Remember that was 30 years ago, when everything was much cheaper.
And, people today do not want to share a bathroom or have to walk down a public hall use it.

We have stayed at a number of nice B&B's - they do cost more than a hotel, but are more prevalent in tourist spots.

This is sad, love traveling in Germany because they still have this option. Some were even cheaper than youth hostels we stayed at. Didn't even have to share a bathroom with other guests not in our party. Breakfasts were wonderful.

I remember, about 20 years ago, having to attend the funeral of a distant relative. I stayed that night in a motel that cost $15. It was small and dusty, no TV or phone,and certainly no breakfast, but it was cheap. I called it The Bates Motel. Now I see B and B's getting #300 a night for a room. I'd love to take a mini-vacation with DH, but not at that price!

There's a lovely B & B about 20 miles from me.
It was a barn, huge one at that, that was torn down, moved to its present site, beautifully restored. Then made into a B & B.

On the property is a 100 year old oak tree, and numerous weddings are performed under that tree.

I gifted my DS and his wife with two nites, and still two years later, they are talking about how wonderful the place was. Needless to say they enjoyed.

Who remembers 'Tourist Homes'? When I was a child my mother and I would sometimes stay in these while on a driving trip. They were inexpensive, and many looked cleaner and safer than the often rundown-looking motels. In some areas they were the *only* option. (My mother was also the kind of person who would want to put a bit of spare change in the pocket of anyone who needed to rent rooms.)

DH and I aren't B & B or 'Guest House' people. If we are traveling we're not interested in dining with other 'guests' -- or the host. We want to come and go and eat on our own schedule, and at the end of a sightseeing day, we're too tired to socialize!

Seems like they've become an "event" or mini vacation place these days. Trying to give something different they command a premium price, but then again considering that the owners seldom own more than one they have to make their living and pay the bills from the one place income. Their taxes, insurance and likely even utilities are higher than if it were a normal "home". And of course to command the prices they can't afford the luxury of ah, I'll dust this weekend and they're probably tied to it.

I've thought I'd like to stay at one or two that are more of interest to me. One is a converted lighthouse and you can actually become the lighthouse keeper for the time you're there. Another one is a supposed haunted hotel in a small town I used to travel through often. I remember seeing an old guy on the old fashioned front porch (this place is probably 125+ years old and I joke that he might be one haunting it. There's one or two others I've heard have interesting things about it which could be of interest to me. I'd be interested in staying at one (or more) of them as a destination but for accommodations while traveling, especially when you want a bed, a roof and a shower for the night - leave in the morning - I can't justify the cost. Actually I can often sleep better knowing I paid 1/10th the price!

Like Kath said, the kind you are looking for is still available in Germany. First time I looked to stay at one here in the US, I was shocked at the price tag.

Moni

There are a whole lot of very reasonable (not $30) B & B's out there - we've stayed in quite a few the last few years and all very nice and never paid anything like $300/nite. It depends on the area that you're in and what you want.

We stayed in a "cheap" B & B 12 years ago near Mesa Verde. Paid $60 for a room with the bathroom down the hall. I don't live in a region where a B & B OR motel is cheap. I stayed in a "cheap" motel near Aspen a few weeks ago...$90.

When my ex and I drove to Louisiana a number of years ago, we stayed in one in Georgia. We loved Savannah.
Beautiful home and gracious hosts to be sure. We still prefer motels.

There's an old jail 3 hours east of me, that's turned into rooms to rent. Myself and a few co-workers stayed in it, compliments of our manager for a business weekend.
One room was the Library which is what I stayed in, the walls had bookcases. One of the other guys stayed in the Warden's room. Anyway, it's a cool idea.

While we don't like B & B's, we have enjoyed what the Brits's call 'self catering' (and we call vacation rentals). We stayed in two National Trust historic homes/flats outside of London several years ago. One was a remodeled coach house near Bath. One was part of The Georgian House within the walls of Hampton Court Palace.

I was thinking the same thing the other day. My cousins and I were going to go away on November 19 for a girls weekend away somewhere "quaint" where there aren't big hotels. After checking out prices for bed and breakfast places we decided not to go away and have my cousin from out o town come stay at my house and my other cousin and I will find things in Essex County for us to do. Way too expensive for my budget.

Anne

We stayed in a nice B&B in London years ago. The owner drove to the train station to pick us up, the room was lovely, clean , furnished with antiques. Yes, the bathroom was down the hall. But the English breakfast the next morninbg was fantastic-tea, toast, eggs, all kinds of meats.

As the OP, & since this posting popped up again, I well remember the least-expensive (aka cheapest) B&B we stayed at in 1980 or so. It was a rather "funky", but clean, place outside Albany, NY, where we had gone specifically for a big Antiques Show. THe "fare" was $12.00/night. However, it was a "B" without the second "B". Still a bargain.

Also, growing up in Michigan in the 1940ties, I remember a few "tourist stops" lining our main street. They were big, probably rickety, Victorian homes, with all kinds of cute wooden front lawn decorations of the day (the kind that sell on Ebay nowadays for fairly Big Bucks, in front. As a child, I always wished "we" could stay there ourselves...not likely since we lived only a couple blocks away. All, I'll bet, for a dollar or two a night.