Wisconsin Bed and Breakfast Association

• The WBBA was founded in 1987.
• Today, it is nearly 200 member inns strong.
• Member inns range in size from 1 room (yes, there are a select few with one room) to 24 guest rooms.   B&Bs larger than eight rooms carry a Hotel-Motel and Restaurant license.
• Four guest rooms is the most popular inn configuration.
• As for location, nearly 40% are located in small towns; about 30% classify themselves rural.
• If you’d like to take a B&B vacation on water, you’re in luck. Some 25% of our member inns have lake or river access.
• Nearly one-third of our members are new to the business, having owned their inn less than five years.  The rest are evenly split between 5-10 years, and more than 10 years.
• As for age of the innkeepers, assuming they’ve been truthful in their response and we trust they have been, 45% are in the 50-59 year range, a sure indication of a pre-retirement career change, empty nest syndrome, or more flexibility in their lives now that the children have grown.
• Interestingly, the overall age range of innkeepers spans decades, from 30-somethings to nearly 80.
• While three-quarters of the inns fall into that traditional image of a more historic building -- over 50 years old -- the remainder are less than 30 years old, proving that innkeepers and guests are embracing building alternatives.

• Every member inn of the WBBA has passed our meticulous on-site inspection, a key component of our Standards program.  Think of it as our Seal of Approval.
• The inspection covers everything from management and maintenance to cleanliness and comfort.  And, of course, safety.

• The image of sharing a bath is long passé.  Fully 95% of WBBA member inns are able to offer guests a private bath.
• The typical B&B guest is not-so-typical anymore.  Couples are the most common, looking for R&R (romance and relaxation).  Yet, there are inns that accommodate families with children.   
• Another growing segment is business travelers looking for a touch of home while on the road.  Within that is the subset of women business travelers, who like the secure feeling they get staying at a B&B, along with all the personal touches.
• Many B&Bs accommodate business travelers with in-room phone lines, early breakfasts or even “to-go,” and high-speed Internet access.

• Travelers looking for an “experience,” not simply accommodations, find B&Bs suit them well.
• The variety is vast, from a lumber baron’s mansion, to a renovated school house, to a lake home, to a newly constructed B&B with panoramic views.
• The innkeepers are like personal concierges.  They love providing “insider tips” on where to shop, dine, bike, canoe, you name it.
• Then there’s the breakfast.  The morning meal is such a popular part of the experience that the WBBA has already published six different cookbooks.  The cost for the newest edition is just $15.95 plus shipping.  It can be ordered by calling The Guest Cottage at 800-333-8122 or online at yestobliss.com.
• When it comes time to selecting a B&B, our guests tell us they do their research by soliciting recommendations from friends; browsing our web site, yestobliss.com; or ordering our WBBA directory from the Wisconsin Department of Tourism at 1-800-432-TRIP or via their web site, travelwisconsin.com.

• Bed & Breakfast lodging has its roots in Europe where owners of private homes offered economical accommodations to travelers.
• Guests liked the added dimension of meeting the “locals” and traveling “off the beaten path.”
• The B&B movement in America started on the coasts and migrated to the Midwest. 
• In the European tradition, most B&Bs are private homes in which the owners themselves host the overnight guests.
• In a departure from the European tradition, American B&Bs added a new dimension -- the luxury component.

• About one-third of the guests surveyed were staying at a B&B for the first or second time.
• The other two-thirds had stayed at B&Bs three or more times, heading back to favorites or exploring new inns along the way.

• The main reasons guests tell us they visit B&Bs is to “rest and relax” and to “celebrate a special occasion.”
• Other popular reasons to choose a B&B over other lodging options were because it seemed more like home than a hotel, and to have a new experience.
• About half of all visitors stay two nights, another 40% stay one night.
• The favorite seasons for B&B travel, beginning with the most popular, are fall, followed by summer, spring and then winter.

• Proving that it’s all about the experience, 44% of B&B travelers enjoy gathering with other guests around the dining table for breakfast.
• On the other end of the spectrum are the 14% who like their breakfast served to their guestroom door.

• Guests were asked to choose three area attractions most important to them.  Here are the top three responses:

1. Walking trails/nature
2. Restaurants
3. Shopping

• Also coming in high on the list were historic sites, local festivals and antiquing.

Most Important Amenities

• Guests were asked to rank as important or not important a list of nearly 30 B&B amenities.  Here are their top ten:

1. Private attached bathroom (95% of WBBA member inns offer this!)
2. Privacy
3. Quality linens
4. Room door locks
5. Full breakfast
6. Information/maps on area attractions
7. Meeting the owners
8. Firm mattress
9. Air conditioning
10. Queen-size bed
• Not surprisingly, low on the list were in-room alarm clocks, TVs, VCRs and phones.