What are b&bs shit at?

[jamcorrosion]

Hey! I’m hoping for some good ideas or thoughts - my friend has a guest house at the coast UK. He’s not getting many bookings and those he gets are generally elderly. He wants to get the word out more. I’ve stayed they’re and it’s really lovely, brekkie included and right on the seafront.
Now I know lots of places advertise family friendly but rarely they actually are more than the basics.
He is looking at marketing towards families with children and being really family friendly. What does this mean to you? And what would you love to see at a bed and breakfast that would make a difference for kids? Things that in the past you’ve been away and thought ‘I wish they had or did ….’
Any and all thoughts welcome!

Another one with young children who wouldn't book a BnB. We tend to book self catering caravan or holiday cottage.

I book self catering cottages and caravans for the space, the kitchen, the fact that we can put the children to bed in a separate bedroom and not have to sit in the dark/ in silence. Not having to worry about cleaners in the room or feeling like we have to be out most of the day.

I need flexibility for meals. DD is a picky eater and a grazer. Sometimes all she wants for tea are simple bits like toast and beans, spaghetti hoops, sandwiches and fruit and veg sticks ect, all which can be made at home for 1/10 of the price of going to a cafe and can't be made in a BnB without a kitchenette. I also need somewhere and somehow to wash and sterilise baby bottles. DD drinks milk at bedtime still and doesn't like UHT milk.

A separate bedroom is a huge help as otherwise the children go to bed at 8 and me and DH have to sit in the dark/ in silence and even then because we are there DC do not sleep and instead find 30000000 reasons to stop up longer. Many bnbs cram the beds in 1 room, no- one sleeps well because every time someone goes to the toilet the whole room is disturbed, DD will get up at 5 (really not other guest friendly) and put the TV on or start crashing about with toys - again waking everyone up. Then be raring for breakfast at 6 - again not BnB friendly.

Then there is the cleaning/ room service aspect where most bnbs expect you to have breakfast and then be out for the from around 11am so turn rooms round. My youngest naps at 11.30 till 1 and then 4-5. Sometimes if they get up early they nap 9-11 so we are often in the room. Eldest is then often stuck in with cabin fever whilst youngest naps, we usually book either a beach side family hotel or a caravan on a caravan site so DD can go to the park/ beach to burn off some steam whilst youngest naps.

Similarly space, BnB family rooms are generally cramped so play space is limited.

Personally I would advise your friend to stick to the adult market. Look at what everyone else is doing, serve food quality nice breakfasts, if they want to stand out go quirky but adult focused.

Like others I don't understand the appeal of marketing to families with children.

Llandudno - is it a place that families go particularly? If they do, surely they would want self catering or a holiday park with a pool or playground or general outside space to run around.

Bnb is not flexible. I have stayed in a few and some have been very nice, but needing to say what time you'll arrive and when you want breakfast doesn't suit sometimes.

If your friend is getting elderly people booking then lean into it!

My two cents - I agree with a lot of the posters already in that I'm doubtful there us much of a market for B&B accommodation for families with children, we would either book a whole property so the children had their own room(s) and we had a living room to "chill" in the evenings after they went to bed or we would use a hotel where the kids could have a swim in the pool, run around in the gardens and we used the "kids eat free" deal in the restaurant for dinner.
To me a BnB would be the worst of both worlds, neither the space of renting a whole property nor the facilities of a hotel.
I think your friend would be much better aiming for the "older people and adult only" market than trying to get families who would be more likely to rent one of the static caravans that surround Llandudno and that whole stretch of the coast.

He’s not getting many bookings and those he gets are generally elderly
What's wrong with elderly guests?😒 I bet they are a lot less trouble than having to toddler-proof your B&B.

The Hotel Inspector also did an episode a few years ago based on exactly the OP'S premise: making a B & B more family friendly.

If he’s going to aim for families then I’d probably suggest ones with older kids.

I have small children and wouldn’t choose a BnB because evening meals are tricky.
The children want to eat early and then go to bed, so either a hotel where we can get room service/eat in or self catering work better for us.
With small children it’s also really helpful to have basic laundry facilities available (either a washing machine in self-catering or a laundry service in a hotel). I also look for somewhere with a fridge in the room for storing pumped breast milk and toddler snacks/milk/juice.
BnBs also don’t tend to work for us because they’re usually a single room which means we have to sit silently in the dark from 7pm when the kids go to bed and everyone gets woken up in the night if the baby wakes up.

