It's getting close to that gift-giving season again, and you want to buy something unique and out of the ordinary for friends and family. But maybe you are short on ideas and the time to search for these unique presents. The perfect solution might be to give a bed and breakfast gift certificate.

These gift certificates, which can be used at more than 1,000 inns throughout the United States, are not only thoughtful, they are fast and easy. All you have to do is go to iloveinns.com, select the amount you want to spend, purchase the certificate and print it out. You don't even have to choose the inn when you purchase the certificate; it's valid at all of iLoveInns.com's participating bed and breakfasts and inns.

"We've found that our customers love the ease of downloading a bed and breakfast certificate," explains Deborah Sakach, founder of iloveinns.com. "It saves the time of driving from store to store, as well as time waiting for gifts to arrive by mail."

The options range from Victorian bed and breakfasts by the sea to country inn's in Napa Valley's famed wine country. Here are a few samples.

The Jersey Shore is a perfect spot for a getaway, and the town of Cape May, with its dozens of meticulously restored Victorian mansions, is perhaps the highlight of the New Jersey coast. At the Queen Victoria Bed and Breakfast, one of several local Cape May inns that accept the gift certificate, guests are treated to an authentic Victorian experience. The beautiful guest rooms are decorated with period antiques, and the innkeepers serve an authentic gourmet British breakfast buffet as well as afternoon tea. Borrow a bicycle and take a tour of the town or grab a beach chair and head to the beach, just one block away.

History buffs adore Williamsburg, Virginia, and will equally love the Williamsburg Sampler. Although this Williamsburg inn dates only to the bicentennial, it was built in Colonial style, decorated with fine antiques. The Rooster's Den resembles an authentic 18th-century tavern, and it is in this room where guests enjoy a lavish "Skip-Lunch," Breakfast. Four-poster beds, fireplaces and wing-back chairs create warmth and romance in the guest rooms. The suites include access to the roof-top garden.

California is known for its wine production, and Napa offers some of the world's best vintages. The area also boasts some excellent bed and breakfasts. The Beasley House, Napa's first bed and breakfast, is located in Old Town Napa close to all the area's fun activities. There are five guest rooms in the historic main house, and all are decorated with antiques. The Carriage House, which is accessible from the main house by crossing through a picturesque garden, offer five more guest rooms, each with a fireplace and whirlpool tub.