Recently we have heard of some pretty amazing quilting retreats taking place at bed and breakfasts. These retreats are forever memorable not to mention fun. For similar hobby enthusiasts right now with the recession it’s a great time to retreat with a group of friends that share a similar interest or activity. Many bed and breakfasts are very willing and open to working with your group, whatever the activity.
In addition, the industry is really pushing right now the idea of “A Better Place to Stay”. They point out that often people don’t think to stay at a bed and breakfast over a hotel or motel even though it’s in the same price range, not to mention you get an amazing cooked breakfast.
What are some of the benefits of staying at bed and breakfasts?
1) It’s all about the experience – Owners and innkeepers are all about making your experience memorable so you will return. Many become close friends with their guests. An amazing host makes for a wonderful innkeeper. They are able to recognize guests who simply want their space versus those that need to relax but are in need of quality conversation and interaction.
2) It’s intimate and memorable – Unlike most hotels which are hospital-like sterile, inns are cozy, warm and inviting. After a retreat, your group will often bring up how fun it was to quilt at that specific inn.
3) The breakfast part is amazingly delicious – The breakfasts are very tasty, from healthy to scrumptious. With a group, they often will serve whatever you want.
4) The experience is unique and impressive – With B&B’s each room is unique and years later you will share, “Remember when we stayed at there? I loved that my room…” It’s the sylish, trendy and exciting way to stay.
5) It’s more affordable than you think – The average cost to stay at a B&B is around the $100 a night, which includes a real breakfast. That’s pretty comparable to going to a high quality hotel chain, continental breakfast included. While you could quilt in a motel for less, it won’t be as fun, right?
How to find an exceptional bed and breakfast?
One of the biggest challenges the industry faces is the mistaken image people have made for them. This image comes from novices who open a bed and breakfast but aren’t serious about being in business. With the recession most of those have closed.
With the Internet, it’s easy to ensure you are going to an exceptional B&B run by business owners who make your experience priority number one. TripAdvisor.com is a good way to see a lot of ratings. Ignore any unusual negative comments. If their scores are high, someone might have been having a bad day.
Another site we recommend DestinationNexus.com which makes it extremely easy to find an exceptional bed and breakfast by city or state. It’s a visual website that is clean and banner ad free. They also have ranked every inn so you don’t have to. They highlight the top sixty inns per state in addition to allowing you to research specific cities. The site is organized with the best inns at the top.
If it’s time to get away with some friends, here are some bed and breakfasts in a handful of states where quilting is very popular, we recommend without hesitation:
The Barn Inn Bed and Breakfast – Millersburg, Ohio
The Cloran Mansion – Galena, Illinois
The Columbine Bed and Breakfast – Louisville, Kentucky
The Country Victorian Bed and Breakfast – Middlebury, Indiana
Those are just a handful of states. Feel free to research bed and breakfasts in your own state. Don’t hesitate to call any innkeeper to discuss a getaway for any group of hobbyist, almost all of them will be delighted to help make arrangements.