New England bed & breakfasts vary widely in their amenities, ambiance and quality. How do you choose the perfect B&B? A New England bed & breakfast guidebook may be the answer, especially if you visit New England frequently. While the Web is a great tool for researching B&Bs, guidebooks provide an additional level of objectivity that can help you to find inns that best meet your needs.
1. "Recommended Country Inns : New England"
Now in its 19th edition, this guide has been written by Elizabeth Squier since 1973 and was updated in 2006 by Eleanor Berman. The descriptions of more than 200 New England inns (not B&Bs, though most serve breakfast) will make you feel as if you're listening to a friend's personal recommendations. An index helps you find inns by their features--inns with pools, business amenities, etc. Drawings and detailed information for each inn are included.
2. "Recommended Bed & Breakfasts New England"
Eleanor Berman's guide only includes 197 bed & breakfasts, but it provides drawings and solid details for each inn, including rates. Descriptions are helpful, though not as intimate as those in my number one pick.3. "Fodor's New England's Best Bed and Breakfasts"
Unfortunately, this guide to B&Bs hasn't been updated since 1998, so the price information and some other details are outdated. Still, Fodor's covers a whopping 342 B&Bs and inns, and this book is the best choice for additional travel information by destination, including places to go, sights to see, beaches and restaurants. There are just a few inns illustrated.4. "The Unofficial Guide to Bed and Breakfasts in New England"
This is an ambitious book--it reviews 300 country inns and B&Bs and contains listings for 210 others--but it misses the mark. Inn descriptions are somewhat contrived and show little insight into what really makes each bed & breakfast property unique. There are just a few drawings, and travel information is limited to brief introductions to each New England region.