The people and organizations we recommend to buyers and sellers of inns, bed and breakfasts and other independent lodging businesses. We have worked with many of them ourselves. The list isn’t exhaustive and we update it regularly, so if you have a favorite, let us know.
Start With Our Guides
- Aspiring innkeeper education: whether innkeeping fits your life and the path to ownership.
- Our seven-step guide to selling an inn, from timing and valuation to the transition.
- Top Destinations: the best places to buy an inn, state by state.
- How to finance a bed and breakfast: how lenders look at an inn and the main loan options.
- Marketability Assessment & Valuation (MA&V): our analysis of what an inn is worth and how marketable it is.
- Buying and selling FAQ.
Other Places to Look for Inns for Sale
We also list our sellers’ inns on these sites. Buyers: if a property elsewhere interests you, send it to us and we will help you investigate it and compare your options.
- InnShopper: widely used, though listings are not always up to date.
- Bed & Breakfast For Sale.
- Crexi: a marketplace for many kinds of commercial property. Choose Hospitality in the All Types menu.
Financing
Most inn purchases are financed with a commercial loan from a lender that understands hospitality. Our guide to financing a bed and breakfast explains how these loans work. These specialists have helped many of our buyers:
- Beau Eckstein, Emerge Lending: deep experience with a wide range of hospitality projects, including boutique lodging.
- The Madison Group: arranges conventional and alternative financing from national lenders.
- Tamara Bey, EGR Financial Solutions: structures SBA financing for bed and breakfast purchases with lenders nationwide.
- Guidant Financial: helps buyers use retirement savings to fund a business purchase.
Business Consulting
Whether you are new to innkeeping or have years behind you, an outside expert can help. We have worked with:
- ijk Partners
- Hozperity
- Hospitality Proz: a team including Jim Leitch that helps boutique hotels, inns and unique lodging properties with revenue growth, operations and transitions, including preparing for a sale.
Insurance
Insurance has become a significant issue for inn owners in many parts of the country. These agencies specialize in hospitality:
Industry Associations
These groups offer information, education and conferences built for small lodging businesses:
- Association of Lodging Professionals (ALP), including its resources for aspiring owners.
- Select Registry: we regularly take part in its annual conference.
- State associations such as the Pennsylvania Association of Bed & Breakfast Inns. Many of our state pages link to the association for that state.
Photography
Good photography is essential for marketing an inn, whether to guests or to buyers.
- Unique Angles Photography: visual storytelling for boutique lodging.
- Elizabeth Campbell: high-end photography across the hospitality industry.
Questions About These Resources
Can I use retirement savings to buy an inn?
Often, yes. A structure commonly called a rollover for business startups (ROBS) lets some buyers use 401(k) or IRA funds to invest in their own business without an early-withdrawal penalty. The rules are strict, so talk with a provider such as Guidant Financial and your own tax advisor before you count on it.
Do I need a specialized insurance agent for an inn?
It helps. Property and business insurance for lodging has become harder to find and more expensive in some parts of the country, and agents who specialize in hospitality know the coverages an inn needs. Get quotes early in your search or sale, since insurance cost can affect financing and value.
Where else can I find inns for sale?
Start with our current listings, then the listing sites above. If something elsewhere catches your eye, send it to us and we will help you look into it.
Have a Question We Didn’t Answer?
Talk with someone who has owned an inn. Buyers can book a free conversation, and sellers a confidential one.
