It was a thrill and a pleasure to stay at beautiful Keble College, Oxford. It was conveniently located for all the sights of the city and the university. Breakfast was in a vast dining hall in a separate wing, across the quadrangle. There was a huge selection to choose from... a veritable feast! We felt most privileged to have stayed in this unique college! Home > United Kingdom Bed & Breakfast accommodation in UK University Colleges Bed and breakfast or self-catering rooms We bring together over 100 universities, colleges, and student residences in 30+ UK cities, which use us to fill their empty rooms during the Summer, Christmas and Easter holidays. Whether you are aged 18 or 80, you'll find this a suprisingly convenient and affordable accommodation option. Are you a student looking for accommodation for a month, a term or a year? Some rooms in London are available to students on a long-term basis - a great alternative to UK hostel. AberdeenAyrBathBelfastBerkhamstedBirminghamBournemouthBradfordBristolCambridgeCanterburyCardiffCarlisleChesterChichesterColchesterColeraineCornwallDurhamEdinburghExeterGreater LondonHamiltonHastingsHerefordLake DistrictLancasterLeamington SpaLeedsLiverpoolLondonLondonderry / DerryLutonManchesterNewcastle upon TyneNewcastle-under-LymeNewportNottinghamOxfordPaisleyReadingSalfordSheffieldTelfordWorcesterYork
Commercial development for sale DEVELOPMENT LAND,Gilwilly Industrial Estate,Penrith,CA11 The property comprises of a regular shaped DEVELOPMENT SITE, which can be split into small plots.The HiltonWinter Sale Has Now Ended We’re sorry, but the Hilton Winter Sale has now ended. Of course, if you want to book a great holiday now, or just get away for a few days to a Hilton Hotel, then we’ve got you covered. With Hotels in London or Barcelona, Amsterdam or Rome and more, you’ll be able to find the best hotel and holiday for you.Hotel hell: If you don't do your research, running a B&B can be a financial disaster. Pictured, Gordon Ramsay starring in television show Hotel Hell: Many about to enter retirement will have a romantic notion of owning a business such as a B&B, pub or restaurant.However, there is a danger of underestimating the challenge running a B&B presents. We have all watched shows such as Gordon Ramsay's Hotel Hell and Four in a Bed, where many owners of small B&Bs appear to have their head in the clouds when it comes to running a successful business.
Sure, it's social, but what about all those rooms you'll have to clean each day, the breakfasts you'll need to cook and the small DIY tasks required on a constant basis. You'll need to be prepared – essentially, it is a 24 hour, seven days a week job, pandering to your customers' needs.And some will be really quite picky – in the age of the internet, bad reviews are there for all to see.In terms of the target area of the West Country, I would guess you need to be prepared for a real winter lull in customers, while in summer, you are likely to be swamped with enquiries – it is essential you get your pricing and booking policies right.According to statistics from Smarta Business School, the B&B sector turns over £2billion per year, making it 28 per cent larger than the low-cost hotel sector, and 35 per cent of the size of the hotel sector.I turned to expert Karen Thorne. She has run Hopton House B&B in Shropshire for the last 10 years and heads a popular two day course for wannabe B&B owners.
Beautiful business: Running a B&B can be both financially and socially rewarding, when done right. Pictured, a B&B in St Ives, Cornwall Running any B&B is hard work and one of 8-12 rooms is most definitely a full-time job for two people and you'd need other staff to help you.Guests may need to leave early, arrive late, have an emergencies that need dealing with in the night. You'll need to be there to greet guests, make breakfasts, clean rooms, check people out. Unless you employ a receptionist this can seriously impact your retirement social life.As with many businesses, B&Bs have suffered during the recession, but anecdotal evidence seems to show that business has improved this summer.However, B&Bs are particularly prone to external factors such as the economy, weather and even occasional outbreak of foot and mouth. So it's worth bearing in mind that one good year doesn't mean the next will be the same.The most important thing to consider is location. Do your research, understand the area you want to set up in, find out the average occupancy rates, get to know your potential market and set up a B&B that meets its needs.
While B&Bs in some areas are thriving, others are not doing so well. And bear in mind that many B&Bs are very seasonal. B&B owners work at full steam all summer and things can quiet down in the winter months – again dependent on location.It's important to realise that any size of B&B is governed by current legislation. For example, you need to understand if you need entertainment licenses if you play music to guests over breakfast and what you do if a guest is a no show.A must read is the VisitEngland Pink Book – Legislation for Tourism Accommodation. With 8-12 rooms, your turnover is likely to exceed the VAT threshold, which is currently £81,000. This means paying 20 per cent of everything you earn in VAT unless you're under £150,000 when you can opt for the flat rate scheme which is 10.5 per cent for accommodation businesses.One of the first things you need to do is to find a good accountant who is used to dealing with accommodation businesses. They will advise you how to structure your business and discuss VAT registration with you.
The way you market a tourism business is changing all of the time. Obviously the internet is really important these days. You must invest in a really good website with great photos.The website needs to be easy to use and viewable on mobile phones and tablets. Online availability and booking is essential. Freetobook is a very popular, easy to use, online booking engine.They can drive a lot of business but bear in mind that they charge a commission on every bookings. this currently 15 per cent. A system like Freetobook can connect you directly to the online travel agents so that you aren't maintaining lots of online booking diaries, which increases the risks of double bookings.Social media is a great way to promote your business. Set up a Facebook business page and Twitter account. They are excellent ways of finding new guests and also keeping in touch with those all-important repeat guests.You should also collect guest's email addresses - with their permission - and send a regular newsletter to people who have stayed with you before.
There are also the most traditional routes like advertising in guide books such as Sawdays Special Places to Stay. Not easy: Running a B&B requires plenty of hard work. Pictured, Maria and James, B&B owners who appeared on Channel Four programme Four in a BedMany people use review website TripAdvisor to find accommodation. And even if they find your B&B another way, most people then double check the reviews via TripAdvisor.You can get a free basic listing on TripAdvisor or you can opt for a paid business listing which will include your contact details.You need to be quite resilient when it comes to reviews and be prepared for getting bad ones. It's important you respond to these reviews in a positive way. Just a few negative reviews can impact a B&B business if they're not dealt with quickly and in a constructive way.You also need to consider whether you want to be assessed by VisitEnglands Quality Assessment Scheme and get a star rating. This can be very useful, especially for newer business.