Ahh – watery rubber eggs, frozen sausage patties, and the beeping waffle machine – all signs that I am right where I belong…

…Ok not really. That’s lunacy – but the reality of most hotel breakfasts in the US. We’ve all gotten so used to the terrible offerings of a simple Fairfield Inn that anything more than that actually surprises us! But what if I told you there’s a whole other world out there?

The international hotels

Breakfast offerings outside of the US are quite literally 100x better than the ones offered at US hotels. Most of these hotels do not save money on their breakfasts – something that US management omit as a cost-cutting measure.

Below is a picture of my breakfast at the Courtyard by Marriott CDG Airport. The spread was absolutely impressive – complete with croissants (of course) and an egg-cooker…….

This pales in comparison with what’s available at most US hotels. Sam Reid did a couple little experiment where he visited all sorts of hotel chains and rated their breakfast offerings. Some of them are just downright sad…

I’ve heard nothing but good things with hotels in Asia as well – the ones in Tokyo look absolutely stunning! And while benefits may specify “continental breakfast” (looking at you, Hilton), in my experience it’s typically just a full hot breakfast buffet.

But there are good eggs in the US (pun intended)

On a trip with my parents to San Diego, we stayed at the Westin Gaslamp Quarter. While they still offered a breakfast buffet option for two people, they also allowed us to order food off the menu. It was great to be able to split our two breakfast entrees between the three of us! The hotel allowing you to do this is very much YMMV.

Even hotels within the same brand may vary widely. Some Hyatt Place hotels feature a fantastic breakfast, complete with an egg, meat, potatoes, a specialty dish, fruits, the whole nine yards. Meanwhile, other Hyatt Place hotels may just offer you sausage, bacon, eggs, and stale breads.

Overall Thoughts

Should hotels invest in a good breakfast? It’s definitely something that would keep visitors returning to the same property over and over again. But in the US, I will say there is very little motivation to do so. Hotels are trying to maintain profitability and some hotel brands are altogether considering cutting the breakfast benefit.