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Getting free breakfast at hotels can be a valuable perk, whether you’re a frequent traveler seeking convenience or an occasional traveler looking to stretch your budget. While dining out is an essential part of the travel experience for many, breakfast is simple and can be had anywhere. Besides, the last thing you want to do early in the morning on an empty stomach is look for a place to eat outside your hotel. Eating breakfast at the hotel is convenient and faster.
Some hotels offer complimentary breakfast as a standard amenity, while others provide it to elite members or guests who book a specific room or rate. If you appreciate the convenience of a free hotel breakfast, I’ve got you covered. Here are six ways to get free hotel breakfast no matter where you’re staying:
What’s included in free hotel breakfast
Free hotel breakfast can run the gamut from a simple pastry spread to extensive hot buffets and even room service offerings. There’s also the common (and confusing) “continental breakfast” designation that many hotels use. It often refers to a cold breakfast spread consisting of pastries, cereal, cold cuts, and fruit. Nearly every breakfast includes juice, coffee, and a selection of milk.
The quality of a free breakfast varies greatly by the property you’re staying at. Years ago, the Park Hyatt Paris Vendome’s free breakfast included a black truffle omelet. When I stayed at Thompson Central Park in 2022, I was able to order my breakfast via room service, and the hotel didn’t put a limit on the amount.
What constitutes a free breakfast varies greatly by property. But in general, you can expect more expansive options at higher-end hotels. Some brands will even provide club lounge access, where you can have free breakfast, afternoon tea, and evening appetizers.
Hotels with free breakfast
Some hotel chains and brands are known for offering complimentary breakfast. Depending on the hotel brand and location, breakfast can range from continental options to full hot buffets. Most of these hotels also offer lower nightly rates, so you may be scoring a free breakfast while saving on nightly rates. Here’s a look at hotels with complimentary breakfast for all guests:
Best Western hotels with free breakfast
Best Western hotels offer free breakfast at eight different brands, though some of the language around this benefit can be confusing. For example, SureStay Studios advertises an “optional breakfast.” Upon further digging, this seems to be marketing language to indicate that serving breakfast is optional for hotels in this brand. Some SureStay Studio properties offer continental breakfast, while others do not.
Additionally, some BW Signature and Best Western Premier offer free breakfast, which is unusual for premium hotel brands.
- Aiden by Best Western
- Best Western
- Best Western Plus
- Glo Hotels
- SureStay by Best Western (continental breakfast)
- SureStay Collection (complimentary but varies by property)
- SureStay Plus (free hot breakfast)
- SureStay Studio (some offer continental breakfast
Related: 6 ways to get free meals while traveling
Choice hotels with free breakfast
Choice Hotels is a mid-range hotel chain offering free breakfast at many of its properties. Their breakfast offerings range from free coffee to “home-style” hot breakfast. A hot breakfast typically includes eggs, waffles, cereal, and fresh fruit. Some Clarion Collection properties go as far as to offer free breakfast and evening meals, so those are worth looking out for when you’re traveling abroad.
Unless otherwise noted, all of the Choice Hotel brands below offer free breakfast:
- Cambria (free breakfast at some properties)
- Clarion Collection (some offer free continental breakfast and evening meals)
- Clarion Pointe (free “better for you” breakfast with “high quality” coffee)
- Comfort Inn
- Comfort Suites
- Country Inn
- Econo Lodge (free continental breakfast)
- Park Inn (free hot coffee and grab-and-go breakfast)
- Quality Inn
- Rodeway Inn (free coffee only)
- Sleep Inn
Hilton hotels with free breakfast
Several Hilton brands, such as Embassy Suites, Hampton, and Homewood Suites, offer free breakfast as a standard. Embassy Suites, in particular, stands out with its cooked-to-order breakfast and evening receptions.
- Embassy Suites (free cooked-to-order breakfast and complimentary evening reception featuring drinks and light bites)
- Hampton by Hilton (free hot breakfast)
- Home2Suites (breakfast sandwiches, cereal, waffles, yogurt, and more)
- Homewood Suites (free hot breakfast)
- LivSmart Studios (free grab-and-go breakfast options)
- Spark by Hilton (continental breakfast)
- Tru by Hilton (free pancake breakfast)
Hyatt hotels with free breakfast
Hyatt Hotels offer free breakfast at just three brands, and they come with stipulations. Breakfast is free for all guests at Hyatt House and Hyatt Studios. Meanwhile, Hyatt Place only offers free breakfast for Discoverist members and higher.
