Bed & Breakfast vs Hotel

I will give you the legal definition according to the regulations adopted by the various Italian regional government. It is considered a B&B a family run type lodging business that offers sleeping accommodations and breakfast in a residential type facility classified as type A in a City Real Property Records Office. The activity is managed by individuals who, in the context of a family organization, utilize a portion of their dwelling, up to a maximum of 3 bedrooms (6 in some regions) and 6 beds (12 in some regions). (Liberally translated by me)

Roberto is right about the legal definition. In practice, lots of B&Bs are not run by families, and some hotels are. I've stayed in lots of B&Bs in Italy that are not where a family reides - you get a key and then see your host at breakfast. The main difference, to potential guests, is the number of rooms.

It's getting harder and harder to find any place in Italy that offers rooms without a bathroom. As noted, B&Bs generally have fewer rooms, and you're more likely to have interaction with the owner(s) and/or their relatives than you are with a hotel. B&Bs are less likely to have a front desk and you often have to pre-arrange your arrival time to make sure someone's there to let you in.

There is not a bright line between B&Bs and hotels especially in the larger cities. And people tend use the words interchangeable meaning small hotels that serve breakfast. Nor do I think one is a better choice over the other. I go with location and price. A true B&B more likely will be found in the small towns in the country and not the cities.

Also check Pensions. Small family run hotels, usually no breakfast, with a couple rooms for rent. Most have private bath.

There is no "official" designation of the difference, but in general, a B&B in Italy is a house that has been renovated to accommodate guests. Most rooms will have ensuite bathrooms. But there is usually no lobby and no staffed reception desk. There may be a common living area, and generally a kitchen or dining room with tables where you are served breakfast. The outside door is locked, so you will have to arrange your arrival time with the owners so they can let you in and get you registererd. Generally you will get a key to the outside door so you can come and go as you like after that. Casa Tintoria in Florence would be an example of this type of B&B. We had a beautiful room with aircon and modern amenities, but in a 14th century building. The price was much less than a hotel of comparable quality, and the location was great. We stayed in another B&B in Verona that was actually an entire a 2-bedroom apartment. The "B" of Breakfast was provided in that the refrigerator was stocked with juice, yogurt, milk, and fruit, and granola and fresh bread were provided (straight from the owner's bread machine). We made our own breakfast on our own schedule and that was great. A B&B will not have amenities like room service, ice machine, concierge, work-out room, etc. like you might find in a 4-star hotel. But smaller hotels will not have these either.

Actually, there are some places in Italy that do have official descriptions for what can call itself a B&B. The owner of the B&B where we stayed in Orvieto showed us the regulations in effect for at least that city, if not that region. It included that either the owner or a relative of the owner had to live on premises. (In our case, it was his mother.) They also had restrictions on what they could serve at breakfast, e.g. no food that was cooked on premise, if I remember correctly.) FWIW, these sorts of places that we might consider a B&B don't always call themselves that. They might have Pensione or Residenza in their name instead. What this means is that you have to investigate each place individually to see if it's offering what you want. Don't make any assumptions.

Aha! So I guess our very nice B&B owner iin Verona (who did live upstairs in th esame building) was violating the rules by bringing us bread baked in his bread machine.

As I mentioned B&B regulations (as all hotel industry) is under the jurisdiction of Regional laws (not the Italian State), therefore they may differ among the 20 regions that comprise Italy. Also some specific regulations may be specifically delegated from the Regional Government to the Comuni (city governments). The definition I gave above is the general guideline that is more or less common in all 20 regions. I got it from the website of the Italian B&B Trade Association. As with all things in Italy, one thing is the law and another thing is the practice. As we all know Italians are very creative when it comes to interpreting laws and regulations.

As others have pointed out, the line between them is very fuzzy. Some b&b's or inns are ultra luxurious; others, spartan. Same for hotels. Hotels are generally larger is about all one can say with confidence. I have nothing against modern American-style hotels. They have their place, like the Ibis at CDG or when parking availability is a paramount concern; and usually, you get a predictable experience. However, we tend to prefer smaller, independently run lodgings, especially since we don't use many of the amenities you pay for in the price of large hotels - - concierge, room service, etc. If I were you, I would scrutinize the reviews on Tripadvisor or bookings.com when choosing any place to stay.

And don't forget to use Google Maps Streetview to check out the area immediately around anyplace you're considering for lodging. (It saved us once from booking a room right above a McDonalds!) B&Bs, being smaller, are more often found in the charming and/or historic centers of towns and cities. The Trastevere neighborhood in Rome is a good example.

If the bread machine was not in the B&B rooms (but in the owner's apartment), there would seem to be no violation of regulations. Many places that called themselves pensioni years ago have switched to the term "B&B".

We stayed in a B&B in Trastevere 2 years ago and we had an ensuite bathroom. They told us they could not offer breakfast because of the law, and provided us daily coupons for coffee and croissant at a cafe around the corner.

Thank you everyone for all of your input. I really appreciate it. I think the B&B is the way to go for me since I really want to soak up the local atmosphere. Read many reviews on Trip Advisor and I'm thinking of Hotel Pensione Guerrato in Venice and Rome Armory Suites in Rome. Has anyone had any experience with either of these places?

Ignore the snarky comment, Lisa. It sounds as if what you've decided is to stay in a smaller place that serves breakfast, regardless of what that place might be called. We've stayed at Pensione Guerrato twice and really loved it. We're going back to Venice this May and will be staying someplace else, but only because we want to explore a different n'hood. I recommend PG highly. BTW, they have 20 rooms, per their website, but no star rating which means they're probably technically a B&B. Otherwise they would probably have two stars, based on the fact that they don't have an elevator. (The star rating in Italy is based solely on amenities provided, such as elevator, parking, 24 hour front desk, and is not at all an indicator of quality. There are two star hotels that are much nicer than some four star hotels.) Don't know the place in Rome. Happy travels.

We stayed last summer at the Hotel Golden in Rome. It was, essentially, a B&B but not in a house. It was family-run, warm, and friendly, at a quite reasonable price. It's at the north end of town, across the street from the Villa Borghese. Here is a link to Expedia's review page: (Be sure to check Trip Advisor, also, for any hotel or B&B you're considering.) http://www.expedia.com/Rome-Hotels-Hotel-Golden.h2542549.Hotel-Information?gclid=CMG34b_mp7YCFSunPAodpH0AVg&semcid=13172-1&rm1=a2&kword=hotel_golden_rome!e.ZzZz.3130002033499.0.20472744623.hotel%20golden%20rome.hotel_golden_rome&#reviews Dave

Lisa,
You will enjoy the Pensione Gueratto in Venice. The location and atmosphere are perfect. It is on a tiny side street. It is a small hotel but very relaxed. It is air conditioned, which is important in a Venician summer. Look at their website for directions how to find them.