Finding a name for a hotel is no easy task. It should express various aspects of the accommodation. If possible, you should identify with the history or the location. The target audience should identify with the name. The name should be short and concise. It should be recognizable what kind of accommodation it is.
We didn’t consider any of these things when looking for a name.
Okay, maybe the last point: We’re a B&B, a boutique B&B.
More on what a hotel is called and why later.
Our criteria were completely different. It was clear that it should be an English name. There were two reasons for this. The first was the proximity to Denmark and the many English-speaking guests who visit Lübeck. The second reason is our affinity for British bed and breakfast culture and the hospitality associated with it.
To find inspiration, we took a trip to Cornwall in May 2018. There, we hiked the 60 kilometers from Penzance to St. Ives in five stages.
The Coast Path runs along the Atlantic, with the sea on the left and a constantly changing landscape on the right.
But we weren’t just here for the Cost Path, but also for the overnight stays, those B&Bs where you’re treated with the utmost friendliness by the landlord or landlady. We were made to feel like very welcome guests. We had wonderful conversations, received tips for our evening pub visit, a hearty breakfast the next morning, and good wishes for the next leg of our journey. And all of this was offered with great hospitality. We really enjoyed it, and the encounters on this journey continue to guide our understanding of hospitality to this day.
On the penultimate leg of the journey, we passed a farm, Layhead Farm. The name immediately appealed to us. Because that was exactly what we wanted: a place to lay our heads, or, to put it a bit more pompously, to rest our heads. The decision was made.
We realize that the name The Layhead B&B is a bit cumbersome, difficult to pronounce, and long. But that’s exactly what we’ve been talking about with countless guests.
It’s fascinating to hear their interpretations of the name, and we wouldn’t want to miss any of them.
