London's Crop Of Choice B & B's

''Every day we get people asking to join the association,'' says Sigourney Welles, who heads up the the bed and breakfast association, ''but we reject 85 out of every 100. All our members are nominated by satisfied clients, but before we take them on, one of our directo...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inThe New York times
Main Authors Goddard, Donald, DONALD GODDARD lives in London. His latest book, "Undercover: The Secret Lives of a Federal Agent," is to be published next month by Times Books
Format Newspaper Article
LanguageEnglish
Published New York, N.Y New York Times Company 16.10.1988
EditionLate Edition (East Coast)
Subjects
BED AND BREAKFAST ESTABLISHMENTS
Dobson, Maggie
GODDARD, DONALD
TRAVEL AND VACATIONS
Welles, Sigourney
LONDON (ENG)
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Summary:''Every day we get people asking to join the association,'' says Sigourney Welles, who heads up the the bed and breakfast association, ''but we reject 85 out of every 100. All our members are nominated by satisfied clients, but before we take them on, one of our directors will stay with them incognito and has to report favorably on the house, the hosts and the general level of comfort and convenience. Even if they pass the test, they're not allowed to rest on their laurels. We have 49 inspectors going around to make sure standards are kept up. If anybody slips, out they go.'' EVEN so, old prejudices die hard. Sigourney Welles recalls an American woman who insisted on being somewhere central and whom she booked into a distinctly upper-crust pad in South Kensington, just around the corner from the Victoria and Albert Museum. Minutes after her arrival, she called Mrs. Welles, sounding thoroughly indignant. ''The house is charming,'' she said, ''and the room is delightful. But I see trees and grass, so don't tell me this is downtown.'' For those planning trips well in advance, the 900-odd members of the World Wide Bed and Breakfast Association are listed and their facilites described in the association's 1988 handbook, ''The Best Bed and Breakfast in the World,'' available in the United States through booksellers, selected travel agents and offices of the British Tourist Authority. With six weeks' notice, the agency can virtually guarantee everybody their first choice of host family. At four weeks, the chances are about 50-50, and after that, the best course is to telephone the association's office in London to discuss what's available.
ISSN:0362-4331