To design a Bed and Breakfast takes time and planning.

You have to set achievable goals, establish your target market and ensure your property works for your plans. Here are 14 guidelines you need to follow.

Welcome to the Hospitality Property School.

I am your instructor, Gerry MacPherson.

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A bed and breakfast is many vacationers’ idea of a charming place to spend time when travelling.

Thinking of opening a bed and breakfast can inspire many to leap into this business, but there is far more to running a successful bed and breakfast than renting out rooms in an old home and that starts when you sit down to design a bed and breakfast.

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Here are 14 guideline tips to help through the process

1.    Consider the user-experience

From the moment guests book their stay to the moment they check out, mapping a wonderful user experience is all-important for rental property owners. Guests will appreciate that you’ve made sure every step of their stay is catered for.

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You’ll need to know your target market, so you can recognize exactly who you’ll be welcoming into your B&B and their unique needs. Knowing your clientele is crucial.

Things to consider:

  • The all-important high-speed WIFI

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  • Providing a workspace for guest

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  • Installing well-placed reading lights

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  • Adding multiple USB ports above bedside tables

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When your guests have everything to make their stay pleasant, it guarantees a more enjoyable experience all around.

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2.    Your layout & space

When planning your B&B’s layout, make a list of all the necessary furniture items that will be required in the space. Consider how guests would navigate through your B&B and map out their probable movements and place furniture accordingly.

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This will help to create a super-function space with a great flow.

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Keep in mind the more furniture and decor, the more cleaning and maintenance you’ll need to do.

Other factors to take into consideration:

  • Determining purpose and defining zones

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  • The best viewpoints

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  • Where is the best natural light 

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  • Electrical socket locations 

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3.    Working  with existing floor plan

Since many bed and breakfasts are older homes, you might find yourself working with a challenging floor plan. This could mean rooms that don’t feel like they flow together and small rooms that make furniture placement difficult. One of the greatest challenges designers face with bed-and-breakfast house plans is working with existing structures.

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Transforming a historic home into a functioning bed and breakfast might mean removing a closet door to turn it into an alcove or removing an interior wall to combine separate rooms into one larger bedroom. This can also mean building a bookshelf around a column to create 4 sides or even adding storage space under the stairs. Working alongside a creative contractor can enable you to make the most of your bed and breakfast property, giving it new life and keeping it fresh for guests.

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4.    Plans for fire safety

Building codes vary from one area to another, so be sure to comply with them during bed and breakfast house construction.  Failure to comply with the local fire code could get your bed and breakfast fined or might cause guests to be hurt in case of an emergency. Examples of fire-safety precautions for your bed and breakfast include:

  • Smoke and CO2 detectors in each bedroom

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  • A fire suppression system

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  • Fire escapes for upper floors

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  • Multiple exits for each room

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It is always better to be more cautious than the fire code requires for safety. You have to make your guest and employee safety a priority. If you are considering buying a bed and breakfast or property to convert, carefully consider the extent of the renovations it will need to come up with today’s safety codes.

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5.    Give each room easy access to amenities

One very important consideration when designing a floor plan designs is creating one that grants guests similar access to amenities. Although bed-and-breakfast guests understand that they are not staying at a hotel and so each room might be different, renovating the floor plan to give each room similarly easy access to a bathroom, the staircase and the kitchen can make a property more attractive.

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6.    Sourcing quality furniture

You can impress your guests with your level of comfort and style and not spend a fortune. You can source second-hand furniture from many different places including local auctions or online marketplaces. They are also a great way to find high-quality and affordable furniture. This can make the cost of setting up a unique look to any space more affordable.

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Whether you want to create a modern feel for a space or something more traditional, sourcing quality second-hand furniture is an affordable option. The bonus is that investing in second-hand items is good for the planet and reduces the carbon footprint.

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7.    Create a unique brand

You want your establishment to make a statement while at the same time aligning a space perfectly to the ideal guests. Simply put, branding is a necessary communication strategy used to help identify and distinguish one brand from another.

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In competitive markets, branding is crucial in paving the way for a bed and breakfast’s success as it increases customer recognition and recall of the property

To look at it holistically, branding is comprised of the following main factors:

  • Brand identity

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  • Visual expressions

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  • Brand personality

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  • Brand experience

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By improving on these factors, your bed and breakfast brand can go from good to great.

