Page 4 | What are b&bs shit at?

jamcorrosion · 2026-04-02T01:42:09+00:00

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!

TeenToTwenties · 02/04/2026 10:11

Family friendly coastal B&B:

No knick knacks waiting to be broken
Some melamine plates and plastic glasses at breakfast
Bucket and spades and other beach toys available to borrow
Board games for rainy days
Somewhere to rinse off sand
Ice creams in a freezer at cheaper price than kiosks (nice to have)
Linked bedrooms

GinAndJuice99 · 02/04/2026 10:16

Just don't make people check out at 10. That's no fun for anyone, but for families with young kids, no way.

Owl23 · 02/04/2026 12:23

Food would be my biggest thing, 2 meals put a day is hard. Someone's mentioned access to fridge/microwave which would help. Possibly offering packed lunch option. Pure B&B wouldn't really work for me. Also catering properly for allergens would make a difference.

Spareahorse · 03/04/2026 08:57

Op - if you are using this as market research for your friend, maybe just bear in mind that the mums here are telling you what they would like from a child-friendly B+B, not suggesting things that would bring in more income for your mate.

There isn't a great demand for child-friendly B+B's - that's why you don't see a load of adverts for them.

Advertising a child-friendly B+B is going to put a lot of potential customers off booking. People like B+B's to be relaxed, peaceful places where they get a great night's sleep and a wonderful breakfast.
Even if your friend were to uncover an amazing source of families who would use the B+B - they will mostly use them during the schoool holidays. So what would happen during term time? Older people, people working away from home etc will be put off the place by the child friendly advertising and book elsewhere.
Look at who use B+B's most and concentrate on making the place attractive to them.

Chemenger · 03/04/2026 09:04

@Spareahorse makes some very good points. We might stay in a B&B for a couple of nights at the seaside but we definitely would not book one that advertised itself as child friendly. By going for the family market you exclude affluent empty nesters who are looking for peace and quiet and comfort. I think that’s a bigger market than families when it comes to B&Bs.

Spareahorse · 03/04/2026 09:38

Chemenger · 03/04/2026 09:04

@Spareahorse makes some very good points. We might stay in a B&B for a couple of nights at the seaside but we definitely would not book one that advertised itself as child friendly. By going for the family market you exclude affluent empty nesters who are looking for peace and quiet and comfort. I think that’s a bigger market than families when it comes to B&Bs.

I know it is Chemenger, you're absolutely right. I'm speaking from 10 years experience in the business, with an AA 4* B+B. You couldn't pay me enough to set up and promote a 'family friendly' B+B. Plastic plates... access to a kitchen... toys in the garden... over my dead body. 😂
We had lovely clean rooms, all en-suite, nice toiletries, white bedding and towels, comfortable seating in the rooms, a lovely garden with seating, no hen or stag parties. If a wedding party wanted to book they had to take the whole place. We had great occupancy rates as a result.

Lilyhatesjaz · 03/04/2026 10:38

I have lived for many years in a tourist area.
Families don't stay in b and Bs, they stay in caravans and self catering places. Your friend needs to concentrate on his actual customers which will likely be pensioners and middle aged couples and make his accommodation as luxury as he can.
My friends made a very good living doing this for many years and often got guests who came to stay every year.

Brodo · 03/04/2026 11:30

What puts me off booking a B&B:

A thin soft mattress
A room that has too much 'stuff' in it which also means more objects to collect dust
Satin effect bed covers
Patterned bedding unless very tasteful or artistic
Bed covered in cushions (ok-ish if cushion covers are washed after every guest)
Carpet in a bathroom
Colours scheme in grey, purple, red or animal print
Non matching bedding that looks like it's been on the owner's own bed
Dirty carpets
Cheap new or second hand furniture ( Some Ikea is ok and so are decent antiques)
I'm not keen on runners on the end of the bed, I hope they are washed after every guest, I can't see the point of them, no one sits on a bed wearing shoes or puts dirty stuff on a bed.

