bed and breakfast

Meaning

A small, cozy lodging establishment, often run by private owners in a large family home, that offers overnight accommodation and a morning meal. It is frequently abbreviated as 'B&B' and offers a more personal, local experience than a standard hotel.

Examples

• We stayed at a charming bed and breakfast in the countryside last weekend.

  We stayed at a charming bed and breakfast in the countryside last weekend.

• The owners of the bed and breakfast gave us great recommendations for local restaurants.

  The owners of the bed and breakfast gave us great recommendations for local restaurants.

• Booking a bed and breakfast is a great way to experience local hospitality.

  Booking a bed and breakfast is a great way to experience local hospitality.

• Each room in this historic bed and breakfast is uniquely decorated.

  Each room in this historic bed and breakfast is uniquely decorated.

• We prefer staying at a bed and breakfast rather than a large, impersonal hotel.

  We prefer staying at a bed and breakfast rather than a large, impersonal hotel.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ We booked a bed and a breakfast.

  ✓ We booked a bed and breakfast.

  The phrase is a set idiom. Do not add extra articles like 'a' before 'breakfast'.

• ✗ This bed and breakfast hotel is very nice.

  ✓ This bed and breakfast is very nice.

  'Bed and breakfast' (or 'B&B') is a noun category of its own; adding the word 'hotel' right after it is redundant.

Related Expressions

Practice

• Instead of a modern hotel, they chose a cozy ___ in a small historic town.

  💡 A small, private lodging that includes a morning meal

  Show answer

  bed and breakfast

• Our ___ served a delicious homemade apple pie for breakfast.

  💡 A B&B

  Show answer

  bed and breakfast