Tips on Accommodations

"The more we travel," said an unhappy couple next to me one morning at a New Hampshire inn, "the more we realize why we go back to our old favorites time and again." The reason for their disgruntlement? They were up and switching rooms at 2am when rain began dripping on them through the ceiling.

Northern New England is famous for its plethora of country inns and bed-and-breakfasts (B&Bs). These offer a wonderful alternative to the cookie-cutter chain-hotel rooms that line U.S. highways coast-to-coast, but as that unhappy couple learned, there are good reasons why some people prefer cookie-cutter sameness. Predictability isn't always a bad thing. In a chain hotel, you can be reasonably certain water won't drip through your ceiling at night. Likewise, you can bet that beds will be firm, that the sink will be relatively new and lacking in interesting sepia-toned stains, and that you'll have a TV, telephone, and a lot of counter space next to the bathroom sink.

I've personally visited every inn and B&B mentioned in this guide, and I'm confident all will yield a quality experience. Just keep in mind that every place is different, and you still need to match the personality of a place with your own personality. Some are more polished and fussier than others. Many lack the amenities travelers have grown accustomed to in chain hotels. (In-room phones and air-conditioning lead the list.)

The difference between an inn and a B&B may be confusing for some travelers, since the gap between the two narrows by the day. A couple of decades ago, inns were full-service affairs, whereas B&Bs consisted of private homes with an extra bedroom or two and a homeowner looking for a little extra income. These old-style B&Bs still exist around the region. I've occupied a few evenings sitting in a well-used living room watching Tom Brokaw with the owner, as if visiting with a forgotten aunt.

Today, B&Bs are more commonly professionally run affairs, where guests have private baths, a separate common area, and attentive service. The owners have apartments tucked away in the back, prepare sumptuous breakfasts in the morning (some B&Bs offer "candlelight breakfasts"), and offer a high level of service. All of the B&Bs in this guide are of the more professionally run variety (although several or more still have shared bathrooms). Other guidebooks are available for those searching for homestay lodging.

The sole difference between inns and B&Bs -- at least as defined by this guide -- is that inns serve dinner (and sometimes lunch). B&Bs provide breakfast only. Readers shouldn't infer that B&Bs are necessarily more informal or in any way inferior to a full-service inn. Indeed, the places listed in "The Best Bed-&-Breakfasts" section in chapter 1 all have the air of gracious inns that just happened to have overlooked serving dinner. That's true for many of the other B&Bs listed in this guide; and with a little luck, you'll stumble into Ralph Waldo Emerson's idea of simple contentment: "Hospitality consists in a little fire, a little food, and an immense quiet," he wrote in his journal.

As innkeeping evolves into the more complex and demanding "hospitality industry," you're bound to bump up against more restrictions, rules, and regulations at places you're staying. It's always best to ask in advance to avoid unpleasant surprises.

A few notes on recent trends:

Smoking -- Smokers looking to light up are being edged out the door to smoke on front lawns and porches. It's no different in the region's inns and B&Bs than in other public spaces. A decade or 2 ago, only a handful of places prohibited smoking. Today, I'd wager that the great majority of inns and B&Bs have banned smoking within their buildings entirely, and some have even exiled smokers from their property -- front lawn included.

Frommer's has stopped mentioning whether smoking is allowed or not in inns because it has rapidly become a non-issue -- almost everyone has banned it. Assume that no smoking is allowed at any of the accommodations listed in this guide. (As in other regions, the larger, more modern hotels -- say a Radisson or Holiday Inn -- will have guest rooms set aside for smokers.) If being able to smoke in your room or the lobby is paramount to your vacation happiness, be sure to inquire first. Likewise, if you're a nonsmoker who finds the smell of cigarette smoke obnoxious in the extreme, it also wouldn't hurt to confirm that you're at a fully nonsmoking establishment.

Additional Guests -- The room rates published in this guide are for two people sharing a room. Many places charge $10 and up for each extra guest sharing the room. Don't assume that children traveling with you are free -- ask first about extra charges -- and don't assume that all places are able to accommodate children or extra guests. The guest rooms at some inns are quite cozy and lack space for a cot. Ask first if you don't want to end up four to a bed.

Minimum Stay -- It's become increasingly common for inns to require guests to book a minimum of 2 nights or more during busy times. These times typically include weekends in the summer (or in the winter, near ski areas), holiday periods, and the fall foliage season. These policies are mentioned in the following pages when known, but they're in constant flux, so don't be surprised if you're told you need to reserve an extra day when you make reservations.

Note that minimum-stay policies typically apply only to those making advance reservations. If you stop by an inn on a Saturday night and find a room available, innkeepers won't charge you for a second night. Also, thanks to erratic travel planning, the occasional stray night sometimes becomes available during minimum-stay periods. Don't hesitate to call and ask if a single night is available when planning your itinerary.

Deposits -- Many establishments now require guests to provide a credit card number to hold a room. What happens if you cancel? The policies are Byzantine at best. Some places have a graduated refund -- cancel 1 week in advance, and you'll be charged for 1 night's stay; cancel 1 day in advance, and you're charged for your whole reserved stay -- unless they can fill the room. Then you'll be charged for half. Other places are quite generous about refunding your deposit. It's more than a bit tedious to figure it all out if you're booking a half-dozen places over the course of your trip, and the policies can often seem irrational. One Frommer's reader wrote to say that she made a reservation at a Vermont motel 3 days before her arrival, but called to cancel the next day because a hurricane had veered to hit her home state and she wanted to head back. Sorry, she was told, cancellations must be made 1 week in advance; she was billed for the room. Go figure.

Most hotels and inns are fair and will scrupulously spell out their cancellation policy when you make reservations, but always ask about it before you give your credit card number, and if possible, ask to have it e-mailed, faxed, or mailed to you before you agree to anything. Most travelers experience no unpleasant surprises on their credit card bills, but it's better to err on the side of caution.

Pets -- Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Always ask.

Service Charges -- Rather than increase room rates in the face of rising competition, hotels, inns, and B&Bs are increasingly tacking on unpublicized fees to guests' bills. Most innkeepers will tell you about these when you reserve or check in; the less scrupulous will surprise you at checkout. In my opinion, this is not a welcome trend.

The most common surcharge is an involuntary "service charge" of 10% to 15%. Coupled with state lodging taxes (even "sales-tax-free" New Hampshire hits tourists with an 8% levy), that bumps the cost of a bed up by nearly 25%. (The rates listed in this guide don't include service charges or sales tax.)

Other charges may include a pet fee (as much as $10 per day extra), a foliage-season surcharge ($10 or more per room), or a "resort fee" (there's a 15% levy at Waterville Valley, New Hampshire, hotels to pay for guest access to the local athletic club). Other fees are more irksome than financially burdensome. One example: A large Vermont hotel formerly tacked on a $1 per day fee for the in-room safe, whether it was used or not. (Guests complained constantly, and eventually the hotel dropped the charge.)