bed & Breakfasts’) and others offer Continental only so they don’t have to cook.

If you are serious about providing a personal experience guests wouldn’t normally get in a hotel or motel, providing a cooked breakfast is the standard. It’s also an opportunity to offer something extraordinary and set yourself apart. A good breakfast inspires many a positive review!

People - Person

You’ll Need to Be a ‘People Person’

Running a B&B is essentially all about inviting strangers into your home and befriending them. You will meet people from many walks of life, with different cultures, different values, different worldviews. If you show empathy and understanding of other cultures and if you have the ability to convey genuine interest in others, your guests will feel at ease and their experience will be positive. Being empathic to others also means sensing when your guests want company and when they want privacy and acting accordingly.

Work & Life

Merging of Home, Work and Life

Operating a B&B brings together these three critical elements. It is important to consider how this is going to work and who it will impact in your family. Consider how you can ‘guest proof’ your home without making it sterile. Are you truly willing to share your personal space with strangers? Are you going to run this business solo or do you have a partner? If you’re a sole-operator you’ll need to consider security, workload and available help when things go wrong. If you’re operating with your partner, consider the impact this will have. Are you an effective team? Have you worked together before? Who will do what? Clarity around your roles and how you distribute the workload will set you up as a successful team. Be prepared to adapt and redefine things as your business evolves.


Donna Brooke is a seasoned hospitality professional. She now owns a B&B (Sunlover Retreat in The Coromandel in New Zealand) while also enjoying being a celebrant at weddings.   

Setting Up A Bed & Breakfast – Do You Have What It Takes? was last modified: October 27th, 2022 by staah

Related Articles

STAAH successfully helps Vietnamese resort to streamline...

Direct bookings jump 3.5% with STAAH Max...

STAAH delights Malaysian property e.City Hotel @...

Sahid Hotels & Resorts drives a 25%...

STAAH Products

Channel Manager
Booking Engine
Instantsite Website
Gift Voucher Engine
Review Minder


QUICK LINKS
  • About
  • Blog
  • News
  • Resellers
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
  • Login
  • Help Centre
  • Refer a friend, get NZ $300
PRODUCTS
  • Channel Manager
  • Booking Engine
  • ReviewMinder
  • Vouchers
  • Global Distribution Systems (GDS)
  • InstantWebsite
Solutions
  • Independent Properties
  • Group Properties
INTEGRATIONS
  • All Integrations
  • OTAs
  • PMS
  • Wholesalers
  • PG
  • GDS
  • Metasearch Engines
  • Booking Engines & Conversion Drivers
  • Upselling, CRM & Marketing Partners
  • Su API
CONTACT

Sales Enquiries:
sales@staah.com

Customer Support:
support@staah.com

Billing:
accounts@staah.com

Careers:
people@staah.com

STAAH Limited. 2025 © All Rights Reserved. | Support | Terms | Cookie Policy | Privacy Policy