- Hyatt House
- Hyatt Place (for Discoverist members and higher)
- Hyatt Studios (free grab-n-go breakfast)
Hyatt publishes a list of Hyatt Place hotels where breakfast isn’t free, and it includes many international locations:
- Hyatt Place Amsterdam Airport
- Hyatt Place Bangkok Sukhumvit
- Hyatt Place Beijing Daxing
- Hyatt Place Chengdu Pebble Walk
- Hyatt Place Frankfurt Airport
- Hyatt Place Johor Bahru Paradigm Mall
- Hyatt Place Krakow
- Hyatt Place Kuala Lumpur Bukit Jalil
- Hyatt Place Kyoto
- Hyatt Place London City East
- Hyatt Place London Heathrow
- Hyatt Place Makassar
- Hyatt Place Melbourne Caribbean Park
- Hyatt Place Melbourne Essendon Fields
- Hyatt Place New Taipei City
- Hyatt Place Paris CDG
- Hyatt Place Riyadh Al Sulaimania
- Hyatt Place Sanya City Center
- Hyatt Place Taiyuan
- Hyatt Place Yantai
- Hyatt Place Zurich Airport
- The Forester, a Hyatt Place Hotel
- Hyatt Place Shanghai Hongqiao CBD
- Hyatt Place Shanghai New Hongqiao
- Hyatt Place Shanghai Tianshan Plaza
- Hyatt Place Zhuhai Jinshi
- Hyatt Place Yinchuan Yuecaicheng
IHG hotels with free breakfast
Five IHG brands offer guests free breakfast; in most cases, they include a buffet with hot items. IHG also has two all-inclusive brands (Iberostar and Holiday Inn all-inclusive resorts) that include breakfast by default.
- Atwell Suites
- Avid
- Gardner hotels
- Holiday Inn Express
- Staybridge Suites (complimentary daily breakfast buffet; light bites and happy hour three days a week)
Marriott hotels with free breakfast
Marriott offers free breakfast at hotels including Fairfield Inn & Suites, SpringHill Suites, Residence Inn, and TownePlace Suites. While most include a hot breakfast, there are quite a few exceptions. In fact, Element and Fairfield Inn & Suites don’t offer free breakfast at hotels in Asia Pacific.
Element offers its signature “Rise” breakfast, which consists of whole fruit, nourishing granola, and “something hot from the kitchen.”
- City Express by Marriott
- Element Hotels (not available in Asia Pacific)
- Fairfield Inn & Suites (not available at Asia Pacific hotels)
- Residence Inn by Marriott
- SpringHill Suites by Marriott
- TownePlace Suites
Wyndham hotels with free breakfast
Wyndham is the most generous hotel chain, with 11 of its 24 brands offering free breakfast. The exact offerings vary by property, with budget hotels like Days Inn and Howard Johnson offering a “free breakfast item” and brands like Wingate providing free hot breakfast.
- AmericInn by Wyndham (free hot homestyle breakfast)
- Baymont by Wyndham
- Days Inn (free breakfast item)
- Howard Johnson (free breakfast item)
- Hawthorn Extended Stay (free hot breakfast)
- La Quinta
- Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham (free continental breakfast)
- Ramada (only some properties offer free breakfast, including the Ramada Sunnyvale/Silicon Valley and Ramada Plaza Resort and Suites)
- Super 8 (free breakfast item)
- Travelodge (free continental breakfast at most locations)
- Wingate by Wyndham (free hot breakfast buffet)
Free breakfast with hotel elite status
Free breakfast is a common benefit for elite members of hotel loyalty programs. Typically, this includes breakfast for two or access to a club lounge, where guests can enjoy free breakfast, among other perks. And while loyalty programs extend free breakfast to mid and top-tier elites, these tiers are attainable via hotel credit cards.
Below are some of the major programs and their breakfast perks offered to elite members:
Choice Privileges elite breakfast benefit
Choice Privileges offers free breakfast to Diamond members, including one additional guest. This benefit is available at Radisson hotels, including Radisson RED, Blu, Collection, and Park Plaza properties.
Diamond status requires 40 hotel nights; unfortunately, there’s no way to get there using a co-branded credit card.
Hilton Honors elite breakfast benefit
Hilton Honors Gold and Diamond members receive complimentary breakfast at most international Hilton properties, including luxury brands like Waldorf Astoria and Conrad. Members receive breakfast abroad and a daily food and beverage credit within the U.S.
Most properties offer a food and beverage credit of $15-$18. However, NoMad, LXR, and Waldorf Astoria properties raise the credit to $25 per guest. Small Luxury Hotels of the World is an exception, offering continental breakfast instead.
If you want a daily credit or free breakfast at Hilton Garden Inn hotels, you’ll need to select it as your MyWay benefit in your Hilton account.
You can earn Hilton Gold and Diamond status easily through a co-branded credit card:
- Hilton Honors American Express Card (no annual fee): Silver status; upgrade to Gold through the end of the next calendar year after spending $20,000 in a calendar year.
- Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card ($150 annual fee): Gold status; upgrade to Diamond status after spending $40,000 in a calendar year.
- Hilton Honors Aspire Card ($550 annual fee): Automatic Diamond status for as long as you hold the card.
- Hilton Honors American Express Business Card ($195 annual fee): Gold status; upgrade to Diamond status after spending $40,000 in a calendar year.
IHG One Rewards elite breakfast benefit
IHG Diamond Elite members receive breakfast for up to two guests as a chosen welcome amenity at most IHG hotels, including InterContinental, Vignette, Hotel Indigo, Voco, Crowne Plaza, Even, Holiday Inn, Kimpton, and select Garner Hotels.
