B&B is back as the holiday of choice!
Searches for B&B stays have surged by 29% in past 12 months
03 October 2023
We at Farm Stay are trumpeting the return of the Bed & Breakfast as Brits’ holiday of choice after clocking a 29% increase in people searching specifically for that kind of accommodation!
Offering the ideal compromise between self-catering and fully-fledged hotel stays, farms who have diversified into hospitality are leading the charge.
Gone is the chintzy spare room in a rundown terrace, with early curfews and a dismal breakfast served up by a grim-faced landlady. Instead, the new wave of luxury B&Bs are more akin to the most bijou of boutique hotels, offering luxury self contained accommodation in rural settings with hampers delivered to your door and full English breakfasts bursting with local produce.
B&Bs are also expanding beyond breakfast with pizza ovens and dough delivered to the doorstep, home-cooked meals for guests to heat at their convenience and seasonal food trucks.
David Brown, Director, said: “During the cost of living crisis, we think more people are recognising the great value for money and more tailored and personal experience that a good farm B&B can offer compared to a hotel. Offering accommodation to holidaymakers is a vital and increasingly important income stream for farmers across the UK and we look forward to welcoming more people to farms across the country this year.”
HOTEL STANDARDS AT HALF PRICE
Boskenna Home Farm near Penzance in Cornwall offers two luxury B&B suites with private access plus a further double room within the main farmhouse from just £100 per night based on 2 people sharing. By contrast, highly-rated hotels in the area charge more than double with a weekend at The Godolphin in Marazion priced at £410*. Boskenna guests are welcomed with a traditional Cornish cream tea and have access to both a spacious lounge and sun-soaked patio as well as their own rooms at any time of day. Memorable home-cooked breakfasts include Cornish Farmhouse back bacon, Trevarthen’s Cornish Hogs pudding and Boskenna Home Farm eggs and are nearly always cited among the B&B’s online reviews as a standout feature.
Book: Boskenna Home Farm
ANYONE FOR TENNIS?
Hornton Grounds outside Banbury in Oxfordshire is a large period property with the emphasis on a friendly welcome and comfortable stay. The owners’ ethos of ‘home-grown, home-reared and home-cooked’ is evidenced in the breakfasts as much as the flower arrangements used to decorate the interior, and the livestock in the surrounding fields.
Guests are invited to enjoy walks around the farm, or take part in a game of tennis or croquet using the on-site facilities.
The Courtyard Room at Hornton Grounds is priced at £45 including breakfast based on single occupancy, while the lowest-priced hotel in the vicinity offers the same at £64 per person*.
Book: Hornton Grounds
FIND THE SUITE SPOT
The Green Farm in Worcestershire has just two rooms on offer, in separate converted farm buildings on an active smallholding but instead of one bedroom, guests are welcomed to their very own suite with private sitting room and bathroom.
Residents include a flock of friendly Shetland sheep, three donkeys, and a number of beehives as well as free-range chickens for the all-important fresh breakfast eggs. Breakfast, served in the main farmhouse, includes home-made bread and preserves, made with fruit from the farm’s own orchard as well as honey from the Green Farm bees and bacon and sausages from local farms.
Priced at £105 per room per night including breakfast, it’s a snip compared to nearby hotels - a double superior ensuite at the Hadley Bowling Green Inn costs £157 including breakfast*.
Book: The Green Farm
So next time you're booking your staycations, why not choose a B&B?