Anything in the room clearly from Temu or chain stores selling unless tat

At breakfast:
Sticky tables
Tables not cleared and correctly wiped
Crumbs on tables
Plastic on a buffet table
Budget ingredients such as sausages
Instant coffee
Crappy white sliced bread

What I look for:
above all how clean is is
simple clean lines, no fuss
White or lightly coloured bed covers
Cotton bedding
organic local food for breakfast

Original poster

jamcorrosion · 04/04/2026 23:02

Hi all - sorry I’ve not come back to this! I’m just having a read through now!

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jamcorrosion · 04/04/2026 23:06

Flatandhappy · 02/04/2026 05:03

The trouble with marketing it as kid friendly is that he will then probably lose his elderly guests. As I get older “adults only” is one of the biggest draws for me when booking holiday accommodation.

Having said that if he does want family friendly I think the first thing would be to ensure there are enough beds in a room for families. If any of the rooms are big enough to genuinely fit a family of five that would be a bonus (so many families with three kids find it hard to find accommodation without booking two rooms). I don’t know if it’s still a thing in B&Bs to expect guests to be out most of the day but obviously with kids you want to be able to spend time in your room if kids need a break. Any kids’ equipment like high chairs needs to be absolutely spotless and breakfast options need to be suitable for kids. Can he suggest local babysitters he can vouch for?

I’m not sure I would ever have been drawn to B&Bs for family holidays tbh. We certainly never took our kids in 25 years of family holidays. I either wanted self catering so we could relax and do our own thing or a hotel with all its facilities.

Yeah I agree as the reality is families if they use it and like you say probably not for a main holiday more likely for a long weekend. Then inbetween when it’s term time it has the potential to put off other types of guests.

The babysitter idea is good and obv all the equipment. Myself and my family used them when I was younger but we used to set off driving and stop for a night and just find one with vacancies - I don’t think that’s done much anymore!

I have called it a b&b but it’s actually called a guesthouse. I never knew you weren’t meant to be there in the day either?!

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jamcorrosion · 04/04/2026 23:08

HeNeedsRehab · 02/04/2026 06:29

The rooms actually being big enough to accommodate a family. So many places we stay the extra beds are shoehorned in making it awkward to spend time in the room if we wanted.

You can get a vibe from photos if a B&B isn’t really geared up for families but it’s hard to articulate. If there’s lots of ‘stuff’ about, that toddlers or kids would be drawn to fiddling with while the owner grimaces on, you know it’s not really family friendly.

Well maintained board games, puzzles etc is always welcome.

A decent kids menu too.

Yeah that’s always going to be difficult too - I saw one room which was lovely and spacious but not sure it would be if bunk beds for example were added.

Yeah I get the vibe comment hard to explain properly! I’d like to see a kids menu that isn’t just beige food - smaller portions of the standard menu

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jamcorrosion · 04/04/2026 23:11

For all asking here is the link to website - it does have a Facebook page too.

These photos aren’t quite up to date - more or less the same but different furniture and some different colour schemes in some rooms.

https://www.sthilaryguesthouse.co.uk/photos

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jamcorrosion · 04/04/2026 23:13

HeNeedsRehab · 02/04/2026 06:41

Also, wildly specific and not necessarily a selling point but always a welcome addition is decent tea and coffee making facilities in the room and some biscuits.

My DC are early risers so being able to sit in bed with a coffee and them eating biscuits is a nice slow start to the day.

The teabags were Yorkshire tea which got my vote! But I’d have liked to have seen flavoured coffee sachets etc

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jamcorrosion · 04/04/2026 23:15

Deliaskis · 02/04/2026 07:07

If it has a garden I'd recommend some kids activities outdoors, simple this like hop scotch chalked on a garden path or similar. Also I think for families quite a lot of value is flexibility with food and drinks arrangements. E.g. provide a fridge so people can store some milk in there or facilities to heat baby food or whatever. I realise it's a B&B not a restaurant but these practical things make a difference with young kids.

