Continental Breakfast or not?

[Katy Belle]

I opt for the free breakfast, if possible.

I'd rather not waste the morning with breakfast in a restaurant, and I like to save the money so that we can enjoy a nicer dinner later on in the day.

This is how I feel as well. We have 3 teenage boys and eating at IHop is expensive. I love the convenience of the hotel breakfast too. A few of us eat while the rest of us finish getting ready. Then when you leave the hotel you can go straight to your planned activities of the day. Saves lots of money and lots of time.

Than being said....we will occasionally eat a restaurant breakfast on vacation. I love breakfast food and we rarely eat it, so it is fun to go all out occasionally.

 

[wishesuponastar]

We always eat the hotel breakfast. It can be a challenge to feed middle DD though since she doesn't like breakfast foods but on our last hotel stay she found things she liked.

I agree that the price is built into our hotel price so we might as well eat at the hotel.

 

[Chikabowa]

I guess I'm the weird one.


Unless the hotel offers a full breakfast option (then we will take advantage), I typically pick hotels that don't have a free continental breakfast, and we go out for a full hot breakfast.

We like having a nice solid meal in the morning and we typically don't eat the things offered at a simple continental breakfast. Plus by eating that solid meal we will typically just have a snack around 2-3pm (this eliminating a lunch cost) and then dinner around 7.

I learned early in marriage that my dh likes a hot breakfast everyday (I do as well) and that our day went much smoother provided made time for that in the morning.

 

[Simba's Mom]

We always eat the hotel breakfast. I love waffles, especially when I find the ones at Texas hotels that are in the shape of the state of Texas. Waffles and fresh fruit-is there a better breakfast?

 

[PatsGirl]

I always look for hotels with the free breakfast option or for longer stays, something with at least a mini-kitchen (fridge/micro/coffee maker). If I take four of us to breakfast it easily adds up to $40 or more, even Mickey Ds costs about $6 for juice and sandwich Some of the hotels are better than others but we always seem to be able to fill up before starting our day, whether its peanut butter toast, yogurt and fresh fruit with coffee/juice/milk or waffles, sausage, grits...we really don't need more than that. When we stay at a condo I buy juice in the quart size, bagels, cream cheese, peanut butter, fresh fruit, that sort of thing...I can easily feed everyone for less than $5/day.

On the other hand, we always have lunch and dinner OUT while on vacation, generally a sandwich-type lunch and then a sit-down with apps and cocktails at dinner

 

[iheartdisney]

I haven't seen a Continental breakfast in several years, even the least expensive hotels have switched to some sort of hot breakfast. Love the automatic pancake makers that Holiday Inn uses.

I LOVE the pancake machine!!! And I also love La Quinta and their Belgian waffle flipper machine. But since DH stays at Holiday Inn mostly for work we always stay on points now.

Before I book a hotel I will check out the trip advisor reviews, and one of the things I check for is what people think of the breakfast.

 

[Micca]

I agree - little something at 6 or 7 and then bring on the buffet about 10:30

Or as Hobbits refer to it: "Second breakfast"

 

[minnie mum]

I guess I'd have to distinguish between hotels we stay at when we are travelling (enroute stops) and our vacation destination hotels.

While enroute we always have the hotel breakfasts. We usually stay at Marriotts, and their breakfasts are ample for our needs. We don't want to take the extra time necessary to go to another restaurant and order, when we could eat and be on the road in half the time.

Once we reach our destination, however, we will occasionally enjoy a leisurely full breakfast. But even then (even at an all-inclusive resort or on a cruise) we seldom opt for the huge platters of waffles, sausage, bacon and eggs, etc. Eating that much in the morning is just not something we enjoy.

 

[ironpig70]

If I am going to the parks I'll take the continental breakfast. Usually to early for a full sit down meal especially for the kids. At home its normal to eat cereal, bagel, toast, etc so its no different. I just need something on the stomach to get me going.

Now if you want to indulge in breakfast then do both. Grab something to tide you over and then hit the second/last seating for breakfast/brunch.

 

[superme80]

We always use the free breakfast. We made the mistake once of going out to eat in the morning. Never again! I had to eat in the car since I spent most of the meal outside with my 2 year old throwing a massive tantrum. Free breakfast is just perfect for us. One of us can go down and get it while the other gets the kids ready.

 

[bookgirl]

Well a year ago I would have been "screw the continental breakfast bring on the Full On Fry Up!"

Then I realized that a lot of weird reactions I was having were after I ate eggs. I don't eat pancakes or waffles so having to give up eggs pretty much sucked the joy out of breakfast for me.


I'm now in the bagel/bacon/cereal/oatmeal camp.

Well actually at the moment my favorite breakfast is a lean beef hot dog on a Whole Wheat hot dog bun (really easy to eat on the commute to work), but still I tend towards the continental side of breakfast now.

We really like the Hampton Inn/LaQuinta/Holiday Inn level of inexpensive hotels because they do tend to offer a little more than cereal/pastries with breakfast.

