Lake to Lake members spent the last two weeks debunking the myth that B&Bs are cookie-cutter fashioned from the same lace doily — and the myth that if you stay at a B&B, you must share a bathroom with strangers.
This week, we’re tackling the “myth” that if you stay at a B&B, you must have breakfast with strangers and eat whatever the innkeeper puts in front of you. But we have a little problem with busting this one. These “objections” are not total myths; they are, in fact, traditions that are celebrated in the world of B&Bs.
“I don’t think this perception should be treated as a ‘myth’ at all,” maintains Elizabeth DeWaard, innkeeper at The Inn at Old Orchard Road in Holland. “In fact, to me it speaks to the very essence of the Bed and Breakfast concept. The most decadent of main dish recipes and pastries have always brought sounds of delight from my guests.”
“My guests tell me what they love most about B&Bs are the breakfasts and the interesting table conversations. I am very concerned to think the motel/hotel mentality could swallow us up and all end up being the same.”
At Serendipity B&B in nearby Saugatuck, Innkeeper David Langley explains that guests are always asked if they have any dietary restrictions or preferences at the time the reservation is made.
“We take these into account when we plan our menu. Because of this and because we are really good cooks, our guests always leave us positive comments about the yumminess of our breakfast….. comments like, “Triple ten for the breakfast. Yummy!” Or “Look forward to the delicious breakfast each morning. They never disappoint!””
“We purposely plan a buffet-style breakfast that includes a hot entree, fruit, pastries, yogurt, granola and juice — so there are choices.”
“People are only strangers until you begin a conversation with them. Then they are acquaintances. By the time you get ready to head home from The State Street Inn in Harbor Beach, suggested Innkeeper Janice Duerr, “you may have made a new friend.”
Cheri and Paul Antozak are two of the most fun and guest-savvy innkeepers in the biz’. At their suburban Grandville inn, Prairieside Suites Luxury B&B, they serve a hot, freshly homemade “candle light” breakfast in their dining room every morning at 9:30 a.m. Or, for a small service charge, they will deliver a full, hot breakfast to your room at 10 a.m. Or, for the business travelers and early risers or those who prefer sleeping in, they will pack the in-room refrigerator with a deluxe continental breakfast you can enjoy on your time schedule.
The Kalamazoo House B&B’s breakfast philosophy can be summed up in one word — choice. Not only does this larger inn serve up to six daily entrees, it offers breakfast from 8 – 10 a.m. with time slots as early as 6:30 a.m. accommodated upon request.
