If you have some spare holiday left to use up before the end of the year, or just fancy a bit of a getaway before the Christmas rush, then a bed and breakfast stay is well worth considering. Cheaper than a hotel or private rental and a lot more personal, it’s a great way to explore a new area and enjoy a comfortable rest in someone else’s home. Here are some of our favourite sites to help you find a B&B that works for you.

QUINTESSENTIAL BED AND BREAKFAST
www.quintessentialbedandbreakfast.com



Launched in 2010, Quintessential Bed and Breakfast aims to provide more discerning guests with a tailored and highly luxurious selection of bed and breakfasts. So stringent is the selection process that, at the moment, only 18 bed and breakfasts actually feature on the site. These include a Cotswold stone cottage, a Baroque country seat and a traditional Tudor Manor house and are accompanied by a list of local activities, events and a map of the surrounding area.

ALASTAIR SAWDAY
www.sawdays.co.uk



A household name when it comes to finding unique places to stay in Britain and beyond, Alistair Sawday bed and breakfasts are famed for their welcoming hosts and comfortable surroundings. There are B&Bs to suit all tastes here, including those with wonderful gardens, farm breakfasts, intriguing hosts, historical points of interest, stunning interior decoration and much more besides.

UNIQUE HOME STAYS
www.uniquehomestays.com



Set up by Sarah Stanley, Unique Home Stays offers an alternative to staying in high quality hotels with a unique list of luxurious B&Bs in the UK, France, Italy and worldwide. There is no compromising in comfort and style with this type of private accommodation. They boast to be amongst the best privately hosted B&Bs, which go that bit further, either in style, comfort or location. And they all offer exceptional hospitality.

CAFFELLETTO
www.caffelletto.it



This Italian company specialises in bed and breakfasts but the difference here is that all the B& Bs are in stunning locations, whether in the centre of historic cities or within easy reach of Italy's most beautiful landmarks and all have historic associations, beautiful gardens or views.The hosts play an important part too and are more than happy to share a glass of wine with their guests.

WOLSEY LODGES
www.wolseylodges.com



Wolsey Lodges are more than bed and breakfasts; they are private homes where guests are made welcome as friends. Founded in 1981, the lodges can provide hospitality in some of Britain's most prestigious locations. There are a few Wolsey Lodges in France, Italy and Spain, mostly run by ex-pats. Accommodation varies from grand country houses with antiques to more modest homes

BED AND BREAKFAST NATIONWIDE
www.bedandbreakfastnationwide.com



This is a great place to come to find comfortable bed and breakfasts at the more reasonably priced end of the scale. The site offers a range of tempting places to stay in beautiful tourist spots in Scotland, Ireland, Wales and England including the West Country, the Yorkshire Moors and Dales, the Lake District, Derbyshire and the Cotswolds and is a comprehensive and reliable resource for visitors from both the UK and abroad.

21st November 2011