How to Find a Great Bed & Breakfast

One of the most charming ways to spend a vacation is at a Bed & Breakfast. You don't get the "corporate" feel of a hotel or the cockroaches in the bed that you might find at a small motel. You should know, however, that appearances aren't always what they seem. The picturesque Bed & Breakfast pictured on BBOnline.com might not even resemble what actually exists deep in the hills of southern California. In fact, much of the information you find on the Internet about various Bed & Breakfasts is written by the owners themselves.

Your first task in finding a great Bed & Breakfast is to search the Internet for guest reviews. Don't pay any attention to the glowing descriptions written next to glorified pictures of your well-equipped suite. Instead, visit websites that allow unedited reviews written by actual guests of the Bed & Breakfast. One great site that you might want to check out is TripAdvisor.com, whose tagline is "Get the Truth, Then Go". You can find unedited reviews -- whether positive or negative -- and decide from there which Bed & Breakfast sounds most tempting.

Another way that you can find a great Bed & Breakfast is by doing a little research into the history of the property.

Number of Rooms. The number of rooms in a Bed & Breakfast might not speak to quality, but it will tell you a lot about the atmosphere. A B&B with only two or three rooms is going to make you feel as though you are a guest in a stranger's home. If it has more than ten rooms, however, you're likely to find at least a small measure of privacy.

Age. An older Bed & Breakfast is always a better bet than one that has just been opened. B&B's are known for closing down just a few months after they open. Either they can't find enough guests or their hospitality is lacking. You're better off going with a B&B that has stood the test of time.