Hotels Are Quietly Cutting Free Breakfast — and It Matters a Lot More for Some Travelers Than Others

As chains like Hyatt and Marriott rethink complimentary breakfast, solo travelers may barely notice — but families and loyalty members could feel the hit immediately.

For decades, complimentary hotel breakfast has been one of those quiet perks travelers came to expect — especially at mid-tier brands. But that expectation is starting to crack. Major hotel chains, including Hyatt, IHG, and Marriott, have begun scaling back or restructuring free breakfast, turning what was once a standard amenity into an optional add-on. And while the change may be barely noticeable for some guests, it can meaningfully impact others — particularly families and loyalty members who once counted on it.

Case in point, Fortune reported last year that Hyatt’s mid-tier Hyatt Place brand of hotels had launched a pilot program at over 40 locations throughout the United States in 2024 that eliminated automatic free breakfast for all guests. The pilot must have worked, as Hyatt Place’s website now touts free breakfast at most hotels – not all.

From Hyatt.com:

Hyatt Place hotels where free breakfast is no longer included

Hyatt Place no longer includes complimentary breakfast at a growing number of locations, including:

• Europe: Amsterdam Airport, Frankfurt Airport, Krakow, London City East, London Heathrow, Paris CDG, Zurich Airport

• Asia: Bangkok Sukhumvit, Beijing Daxing, Chengdu Pebble Walk, Kyoto, Kuala Lumpur Bukit Jalil, Makassar, New Taipei City, Riyadh Al Sulaimania, Sanya City Center, Shanghai Hongqiao CBD, Shanghai New Hongqiao, Shanghai Tianshan Plaza, Taiyuan, Yantai, Yinchuan Yuecaicheng, Zhuhai Jinshi

• Australia: Melbourne Caribbean Park, Melbourne Essendon Fields

• North America: Post Falls / Coeur d’Alene

• Other: Johor Bahru Paradigm Mall, The Forester (a Hyatt Place Hotel)

Hyatt also notes that some Hyatt Place properties may offer room rates that do not include breakfast, even when breakfast is available for other guests.

IHG’s Holiday Inn chain of hotels adopted its own “new” version of breakfast across the majority of its U.S. hotels: a buffet, with a la carte items available at select locations, according to CNBC. IHG says this is a cost-cutting measure that preserves the breakfast offering while reducing labor and food waste.

Meanwhile, St. Regis Macao, part of the prestigious Marriott Bonvoy portfolio, eliminated free breakfast for its loyalty members in March 2025, replacing the perk with bonus points and local offerings. For higher-tier members, the hotel now offers a discounted breakfast rather than a complimentary service.

So now travelers find themselves having to choose between room rates that include or exclude the morning meal. This turns what was once a complimentary amenity into an optional add-on.

FAQ: Why hotels are cutting free breakfasts

Hotels cite rising food and labor costs, changing guest behavior, and reduced demand as the main reasons. Many chains say fewer guests are using hotel breakfasts, especially leisure travelers who prefer local cafes. However, industry data suggests hotels that keep complimentary breakfast often outperform those that don’t — particularly with families and value-focused travelers.

The data says this might not help hotels

However, more hotels are considering removing complimentary breakfast, data suggests the move might actually financially hurt hotels. Research from Global Commercial Real Estate Services, CBRE, found that properties that offered complimentary breakfast consistently outperformed those that didn’t. And since 2023, hotels that offered free breakfast have seen more than 2 times the revenue per available room (RevPAR) growth of those that don’t.

Who actually loses when breakfast disappears

For travelers used to grabbing a quick plate of eggs before heading out, the loss of complimentary breakfast means either higher daily costs or more planning. Loyalty members may also see further erosion of benefits that once differentiated hotel brands.

But the impact isn’t evenly felt.

For solo travelers, couples, or business travelers who often skip hotel breakfast anyway, the change may barely register — especially in cities where better options are just steps away. For families, however, losing a free breakfast can turn into a meaningful expense fast. Feeding multiple kids outside the hotel can easily add $40–$60 per morning, turning what used to be a built-in perk into a daily budget hit.

However, the change aligns with broader hospitality industry shifts, where companies test different pricing structures and amenity bundling to help decrease their costs, while responding to evolving customer preferences.