17 Hotel Breakfast Buffets Ranked From Worst To Best
The hotel breakfast buffet is a staple of the traveling experience. For some people, it's at least as important as the presence of a pool and the absence of paper-thin walls and ceilings that let you hear everything your neighbors are up to.
There is a line between a good breakfast and breakfast that is just something — anything — to put in your stomach so you're not craving a burger before 11 a.m. Some hotel breakfasts are ... let's just say it ... pathetic. They merely present you with a few days-old muffins, some white bread, and a toaster that doesn't work. Other hotels offer something hot, whether that's a DIY waffle branded with the hotel's logo or scrambled eggs, sausage, and bacon. Some hotels even go all out with made-to-order omelets and an oatmeal bar.
But how are you supposed to know which is the best of the best? It's not like the hotel is going to say, "We offer a sad cold breakfast where everything is stale and there isn't a lot of it." The answer, of course, is one any internet-user should know: ask the reviewers.
To build this ranking of hotel breakfast buffets, we consulted review sites and community networks to find out what real people had to say about their hotel breakfast experiences. We considered comments regarding freshness, variety, and hot options (more on that below). So consider this your first step to knowing what you're getting yourself into before you click on that "reserve" button.
17. Drury Inn & Suites
Although the breakfast at the Drury Inn & Suites is still up for debate, it comes up as one of the top results when you search "worst hotel breakfast". One Redditor (who mentioned they have more than a decade of experience in hospitality management) said that "The Drury has probably the worst breakfast. It is a budget copy of Hampton and Fairfield, which you will see as it doesn't have bacon and the waffles are of poorer quality. The eggs are also very low quality."
In another Tripadvisor review, someone mentioned that, "the sleep was kinda good, but the breakfast ruined everything. Everything in there tasted ... stale ... Biscuits were old & the sausage was nasty. I can still bring that awful taste to my mouth by thinking about it. Worst breakfast on the whole trip. My mom couldn't even eat it. This should be called 'Dreary Inn'." Touché.
16. Days Inn by Wyndham
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.
15. Super 8 by Wyndham
Another one of Wydnham's budget hotel offerings, the Super 8 boasts a similar poor breakfast rating to its sister company Day's Inn. One reviewer on Tripadvisor explained that the Super 8 they stayed at didn't have any hot options for breakfast at all. They said, "the breakfast was the worst I've seen at a hotel (yogurt, cereal, bread-still in the bag that everyone has to put their hands in, muffins, premade waffles and apples and brown spotted bananas)."
Free breakfast is probably better than no breakfast, but the lack of offerings makes this breakfast buffet worthy of skipping. If you're looking for a breakfast that will actually keep you fueled for the morning, and not something described as "terrible breakfast," you may want to splurge on something at a local spot instead. But hey, if you're into bread that everyone else has touched and spotted bananas, the Super 8 may be a super option for you!
14. Extended Stay America
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."
13. Econo Lodge
As the name might suggest, the Econo Lodge is definitely an economical option for any budget traveler, so don't expect the breakfast buffet to be any good. Reviews from different locations detail questionable eggs, flavorless gravy, and disgusting coffee. One reviewer claimed that the breakfast was "practically inedible." They went on to detail what they saw at the breakfast buffet, including dried-out scrambled eggs, biscuits but no gravy, and an orange juice dispenser that dispensed water instead of orange juice.
Additionally, the reviewer claimed that the apple juice was a "strange brown color" that "did not look safe to drink." They ended the review with, "it was the worst breakfast bar I have EVER seen. I think if the health department were to do an inspection, it would definitely be rated F." With that information, it might be a good idea to steer clear of the Econo Lodge if you're looking for an edible breakfast buffet.
12. DoubleTree by Hilton
For a 3-star hotel, DoubleTree's breakfasts seem wildly inconsistent, making them hard to recommend. This is one of those places where you really need to check the reviews if having a quality breakfast is part of your hotel criteria. In fact, DoubleTree admits that there's inconsistency from property to property and that its Gold guests get different treatment than non-Gold ones.
Let's start with the bad: one Tripadvisor reviewer said the breakfast buffet at the Chico, California location was nothing short of gross, writing "I went to the breakfast buffet today and the eggs are dry, bacon is cooked to the crisp, pancakes had a funny taste. I asked for them to put more fresh cut up fruit and it never happened and they didn't put out more bananas or apples either. It's not like I went down there 10min before closing, they had 1hr and 30min before it ended."
