For almost twenty years, Bed-and-Breakfast.it has organised an initiative that turns talents, objects and skills into stays. Hosts' wish lists include an accordion, a vintage sign, bobbin lace lessons and even a project to bring bees back to a historic garden.
A 120-bass accordion, a vintage advertising sign, someone to teach the traditional art of bobbin lace, or an expert who can design a garden for bees. These are just some of the wishes expressed by the Italian B&B hosts taking part in Barter Week, scheduled for 16–22 November 2026.
Organised by Bed-and-Breakfast.it since 2009, the event returns for its eighteenth edition, reaffirming its place as a distinctive fixture in Italian hospitality. For one week, at participating properties, overnight stays are paid for through an exchange of goods or services agreed directly with the host.
You do not necessarily need to own anything unusual: often, all it takes is a skill, a passion or a little of your time. From photography to gardening, from crafts to computer lessons, any offer can become an opportunity to set off and discover a new destination.
The Wish List, available on the initiative's website, reveals an Italy shaped by passions, small projects and everyday needs. The most frequent requests include photography and video services to showcase properties, maintenance work, painting, gardening, and website creation or improvements. Local products are also highly valued, especially extra virgin olive oil, wine, cheeses and regional food specialities.
There are also requests involving new technologies, such as social media management, digital content creation and lessons on using artificial intelligence. Another popular arrangement is a reciprocal hospitality exchange: hosts offer a stay at their property in return for a holiday at another Italian B&B, even at different times of the year.
But it is among the more unusual wishes that participants' imagination really shines through. Relais Accademia is looking for an original vintage advertising sign, either enamel or neon, while Flower Bed & Breakfast offers hospitality in exchange for a 120-bass accordion. Some, like Ma Che Idea, would love to learn the traditional art of bobbin lace, while Finestra sul Giardino is looking for an illustrator to bring a children's book to life.
In Puglia, Masseria Murgia Albanese dreams of reviving a historic bee-friendly garden, restoring an area of around 500 square metres surrounding an eighteenth-century apiary to welcome bees once again. In Salento, Giardino Frannicola invites artists to help create an open-air gallery, with works that express the area's identity and traditions.
Then there are collectors' wishes, such as Le Casite's search for books and magazines published between 1968 and 1977, or the wish to find an old stone washbasin to furnish a terrace.
These very different requests share the same idea: a skill, an unused object or a simple passion belonging to one person can hold special value for someone else.
Barter Week is more than an opportunity to save on accommodation: it is also a way to rediscover the value of exchange and personal connections.
The journey often begins before departure, with a proposal, a conversation and an agreement. For hosts, it is an opportunity to complete a project, meet a need or get to know people with shared interests; for guests, it is a chance to discover new destinations by offering something of their own.
Over almost twenty years, the initiative has stayed true to its founding principle: recognising the value of what each person can do, owns or wishes to share, and turning it into an experience of hospitality.
Taking part in Barter Week is simple. At www.settimanadelbaratto.it, you can search for participating B&Bs by destination or browse the Wish List, where hosts describe the goods and services they would like to receive in exchange for hospitality.
Once you have found a property, simply contact the host directly through the B&B's listing and propose your exchange. You can respond to an existing wish or make a proposal of your own.
Availability, the length of the stay and the terms of the exchange are agreed freely between the parties before departure.
Barter Week will take place from 16 to 22 November 2026, but some properties are also happy to arrange stays at other times of the year.
Because sometimes, all it takes to start a journey is to ask yourself: “What could I barter?”.
Barter Week – 16–22 November 2026
An initiative by Bed-and-Breakfast.it
Official website: www.settimanadelbaratto.it
For information, interviews and further details:
Bed-and-Breakfast.it Press Office
Email: press@bed-and-breakfast.it
