Post: #1

Have any of you stayed in a hotel that offered complimentary breakfast? What was the quality of the breakfast?

I booked a 3 star hotel that offered complimentary breakfast thinking that it will save me money while I'm spending a week in Europe, but I'm thinking of cancelling it for an apartment through Airbnb.

Should I just buy my own breakfast?

Post: #2

(01-06-2015 07:58 PM)TheBlackRooster Wrote:  Have any of you stayed in a hotel that offered complimentary breakfast? What was the quality of the breakfast?

I booked a 3 star hotel that offered complimentary breakfast thinking that it will save me money while I'm spending a week in Europe, but I'm thinking of cancelling it for an apartment through Airbnb.

Should I just buy my own breakfast?

I've stayed in a variety of hotels that offered breakfast (ranging from 3 to 5 stars).

If you're trying to save money on food and hotels are your only option - a complimentary breakfast is a good idea. Eat as much as you can. The quality of breakfast is not great below three stores, passable at three, and good above at four to five star level. To get really good breakfast options, though, you still have to order and pay.

If Airbnb is an option, get that instead and buy food from a local supermarket. It's cheaper, gets you outside the house, talking with local people, etc.

G

Post: #3

I hate complimentary breakfasts.

It draws the fatties.

Embassy Suites usually has complimentary breakfasts. You end up in long lines behind obese people overloading their plates with free food.

I'd pay to avoid that.

Post: #4

If you're anything like me, getting up between 6am and 10am for the breakfast will be a struggle while on holiday, especially after a big night out beforehand.

Post: #5

(01-06-2015 07:58 PM)TheBlackRooster Wrote:  Have any of you stayed in a hotel that offered complimentary breakfast? What was the quality of the breakfast?

I booked a 3 star hotel that offered complimentary breakfast thinking that it will save me money while I'm spending a week in Europe, but I'm thinking of cancelling it for an apartment through Airbnb.

Should I just buy my own breakfast?

Read the reviews of that hotel. Google "hotel name" review breakfast.

Breakfasts can be awesome, average or horrible, unlimited or very small. Check the time they stop serving it. Will you be able to wake up on time?

How expensive is the food where you're traveling? Is that an important factor for you?

But yeah, if restaurants are expensive and free breakfast is good and unlimited, you can probably eat a lot for breakfast and just skip lunch or just eat something small for lunch. That's what I did often and saved some money.

Post: #6

In my somewhat limited experience, hotel breakfasts are ho-hum unless you're already at a higher-end hotel. Otherwise if you're traveling you may do better to just have some fruit in the street and get to know your surroundings, and have a nice lunch. But it depends. I have never been one to get excited about free food if the quality is ho-hum.

Then again I've never really understood why people eat breakfast.

Post: #7

In Scandinavia they are definitely worth it. I could eat what would normally cost me $25 outside. Get there right at the cut off, load up a couple of plates then sit back drink endless coffee and read the newspapers. One of my favorite things about hotels in Scandinavia actually. And the breakfasts there are among the best in Europe if you like fish, dairy, fruits, veggies, bread.

But the best breakfasts I have ever had in a hotel have been in northern Italy in the lake district. Oh man.......

Post: #8

Quality, variety and quantity varies wildly between hotels. I've had great free breakfasts and shitty ones-just cold cereal and milk.

As Brodiaga says, check out reviews of the hotel and you can decide based on that.

Post: #9

Last hotel that gave me a "complimentarfy breakfast" was a slice of white bread and an orange. Not joking.

Now I carry a protein bar in my luggage. If im short on cash or time, that at least will carry me until noon.

Post: #10

The majority of the places I've stayed, the breakfast is a bunch of nonsense.

-cheap yogurt
-old fruit
-waffle bar!!!
-bagels out the ass
-toast

I'll pass. I don't know what your diet is (I keep it pretty low carb and eat a lot of meat), this does not suit my needs. If you're lucky there will be some fake eggs.

As for AirBnB places, it depends on local breakfast tradition, which is usually toast, pastry, and jam.

Post: #11

Don't choose a hotel for the breakfast.

Choose a place for its location, its cleanliness/quality, and the charm that it will contribute to your travels.

Post: #12

It's a lot like going to sonic when their burgers are half off, expect the quality to not be so good.

If you're in a small town or restaurants are far away, go for it.

Post: #13

(01-06-2015 10:11 PM)redbeard Wrote:  The majority of the places I've stayed, the breakfast is a bunch of nonsense.

-cheap yogurt
-old fruit
-waffle bar!!!
-bagels out the ass
-toast

I'll pass. I don't know what your diet is (I keep it pretty low carb and eat a lot of meat), this does not suit my needs. If you're lucky there will be some fake eggs.

I have seen that times and times again. F' that kind of breakfast. Good place and time to open girls and make plans for the day though.

Post: #14

The complimentary breakfasts in Europe, at least in my experiences have been pretty decent. They are generally the same:

Croissants and breads (there's a toaster)
Assorted cheeses
Cold cuts (some have proscuitto and serrano ham, etc) not as bad as USA stuff. I like the salamis and cured meats there.
Yogurt
Nutella

OJ, Grapefruit Juice and an automated machine that can bust out some cappuccinos and lattes and stuff. Some have sausages and eggs and some have hard boiled eggs. I usually get some cold cuts and cheese, maybe a croissant and some juice and an cappuccino.

Breakfast isn't so popular in Europe, most people just have a Croissant and an espresso. That's pretty cheap though, usually 1 or 2 Euros.