Another Tripadvisor reviewer who stayed at the DoubleTree in American Canyon, California said the breakfast buffet was merely fine, which is not especially high praise but does at least beat gross. "Omelets to order plus the usual buffet items: meats, eggs, potatoes, fruits, cereals, etc.," they wrote.
On the flip side, another reviewer who stayed at the DoubleTree in Claremont, California praised the breakfast: "Buffet breakfast fantastic with omelet station, lox + typical breakfast foods," though it is kind of tough to understand the co-occurrence of the words fantastic and typical in the same sentence.
11. Sheraton
Sheratons are 4-star hotels, though you do hear a lot of people complain that they have a 2-star vibe. As a 4-star hotel, perhaps Sheraton feels it can get away with charging people for its 2-star quality breakfast buffet, which is not really a great way to make guests feel like they're getting 4-star treatment, but who really knows what its marketing department's master plan is?
Anyway, some Sheratons get decent marks for breakfast. "Seattle Sheraton has a great breakfast buffet," wrote one Redditor. "The bacon is one of the best bacons I have had." And though you do find a smattering of praise elsewhere, generally speaking, the reviews use the words "mediocre" and "expensive" way too often in the same sentence.
"Sheraton breakfast buffet is 19.95, only has 5 hot items that are all room temp," one Redditor wrote. An OpenTable poster who stayed at the Sheraton in Boston wrote, "Expensive breakfast buffet with very mediocre food." A Yelp reviewer was similarly underwhelmed: "Overpriced breakfast buffet with so so food. The scrambled eggs were both cold and still not fully cooked. The servers were good and the place was clean. The food was just sort of meh. Wasn't worth the price for they charge for a buffet."
Even the Sheraton in Maui can't seem to get it right. "$30 breakfast buffet?" lamented a Tripadvisor reviewer. "For Lenders frozen bagels and some sad fruit? ... Don't eat here unless you have to – mediocre food at 5star prices."
10. Country Inn & Suites by Radisson
Country Inn & Suites is a Radisson hotel property, but it's in the 2-star category so, you know, don't get your hopes up. The buffet quality seems to be a bit hit-or-miss, with most detractors also acknowledging that you can't complain too much about something you're not paying for. So, in other words, whatever.
The Country Inn & Suites in Stone Mountain, Georgia has a good mix of typical breakfast buffet foods like waffles, eggs, sausage, bagels, and muffins. One Tripadvisor reviewer complained that the meat products were only pork (though that's standard for many an American breakfast, to be fair). Another reviewer said, "Anything hot is microwaved and taste extremely bland, pastries are probably bought in bulk and seem to be a bit old. Good news is it is all free."
The quality of the Country Inn & Suites breakfast buffet seems to depend a lot on where the hotel is located. Another Tripadvisor reviewer described a breakfast buffet that sounded like it belonged in a Caribbean resort, except it was in ... San Jose, California by the airport. "Free hot breakfast buffet in the morning with delicious options," the reviewer wrote. "Our morning had: eggs, plantains, beans and rice, peppers and sausage, mixed veggies, fresh fruit, pastries, cereal, lunch meat/cheese, variety of breads, yogurt, juices, coffee." Plantains? That's a new one. Maybe the reviewer was actually at the Country Inn & Suites, Puerto Rico and accidentally posted on the wrong page?
9. La Quinta
La Quinta is generally recognized as a "decent" place to stay. It's not usually praised, at least not in the way one might praise a resort hotel in Tahiti, but most people acknowledge that if you just need a place to sleep, it's at least clean and comfortable.
When your standards are "clean and comfortable" without the bells and whistles, you don't usually set your breakfast buffet expectations too high, though it is nice to have options beyond those plastic-wrapped Danishes with the bizarre grease-paste frosting that you can also buy at 7-11. Fortunately, La Quinta has the clean and comfortable box checked and seems to also provide a well-reviewed breakfast.
One Tripadvisor reviewer even raved about the "great breakfast!" at the La Quinta Inn San Francisco, though apparently, it was mostly great because it featured scrambled eggs and sausage patties. Another Tripadvisor reviewer who stayed at the La Quinta near Huntington Beach provided a more comprehensive list of the offerings: "Yogurt, fruit, bagels, waffle station, cereals, hard boiled egg, coffee and Tea," though they also added that there was "No Hot Chocolate and the coffee was very weak."
Since the only mention of eggs in the second review was of hardboiled ones, it's fair to guess that not every hotel in the chain has a hot breakfast. However, La Quinta does appear to consistently provide an okay variety of breakfast foods to put some fuel in your stomach.
8. Comfort Inn & Suites
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.