I don’t want to be negative, but I would seriously consider whether aiming at a family market is his best option. Especially because it would probably put off his older guests and adults without kids.

If he really wants to aim for the family market I’d suggest:

• Really good blackout curtains in the rooms
• Simple child friendly breakfast options
• Child equipment that is high quality and in excellent condition (with pictures available on the website so you know the travel cot isn’t a manky, death trap)
• Communal areas and rooms that are simple, hardwearing, clean and safe (I don’t want to spend my whole holiday trying to stop my child fiddling with delicate nicknacks or trying to navigate the pushchair around a load of cluttered furniture)
• I’d definitely be more likely to book somewhere with a nice outdoor space where they can play (again, safe and good condition toys/equipment)
• Decent soundproofing between rooms (I don’t want my kids woken up by a hen party coming in at 3am, and other guests probably don’t want to be woken up by my toddler having a tantrum because I won’t let him watch Paw Patrol at 5am 😂)

He needs to do a bit of customer research among local visitors. While 'kid friendly' might attract families, they will tend to be mainly booking during the holidays. However, speaking for myself, I would never book anywhere promoted as 'kid friendly' regardless of whether I wanted to stay in the holidays or not. I wouldn't even pause to think about it, I'd just scroll by. So he could be reducing the number of bookings he would get during term time.
P.S. I used to run a 4* B+B with several staff. We all much prefered 'older' customers to families of kids. Far less trouble and less likely to disturb other guests during the night. Bottom line is that you want the rooms fully occupied. I suspect that in this location your friend would do much better by targetting a slightly older market. Also think about people who might be working in the area weekdays.

I have young DC and have only stayed in one B&B, which we chose because:

per person it was cheap
2 sort of adjoining rooms, a bit like a suite - a bedroom and a 'living room' with a coffee making station and a sofa bed
outside space with a couple of play things
walkable to a shop/beach
Buffet breakfast instead of an awkward 8am table service (nightmare for kids)

I would add:
good parking
highchairs
option to use a cot

In Llandudno specifically I'd have a box of beach toys for guests to borrow, some maps/leaflets for local walks that are family/pram friendly, maybe some crayons with colouring sheets of local attractions (chat gpt/gemini can make these).

Yes! Those giant connect four games.

Rather than what’s bad about b&bs, the thing I love and that should be promoted IMO, is (if he does this), no buffet breakfast, cooked to order breakfast, so you can say things like “fried egg but well done”

With DC I want somewhere with a secure garden, no hot tubs, no glass balconies, in the winter if there is a fire I want a guard there, good WiFi is non-negotiable, smart TV so when DC have gone to bed we aren't sitting staring at the walls.

I'd want to be sure of safety. Where I used to live, a lot of B&Bs were grouped together and many were used for emergency housing so tbh I'm already weary of b&bs but more so with a child.

We stayed at one as a couple as we won it in a competition and we left a positive review and will return, but mainly because it was speciality and suited us (think it 100% gluten free) so I'd suggedt:

1. Safety assurance, upmarket marketing.
2. Marketing in the right places for the right clientele
3. Give it a USP. Kids love those multi cereal packets, branded character yoghurt, bedding, free toy, a playroom with montessori toys etc, free baby monitors so you can use the lounge.

He’s competing with literally hundreds of hotels and b&bs within 1 square mile. Plus travelodge and premier inn came a couple of years ago so it’s a tricky place.

BUT

he could

do some deals with the snow centre, tram, cable cars, magic bar, mini train, parisellas ice cream for free tickets for his guests.

some kind of shuttle service to bodnant garden / snowdonia / zip world if he owns a mini bus

american’ type breakfasts for kids - waffles, pancakes, fruit etc as an alternative to fry ups.

He needs to make sure he has really good photos on his website, modern furniture and stays himself in some of the successful b&bs and takes notes

The photos and information on booking.com are much more important than trying to add family friendly things into the actual b&b for getting bookings. Booking.com has its own algorithm and its worth looking at what kind of photos, description the highest rated or most appealing ones have.

