12 Hotel Breakfast Buffets Ranked From Worst To Best

Whether your trip is filled with chill, poolside hangs, action-packed adventures, or serious business matters, one thing is certain: breakfast is still the most important meal of the day. When traveling, it's common to feel a little off balance when you're not sticking to your daily routine, so fueling up in the morning with a tasty and nourishing breakfast is a must. With many hotels offering at least some sort of breakfast option, any traveler should be able to find something to satisfy their morning cravings.

However, not all hotels are created equal when it comes to breakfast. Since there are a variety of different hotel chains, breakfast offerings vary greatly by region, seasonal offerings, and the company itself. From the infamous DIY waffle maker that excited all of us as children, to the increasing popularity of grab-and-go options, and endless coffee options, these are the best and worst hotel breakfast offerings.

You might know Days Inn by its super cheap nightly rates, and it sounds like the breakfast quality is reflected in the price. On one hand, you get an affordable place to stay with breakfast included, but you also might not get a complete breakfast. One person shared that the free breakfast at the Days Inn in Albany, New York was "possibly the worst hotel breakfast." They went on to explain that the offerings included bread and bagels with a toaster, but no cream cheese or anything besides butter. They also mentioned that there were sugary cereal offerings, but no milk. The saddest part was the small fridge labeled "cheese omelet", which contained slices of cheese and two boiled eggs. 

Another reviewer noted at a different location in Lawrenceville, Georgia that the toaster for the bread and bagels was broken, as well as the juice machine, making it their worst hotel breakfast experience ever. Maybe the hotel was going for a more conceptual idea of breakfast? Either way, you should probably skip the Days Inn if you're looking for a nourishing breakfast.

While extended stay hotels often have kitchenettes in the guest rooms that make it easy to whip up your own breakfast, one reviewer noted that the kitchen in their room was "unusable," making it impossible to make themselves a hot breakfast. But even with a kitchenette, sometimes all you want is a complimentary breakfast that's already been made for you. However, it sounds like that's not the case at Extended Stay America.  Some of the hotel's locations don't even offer breakfast at all, but the ones that do look dismal. 

One person claimed that the "free" breakfast was actually just prepackaged granola bars and oatmeal. As another reviewer put it, "an oatmeal bar is NOT BREAKFAST." Seems valid. At a budget hotel, one might expect some cut corners, but one reviewer said, "I feel that for the price we paid we could have stayed somewhere much nicer. Maybe someplace that served an actual breakfast."

Choice Hotels, which owns the aforementioned Econo Lodge among other middle-to-low-tier hotels, doesn't exactly have the best reputation when it comes to breakfasts. One review on TripAdvisor starts out with, "I normally stay at Choice hotels. I normally am very pleased." However, their stay in Washington, DC didn't meet expectations at all. They went on to detail what exactly they saw at the breakfast bar, writing, "they had something but it wasn't edible breakfast. And I particularly loved the orange colored water. I think it was supposed to pretend to be orange juice." No thanks! 

Another reviewer noted that the quality of the breakfast simply did not reflect the price of the room at the Morro Bay, California location. "When you pay your hotel room close to 300 U.S. Dollars, you expect a little bit more than the awful low-quality breakfast that they serve you. This was terrible and unacceptable at this price level." Step your game up, Comfort Inn.

At this point, Marriott is a household name known for their higher-end hotels, but their subsidiaries also keep up the stellar brand image with some amazing breakfasts. The Residence Inn is geared towards people looking for a longer-term stay, with kitchenettes in most guest rooms, but you won't have to turn on your stove for a good breakfast. Just head towards the lobby for a variety of breakfast options, from the standard eggs & bacon to a buffet of cold options including fruit, yogurt, and cheese. 

If you're not into hot coffee, the Residence Inn also offers a coffee bar at most locations as well as a variety of tea options. And the party doesn't stop there. Many Residence Inn locations also offer a happy hour with small bites and beverages in the late afternoon hours. So if you're really looking to get a bang for your foodie buck, book a stay at the Residence Inn and soak up all the breakfast buffet and other food options offered with your stay.

Middle-tier hotel aficionados rejoice! The Hampton Inn truly is truly one of the best affordable hotels that also offers a high-quality stay, with breakfast included. Almost every Hampton Inn has a self-serve waffle maker, which is adored by adults and children alike. The Hilton website announced a revamp of the waffle situation in 2019 that states, "Hampton's classic Malted Vanilla waffle is now joined by four new mouthwatering flavors –- including Blueberry, Chocolate, Banana Bread and Cinnamon Roll –- available in regular and mini sizes on a rotating schedule."

If the variety of waffle flavors weren't enough, most locations also offer a variety of toppings, from chocolate chips to fruit and whipped cream. If you're not a big fan of sweet breakfasts, you likely can find something else at their fully stocked breakfast bar. Whether you want to sit down and enjoy a hot plate of scrambled eggs and bacon or you'd rather get on with your day and grab a Chobani Greek yogurt smoothie, the Hampton Inn's got you covered with all your breakfast needs.

Another Hilton hotel ranked among the top breakfast options, the Homewood Suites has a breakfast buffet that's a step above the rest. It's not free — or even cheap — but there are several different buffet price options to choose from. The options are anything but standard and include the usual eggs and bacon along with more unique offerings like reindeer sausage and jumbo cinnamon rolls. It's also the care that goes into the breakfast that makes this place rank at the top. 

One TripAdvisor reviewer said that, "The highlight of this stay is definitely the breakfast! There was staff that constantly refilled all the breakfast stations and wiped down every corner. Food was fresh, even the fresh fruits." When someone says breakfast was the highlight of their stay, you have to believe them. And it's not very often that someone mentions the hotel staff and their role in the breakfast operations. These people work tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure the breakfast is hot and ready when the guests wake up in the morning.