If you are thinking about starting a bed and breakfast, it’s important to be clear about your target market. Who is your ideal guest? What kind of person do you want to stay in your B&B?
Figuring out who your target market is will help you focus your marketing efforts and help make your bed and breakfast business more successful.
In this article, we will discuss the target market for a bed and breakfast so that you can start attracting the right guests!
Who is the Target Market for a Bed and Breakfast?
To best understand the target market for a bed and breakfast we should ask ourselves why would someone stay in a bed and breakfast instead of a regular hotel, an Airbnb or even a budget hotel in case they want to save money.
The answer is that people who stay in B&Bs are looking for a more personal and intimate experience. They want to feel like they are staying in a home away from home.
By understanding this we can categorize the bed and breakfast market into the following customer segments:
- People who appreciate history and want to stay in a charming, old home
- Families who are looking for a more personal experience than they would get at a hotel
- Couples who are looking for a romantic getaway
- People who are interested in trying a new and different travel experience
- People visiting an area for the first time
- People visiting an area with a scarcity of hotels
- People who like supporting small, local business
Now, let’s take a closer look at each of these customer segments.
#1. People who appreciate history and want to stay in a charming, old home
One of the factors that make a bed and breakfast so appealing to this customer segment is the history of the property.
For many people, staying in a bed and breakfast is like stepping back in time. They love the charm and character of older homes.
This target market for a bed and breakfast is interested in the story of the property and the area. They often enjoy learning about the history of their accommodations during their stay.
If your bed and breakfast is located in a historic home, make sure to highlight this in your marketing. Use words like “charming,” “old-fashioned,” and “cozy” to describe your B&B.
#2. Families who are looking for a more personal experience than they would get at a hotel
Families can be a very good target market for a bed and breakfast.
They often choose to stay in a bed and breakfast because they want to avoid the impersonal feel of hotels.
At a hotel, families can often feel like just another room number. But at a bed and breakfast, they can expect to be treated like family.
Families with small children will appreciate the extra personal touches that a bed and breakfast can offer, like a playpen in the room or toys for the kids.
If you are marketing to families, use words like “welcome,” “home-cooked meals,” and “relaxing” to describe your B&B.
Now, families could get a similar experience from a boutique hotel so be sure to distinguish your B&B from such hotels nearby.
#3. Couples who are looking for a romantic getaway
A bed and breakfast can be an ideal choice for couples looking for a romantic getaway. The intimate setting and personal attention can make for a very romantic experience.
This can be especially the case when the bed and breakfast is located in a scenic or historic area.
If you are marketing to couples, use words like “romantic,” “intimate,” and “secluded” to describe your B&B.
Also when attracting couples on a romantic visit, try to highlight any special amenities or packages that you offer, like champagne and roses in the room or a couples massage.
With this segment of the target market for a bed and breakfast, your competition will come from any luxury hotels that might be in your neighborhood. So be sure to highlight how your B&B is a more unique and special experience.
#4. People who are interested in trying a new and different travel experience
Staying at a bed and breakfast can be a very different experience than staying in a hotel, and some people are looking for that.
They want to try something new and get a taste of what it’s like to live like a local.
People like the fact that they can be more connected to their surroundings and even to the local community when they stay in a bed and breakfast. They can have opportunities to meet the local people and learn about the area through them.
If you are marketing to this customer segment, use words like “unique,” “authentic,” “local” and “community” to describe your B&B.
#5. People visiting an area for the first time
When people visit a new area or even a new country, they often like to stay someplace that gives them a better sense of the local culture and community.
Staying in a bed and breakfast can offer this experience.
If you are marketing to first-time visitors, use words like “culture,” “community,” and “local” to describe your B&B.
You can also highlight any special amenities that you offer, like a welcome basket with local snacks or a map of the area.
#6. People visiting an area with a scarcity of hotels
People visiting an area with a scarcity of hotels are automatically a target market for a bed and breakfast.
They will choose to stay in a B&B because there are few other lodging options available.
This can be the case in smaller towns or rural areas. This can also be the case in out-of-the-way or difficult-to-reach locations, like remote islands.
In these cases, people are often looking for a more authentic experience and are willing to trade some of the conveniences of a hotel for that.
If you are marketing to this customer segment, use words like “authentic,”, “convenient, and “easy to find” to describe your B&B.
#7. People who like supporting small, local business
Finally, some people will choose to stay in a bed and breakfast because they like supporting small, local businesses.
They may feel that their money is going to a good cause and that they are helping to keep the local economy strong.
These people, when they visit an area, look specifically for places to eat, drink, and shop that are locally owned and operated. They want to feel like they are contributing to the local economy and not just lining the pockets of a large corporation.
This target market for a bed and breakfast can be the easiest to convert because they are already predisposed to wanting to support your business.
If you are marketing to this customer segment, use words like “local,” “community,” and “independent” to describe your B&B. Go a step further and offer your guests locally sourced breakfast items or a list of recommended local businesses.
Conclusion
This concludes our article on the target market for a bed and breakfast.
As we’ve seen this market is very diverse and includes a wide range of people.
It includes people who appreciate history and want to stay in a charming, old home. It includes families who are looking for a more personal experience than they would get at a hotel.
Couples who are looking for a romantic getaway often turn to a charming B&B rather than an impersonal hotel – even a luxury hotel.
People who are interested in trying a new and different travel experience can get it from a B&B as can people visiting an area for the first time.
B&Bs in rural and other areas with a scarcity of hotels automatically benefit from visitors to the area. And finally, people who like supporting small, local businesses often choose to stay in a B&B rather than a large corporate-owned hotel.