Post: #15

Most of the hotels take the cheap way out if they even decide to feed their customers

Usually skip the breakfast and pick up my own food to bring back suited to my specifications, just means you have to do some research on local farmers markets/grocery stores

That's why a fridge and microwave are necessities for any room I book when I'm traveling

Post: #16

One thing that I hate about hotels in China is the lack of decent breakfast. I almost never skip breakfast and lots of Chinese like to skip it. The only way to get a kick ass breakfast is to go to 4 star and 5 star hotels there because foreigners are more likely to be there, like Europeans, etc. In the 5 star it is usually a kick ass buffet, something that would cost 40-60 bucks in NYC, but in China it would be peanuts or come with the stay.

Post: #17

OP, this is too general a topic to answer. But some guidelines:

1) Breakfast isn't usually complimentary. The exceptions are certain locations (e.g. Scandinavia), lower-end chain hotels (e.g. Holiday Inn Express), and small independent hotels (often family-owned and operated). Or you hold elite status with the chains.

2) Breakfast at chain hotels are very predictable and you know what you are getting at each star level. At the top end you can expect multiple buffet stations (hot and cold) and a la carte ordering (e.g. egg white benedict or fresh-made pancakes/waffles), fresh fruit and veggie juices, and other more exotic items (e.g. real honeycomb). The quality is very high and you seriously won't need another meal until late afternoon. Price usually around 30EUR per person.

3) Quality at small independent hotels vary greatly. Check reviews. But in general don't expect too much, and it's certainly nothing to wake up for.

4) Location of the hotel. If there are plenty of options outside the door, breakfast isn't such a big deal. However, if the next place where you can buy/eat something is 20 min walk away, go figure.

The most important criterion to consider is actually the purpose of your trip and your schedule. If I'm partying every night, I'd almost feel better not to have breakfast comp'ed, or it's a dilemma. On the other hand, there have been work-heavy trips where I literally holed up in the hotel and living from comp breakfast and lounge snacks

Post: #18

Check the times for the breakfast. They're usually before 10am, sometimes 9am. I've easily spent 100+ nights in hotels with 'free breakfasts' at this stage, and never made a single one. If you're on holiday you're almost certainly going to be out late drinking, its unlikely you'll be in the mood to go anywhere (or eat) come 9am.

Post: #19

One line I used effectively on girls in clubs is:

"It's too loud here, let's talk more in private. I am staying at the Radisson/Hilton nearby." Then I add with a smirk: "They have great breakfast there."

Anything below 5 stars - you would have to check the reviews - sometimes it's worth it and sometimes not. And even if you stay in a 5 star, price is similar to ordering breakfast to your room as if you went down for the complimentary one, which is why I usually don't buy breakfast. Also I sometimes wake up around 1100 and I feel like it's a waste of money. Besides - having breakfast in your room with a scantily clad girl is more fun.

Post: #20

Hotels in Croatia usually do have breakfasts at a reasonable price, and they usually contain a buffet (so called "Swedish table - Švedski stol") that includes hardboiled eggs and salami, cheese and/or sausages, as well as fresh vegetables like tomatoes or radishes. In my experience (and not that I don't eat a lot, so I can't really massively stuff myself during breakfast), it was quite worth it. I can't recall ever being disappointed or thinking that I'm getting a bad deal.

Post: #21

(01-06-2015 11:29 PM)Drazen Wrote:  The complimentary breakfasts in Europe, at least in my experiences have been pretty decent. They are generally the same:

Croissants and breads (there's a toaster)
Assorted cheeses
Cold cuts (some have proscuitto and serrano ham, etc) not as bad as USA stuff. I like the salamis and cured meats there.
Yogurt
Nutella

OJ, Grapefruit Juice and an automated machine that can bust out some cappuccinos and lattes and stuff. Some have sausages and eggs and some have hard boiled eggs. I usually get some cold cuts and cheese, maybe a croissant and some juice and an cappuccino.

Breakfast isn't so popular in Europe, most people just have a Croissant and an espresso. That's pretty cheap though, usually 1 or 2 Euros.

Is this really true!? One day I hope to go to France, Belgium, Denmark, Switzerland, and the UK and I want to eat killer breakfast food for once. Looking for good breakfast in East Asia is hard and usually dissapoints immensely. Some of you know that I hate kimchi, Korean or Chinese, and often times that's common to see either in the standard form or radish/cucumber forms. YUCK! It's like you have to wait for lunchtime to get kick ass food.

It got to the point to where I would eat ramen, baozi, roasted duck, or pho for breakfast because I could not find anything I want. I once found a German bakery in Guangzhou that had killer danish and croissants, but that is the exception rather than the norm in China.

The only thing Western about breakfast in Asia is that everyone has orange juice at least. Usually there is no pulp and it is watery as hell at that.

Post: #22

Maybe it was just the regions I visited, there didn't seem to be much focus on a real breakfast. The croissants aren't outstanding, pretty plain actually.

I think in places like England, where they have the huge traditional english breakfast, its more, but places like Italy and Spain, I found going into a little cafe, ordering an espresso and crossaint and eating while standing up at the bar was a really great experience. Lots of old guys in suits before heading out to work, its like an old boys club, but in the morning.

When I generally stayed at "3 star" hotels in Europe, the breakfast spreads were decent, you could do ok with it. I may have pics somewhere I can link up later.

Post: #23

Most US hotel breakfasts are just a huge ass carbo-load, but some are finally wising up and serving meat and eggs which I gravitate to.

Post: #24

For me, a good breakfast buffet a big plus, especially in the Third World or in the Arab gulf or Egypt where hunting for something decent to eat and coffee in the morning can be a small pain depending on the location.

If there's not a breakfast, then I buy bananas, oranges, and yogurt for my room in advance.

A small coffee/tea service is a must.

Post: #25

In Turkey, every hotel I stayed at had a killer breakfast buffet included.

I remember how confused I was the first morning when I had no idea it was free since I was the only guest at the hotel.