lots of questions

I just read the book "How to open and operate a bed and breakfast," and I have multiple questions for those of you who have been in the business a while. Our B&B is not yet open. It will have 3 bedrooms on the 2nd floor with 2 shared baths (one upstairs and one downstairs).
There are many sites that tell how to make a bed, quality of sheets etc., however, none address if the bedspread gets washed after every guest leaves? or are the bedspreads encased in a sheet on the bottom and sheet on the top (like some hotels), and then only the sheets are washed? Do you use a bedspread at all?
How do you handle last minute cancellations? Do you charge a flat fee or a % for the cancellation? How do you avoid disputes for cancellation fees when a credit card is used?
Regarding breakfast: Do most of you provide a "continental" style breakfast (fruit, cereals, yogurt, home made breads with jams, juice, coffee, tea etc)? ...or do you get more elaborate with quiches, eggs, sausages etc., ?
Thanks for any constructive feedback. I am excited about this venture, yet a bit overwhelmed at the moment.

Welcome to the forum! There is much you can learn here that you will not find elsewhere. For starters, many of the questions you ask have been discussed here before. In the upper right part of the screen is a search box. Use it to search previous threads for information. It will also be useful for you to click on the topic you haven't read, and work your way back through. There is no right answer or set way to do anything, but learning from others experience here will be invaluable to you. Good Luck! Explore the threads! Also explore the Resources and Recipes on the top of the screen and the links to the left on Blogs to Innspire...

:welcome:

celiat said:

...if the bedspread gets washed after every guest leaves? or are the bedspreads encased in a sheet on the bottom and sheet on the top (like some hotels), and then only the sheets are washed? Do you use a bedspread at all?

Click to expand...

I use a bottom sheet, top sheet, plus a duvet inside a duvet cover in place of a blanket and bedspread. The sheets and duvet cover get washed after each guest leaves.

celiat said:

How do you handle last minute cancellations? Do you charge a flat fee or a % for the cancellation? How do you avoid disputes for cancellation fees when a credit card is used?

Click to expand...

You handle cancellations by having a written policy in place that explains how it's handled at your place. Most credit card companies want you to have that policy spelled out on your homepage. If you take online reservations, you make them check a box agreeing to your policies before they can make the reservation. That helps you should disputes arise with credit cards.
I charge for the first night's stay at the time the reservation is made. Once the reservation is made, I give a full refund, less a $25 handling charge, if they cancel with more than a week's notice. A cancellation with less than a week's notice is charged that first night (that is, I keep the deposit they made at booking), unless I can rent the place to someone else. Many charge them the full stay if they cancel with less than a week's notice.

Welcome.
As others have said, do a search. We have discussed these topics over and over. Then if you can't find the answser, come back and ask u.
But even more important is IF there is ANYWAY you can have PRIVATE EN-SUITE bathrooms DO IT!!!!! I can't emphasize this enough. Someone else came here recently and we told her the same thing. So you could search for those as well., She finally decided..yes she could squeeze one in.
YOU MUST DO THE SAME. NO ONE wants to share bathrooms today. We have come along way in the past 20 years of increasing B & B's in the US and the days of shared bathrooms ARE OVER!!!
If you have not taken an aspiring innkeeper class. Do so right away. Reading a book is not a replacement for a class where you can talk to other innkeepers.
Good luck!

"It will have 3 bedrooms on the 2nd floor with 2 shared baths (one upstairs and one downstairs)."
You are opening in the USA?
Welcome to the forum.

Bedspread - Dodo bird.
Breakfast - I do a full breakfast that alternates between sweet and savoury. Chef's choice.
Cancellation policy is 1 week or less notice, 1 day charge. I have few cancellations, but most of my guests are not from the USA. I would likely have a deposit (equal to one day) if they I experienced higher cancellations.

Welcome!