Should you eat breakfast at your hotel or should you go out to eat? It’s a surprisingly controversial topic.
A few years ago I was fully against eating breakfast at a hotel. But my view on hotel breakfast has evolved over time (This was mostly because I spent two weeks on a work assignment and having breakfast at the hotel each morning was the most convenient option.) and now I see the pros and cons of eating at your hotel.
On the other hand, the options were limited and not always the healthiest choices. Additionally, the breakfast area was often crowded and noisy, which made for a less-than-relaxing start to my day.
On our recent trips, hotel breakfasts were complimentary, either because it was free for everyone or because of my hotel status. At many properties, Hilton Honors Gold and Marriott Bonvoy Platinum members get some sort of breakfast benefit. But there have been times when we get a free breakfast but still choose to leave the hotel.
Not all hotel breakfasts are like the spread from the Park Hyatt Saigon. If they were and included in the room price, we’d probably never leave the hotel for breakfast.
Here are examples of several recent hotel stays where we ate at the hotel one day and went out for breakfast the other.
NYC Financial District
When we stayed at Gild Hall (before Hyatt moved it to Category 5) we left the hotel our first morning and headed to Leo’s Bagels. It was only a few blocks walk and despite the 40-minute wait, it was worth it for a bacon, egg and cheese bagel (Note from Sharon: Speak for yourself. Hello, cream cheese and lox spread!).
While we usually like to go out for breakfast in New York, it was easier for us to eat at the hotel the next morning, Fortunately, the Felice Ristorante serves a great weekend brunch. Hyatt Globalists get free breakfast but we paid for our meal.
Sharon says that their avocado toast was awesome and we’d go back if it wasn’t such a shlep to get downtown.
Weehawken, NJ/Midtown Manhattan
When we stayed at the EnVue, Autograph Collection hotel in Weehawken, NJ, breakfast was included as part of our Marriott Bonvoy Platinum benefit. However, on our first day, we took the NY Waterway to Manhattan and Ubered to Sarabeth’s.
The next day we had a lunchtime flight from Newark Airport so we ate at the hotel. Really, there wasn’t any comparison.
This isn’t a fair comparison but why would you eat the second breakfast when you could have the first?
Washington D.C.
When we stayed at the Grand Hyatt in Washington D.C., we went out for brunch our first day. We didn’t want to go far so we found a location of The Smith around the corner.
The next morning was our flight home so we ate at Cabinet Restaurant. This is a breakfast-only location and it looked like the only ones going there were people who got free breakfast as a Hyatt Globalist. Here’s a picture of the $32 breakfast buffet.
We ordered off the menu and the dishes were so unimpressive that we didn’t bother taking pictures.
Final Thought
If you’re short on time, I can see the appeal of eating breakfast at your hotel. When I need to grab food before heading to work, if the weather’s nasty, or if we’re headed to the airport, I’m fine with eating at the hotel. However, I know that I could do better by leaving the hotel. To be honest, we’d rather grab something from Pret A Manger than eat a breakfast buffet.
When on vacation, I prioritize enjoying our meals. That’s why we often skip the free breakfast offered at the hotel and instead go somewhere nearby.
For those who choose to stay at a hotel because of the complimentary breakfast, especially if you are a top-tier loyalty member, I respect your decision. As they say, Your Mileage May Vary,
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3 comments
I’ve found the best hotel breakfasts are in Italy. All the little hotels seem to have some sort of pastries and cold cuts/cheeses in the morning. Along with a nice coffee machine. Italy doesn’t do bad coffee. In Catania, the Four Points Sheraton has an amazing breakfast spread of hot foods and all kinds of cakes and pastries. Also, the fresh orange juice machine, where you drop the oranges in, is a nice touch. And spectacular views of the Ionian Sea! That’s a really choice hotel, in general.
Have had enough Hampton Inn, Holiday Inn Exp and Residence Inn breakfast buffets to last a lifetime. I usually just go for the hard boiled eggs and coffee. Never use that waffle machine. Ever. It’s gross.
NYC is one of the best breakfast cities in the world. In that case, yes, go out and get an authentic breakfast.
However, in most cases, there isn’t incentive to go out of your way for breakfast. You should simply roll out of bed and wear flip flops while you eat your mediocre eggs.
Just ate breakfast three days in a row at our M Social hotel in Auckland. It was not an inclusion, but we wanted convenience the first morning, and had such a good omelette, brought back to our view room with a genuine table and proper seating, that we went back days 2 & 3. We knew we’d be out exploring all day. Being in – and having a very good espresso machine in the room – it just made sense.
Now, a Hampton Inn in the US? Purely for the speed of getting back on the interstate. The eggs are awful. The rest is sugar-soaked.