Not sure on the garden situation at the back but I know he’s happy to be flexible about food and evenings etc.

there’s already rooms in use for breakfast so can be used in the evenings too. He has lots of ideas but ideas cost money which is currently an issue

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jamcorrosion · 04/04/2026 23:18

Wampwhad · 02/04/2026 07:49

I honestly don’t know anyone with a family who would choose to stay in a BandB

its such an old fashioned term and conjours up images of pine bedroom furniture, dusty skirtings and dolly toilet roll covers.

I would be changing the description - something along the lines of ‘AirBnB but we make the B!’

Air BnB is always going to be main family choice because the pricing is generally so much better. So if they can position themselves as that, or as a small family hotel, rather than the term BandB I think it would work better.

In terms of what would help - a babysitting service, a bespoke, curated guide to the local area with kids, cosy reading/play nooks for the kids, little chairs and maybe their own seating for breakfast. Options like pancake stacks for breakfast. Little workshops for kids on a Saturday morning so parents can have a lie in or storytelling time.

I was just there for a couple nights with my toddler he’s 3 but appreciate the two of us in a room is probably easier than a family of 4/5.

Love those other ideas though thankyou

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jamcorrosion · 04/04/2026 23:26

Moltenpink · 02/04/2026 07:58

Flexible breakfast timing- we’ve just stayed in one where we had to say what time we would be down the night before- made it a bit stressful!

How about video baby monitors in the room with a place downstairs for parents to have a glass of wine?

Late check out

I like the monitors and downstairs idea Thankyou!

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Lemons1571 · 04/04/2026 23:27

I would not book this even without the kids. All the narrow time slots for arrival and breakfast, and then a whole page on Covid rules? No bespoke parking, take your chances that there’s a spot on the street. The breakfast menu options look quite old fashioned too. Definitely one for the older market unless some modernisation is carried out.

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jamcorrosion · 04/04/2026 23:31

Lurkingandlearning · 02/04/2026 07:59

I know this isn’t what he asked but my first thought was why not try to increase the number of bookings in the group / demographic that likes the place as it is. Do some marketing aimed at the elderly.

They are no more likely to be demanding or difficult than younger people. People who are like that are like that regardless of their age. They aren’t going to be haring around having accidents the way children will. They aren’t likely to be coming back roaring drunk as some younger people will. He won’t need cots and high chairs, kid menus. Unless he charges a lot extra for the children he won’t make much more money on a room.

I also think older people are often more realistic with their expectations because they’ve been around a bit more. They know what to expect from what they spend. And he already knows his B&B meets their expectations.

Just a thought

No it’s all good points and I wanted honest feedback.

On first thoughts it seemed a great idea cause there doesn’t seem to be anyone doing it but maybe there’s a good reason why? And obviously making it family friendly may push other guests away and realistically families won’t be there all year round.

Id just love to see him succeed it really is a lovely place I stayed myself this week - he’s new to the business too and maybe the other busy places are that way due to years of loyalty

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LadyGaGasPokerFace · 04/04/2026 23:31

I know a lot of people that wouldn’t like it because of noise, but I like having a mini fridge in the room where I can put milk, drinks and sandwich stuff into.
Extra pillows in the rooms is a must. If there’s 4 to a room and you only have 4 pillows, it’s a bit naff. I like two pillows for myself. Talking about extras, towels too. As many as possible. I’ve always had to ask for more as a towel for hair and body and hand towels. They’re never enough in a room.

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jamcorrosion · 04/04/2026 23:32

Lemons1571 · 04/04/2026 23:27

I would not book this even without the kids. All the narrow time slots for arrival and breakfast, and then a whole page on Covid rules? No bespoke parking, take your chances that there’s a spot on the street. The breakfast menu options look quite old fashioned too. Definitely one for the older market unless some modernisation is carried out.

The website isn’t as it is now - it needs updating, these are all the rules from the old owners not the new ones. That’s why I didn’t want to link it as it’s not true to life really!

