Record drop in B&B operators
The combination of last year's foot-and-mouth outbreak and serious flooding has led to a record number of B&Bs being taken out of the latest Which? guide.
About 270 B&Bs have gone from this year's Good Bed and Breakfast Guide, and Which? said that most of them had closed down. It added, perhaps unsurprisingly, that B&Bs in rural areas and small villages were hardest hit, as walkers, riders and cyclists stayed away.
Noticeable trends among the 1,000 establishments still listed included more upgrades and renewals, as B&Bs continued to throw off their reputation for 1950s chintz. A higher proportion than ever now ban smoking, and more offer better choices for vegetarians and guests with special diets.
It added that customers' main gripes included poor directions, broken amenities, dirt, dim bulbs, lumpy mattresses, kettles that were impossible to plug in, poor or noisy plumbing, and miserly breakfasts.
