DETAILS Finding a B&B in Maryland and Virginia
Sunday, June 6, 2004; Page P08
Looking for a seaside B&B that's drenched in Victorian charm? A farmhouse where you could help with chores? Plenty of resources abound for finding the type of B&B that suits you.
LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS: Both Virginia and Maryland have groups that specialize in or have great knowledge of B&Bs.
• Virginia: The Bed and Breakfast Association of Virginia (888-660-2228, www.bbav.org) can suggest driving tours of historic areas or wineries and the B&Bs along the way. The Web site allows you to search for inns by amenity, such as full or continental breakfast and whether pets are allowed.
• Maryland: The Maryland Bed and Breakfast Association (www.marylandbb.com) lists pithy descriptions of B&Bs by location and includes links to attractions in the area . . . Sixteen inns in the Maryland capital are listed as members of the Annapolis Bed and Breakfast Association (www.annapolisbandb.com), which also publishes a book of the group's favorite recipes.
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS:
• The highly regarded BedandBreakfast.com (303-274-2800, www.bedandbreakfast.com) boasts listings of 27,000 B&Bs around the world and is especially helpful for its archived newsletters, which include tips on such topics as choosing a B&B when you're traveling on business, how to complain effectively to an innkeeper, even how to pack if you're staying at a B&B (for example, think third-floor rooms accessible by narrow stairs in Victorian mansions).
• American Historic Inns Inc. (800-397-4667, www.bnbinns.com) independently reviews B&Bs and publishes the results in a trio of guidebooks (See Books below). The group also offers a discount card for stays at more than 1,000 B&Bs around the United States for $49.95.
• Discounted stays at some inns recognized by the National Trust for Historic Preservation (202-588-6000, www.nationaltrust.org) can be found on the organization's Web site; for example, a night at the 35-room Hermosa Inn in Paradise Valley near Scottsdale, Ariz., starts at $105.
WEB SITES:
• BBdirectory.com (828-387-3697, www.bbdirectory.com) focuses on the inns it considers most romantic and has a free downloadable guide.
© 2004 The Washington Post Company
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