 

[avgeek81]

My mom and I try to stay at a hotel that has some sort of breakfast. Usually there is some hot options like eggs, waffles or pancakes. We stayed at one place in Crystal River for a night last January. The place was nice enough, it was older and stilled used regular keys instead of cards. Their "breakfast" was some oatmeal pies from dollar tree and oranges. We ended up eating at a diner.

 

[superme80]

My mom and I try to stay at a hotel that has some sort of breakfast. Usually there is some hot options like eggs, waffles or pancakes. We stayed at one place in Crystal River for a night last January. The place was nice enough, it was older and stilled used regular keys instead of cards. Their "breakfast" was some oatmeal pies from dollar tree and oranges. We ended up eating at a diner.

I stayed at a place like that once. They had those cheap pastries from Costco and Tang. My breakfast bill was through the roof when I made it through the gates at Disneyland.

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

If it is free... I am going to be there for sure. I am too cheap to pass up a (kinda) free meal. It is probably built into the cost of your stay so you are probably paying for that breakfast whether or not you use it.

Stuff like IHOP is good, but I seriously do not mind waiting 'til later in the day to have eggs/bacon etc... That is a good lunch or supper for me. Doesn't have to be in the morning.

 

[frndshpcptn]

You do realize that a lot of times when people are going out for breakfast and eating a large meal it's probably not at 6-7am but more likely 10-11am. Besides breakfast is the most important meal of the day. One egg or half a grapefruit isn't enough to get your body fueled in the morning. I always eat breakfast within a half hour of getting up (6:30-7am), something like a bowl of cereal with bananas and blueberries or a slice of peanut butter toast and an orange, a breakfast pita and pineapple ect. It always includes fruit. Then I have a mid-morning snack or smoothie around 10am. and again at 2-3pm (no lunch). I never feel sick, I feel energized

Yeah....no. I can't eat within a half hour of waking. First, I need to wait 30 minutes after taking my Prilosec to eat anyway. But even then, it takes a good 2-3 hours for me to feel the least bit hungry / like I want to eat anything. The idea of eating right when I get up is not at all appealing.

 

[JVL1018]

When traveling do you prefer to use the hotel's continental breakfast or do you prefer to go out to a restaurant?

At home, I do usually eat breakfast, maybe a bowl of cereal or bagel or oatmeal. But it's not a big meal for me.

But when traveling, I do enjoy to hit up an Ihop or other restaurant for a nice big breakfast (eggs, toast, bacon, hashbrowns, juice or french toast, etc)

My husband on the other hand would just as soon as grab stuff from the hotel. I don't think it's because he loves the continental breakfast, I think it's more that he doesn't want to spend the money.

But to me, vacation is all about splurging and doing stuff that you might not usually do while at home. I'm not saying that I don't mind eating at the hotel a couple times during the week to cut down on costs, but I also think it's nice to enjoy a nice breakfast out (that's hot and good instead of grabbing a bagel or cold cereal at the hotel)

What do you enjoy?

We always just hit up the free breakfast. I'm not hungry first thing, so I just have a cup of tea, maybe some oatmeal if the have it. My son eats some Froot Loops and an apple, DD has some yogurt, my husband has a full breakfast, eggs, sausage, toast, etc.

ETA: I've never been to a hotel that had a free breakfast that didn't have eggs/waffles/sausage, etc as well as cold items.

 

[Gigi22]

Depends on the continental breakfast--some Best Western hotels offer a continental breakfast that includes cheese/plain omelettes and DIY waffles. Very good!
If you stay in a concierge level room at a Fairmont, you can access a small breakfast buffet in the concierge lounge that usually features a selection of meats and cheeses, the usual continental fare, and at least one hot dish.

 

[curious3069]

Always hit up a free breakfast and I always splurge on peanut butter & sometimes jelly on toast!! (I don't eat bread on a regular basis so this is a big treat for me) Big breakfasts make me sleepy first thing in the AM but when I'm hungry I need to eat NOW so it works fine. The best one I've ever seen was in an older hotel driving from IL to Orlando. Very clean older hotel, old decor, great breakfast but a very weird HUGE vat of peeled hard boiled eggs. Apparently old folks love the hard boiled eggs at breakfast!

 

[Janepod]

You do realize that a lot of times when people are going out for breakfast and eating a large meal it's probably not at 6-7am but more likely 10-11am. Besides breakfast is the most important meal of the day. One egg or half a grapefruit isn't enough to get your body fueled in the morning. I always eat breakfast within a half hour of getting up (6:30-7am), something like a bowl of cereal with bananas and blueberries or a slice of peanut butter toast and an orange, a breakfast pita and pineapple ect. It always includes fruit. Then I have a mid-morning snack or smoothie around 10am. and again at 2-3pm (no lunch). I never feel sick, I feel energized

Wow! You have more for breakfast than I eat all day. But I'm 44 and my metabolism has really slowed down.

 

[elaine amj]

Wow! You have more for breakfast than I eat all day. But I'm 44 and my metabolism has really slowed down.

She said "or". If all you ate was a slice of peanut butter toast and an orange all day....I would seriously wonder if you are anorexic.

That said, if all that was mentioned was more than what you eat all day long, that is very few calories for an entire day too...although not starvation rations.

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