Hotel Breakfasts - Post Corona Crisis

[Chuckanut]

I've done some traveling since the Spring and I try to get hotels that include breakfast with the room. Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day.

We stayed at hotels from four major hotel chains - Wyndham, Choice, Hilton and IHG. Here are my comments on the breakfasts.

One Wyndham hotel used Covid as an excuse to offer nothing. Not even a cup of coffee in the morning. Another one offered coffee and tea, and some bagged pastries that were pretty cheap stuff. No juice, milk or boxed cereal for the kids.

The Choice Hotel, a Day's Inn, had a grab-n-go bag. It contained a truly awful frozen microwaved omelette thing, a packet a ketchup to add some flavor, a tiny granola bar (maybe 2 inches long), and a bottle of water. Coffee in the lobby also. No milk or juice or cereal for the kids.

Hilton (A Double Tree Inn) also offered a grab-n-go bag with a frozen breakfast sandwich for the room microwave, a fruit cup, a granola bar and coffee in the lobby. All of it was pretty pathetic.

IHG (Holiday Inn Express) - We stayed at two different hotels. One in the Spring and one this August. Both offered a hot breakfast that was not microwave heated. Last Spring the HIE hotel required one to stand in a short line, and could choose scrambled eggs with sausage or bacon, and toast. That and a grab-n-go bag with a yogurt and pre-packaged pastry were taken to one's room and eaten. However, a few days ago I stayed at another HIE and they had the full breakfast room up and running. Eggs, sausage, toast, bagels, warm cinnamon buns, juices, milk, cereal and fruit. The pancake making machine was up and running. Coffee of course was available. The breakfast room was open with plenty of seating including an outdoor patio on the river side of the hotel Very nice. (For those interested, it was in Corvallis Oregon.)

So, my totally unscientific and seat of the pants N=1 survey gives the breakfast award to IHG whose Holiday Inn Express hotels succeeded in offering a significantly better breakfast than the others.

And I award a big to all of those hotels who, 18 months after the initial Covid limitations on what they can offer for breakfast, still have on their websites pictures of a glorious breakfast spread with plenty of goodies. And, then they add the small mouse print that warns it's probably not available. They've had plenty of time to change the picture.

 

[braumeister]

Things are changing.
We stayed at a Hampton Inn last month and they had the old traditional hot breakfast buffet (eggs, sausage, etc.) just like they used to.

 

[Freedom56]

We stayed at the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas with a deal that included breakfast and had eggs benedict with a choice of smoked salmon or Canadian bacon. It was really good.

 

[athena53]

Hilton dangled Diamond Status in front of me if I stayed X times this year, which I met through road trips and a few frivolous stays. I even got vaccinated 75 miles from home (yeah, I signed up as soon as I could find an appointment) and stayed overnight for both doses.

It's gradually improved. I never had a "nothing" breakfast although I brought a coffee-maker and a stash of coffee with me on my first road trip just in case. I did encounter various "grab and go", some with pre-selected crappy processed foods I won't eat (plastic-wrapped muffins) and later just trays of things I could select- wrapped fruit, yogurt, sometimes things that could be heated in the microwave. The Hilton Garden Inn Riverfront in Sioux City, IA still had tables with servers and breakfast made to order this past March.

Most disappointing was the change at the Hilton-branded hotels. As a Diamond I get a $12/day credit towards food per registered guest (max 2). If I ever get to take my 2 granddaughters to Chicago (involves a plane flight and they're too young to be vaccinated) and stay at the Hilton O'Hare, which is the older one's favorite, that will be a joke. As a Gold we previously got the breakfast buffet excluding cooked items, which was just fine, at no cost.

 

[Scrapr]

We stayed at a local hotel in Bend last week. Coffee of course, and some fruits (apple/banana) plus some oatmeal (bagged) & some dry cereal (w/milk). Plus some muffins that were cellophane wrapped. they just asked that you would take only enough for yourself.

In June we were at a hotel that had happy hour wine plus some baked on site goodies. It was very tasty...as evidenced by the number of Seniors scooping up the 4:00 pm specials

 

[Ronstar]

The Hampton Inns I have stayed at Post Covid have had grab bags. The lodge we stayed at in Alaska last week had full buffets for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The food was dished up by lodge server people.

 

[Chuckanut]

The best breakfast of all this year was at a Best Western in Bryce Canyon, Utah. They had a big restaurant attached to the hotel and guests simply took their voucher to the restaurant and dove into the buffet. I did not include this in my evaluation because it is in Utah. I love Utah and its people, but their attitude towards Covid is so much more 'relaxed' that I felt they had an unfair advantage over hotels that actually had to meet various restrictions.

 

[ivinsfan]

Chuckanut that's a great hotel at BC, we were there 10 years ago and I still remember the breakfast and the amazing scenery from the hotel windows.

