Unpopular opinion: I'm not a fan of hotel breakfasts

I realise it’s not a popular opinion, but I’ve never been a fan of hotel breakfasts. A large part of it perhaps stems from the fact I’ve never been a fan of the meal itself, rarely having much beyond a steady stream of coffee before midday. Of course, having grown up on a Turkish diet where breakfast usually consists of tens of dishes of olives, cheese and spreads, it’s possible I also can’t fully appreciate the joy of eating something like Weet-Bix, or – Lord, have mercy – a full English breakfast (I’d happily pay large sums to not have to witness my English husband tuck into a plate heaving with baked beans and sausages). While I’ll never know the exact reason for my ambivalence towards “the most important meal of the day”, this is my way of explaining that since I’m not a fan of the meal, it doesn’t bother me whether the hotel breakfast is included with my stay or not.

Obviously, I know many others feel quite differently. Recently, my Escape colleague James Booth wrote about his annoyance over paying $800 for a hotel room in England only to discover that a side serve of eggs, bacon or even a slice of humble toast would be an additional charge. Surely when you’re paying so much for accommodation, breakfast should be included, he wrote.

In a way, I get what he’s saying. My own hotel bugbear is when you spend an eye-watering sum of money to stay somewhere and you’re presented with a beautifully wrapped welcome gift that turns out to be a single 500ml bottle of Mount Franklin water (I recently stayed in a $3000-a-night lodge where I was given a single Granny Smith apple in a gift bag). Unfortunately, while I understand why James was so miffed, I also know that when it comes to luxury hotels, there’s no such thing as a free breakfast.

There are many reasons why guests are expected to pay for breakfast on top of an exorbitant room rate at a four- or five-star hotel. Unlike budget hotels where much of the food on offer centres around pre-made waffle mixtures, powdered eggs, cereals and toast – much of which is “help yourself” – higher-end properties pride themselves on preparing quality dishes from scratch. This not only means having to pay the salaries of an army of chefs and kitchen hands, but for the higher costs of those quality ingredients you’ll be feasting on once they’re artfully put together.

There’s a need to maximise revenue, too, and also the fact luxury hotels don’t need to throw in “freebies” to try to differentiate themselves from their competitors – a common tactic in the far more saturated budget hotel market. Ultimately, though, I think we can just go ahead and state the truth: high-end hotels usually don’t include breakfast because they don’t have to. Guests happy to pay $800-plus a night aren't usually the type to baulk at paying for their eggs.

Now, I do get early-morning hunger pangs every now and then, but here’s the thing: unless I’m staying at a property that’s celebrated for its breakfast menu such as Raffles Singapore, I’d much rather research a café nearby that’s favoured by locals. Where better to enjoy authentic dishes and get a sense of the neighbourhood than at an eatery where prices are likely to be a fraction of what you’d be charged for pretty average food at a hotel?

Recently I was in Te Anau, in New Zealand’s South Island, where the hotel tried to charge me $NZ38 for a piece of raisin toast and a hard-boiled egg. After a quick chat with hotel staff (always a good way to find a superior breakfast spot nearby), I was on my way to Sandfly Café, where I got sensational coffee, even better toasted bagels and pastries, and the company of chatty locals. Had I stayed at the hotel, I would have only met other tourists over some very average coffee and where’s the fun in that?

My advice? If you’re unhappy with the breakfast options at your hotel, always take the time to look beyond the lobby.

Dilvin Yasa, Travel writer & Doc Holiday