This is completely useless to your friend but as a child we stayed on a farm / B and B. After dinner / tea there would be a shout from one of the kids, "The horse is out" and we all got a ride on the horse walking around a field.

As I said useless but could your friend have something to occupy children for a while? And something to do when it rains.

Are there local attractions for families? If so can your friend link up with them to offer a package?

Are prices the same all year or do they rise in school holidays?

I wouldn’t mind ‘dated’ furnishings - we once stayed at one where there were pink frills on everything - even frills on frills!

But I do want a king size, non lumpy bed, with a good bedside lamp that works, cotton bedding (no polyester sheets) a shower with plenty of hot water, a kettle and the wherewithal to make a cup of tea.

I wouldn’t choose a B&B with young children. Self catering is easier, but I dare say that anyone staying with young children would want a bath as well as a shower, or a shower over a bath.

Mine is for B&Bs and hotels really:

• Shit coffee at breakfast
• Basic rubbish bread at breakfast and no decent fruit options, all sugary cereal from a manky dispenser and no decent granola or muesli. No Marmite or peanut butter. Toast machine set to inadequate on first pass and cremation on the second.
• Can't cook tomatoes properly
• Most only provide instant in the room. Most people do better than that home. Also a little fridge and fresh milk, a couple of hot chocolate sachets as well as milk and tea and some nice biscuits. Even some quite expensive places really skimp on this. A couple of bottles of water is also nice.
• Convoluted/check in/check out process or long waits to do either.

When has a fried egg that's been sitting on a buffet for three hours ever not been 'well done'? Sorry I know that's hardly your point 🤣

Agree with pp that with small kids I'd be unlikely to consider a b&b over a small self-catering place.
I've been in cottages that have little communal soft-play areas, beach stuff to borrow, lots of open space.

Comfy bed and good wi-fi a MUST.

I think he should focus on the customers it already suits! I wouldn't want to be a couple in a b&b with crying kids in the next room!

What platforms is he using to advertise?

I think b and b's are not really a child friendly option. It tends to be one room, nowhere to sit but the bed. A family couldn't really spend time in the room during the day without being on top of each other. You have to go out for every meal except breakfast which makes it expensive.

He's also going to put off this core customers because they probably won't want to be surrounded by screaming kids.

There is a reason why family friendly b and b's are not a thing. It's not a gap in the market, it's that there isn't a market.

Much better to improve his core offering. Have a look at The Hotel Inspector, especially the older episodes as the new ones aren't so good as she has less money to throw at them!

Flexibility!
I want to arrive when it’s convenient for me, not for the establishment, I want to come & go as & when I please, including getting back late, and I want to have my breakfast either earlier or later as it suits me.
I gave up on b&bs because too many times their idea of ‘late’ was 10pm & mine was 1am. I don’t have this problem at Premier Inn, so I now stay there.

I trust he has watched all episodes of The Hotel Inspector, so many tips!

We used to run a B & B , it’s hard work !
We weren’t specifically family friendly , but we had a cot and high chair , one of the rooms had room for a Z bed

We found most B & B clients are middle class and middle aged ! So wouldn’t want toys etc ( we had buckets and spades available if wanted )

Top tips
Be very clean
Nice beds with white bedding
Modern en-suites
Tea/ coffee tray with supplies of teabags , coffee and a couple of biscuits
Small fridge with fresh milk offered on check in ( we only offered full fat dairy milk )
Wine glasses in room
Out door space , even a shared patio is good ( we had a big field we mowed and put a couple of picnic benches there )
I don’t know Llandudno ( we’re west Wales ) safe bike storage might be a good idea

A website that customers can book from is good , booking dot com is easier , though more expensive or try Airbnb

With it being Llandudno somewhere to leave wellies, wet coats and walking boots where they can dry safely would be a nice touch, a cloak room/left luggage type area with drying racks, or heated airers in the rooms. Families are likely to have more wet things as kids tend to get water in their boots, go in the sea even if it's raining and soak everything through generally and it's hard to get things dry in one room.

I keep reading the title of this thread as “what are babies shit at?” and thinking “most things, but cut them some slack, eh” 😭