In recent years Bed and Breakfast places have been popular way stations for the traveling set. Frequently housed in old, historic buildings in scenic places, B and Bs with their scones and quiches often seem “precious”. They offer weary travelers the company of fellow journeyman and jovial inn keepers.
Though they may have much to offer, I am very ambivalent about these places. They can be fun and relaxing, but too often I find them confining and without the amenities I enjoy. Tea and scones and Sherry are nice, but how about a good single malt? Have you ever seen an elevator in a B&B? After a hard day on the road, I like my space and privacy. I like to watch CNN in my room, not in a living room with overstuffed furniture. It’s a pain to unlock the front door at night. I like a concierge service that works 24-7. There is something about the impersonality of a big hotel that is freeing. It is also nice to be able to buy a paper in the lobby.
Band Bs are not cheap. They are often cold and drafty, and sometimes you don’t even get your own bathroom! Such flaws wouldn’t be tolerated at a Marriot or Hilton, but B&BS are selling ambiance I suppose. I stayed in one recently in Port Townsend, Washington. The proprietor was very nice, and I felt guilty for not resonating more with the place. It was decorated with many antiques, and after a short time I had the feeling that I often have in such places, namely that I was staying in a museum, and that I shouldn’t disturb anything. I was an interloper, and the real residents were the tables, and chairs, and fine lamps. The building was obviously fashionable in the late 1800s, but I noted to myself that people didn’t build houses like this anymore, and there was a reason they didn’t!
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