'The difference between an Airbnb and a B&B starts with a complimentary full breakfast,' says Brian Shields, the owner of Manor On Golden Pond, a small inn in Holderness, New Hampshire. Guests at the Manor begin breakfast with a buffet of fruit, cereal, yogurt, pastries followed by an eight-item hot entrée menu.

The second 'B' in B&B (as in 'breakfast') is the biggest distinguishing feature. In other words, Airbnb hosts are emulating the more established B&Bs, and maybe inadvertently creating more confusion. 'One thing I’ve noticed is that Airbnbs in Europe, specifically Amsterdam, Ireland and Scotland, have been run more like B&Bs,' says Betsy Brown, a manager for a nonprofit organization in Raleigh, North Carolina. 'Many B&Bs and boutique hotels sell through Airbnb,' he says.Īirbnb owners have also been acting like B&B owners in some places. And since Airbnb is technically an online travel agency, you can find professionally run B&Bs on the platform. It's also that you can find a B&B on Airbnb, says Jordan Locke, principal consultant at Rev Party Consulting, an industry consulting firm. It's not just the name that's confusing travelers. Think of it as a small hotel with a few extra perks and personal touches. A B&B is a regulated small inn subject to state or local lodging laws. Airbnb is a lightly regulated home-sharing site that lets almost anyone list accommodations for rent. 'The terms Airbnb and B&B are being used interchangeably by guests – and by journalists.'īriefly, here's the difference between and Airbnb and a B&B. 'Airbnb has co-opted the B&B name,' says Heather Turner, the marketing director for the Professional Association of Innkeepers International, a marketing organization for the B&B industry. Even the pros are having trouble keeping up. The lines between an Airbnb – an apartment or room rented through the home-sharing site – and a traditional bed and breakfast (B&B) are blurring.

But if you just shrugged, then join the rest of us. Is there a difference between an Airbnb rental and a B&B? If you said, 'Of course,' maybe you're an experienced traveler.

Air b and b rentals