Hotel breakfast likes & dislikes

[Hvr]

 

[SeatBackForward]

When they distinguish between paying for Full Breakfast vs Continental breakfast AND actually have a way to enforce this.

 

[Beer_budget]

I only want/use hotel breakfasts if it's an airport hotel, miles from other options or I'm at a conference where breakfast is just another networking opportunity. Otherwise it's the first meal in a new place, and I want to be experiencing that place!

That said, I like a fresh egg option (a la carte or a well managed egg station), properly fresh fruit and coffee and a good local flavour internationally (weißwurst and brezeln in MUC, laksa and congee in SIN etc).

I dislike overcrowded buffets, cold "hot" options and fruit that all tastes like melon. Unfortunately you often get all of the above at hotels with a captive audience, so when those hotels get it right I am extra pleased with them. The breakfasts at the temporarily-closed Hilton Munich Park and former Pan Pacific KLIA are remembered fondly.

Conference breakfasts where I would have had better options around the corner, not so much. Looking at you, every hotel breakfast I've ever had in ADL.

 

[offshore171]

When it’s served until later than 9.30am (I’m at a hotel currently where the breakfast buffet ends at noon and it’s great!)

Yes, but by the same token, please open before 7 or 730!

If you're up early with jetlag, or for an early flight, or have morning meetings on a work trip, a 6am opening is a godsend.

When your breakfast is free, but the server still asks for a tip.

Hilton JFK notorious for this caper!

Asian hotels they consider bread to be toasted if it is exposed to a match flame at 50 metres for a maximum on 2 seconds.

I've encountered this a lot in Japan, and put it down to the fact that Japan runs really low voltage (100-110V). So they run underpowered toasters. Many times I've seen hotels using these little 900w toaster ovens, roughly the size of a shoebox, and take around 5 mins to lightly toast something.

My most intense dislikes are long life milk

Yes. I get that it's unavoidable in some countries, but I agree, LL milk is unpleasant. I typically take coffee black (short or long) when travelling. For things like Muesli, I have it with yoghurt if there's only LL milk on offer.

A small high quality buffet is always better than a large low quality buffet.

100%. My nomination is Hotel Tandem in Strasbourg. Small buffet of beautiful offerings prepared by talented chefs and pastry chefs.

High prices now being charged (50 EUR is common in Europe) - even room rates which include breakfast are significantly higher than without breakfast

And no one's eating €50 worth of food. At buffets, the saying is "your eyes are bigger than your stomach".

But you're right, these days the asking price is often ridiculous. When there's more than 1 traveller, it's usually better value to get breakfast via room service.

Often the case with a couple, and always if it's a family of 3 or 4. You all end up with more than enough for breakfast, and it's half the price of taking everyone down to the buffet.

s I usually find its better to find a decent cafe for usually better coffee and better food options at half the price.

For sure, particularly in Europe where you can usually find a quality bakery within a 5 min walk. Some countries have extremely good fresh food offerings at convenience stores too (Korea, Japan, Austria, Switzerland...) Korean ones even have dine-in seating!

* Saw one person this week pick up a slice of white bread with their hand and then put it back. She then selected a slice of multigrain, again with bare hands, and also put that back.

You ain't seen nothin'!! In my uni days I worked hospitality part time. It's not that uncommon at hotel buffets for older folk to taste things from bains-marie DIRECTLY off the communal serving ladle, and then stick it back in the bain marie of soup, casserole, pasta or whatever.

Saw it myself more than once.

Some other randoms

Likes

Villa Fontaine Haneda airport has a self serve Mr Whippy machine in their breakfast buffet. Not sure why, but this was awesome as a one off.

Dislikes
I love asian food, for everything except breakfasts. Generally in places like Korea and Japan, I take the western options for breakfast, and eat local food for all other meals. Just not keen on the idea of starting the day with the taste of (for eg) dried fish the mouth, that defies extensive toothbrushing!

Nespresso. Tastes like cardboard. OK if provided in the room as a "least worst" option. But wherever possible, beans should be fresh and ground on demand, whether used for filter or espresso..

Buffets that try to tick every box and every possible food option. Usually ends up with everything done poorly, and less popular items developing a weird shiny "skin" on top.


Great thread. Any chance it can be moved to Open Discussion? Lot of users won't find it buried in here I suspect.

 

[StayGoldPonyboy]

Any breakfast buffet with one of those huge frames of honeycomb still gets an Oooh Yum from me.

 

[offshore171]

What do people think of the DIY Belgian waffle machines? From what I've seen, these often end up as a gloopy mess. I guess people are overfilling the mould?