The day I was leaving he had lots of guests arriving and offered early check ins and obviously no Covid rules. So the website as it is now isn’t really a fair representation

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jamcorrosion · 04/04/2026 23:34

FionnulaTheCooler · 02/04/2026 08:00

Does he have plenty of allocated parking for the number of rooms? That's the main thing that puts me off booking somewhere, if it's onstreet parking only and you have to take your chances, I'd be more likely to book a hotel with a private car park especially with kids. Llandudno also has loads of caravan parks nearby which families with children would probably be more likely to choose for the onsite swimming pool, arcade, evening entertainment etc.

It’s on street in front of the properties but it’s free and no restrictions on length of time.

Good point about the caravan parks though

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jamcorrosion · 04/04/2026 23:37

Meridas · 02/04/2026 08:02

A lot of families with young kids prefer self catering, it's just easier.

Marketing - what's his social media like? And website. An ancient website would put me off. Good quality insta particularly will attract a younger market.

What booking platforms does he use currently? A lot of people automatically go for Booking.com and Airbnb and won't look further.

I live in a touristy area and owners talk of having to 'resort to' using Airbnb as they have gaps where in previous years they didn't. Equally, tourists are on our local FB groups saying they can't find accommodation because they presume all providers use Airbnb (which most of them hate being linked up to).

His marketing is pretty awful - website needs updating as it’s still pics from previous owners and same with rules and policies.

He has a Facebook page etc but he is dyslexic and I’ve told him he needs to professionalise his postings cause it comes across really poor with lots of spelling mistakes and would put me off.

He doesn’t use Airbnb but does use others. It’s managed by another company

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jamcorrosion · 04/04/2026 23:40

HoskinsChoice · 02/04/2026 08:10

Marketing is what they're shit at. They are so hard to find. I go away a lot (walking is my hobby) and I often want a cheep and cheerful b&b but I usually give up as it's painful to find them. By comparison, finding a self catering cottage is simple as you just go on Sykes/Cottages/AirBnb etc. The UK would really benefit from a single website that lists b&bs nationally. (If I'm missing something, please let me know!).

One important thing for your 'friend' would be to make sure their b&b comes up on a Google maps search. Another one is that they must have online, live availability info and booking. If I have to call/email to find out about availability, cost and/or book I just look elsewhere. I dont have time to find out if you have vacancies or not, I want instant booking.

Edited

Yeah the marketing he has is really poor and he’s competing with long established businesses with loyal customers too. Agree about the one site for guest houses!! Can be really painful to find.

Haha it is my friend it’s not me I’ve been helping him with finances as I’m an accountant so I said I’d make a post on here and ask for some opinions. Good shout though for those points

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jamcorrosion · 04/04/2026 23:42

PhilosophicalCheeseSandwich · 02/04/2026 08:12

B&Bs are very few families with children's choice of holiday accommodation. Maybe he needs to do more to appeal to the market he does have, and let Premier Inn etc take the families in bigger rooms. Llandudno needs all those older visitors, they go year-round and their needs are met easily. Maybe he needs to make himself known to a couple of coach holiday companies to keep his occupancy up.

Yeah I suggested trying to contact businesses like this and trying to establish some relationships which would benefit both.

Maybe there’s a reason families don’t use these types of places often - it seemed like a great idea initially but I can see a lot of the points given here make sense

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jamcorrosion · 04/04/2026 23:44

Secretseverywhere · 02/04/2026 08:14

I thought this too, by trying to make it family friendly they may alienate their existing guests without attracting new ones.

Its really hard to make a small place family friendly as you have different needs across different ages. Cot beds and facilities to warm up milk / baby food. Baskets of toys for toddlers. Rentable beach toys for children. Access to a games Console / chill out space for older teens.

If they were to stick with the “grey” pound what could they offer to enhance the experience? Something like a complimentary cream tea, ( homemade scone, nice jam, clotted cream and a nice pot of tea) for guests might distinguish them from the competition.
I’ve booked b&bs for this sort of thing when everything else is of a muchness.

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Yes I do also agree hadn’t really given it proper consideration. He was hoping to try and attract locals by offering all day cafe type facilities but so far not much he has done has worked and trying to work out why is quite difficult!

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