The Bargain and Beauty of B&Bs Local Bed and Breakfasts Offer Specialty Amenities, Intimate Settings by Heather Nalbone Whether online or in person, most travel agents share a primary goal: To find you the best hotel rooms at bargain ratesóand fast. But thereís another hospitality domain that often falls through the cracks of routine hotel inventoriesóone thatís full of specialty bonuses, such as a morning bowl of homemade orange-coconut granola, a complimentary glass of evening sherry or special Egyptian cotton sheets purchased in Italy. Such amenities are singular to the lower-profile industry of bed and breakfasts and boutique inns. Yet these aesthetic lodges abound in the Washington area as a growing number of people offer the intimate settings of their own homes to provide personalized and sometimes budget-friendly alternatives to the regionís larger, plush hotels. Finding the right place can require some extra sweat equity, which is likely why many travel agents skirt inns and B&Bs in their searches. Guest rooms visited recently by The Washington Diplomat ranged in price from $89 to $1,500 a night and included everything from nook-like bedrooms with shared bathrooms to a lu xury apartment-style suite with its own separate entrance. Most are located in renovated historic town homes or mini-mansions nestled in tree-lined residential streets. ìWe are sharing our home with other people,î said one B&B owner. But sharing a home isnít what it used to be, at least not in Washington, D.C. Todayís modern city accommodations are a far cry from the country-style lodges that still define the B&B industry in some rural areas. What used to be a haven for romantic weekend getaways is now a boon for the adventurous business traveler. The town house that occupies 101 5th St. in Northeast Washington is indicative of how the bed-and-breakfast scene has evolved in the nationís capital. There are no doilies or wooden ducks at the Bull Moose Bed & Breakfast in Capitol Hill, fashioned as a tribute to former President Theodore Roosevelt. What you will find are safari relics, a turn-of-the-century British pub table and contemporary furniture upholstered in trendy browns and beiges. A recent renovation has left the 1890 edifice looking new, but not so polished as to compromise its historic flair. The walls are crisp and clean, as are the original floorboards and century-old oak mantelpiece. But open a desk drawer or closet door and youíll find hand-carved notes left by Senate pages who occupied the 10-bedroom residence back when it was still a boarding house. Sen. Strom Thurmondís name is engraved there, as is that of former House Majority Whip Tom Foley. Such unspoiled remnants abound in the regionís smaller lodges. More than 100 gargoyles surround visitors of The Henley Park Hotel, a 96-room Tudor-style building thatís earned the status of being one of the National Trust for Historic Preservationís Historic Hotels of America. And at The Inn at Dupont Circle (not to be confused with The Dupont at The Circle Inn), proprietor Barbara Koeppel maintains an outdoor solarium and large mirrors installed by former owner and astrologer Jeanne Dixon. Such museum-like items have for the most part been left unaltered, but they are certainly not off limits to guests. Koeppel doesnít hesitate to use her sterling silverware when serving complimentary gourmet breakfasts, and The Dupont at The Circle owner Anexora Skvirsky fills every corner and bedroom of her inn with her personal collection of exotic antique lamps. At The Mansion on O Street, NW, owner H.H. Leonards lives by this ìlook and touchî policy. Itching to play a tune on that new custom Gibson guitar? Pick it up and play. In the mood for a drink? Pour yourself a martini and add it to your bill. Leonards trusts you, as does her staff. If you like it, you can buy itóliterally. Everything is for sale, from the old-style turntable to the crystal chandeliers. Even Rosa Parksís autographed photo (she stayed there once) is up for grabs. The Mansion, which is actually three town houses combined into one, is a network of secret passageways and artistic collections that defy the pragmatism characteristic of most hotels. Leonards manages to fill each crevice and cranny with original paintings, porcelain figurines, antique toys and every other imaginable object of uniqueness in a way thatís neither gaudy nor overstated. There are Jacuzzis, a historic jukebox and as many as five televisions in one room. Also on the high-request list are an indoor log cabin loft and an Art Deco penthouse dressed in armoires and couches from the 1940s. ìH. thinks everything should be an adventure,î said guest services manager Denni Carr, adding that children like to use the hotelís hidden staircases to ìplay Harry Potter.î Other mentionables include Victoria & Maxwellís Bed and Breakfast and Foggy Bottomís The River Inn. From the outside, Victoria & Maxwellís probably looks much like it did back when it was one of several homes used as post-Civil War pensions for Union generals. Inside, the four-room town house is a delightfully creative concoction true to owner and artist Victoria Loweís dictum: ìIf itís a surface, it wants to be painted.î Track lighting illuminates large spray enamel canvases situated stylishly on the walls. Plants fill the front foyer, and a mixture of artwork gives each room its own inviting feel. A similar look can be expected from The River Inn, where a top-to-bottom renovation is trading familiar floral patterns for retro oranges and reds. The eight-story hotel, a quaint building surrounded by private residences and red brick sidewalks, is popular for its convenient downtown location near the World Bank and the State Department. None of this style, however, comes at the sacrifice of practicality. You can count on high-speed Internet hookups, fax machines and sometimes even your own small office space, all included in the cost of a nightís stay. Itís the pricing that can be tricky, although thereís enough variety to fit any budget. Customers can share a bathroom to save money or opt for a guest quarter that includes a marble Jacuzzi and separate sitting room. At The Mansion on O Street, for instance, varying sizes of guest rooms, bathrooms and living areas are combined according to individual needs. The industryís accommodating environment is well suited for frequent business travelers looking for a place to unpack their bags for weeks or months at a time. Because they are privately owned, most B&Bs (and some inns) offer discounts or negotiate prices for longer-term stays. The Bull Moose, in fact, has done just that. Some Capitol Hill staffers have stayed there for as long as a year. Heather Nalbone is a freelance writer in Silver Spring, Md.