If you’re used to faceless four-star hotels run by international chains, then choosing a B&B on your next trip to the UK might feel like a step outside of your usual comfort zone. Don’t worry though, standards have definitely improved in recent years, and with a little bit of advance research, you can be sure of a stay just as comfortable and luxurious as any you might enjoy in a hotel. The key to an enjoyable and successful stay is to understand what you’re buying in advance. This is where major travel review websites such as Trip Advisor are worth their weight in gold. However, it’s always worth taking any exceptionally positive or negative review with a pinch of salt. Be sure to read a wide range of reviews to get a feel for what the property is really like, rather than one person’s bad experience.

When you are reading these reviews, there are a few things which are worth looking out for, that may not have even crossed your mind if you were staying in a regular hotel. The first is whether the place you are visiting has a curfew. These are relatively uncommon these days (although they used to be standard), but there are still a few owners who will undoubtedly raise an eyebrow if you come clattering back in at two o’clock in the morning. Reviews will give you a bit of insight into how owners tend to react to circumstances like this.

The second thing to beware of, is when breakfast is available (after all, that is what the second B in B&B stands for). Again, timings can be more limited than in a hotel, but this tends to be more than made up for in terms of quality, and the selection which is available to you.

B&Bs should be part of your adventure when you plan a trip, and you shouldn’t be too hung up on finding somewhere which offers precisely the same as a major hotel. If you go into your B&B with an open mind and try to get to know the owners, you’re sure to gain a great insight into the place where you’re staying, and may well end up coming back time and again.