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So many people have mentioned that they would like to own a B&B. This forum gives so much good information I thought it would be great to start a topic on B&B ownership in CR.
Here in CR owning a business can be expensive. In the US if you own a B&B you do not have to hire employees, you can do the work. Here in CR it is illegal for you to do the work other then what is needed for management. There are no discount supply houses to puchase supplies from, the cost of doing business is very high and getting higher, plus it is more competitive. Expedia the online reservation service is gobbling up small B&B’s. You can really cause yourself a lot of trouble by signing on to companies like B&B.com which is now owned and operate by Expedia. Online advertisement is very important and can be very costly. If you are not an expert in marketing, trying to set up online marketing can be a problem. My advice is that you should really talk to some B&B owners prior to making a decision about opening a B&B in Costa Rica.
[quote=”jenny”]So many people have mentioned that they would like to own a B&B. This forum gives so much good information I thought it would be great to start a topic on B&B ownership in CR.
Here in CR owning a business can be expensive. In the US if you own a B&B you do not have to hire employees, you can do the work. Here in CR it is illegal for you to do the work other then what is needed for management. There are no discount supply houses to puchase supplies from, the cost of doing business is very high and getting higher, plus it is more competitive. Expedia the online reservation service is gobbling up small B&B’s. You can really cause yourself a lot of trouble by signing on to companies like B&B.com which is now owned and operate by Expedia. Online advertisement is very important and can be very costly. If you are not an expert in marketing, trying to set up online marketing can be a problem. My advice is that you should really talk to some B&B owners prior to making a decision about opening a B&B in Costa Rica.[/quote]
What a mouthful.
A friend of mine ownes a B&B 1 1/2 blocks below Teatro Nacional who does business only by word of mouth. He is listed on B&B.com and basically gets no response from them.He tells me that the package tour outfits have taken over much of the market and the economic downturn has made things worse. Additionally the market is overloaded with B&B operations.
When I first came to Costa Rica I set up everything myself (accommodations, car rental w/cellular, appointments and meetings). I imagine that the percentage of tourists who are willing to do this is not very high but that is where the B&B business comes from.
Ten years ago business was good for the B&B’s and every mothers son started getting into it. There is a lot of competition for what little business is to be had and it is a tough business to be in.
In my mind I would think that B&B owners in various areas would be better served to form a cooperative covering Costa Rica with their own web site.
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