7. Best Western
Best Western is nothing if not consistent. You can usually depend on it for cleanliness, friendliness, and a free hot breakfast. Usually. Things backslid a bit during the pandemic, and some Best Westerns took a little too long to come back from the whole "here's a brown paper bag containing some granola bars and an apple" style of pandemic breakfast.
One reviewer staying at the Best Western near Yosemite National Park wrote, "This is a great example of what a BW plus breakfast buffet should be, hot plentiful food, replenished often, real plates and silverware, lots of drink options ... They offered hot items like eggs, potatoes, sausages or bacon, tortillas, waffles, pancakes, toast, fruit, cereal, etc."
Another reviewer staying at the Best Western Plus in Torrance, California said "there was one of the largest selections of cold and hot breakfast items I have encountered in any hotel, and staff to keep clean and make a waffle if you want."
Keep in mind that both of these reviews are of Best Western Plus properties. Best Westerns without the Plus may not be the same quality or offer as much variety. One Redditor (who did not say which Best Western they stayed at) said their breakfast was sub-par. "Biscuits were a little hard and stale. Eggs were cold and weird. I prefer bacon to Land O' Frost ham for breakfast. Should've just covered plate in gravy. Got me through the cold morning tho."
6. Holiday Inn Express
Have you ever wondered what the difference is between a regular Holiday Inn and a Holiday Inn Express? The differences are minimal, but per Quora, the biggest one is that a Holiday Inn generally has a restaurant attached that may serve breakfast for an additional charge, while a Holiday Inn Express simply has a free breakfast area.
The Holiday Inn Express boasts a variety of breakfast options, from the aforementioned "minimal" breakfast items like toast and cereal to a full hot meal. Their breakfast offerings vary by location, but will generally include some sort of egg, breakfast meat, and their one-of-a-kind "Stack Station" that churns out fresh pancakes for any guest willing to wait just one minute for a hot, fresh pancake. While the details of how this machine can produce a perfect pancake in such little time are still unclear, surely, we all can agree that this is a life-changing breakfast buffet invention and worth a stop at a Holiday Inn Express, right?
5. Residence Inn by Marriott
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.
4. Embassy Suites
Even the name Embassy Suites makes the place sound regal, but the brand truly lives up to its name with something for everyone at their breakfast bar. One reviewer noted, "selection at the buffet section is fairly extensive with selections of pastries and other breakfast standard items, but the made-to-order omelet bar is excellent." With standard options like yogurt, fresh fruit, coffee, and eggs, most Embassy Suites also boast a made-to-order omelet station which skyrockets this place into the top hotel breakfast rankings.
The fully staffed omelet station can make any creation you want, taking into consideration any dietary restrictions you may have. Want only egg whites in your omelet? You've got it. Need it to be made in a pan that didn't have any meat products in it previously? Done. Want to stuff it full of every veggie imaginable? Absolutely. The options are endless at the Embassy Suites breakfast bar, and you're sure to find something satisfying to fuel your travels here.
3. Hampton Inn & Suites
Middle-tier hotel aficionados rejoice! The Hampton Inn truly is 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. Hilton 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 wasn'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.
2. Hyatt Place
While the Hyatt Place doesn't always offer a standard breakfast buffet like the others, it's the unique options that really make them stand out. Depending on the day and location, guests can choose from options including breakfast sandwiches, made-to-order omelets, and an oatmeal bar. That's right, no unappetizing spotted bananas here. As of 2018, they also offered French toast, which is a hot commodity in the hotel breakfast world.
In 2017, the chain also announced its new breakfast bowl option, where guests can customize a breakfast bowl with things like eggs, sausage, potatoes, and gravy. They also offer sweet breakfast bowl options, like yogurt parfaits and steel-cut oats. What the Hyatt Place sacrifices in variety, they make up for in quality. Yes, the breakfast offerings do seem to change every so often, but they always look very appealing. You won't be disappointed by the hot breakfast at this hotel.
1. Homewood Suites
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.
Methodology
We leaned heavily on customer reviews when deciding how to rank these hotel chains and their breakfast buffets (hence the title of this article), but we did also consider a few additional variables like consistency: Did the reviews suggest there was a lot of variability between properties in the same chain, and does it seem like the quality and/or freshness of the food is hit and miss? Also, were there any really, really embarrassingly bad reviews that stood out from the rest of them? And were there way, way more good reviews than bad reviews, and vice versa?
Hotels that were ranked especially poorly by a few reviewers got lower rankings, and those that had inconsistencies tended to fall behind as well. Variety and the availability of hot options was also a big factor, and hotels lost extra points if they had poorly ranked buffets that you have to pay for.