Bed and Breakfast History and NCBBI
Bed and Breakfast lodging has existed as a concept at least since medieval times and perhaps even earlier than that. Monasteries were most certainly used from time to time to house and feed overnight travelers. Bed and Breakfast Inns have existed in Europe for centuries, particularly in England, Scotland and Ireland where Bed and Breakfast Inns first came into popular use.
As the “New World” was being discovered and explored in the 17th and 18th Centuries, Bed and Breakfasts Inns “crossed the pond” to North America, dating back to Colonial America’s earliest days, when it was customary to open one’s home to travelers. When the Nation began its expansion in earnest, all but the most adventurous of travelers relied on the kindness of others to provide safe places for overnight stays.
During the Great Depression, “tourist” homes provided an economic advantage to both the traveler and the host, and made it a convenient way to “make ends meet.” Many Americans traveling Europe after World War II stayed in the European-style Bed and Breakfast Inns, inspiring a flurry of B&Bs openings in this country upon their return. The USA Bicentennial in the mid-1970s created an increased public interest in historic preservation, leading to the restoration of historic structures for use in economic ventures such as Bed and Breakfast Inns. Leisure travel with historic, cultural and recreational destinations has continued to grow since that time, and the Bed and Breakfast industry has grown with it, affording travelers, who enjoy staying at unique or historic properties, the opportunity to do so.
Recognizing the need for a quality experience in the Bed and Breakfast industry, several interested innkeepers in North Carolina came together in 1985 to form the North Carolina Bed and Breakfast Association. By 1986 the Association had established its mission statement and by-laws; filed its articles of incorporation; developed inspection standards for membership; held its first statewide meeting at the Brookstown Inn in Winston Salem; and published its first cookbook. NCBBA’s first directory, published that same year showed 30 members with a total of 164 guest rooms, rates ranging from $50 to $120 a night.
The first National Bed & Breakfast Week was announced in 1986 by Bernice Chesler, the industry’s first ambassador, who helped popularize bed and breakfast travel within the U.S. through her regional guidebooks and seminars. Two years later, the Professional Association of Innkeepers International was born.
North Carolina’s B&B industry has grown considerably since that first year. North Carolina celebrated its first Bed & Breakfast Week in 1989 by proclamation of Governor Jim Martin. By 1991 NCBBA’s annual meetings were elevated to conference status, and under its leadership, the first Southeast Regional Small Lodging Conference was held at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC, drawing bed and breakfast owners from 13 states. In 1993 the Association’s name was changed to North Carolina Bed & Breakfasts and Inns to accommodate the larger B&Bs and inns that were opening across the state. Today, NCBBI has grown to in excess of 100 members who offer over 900 guest rooms, with rates of $65 to $385 a night, all meeting the most rigorous bed & breakfast inspection standards within the industry. |
