Are we Bed & Breakfast, a Guesthouse or a Hotel? This is often the question we are asked by our guests.
Maybe what we are is obvious from our name, but there is more to it than that. You see, as guesthouses go we are on the large size. In fact there is many a hotel that is smaller than Guisachan Guesthouse. But we are definitely not a hotel.
So what exactly is a bed and breakfast, guesthouse or hotel?
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Let’s start with a Bed & Breakfast. A bed and breakfast would almost certainly be privately owned and run. The people you see when you check in will be the people you see at breakfast and when you depart. It would almost certainly be relatively small as accommodation goes – maybe up to five or six rooms? – but there are no rules.
Often, a bed & breakfast will feel like you are staying in someone’s home – which you are. It will be decorated according to the personal tastes of the owner, and rooms will have a “homely” feel. There may or may not be an area where guests can relax depending on how the bed & breakfast is configured. There will most likely be a breakfast room where you will be served your breakfast in the morning. There may or may not be a garden or patio that you can sit in and enjoy.
So as you can see, there is potential for great variation!
Now let’s look at hotels. A hotel can be large or small. It may be privately owned and run, but a hotel differs from a bed & breakfast in that there will almost certainly be some degree of 24 hour service for guests. Rooms will usually have telephones so that you can call reception at any time of the day or night and speak to a person and obtain some kind of service. More often than not, you won’t see the owner; and if you see the owner at all they will not necessarily be the one providing you with the service.
Most hotels will have public areas such as lounges and bars where you can relax, most will have a restaurant where you can eat a meal in the evening and breakfast in the morning. Some hotels will have a personal feel about them, similar to but not the same as being at home; most have a corporate look and feel because they are just one of many hotels in a chain.
So where does that leave guesthouses?
A guesthouse will almost certainly be privately owned and run. It will be operated by owners, probably with the assistance of staff (depending on size) but you will most likely see the owners when you arrive, at breakfast and when you depart.
A guesthouse will usually be larger than a bed and breakfast, but smaller than a hotel. You wouldn’t expect to receive 24 hour service in a guesthouse because the owners are people who also need their sleep. Hence, you probably won’t find a telephone in your room for you to call reception at any time.
Hopefully a guesthouse will have a homely feel to the decor, but also will feel homely because of the demeanor of the owners.
We hope that our guesthouse feels homely, we hope that our guests feel welcome and relaxed, and we hope that whilst we don’t give 24 hours service we do give excellent service when we are available.
Enjoy your stay!
