A warm welcome from all corners of the globe

But after many years spent enjoying the hospitality of those she crossed paths with while travelling the world, she was determined to one day repay the kindness she had been shown.

Returning to Britain, after living in Bermuda for 16 years, the Shifnal-born adventurer was mulling over ideas for the future when she stumbled across an advert for The Plaine Guesthouse.

As soon as she clapped eyes on the charming, wisteria-covered property in Norton St Phillip,Bath, she knew she had found the right place.

Stephanie, who grew up in Penn Road, Wolverhampton, went on to welcome 6,000 guests from all walks of life through the doors including Led Zeppelin lead singer Robert Plant and his wife Jane.

"I had travelled all over the world and had experienced great hospitality and great kindness so I always thought I would have somewhere where people could stay - and it turned out to be a bed and breakfast," says Stephanie, who has written about her adventures in a book, Come Sleep With Me — Adventures in Bed and Breakfast Land.

The 53-year-old, who attended St. Peter’s Collegiate in Wolverhampton, first started travelling independently when she was 17 - and hasn't stopped since.

"I'm always travelling - that's the thing that makes my soul work and the only thing that makes sense," says the former St Peter's Collegiate School pupil, who has travelled across six continents

While wandering the world she experienced many "home away from homes" which she wanted to recreate at her guesthouse.

One of the most memorable was the welcoming Pink House hostel, which is perched high on a cliff overlooking Auckland harbour in New Zealand which she describes as a "refuge" for travellers that ensured those that were "wet behind the ears" were well-looked after.

She also has fond memories of being treated like family at an an Orangutan rehabilitation centre in Bukit Lawang.

"I went to volunteer for a few days and spent three months there. The welcome I had there was astonishing. I unpacked my backpack for the first time in a year - I've always been able to make a home wherever I am," says Stephanie.

This was proven when she popped to Bermuda for a two-week holiday in 1990 and stayed 16 years.

She bought the guesthouse,which she ran for nine years, after returning to Britain in 2006 and her book began life as a monthly column for an online magazine about life in the world of bed and breakfasts.

Among the highlights was hosting rock star Plant, who played Stairway to Heaven on her guitar.

“He, of course, was a totally cool dude who rocked up with snakeskin cowboy boots, a battered old brown leather bag in his hand and wild windswept hair which, when moved out of his eyes, revealed a kind, weathered brilliant face with an air of mischief all around him,” she wrote in her book.

But it's also the every day encounters with people needing a helping hand that also stick in her memory such as coming to the aid of an anxious bride who was getting married the following day.

"She was dropping off some guests and she was so stressed. I took her aside and gently calmed her down. I spoke to her again on the morning of the wedding and she invited me to the wedding. It doesn't take much to make a difference," explains Stephanie, who is now a business and confidence coach at Grin and Tonic.

Life as a host surprised her in many ways she had never expected.

"I love that you can a make a difference to other people's lives - I never knew you could do that running a bed and breakfast.

"You can offer a hug, a smile, a bit of giggle and or a good breakfast to people and make a difference. I had people from all walks of life and at all stages of life. It was a beautiful experience," says Stephanie.

Come Sleep With Me is available to buy from Waterstones, Amazon, WHSmith, Foyles and The Book Guild