Greed

I'm not surprised. I have noticed that myself. I can't help but wonder, though, why anyone choose to stay at a non-Italian bed and breakfast in the first place.  We always make sure to try and stay with people who are not foreigners wherever we travel, even if we do not know the language.  It makes it much more interesting and fun, as well as giving us a better feel for the area we are in.

I think that it all depends on the type of facilities  and  lservice offered. A difficult comparison. Some B & B start looking more like 4 and 5 star hotels. There is also apartment letting, even for short stays, which is our preferred option, and prices are reasonable.

  Is it really greed, or are the expenses higher? Without the large extended family to help the British B&B owners have to buy in services which might otherwise be undertaken by family members. Without cousin Franco to supply eggs, fresh fruit and vegetables, or cousin Laura to launder sheets and do the cleaning (in the black) then maybe it costs more to run a foreign B&B?

I think Rickardo has a very valid point, re the extended family helping. And it seems a tad unfair to suggest that non-Italian B&Bs are run by money grabbing people. In the end people choose where they want to stay, some English speakers are more comfortable if their hosts speak English, some like Lisa like to have a challenge.

If only you knew... it's almost Socratic! 

Perhaps Rickardo is right. I compared a 3 star hotel locally, where the rate was E65 per night, with most rooms like small appartments. They obviously have much higher costs, insurance, lighting, heating, cleaners etc. Yet, still less than many B&B's.

Not saying that they are all the same but speaking from experience, when i visit Italy i'm always cautious of sellers who don't have prices displayed, believing they decide what to charge individual people. If you're not established or known to them the price will probably be higher than a known local. a while back my cousin purchased some swordfish from a stall in the town i'm from and i happened to be at her house when she unwrapped it, i asked where she got it from and how much the cost was and immediately went to the stall. when i asked the cost as none was displayed, it was half more per kilo than i was told 10 mins earlier. having decided not to purchase it, i went back and told my cousin thinking she had got it wrong but she confirmed what she had said was right. I had to stop her going and confronting the stall owner to avoid embarrassment.

The same applies to UK. B&B is usually charged per person while Hotels charge per room. We had a recent holiday in  County Kerry, Ireland and it was cheaper to stay in 3 and 4 star hotels than to book a B&B. There were so many B&B's there I was surprised there was not more competition. I am also researching the Brighton area as my daughter is getting married there, next year. There are a lot of hotels  and guest houses who do not serve breakfast. Surely most people want a comfortable bed for the night and breakfast when booking a hotel. If relying on local coffee bars they often don't open until 10am.

From experience I know that cost is a very poor factor to use as a comparrison Italian or non Italian. Compare the package not the price

For what it is worth here is my take on this issue. I have stayed in a lot of B+Bs around the world including many Italian ones. Generalisations are never useful. My experience has been that foreign owned B+Bs can be most helpful especially if your Italian is not up to scratch. Some know the area well and can give excellent advice tailored to help a foreigner however you need to be aware that most people need to make a living and you should take some of their recommendations with a pinch of salt. Why are they recommending that estate agent? Because they have dealt with him or because they are " friends"? This is obviously not specific to foreigners; Italians probably have more opaque relationships that foreigners but remember that just because someone is friendly doesn't mean they are your friend. Having said that I have been given an immense amount of help from Italian hosts as well.   As for the B+B aspect I have found foreign owned B+Bs probably more to my liking. Many Italian B+Bs I have stayed in have been a bit cold and unwelcoming. Often they have not actually been  B+Bs but rather self catering flats. I have also found in my experience that foreign owned  B+Bs are much better at marketing themselves. In my experience they also answer emails, have answering machines and return calls and have better websites.    My bad B+B experiences: Room that stank of cigarette smoke and towels almost a thin as newspaper. Turning up with email confirmation to a house in pitch darkness at 10 pm and no answer to the door and no one answering the phone. Breakfast served be Basil Faulty's Nazi instructor who felt that Italy was for Italians and how dare any foreigners actually even think of visiting .    My good experiences:   Too many to mention.   All in all I much prefer B+Bs to hotels.

Ok PatH. Our first experiences, as we initially chose non Italian operated. English operated here: B&B 1. Owners constantly having a domestic at night, as always under the influence. Apartment 2: Dog cr*p everywhere you walked outside. Apartment 3: Questioned about your life history, where you were going, how much was your house costing, as husband could give a better price for work. After the above: Italian: Pensione: After the earlier experiences, we stayed in a family run pensione. Cheaper in the first instance, with a nice restaurant. We tried to book it when we had to come and sign the house papers, but they were closed for holidays. They said no problem, as we know you, we will give you a key and there will be someone there to make breakfast and clean the room. 3 star Hotel: large room, excellent restaurant and again nothing too much trouble. If you come to Italy, then why not support the Italian business? I know we didn't in our early visits, but soon changed our attitude after the above

"Room that stank of cigarette smoke and towels almost a thin as newspaper. Turning up with email confirmation to a house in pitch darkness at 10 pm and no answer to the door and no one answering the phone.   Breakfast served by Basil Faulty's Nazi instructor who felt that Italy was for Italians and how dare any foreigners actually even think of visiting".   Sounds like my kinda place Pat - send me the link!

Just brought this forward again, as remember some comments from the B&B owners close to where we are in Amandola. The dairy farm that had been there for a number of years, upset them, as the milking started at 5.30 am, and would possibly wake their guests. They wanted to complain to the commune and the tourist board. Pathetic when you live in the country areas.

I know that there are both good and bad Italian and foreign bed and breakfast owners. I don't judge people by their nationality and I also realize how difficult it is to start a new life in another country. So far we have managed to steer clear of the dog in the manger syndrome and don't mind foreigners polluting Italy. I just remember that I too am a foreigner. So we try to judge a B&B by the cost and service. If we feel it is a good deal, we  recommend it, and if it is a bad deal we also say so. It is amazing how powerful trip advisor is if you learn to read between the lines.

Pat H. That is the worst site to look for anything. Most posters have only ever made 1 post, so are obviously well seasoned travellers!!! .......... or paid, discounted if they write a good review. if 10 reviews over a number of  hotels etc, then I may believe them. Just looking at a couple of local sites, seems like most have never travelled anywhere.