THE 6 ESSENTIALS OF A HOTEL BREAKFAST
A smooth check-in process, champagne on arrival, or a complementary fruit basket in the room. How wonderful! Or perhaps an extremely comfortable bed with pillows just the right softness. These are all superb features, but there's one experience that can't be rushed, and has to wait until the next morning...Breakfast! Perhaps it's the anticipation building throughout the course of the night that adds to the excitement. It could also be due to the over-used cliches such as "breakfast is the most important meal of the day". Whatever the case, a hotel breakfast is almost the only reason I wake up before 11 on holiday. I'm not sure about you. Yet, to find a breakfast that really ticks all the boxes of for an overnight fantasy is something quite rare.
Whether you find yourself on a business trip, a family vacation, or an unforgettable honeymoon - a good breakfast can make or break a hotel experience. That's why - at The Infinity 180, we take a little more time getting to know you, and getting to know breakfast, so you won't be disappointed.
Breakfast is a subjective matter. Depending on the guest, allergies, culture, personal tastes - breakfast truly should be made to order. Breakfast is also the first meal of the day, and provides us with that first boost to get us through. But be careful, depending on our activity level, that boost might need not be so big. Are you that traveler who simply enjoys spending the day by the pool with a cocktail in hand? Well, then perhaps you prefer your breakfast a little more on the light and healthy side. Or not;) Have you just started going lactose free and don't want to break the habit while on holiday? Well - you shouldn't have to. So you see, breakfast is a complicated issue. But as a guest, you shouldn't feel that it is. Here is a list of breakfast essentials you should look for before booking your next holiday.
Variety
No one wants to book a holiday for 2 weeks, spend the entire winter waiting for the day to come... only to be faced with the same breakfast day after day after day. That can take the entire joy out of the holiday, and truthfully - make you wish you were back home. Visiting a new country should be full of excitement, discovery and surprises - out of the room but also gastronomically! Fresh seasonal fruits should be everywhere in abundance, and if you're visiting Greece during the summer - then there's no excuse.
Location
Most hotels have a designated dining area for breakfast - perhaps the main restaurant, with an outdoor area too. That's great. But what about your first night at the hotel, and you have perhaps just endured a gruelling journey to get to the exotic destination? Are you really in the mood to get dressed, and spend your first waking moments eating around other sleepy eyed travellers? I think not. Sometimes it's nice to enjoy breakfast in bed - or, maybe every time!:) There's nothing wrong with being lazy on holiday, and if the option to have breakfast delivered to your room at no extra cost is there - then you just found a gem! Book it! On the other hand, some travellers love to get up early for a jog and use the long summer day to max. How great it would be if breakfast could be served on the terrace, in the sunshine, but in complete privacy. Besides the actual content of the breakfast, when on holiday, location is just as important!
Personalised
This may seem obvious - but you will be surprised how many hotels offer so little variety, it's impossible to find something that gets you excited. Each guest is unique, and so every breakfast should be too! It's understandable that large hotels cannot cater to so many different tastes and demands. However, if you are looking to stay at a small resort, it would be great if the hotel took a little time to get to know your joys of breakfast and tried to cater around them. Breakfast is an experience supposed to be enjoyed and treasured. Imagine the excitement if you know that the crepes coming to the room are gluten free just as you requested?
Included (Taste of Local)
Everyone has their own opinion on this one. However, when you are paying big bucks for a luxury resort on an exotic Greek island, I would hope you are getting breakfast included. The best all inclusive hotels have realised that offering breakfast in the rate is just common courtesy. It makes the holiday much more pleasurable knowing that every breakfast you indulge in is already paid for and there's nothing more to worry about. After all, I just paid for the night, give me breakfast too!
Extravagant
I realised this point kind of contradicts the mention of healthy and seasonal fruit. But then again, a breakfast can still be healthy and extravagant. You love your cappuccinos but are trying the lactose-free lifestyle - that shouldn't be a problem at a hotel that is on the ball. Just say the word, and your cappuccino with extra frothy almond milk is on the way. For those travellers who live in the moment, you know if I'm talking to you - the breakfast should blow you away! Instead of just having plain old butter, there should be herbed butter. Instead of awful preserved sugar loaded orange juice - freshly squeezed orange juice should be on offer with the possibilities of added ginger, lemon or carrot. Actually - every fresh juice should be on offer! After all, I am on holiday - I don't want to eat what I eat at home.
Taste of Local
I can't count the number of times I have arrived at the breakfast buffet, to realize I don't know which country I am in. The choice represents nothing of what is out the doors of the hotel. What a shame! A breakfast experience is not only supposed to provide guests with a tasty and filling option, but it should start the tour of the day, before the actual tour. A little education in the morning is not always a bad thing. If that herbed butter is loaded with local thyme that is growing outside my room - how exciting and immersed in the local environment I will feel. Everybody loves a little homemade jam or marmalade combined with local pastries. When it comes to tea, yes I know some guests have hard dying habits - but why not let them get the chance to taste a little locally harvested mountain tea? In the end, it's the difference that makes the lasting memory.
So there you have it. This list should provide you with a little guideline while looking for your next holiday destination. It won't be easy to find a hotel offering all six of these elements, but keep your standards high - after all you are the paying guest ;) Most importantly, look for a hotel offering a breakfast focused on the freshness and quality of ingredients. It speaks a lot of a hotel that is willing to put in that little extra effort for your morning routine. I guess you could say - the quality of the breakfast reflects the quality of the hotel. So, be on the lookout for the breakfast reviews on TripAdvisor. I hope your travels are thrilling and full of surprises and delicious and memorable mornings.
Please feel free to leave a comment on what you think makes a breakfast truly special. I would love to hear to your thoughts, experiences and ideas.