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8.    Install pleasant and effective lighting

In a perfect world, you want your BnB to reflect a cozy ambience. To do this you could illuminate your space with multiple lamps, wall lights and directional task lighting instead of overhead general lighting. This will create a  more effective lighting scheme with a relaxing atmosphere. 

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You should also switch out all bulbs for LED to reduce energy use and reduce running costs.

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The lighting should reflect the time of day, general mood and functionality of your space.

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9.    Use colours to enrich a look

Whether you want a contemporary feel or a vintage look to your B&B, there’s a superb choice of colour options and palettes to suit your style.

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The right colour can transform the look and feel of a space. For a calming feel opt for cool tones like blues and greens and social spaces I would recommend warmer tones like pinks and oranges.

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If you want to create a space with the most possible impact then try layering warm and cool tones together in a room. This can be in the form of furniture, decor, textiles and paints! 

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10.                  Consider your guests’ wants and needs

When making bed-and-breakfast plans, you must consider guests’ potential needs. A family travelling with children might only want a room that has a bathroom, and guests without children might want to be located far from the noises of a young family.

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11.                  Include thoughtful gifts

A thoughtful gift here and there can also make all the difference. Things to consider include:

  • A welcoming basket full of local delicacies

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  • A personalized guest guidebook full of places to visit

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  • Quality organic cotton linen and towels

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  • Complimentary items such as fairtrade tea and coffee and soaps, even ear plugs if you are situated near a road. 

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Your guests will love the fact they are being offered something which could encourage great reviews.

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12.                  Consider your guest’s length of stay

Your property’s design and layout will depend on how long your guests are going to be staying. You should align your interior design to suit your needs and that of your guests.

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You should ask yourself:

  • Will they need laundry facilities

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  • a clothes hanger?

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  • What about additional kitchen equipment

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  • a vacuum cleaner

etc.

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As a bed and breakfast owner, you have to make sure that your guest’s needs are catered to no matter how long they stay.

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13.                  Is your B&B going to be family-friendly, wheelchair accessible, pet-friendly

If your BnB is going to be family-friendly, you have to consider:

  • Providing a travel cot

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  • Installing wall-mounted TVs

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  • Fitting child-safe, cordless blinds

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  • Make sure fireplaces are covered up

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If you are going to be a pet-friendly establishment, you have to consider:

  • Water bowl

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  • Dog bed

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  • Durable finishes and furniture

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  • Pet treats

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To be wheelchair accessible, you’ll need:

  • Space to park a wheelchair under a counter

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  • Wheelchair ramp

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  • Grab rails

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  • Wider corridors and turning areas

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  • Low placement oven

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  • A wet room

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14.           Keeping your B&B clean

Your B&B must be kept glittering clean. Choosing the right furniture, carpets, flooring and window furnishings can make this a lot easier.

Things to consider include:

  • Easy clean and durable furniture

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  • Wall mounted toilet

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  • Mixed-tone, woven textiles that don’t stain easily

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  • Easy iron bedding

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  • Frameless shower door

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  • Larger floor tiles

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  • Wall hung sinks

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And hey, if all this number-crunching and strategy talk makes your head spin, we’ve got just the thing for you. Grab our free ‘Crafting the Perfect Stay – 25 Essential Insights for Bed and Breakfast Owners’ PDF. It’s hotter than your morning coffee and packed with insights. Get it now and let’s make that B&B not just a stay, but an experience! 🌟”

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Have you ever designed or renovated a bed and breakfast?

Let me know.

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In conclusion

There are lots to consider when you set up a B&B many of which I cover in this episode. Getting it right from the outset is crucial if you want your B&B to stand out and be somewhere that creates great memories for your guests.

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Now you’ve read our 14 guideline tips to follow when planning to design a bed and breakfast, you can have peace of mind knowing you starting on the right foot.

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⇒ TO READ OR LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE ON KEYSTONE HOSPITALITY PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT:

https://keystonehpd.com/14-guidelines-to-design-a-bed-and-breakfast-effectively-304

 

Serious about taking your business to the next level? Sign up for the “Inn-side Track-Mastering Your B&B Business” course.

https://courses.keystonehospitalitydevelopment.com/course/inn-side-track-mastering-your-bb-business/

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Grab your copy of the ‘Crafting the Perfect Stay- 25 Essential Insights for Bed and Breakfast Owners’ PDF.

https://keystonehpd.com/beds-breakfasts-business-pdf/

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14 Guidelines to Design a Bed and Breakfast Effectively | Eps. #304