|
Bed & Breakfast - Review Directory
The purpose of these rules is to establish public health requirements governing the operation of bed and breakfast establishments in order to protect the health and safety of guests staying at such establishments. Bed and breakfast establishment as defined in 50-51-102(1), MCA, means a private, owner or manager occupied residence that is used as a private residence but in which:
You also must have a license. Each town and city may have different requirements so you must follow the proper licensing procedure. In most cases an application will be filled out and then the town would make an inspection and then a license would be issued. Fire department personnel should also check to make sure the facility is fire safe and has good access and egress. Another important area is personnel. Someone must act as a manager and take charge of the operation. Other staff would be a registration person, housekeeping, cooks and maintenance and others, perhaps a gardener or other support staff. Building authority means the building codes bureau of the department of labor and industry or a local government building inspector enforcing a local building code enforcement program certified by the department of labor and industry. A guest register is also essential. Guests should sign in with their full address and phone number and perhaps email. A file or card should be kept on each guest. It is essential that food be taken care of. Food must be bought and stored properly. Proper standards should be kept in regards to cooking and food preparation. Kitchen utensils and plates, etc should be sanitized and kept clean at all times. Food cleanup is important and trash disposal must be handled properly. Dishwashing means the cleaning and sanitizing of food contact surfaces of equipment, kitchenware, tableware and utensils. Food equipment means items, other than utensils, that are used in the food service operation of the bed and breakfast establishment such as freezers, grinders, ventilation hoods, ice makers, meat blocks, mixers, ovens, refrigerators, sinks, slicers, stoves, tables, dishwashing machines, counters or water heaters. Bathroom areas must be available for all guests and they should always be kept clean. There must be enough soap and towels and toilet paper and paper towels must always be present. Fixtures means a shower, bathtub, toilet, urinal, lavatory, all types of sinks and all exposed plumbing integral to them. Housekeeping is another critical area. Linens must be cleaned and beds must be made. Trash should be taken care of. All bedrooms and public areas must be immaculate. Bedding means mattress covers, mattress pads, sheets, pillow protectors and cases, blankets, comforters, quilts and bedspreads. Furnishings means those items contained in guest rooms and guest bathrooms such as draperies, curtains, blinds, lamps and lamp shades, chairs, tables, desks, shelves, books, magazines, bookcases, dressers, bedsteads, mattresses, box springs, towels, washcloths, soap, toilet tissue, radios, television sets, coffee makers, pictures, waste containers and mirrors. If the bed and breakfast has a pool area, a lifeguard should be present. This area should also be kept clean and the pool must be maintained. Life saving equipment must be on hand. Fire authority means the state fire marshal or his or her authorized agent. Individual wastewater system in accordance with ARM 17.36.101, means a wastewater system that serves one living unit or commercial structure. The total number of people served may not exceed 24. In summary, to run a successful bed and breakfast you have to attend to the details. The bed and breakfast must be kept absolutely clean. This would mean all areas of the house, such as the bedroom area and the bathroom and the kitchen and dining areas. All staff should be well groomed and professional and should be most interested in the comfort of the guest. Each guest should be treated as if they are the most important person in the world. All staff should have excellent hygiene and hand washing must be frequent. As the saying goes, take care of the customer and the customer takes care of you. Repeat business is a good thing. The owners of a bed and breakfast must insure that the facility is completely safe and guests are treated with the utmost care and responsibility. Each bed and breakfast should have its own smoking rules. In most cases, smoking should only be allowed out of doors. Guests should be apprised of all fire safety precautions. Those who run a bed and breakfast should do their best to create a warm and home like atmosphere in their bed and breakfast. Customers should feel like they are staying at an old friend's home. It would be a good idea to to have some good books and magazines around. Plants and some nice pictures add a warmth to the home. The kitchen area should be very clean and home like. Coffee and danish should be available at all times. Pictures and plants add to the charm and warmth of a kitchen. All areas of the bed and breakfast should be smoke free. If staff do smoke, they should do so far off from the premises. The areas should be swept and kept clean at all times. Laundry facilities should be available for guests. Those traveling a distance appreciate doing some laundry on their journey. Plenty of towels of all sizes and linens should be available for guests at all times. A good way to create a warm and inviting bed and breakfast is to ask yourself if I were the guest, what would I want to see in a bed and breakfast. Thinking this way will insure that a guests stay is comfortable. As the Bible, says do unto others as you would have others do unto you. Another area to consider is guest parking. Adequate parking should be made available for guests. Bear in mind that they may be in a large size vehicle. All sizes of vehicles should be accommodated. If guests bring bikes, there should be space available for bike parking. A bike rack would be sufficient. An information area of local areas of attraction should be created. This could be handled through a literature rack or an information table. The bread and breakfasts hosts should also be familiar with local area attractions and also directions. The bed and breakfast must be kept in top order at all times. If an inspector should come in, the bed and breakfast should look immaculate. Guests should be apprised of breakfast time. If a hot breakfast is served, the guests should not have to eat later. Muffins and the like should be made available for guests who do not want to eat a traditional breakfast of eggs and bacon. Fresh fruit and yogurt should be made available. A B & B should also have all exits marked clearly and fire extinguishers should be easily seen and should be straightforward to know how to operate. When guests arrived, they should be instructed in all fire safety precautions. --Below resources were provided by other community members. We highly encourage you to visit them as they may be helpful to you:
|