 

[CardsFan]

The best breakfast of all this year was at a Best Western in Bryce Canyon, Utah. They had a big restaurant attached to the hotel and guests simply took their voucher to the restaurant and dove into the buffet. I did not include this in my evaluation because it is in Utah. I love Utah and its people, but their attitude towards Covid is so much more 'relaxed' that I felt they had an unfair advantage over hotels that actually had to meet various restrictions.

Yet, you went there. Doesn't that mean you also have a relaxed attitude?

Just curious.

 

[audreyh1]

We had to travel back and forth a few times during COVID. We brought our own breakfast and other meals. Crustless quiche is a fave and heats easily for a satisfying breakfast.

 

[RobbieB]

The Monterey Bay Inn offers;

Coffee, decaf, tea (english breakfast & earl grey) milk, OJ.

Fresh fruit, fresh pastry, yogurt, HB egg.

Delivered to the room at your pick of time.

 

[grasshopper]

The Best Western we like in Tucson in March had nothing, not even coffee for breakfast. That's ok we bring our own coffee pot and coffee and water even.

Didn't complain much because happy hour was till on and the bartender has become a friend.

Same Best Western in July had the regular hot breakfast, and a good happy hour. We still brought our own coffee pot and acrutuments.

Of course we stop at Costco ahead of checking in and get everything bagels and cream cheese, or cheese slices, just to have.

 

[ivinsfan]

Yet, you went there. Doesn't that mean you also have a relaxed attitude?

Just curious.

I'm curious what that comment has to do with breakfast. ..Answer.....nothing

 

[Chuckanut]

Yet, you went there. Doesn't that mean you also have a relaxed attitude?

Just curious.

No. Fully vaccinated. No Delta variant back then. IOW, the good old days.

 

[CardsFan]

No. Fully vaccinated. No Delta variant back then. IOW, the good old days.

OK. We are vaccinated, Most of our friends are vaccinated, and I agree with getting back to normal. My point was simply why make a deal that they are "relaxed", and therefore should not be included with good breakfast hotels?

I am tired of hearing about variants. There were probably dozens, if not hundreds, that happened before we had the ability to start checking and counting. It is a virus, it will mutate, just like the flu does every year. YES, I know this is not he flu, but it IS a virus.

 

[ivinsfan]

Ya mind if we stick to breakfast. We'll be doing some road tripping and would like to know breakfast details

 

[RobbieB]

Me too. I'm tired with this "mask on, mask off" daily grind.

 

[Scuba]

We are at our second Best Western Plus in Georgia during the past week and have been disappointed at both. The first was in Atlanta and said they offered hot breakfast from 6:30-9:30. We got there at 9:10 and all the hot breakfast was gone. Now the one we’re in offers only the microwaved cheese omelets which are horrible. We went to the grocery store tonight for tomorrow’s breakfast.

 

[audreyh1]

Hmmm. Upgrade hotels?

 

[ivinsfan]

Hmmm. Upgrade hotels?

Right well if they don't give the included breakfast, might as well go up to a hotel with a restaurant and buy your own food.

 

[jollystomper]

In June in Texas we stayed at Hilton chain Hotels (Hampton Inn and Hilton Garden Inn).

The Hampton Inn had a full "free" buffet breakfast , with bacon (yay!), eggs, lots of fruit, and make your own waffles. No issue there. You had the option of getting a grab-and-go box breakfast, or taking the buffet breakfast in a container and eating elsewhere.

The Hilton Garden Inn had everything on the breakfast menu as well as cook-to-order omelettes. It was free was part of a group booking for a wedding, or one could choose to eat at several nearby breakfast restaurants.

In both cases, what they served seemed to match their pre-pandemic menu (and seemed better than what I have had at most Hampton Inns). Another reason I am glad to be a Hilton Honors member.

 

[HarveyS]

In my travels I stay at Hilton brand hotels. Usually Hampton, but tonight in a Hilton. I have found that breakfast varies hotel to hotel, state to state, even city to city. Pre Covid there were standards that each brand typically met or exceeded. Now I find that each individual hotel has the opportunity to select how/if to apply local standards. In the last 6 months I have stayed in 5 different states.
It's nice to hear Texas hotels are offering the old standard.

 

[Markola]

I skip the hotel breakfast feeding frenzy, which does not seem safe, and go to McDonalds drive-through.

 

[Dtail]

In June in Texas we stayed at Hilton chain Hotels (Hampton Inn and Hilton Garden Inn).

The Hampton Inn had a full "free" buffet breakfast , with bacon (yay!), eggs, lots of fruit, and make your own waffles. No issue there. You had the option of getting a grab-and-go box breakfast, or taking the buffet breakfast in a container and eating elsewhere.

The Hilton Garden Inn had everything on the breakfast menu as well as cook-to-order omelettes. It was free was part of a group booking for a wedding, or one could choose to eat at several nearby breakfast restaurants.

In both cases, what they served seemed to match their pre-pandemic menu (and seemed better than what I have had at most Hampton Inns). Another reason I am glad to be a Hilton Honors member.

Good to know as in general the Hampton Inn is our go to hotel.

 

[DrRoy]

IHG is our main chain, but I wish HIEX would get something better than those omelette things.