Tourism: Parking most vital for B&B guests

Parking comes before cooking for guests staying at bed-and-breakfast establishments, it was revealed yesterday.

B&B guests rate on-site parking as the most important thing about their stay - even above a cooked breakfast or an evening meal, the AA said.

After parking, the top priority was a cooked breakfast. The next most important aspect of a B&B stay was tea and coffee-making facilities in the room.

An evening meal was fourth in the priority list, while the availability of an ironing board and telephone in the guests' bedroom was rated as the least important.

The survey was carried out during tests for the AA's Landlady of the Year competition. Twenty finalists have been chosen from more than 3,500 AA-listed small hotels, guesthouses, farmhouses and inns.