The Greenhouse Bed & Breakfast

The Greenhouse Bed & Breakfast occupies a nondescript two-story house with a white facade that has been embellished with an artistic rendering of a bicycle. Neat wooden boxes filled with flowers placed on either side of the front door add a bit of cheer to the property. On arrival, guests enter a hall with rustic wooden floors and wood-grain furniture. Framed movie posters adorn the walls, and tourist brochures are neatly arranged on a countertop. The property is made up of two small houses built in the 1850s as harbor workers' cottages. In 1998 it was converted into a bed and breakfast, and it's been run by the same owner, Fran Jones, since 2011. She enlarged and renovated the property in 2013 and 2014, introducing such eco-friendly practices as solar energy and recycling, plus organic and fair-trade products. The clientele is a mix of tourists, including many couples, but business travelers find their way here too.

The Greenhouse Bed & Breakfast sits at the end of a dead-end street, away from traffic, in a residential area called Southville, which is southwest of Bristol city center. The Avon River is a three-minute walk away, and the historical dock area is a 10-minute walk. A mix of cafes, restaurants, and bars are in neighboring Bedminster, about 15 minutes away on foot. The nearest bus stop is a four-minute walk from the bed and breakfast, and it's about a 20-minute-ride to central Bristol. Bristol bus station is a 24-minute bus ride (or 15-minute drive) from here, and it's a seven-minute drive to Bristol Temple Meads Train Station. Bristol Airport is about a 20-minute drive away.

Rooms at the Greenhouse Bed & Breakfast are twins or doubles and are decorated in a simple but tasteful style. The wood-grain furniture, made of American ash, gives the rooms a rustic appeal, complemented by elegant flower-print pillows and curtains, gray or turquoise bed runners, and crisp, white bed linens. Floors are covered in plush gray carpeting, and mirrors, easy chairs, and work desks and lamps are nice extras. All rooms also include kettles, French presses, porcelain tea pots and cups, and tea and coffee supplies. Other standard amenities include 24-inch flat-screen smart TVs, free Wi-Fi, and handy extras like hairdryers and plenty of wooden hangers in the wardrobes. White-tile bathrooms have gray floor tiles and spacious walk-in showers with rainfall showerheads -- while some bathrooms have both bathtubs and separate shower stalls. Bathrooms have towel warmer and toiletries. The accessible room on the ground floor features a fold-down stool and handrails in the shower.

The breakfast served at the Greenhouse Bed & Breakfast gets enthusiastic reviews from guests for the quality of its organic, fair trade products. The bread and croissants are provided by a local artisan baker, and the fruit compotes are homemade. Also on offer is a selection of fresh fruit, a variety of cereals, bagels, homemade granola, yogurt, as well as hot made-to-order dishes like scrambled or poached eggs served with Hollandaise sauce, sausages, smoked salmon, and bacon. Gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan and other dietary preferences are catered to if requested in advance. Apart from breakfast, a fridge on the ground floor contains an honesty bar, where guests can help themselves to filtered water, soft drinks, beer, and wine and add the cost to their tab. 

The property's pleasant gravel-lined garden is circled with potted plants and offers a few wooden patio sets where guests can take in the sunshine. Electric bicycles can be rented in exchange for a contribution toward the cost of their maintenance, and guests arriving by bicycle can lock their bikes in a special storage shed. Free parking is available on the street just outside the guesthouse. Wi-Fi is free throughout the property.