One appealing thing about bed and breakfast inns is their warm and more personal service. Hospitality is at the core of this type of business and guests book a certain inn based on the quality of hospitality service they want to get. Some guests want to share a common room, while others want privacy for their belongings. They also have the option of dining with other guests or having food served to their doorstep.

What is the basic etiquette that every guest should know every time they check into this type of establishment?

• Communicate. It is important to discuss or communicate certain things with the staff of these inns because they offer various amenities and services depending on the needs of each guest.

Please provide details about room preferences, food allergies, dietary restrictions, and other special requests before you stay. Don’t forget to reveal arrival and departure details so they can have an organized record of arriving guests.

When celebrating a birthday or anniversary, let the innkeepers know in advance. Some of them offer free upgrades depending on the celebration. For example, they serve chocolates and sparkling wine to those guests.

• It’s okay to skip the breakfast they serve. While dining with other guests is one of the fun perks they offer, innkeepers will usually understand if their guests want to skip their meals. When checking in at smaller properties with limited seating, any plans to skip breakfast must be coordinated with any member of staff in advance so that reserved seating can be opened up to others.

• Learn more about their policies for delayed flights and late check-ins. Innkeepers understand the reasons you experience travel uncertainties like traffic jams and flight delays, but be sure to contact them when one of these happens.

• Check your pet policy. Bed and breakfast inns have several rules when it comes to bringing pets. Some find it perfect, while others strictly don’t allow it.

• Be honest, especially when something is spilled in the room. As part of customer service compliance, innkeepers have no right to blame or shame their guests for spilling something inside their rooms. Tell them about the incident right away so they can clean the room right away.

• Start a conversation with other travelers. One nice thing about staying at these inns is the opportunity to strike up a conversation with other guests over breakfast. This is a good opportunity to learn more about the tourist destinations in the area and share common experiences. When doing so, make sure to stay away from topics like politics and religion because other guests may come from places or countries where there is a different belief about these two things.

• Ask for the best places to visit and ideas for activities. Innkeepers typically know more about places to visit within the area than their guests. Take this opportunity to ask for their advice on other possible itineraries to visit. They are more than happy to share what they know by giving away books, brochures, flyers, and other useful materials. Some bed and breakfast inns also have small libraries to help travelers get to other destinations and take on exciting activities.