Some properties, such as the InterContinental Residence Suites Dubai Festival City, the InterContinental Doha Residences, and the InterContinental Alliance Resorts in Las Vegas and Macau, are excluded.
It takes 70 nights or 120,000 base points to earn Diamond status with IHG and you can fast-track your way there by spending $40,000 on the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card.
Marriott Bonvoy elite breakfast benefit
Marriott Platinum Elite members and above can select free breakfast as a welcome amenity at select brands. Note: Some properties, such as Ritz-Carlton and EDITION, may exclude this benefit.
Platinum elite status requires 50 nights a year, Titanium requires 75, and Ambassador Elite requires 100 nights and $23,000 in spending. You can skip straight to Platinum status with the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card, which has a $650 annual fee.
World of Hyatt elite breakfast benefit
World of Hyatt Globalist members receive complimentary breakfast or club lounge access at participating hotels worldwide. This benefit extends to members and up to one registered guest.
Hyatt Globalist status requires 60 nights or 100,000 base points a year, but you can also get there with the Hyatt credit cards. Both cards allow cardholders to earn elite night credits via card spending.
- World of Hyatt Credit Card: Earn five tier-qualifying night credits for every $10,000 spent in a calendar year. Plus, you will receive five tier-qualifying night credits every year, along with Discoverist status.
- World of Hyatt Business Credit Card: Earn five tier-qualifying night credits for every $10,000 spent in a calendar year. Plus, receive automatic Discoverist status.
Book an all-inclusive hotel with free breakfast (and more)
Booking all-inclusive hotels is a great way to get free breakfast and all your meals. All the major hotel chains have expanded their all-inclusive hotel portfolios, most of which are centered around Mexico, Central, and South America. There are even some options in Europe, with Hyatt acquiring several properties in Spain.
Booking these hotels on either cash or points can offer exceptional value. For example, Hyatt’s all-inclusive hotels start at just 12,000 points per night for two guests. Here’s a list of all-inclusive brands affiliated with each major chain:
- Choice Privileges all-inclusive hotels: Select Ascend Collection hotels.
- Hilton all-inclusive hotels: Hilton all-inclusive resorts, select Curio Collection and Doubletree all-inclusive properties.
- Hyatt all-inclusive hotels: Alua Hotels & Resorts, Breathless Resorts & Spas, Dreams Resorts & Spa, Impression by Secrets, Miraval, Secrets Resort & Spa, Sunscape Resort & Spa, Vivid, Hyatt Ziva, Hyatt Zilara, Zoetry, and Alila Ventana Big Sur.
- IHG all-inclusive hotels: Holiday Inn all-inclusive resorts, Iberostar, Joia resorts by Iberostar, Kimpton Tres Rios, and select Holiday Inn resorts.
- Marriott all-inclusive hotels: Planet Hollywood resorts, Royalton resorts, Westin all-inclusive resorts; select Marriott, Autograph Collection. and Luxury Collection resorts.
- Wyndham all-inclusive hotels: Grand Palladium, Viva all-inclusive resorts; select TRS, Wyndham, Ramada, and La Quinty all-inclusive properties.
Related: Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos restaurants
Book a rate that includes free breakfast
Many hotels offer specific rates that include breakfast as part of the package. These “bed and breakfast” rates are usually slightly higher than standard rates but can provide excellent value for travelers who plan to eat at the hotel.
Look for these rates when booking directly on the hotel’s website or through popular travel booking platforms. You might also find special deals when booking these rates with an AARP or AAA code.
Book a club room
Many hotels offer club rooms with access to a club lounge, which serves complimentary breakfast. Some lounges also include afternoon tea, evening appetizers, drinks, and snacks throughout the day. Although club rooms cost more, they can be worth it for guests who take full advantage of the meals.
Booking a club room can be especially worthwhile for business travelers or families looking to maximize value.
You can book club rooms using points or cash. Some programs, like World of Hyatt, allow you to redeem as little as 3,000 points per night towards a club room upgrade.
Many Hyatt members like to give away their Club Upgrade Awards before expiration. You can find these folks on FlyerTalk, through a Twitter search (not calling it X) and in the Pointchaser Facebook Group. These member will transfer the Hyatt award to you and you can apply it to your reservation.
Book with a travel agency that offers free breakfast
Booking your stay with a luxury travel agency can unlock free breakfast and other exclusive benefits. Programs like Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts, Virtuoso, and Hyatt Prive provide complimentary breakfast as part of their packages when booking eligible hotels.
Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts (FHR)
The FHR program, available to American Express Platinum and Centurion cardholders, offers useful benefits, including free breakfast for two, room upgrades, and late check-out at participating properties. These perks are often available at luxury hotels, providing added value for luxury travelers.
Amex also has some mid-tier properties in the Hotel Collection portfolio. Book one of these properties, and you’ll receive a $100 stay credit, which you can apply towards breakfast. The Hotel Collection is also available to American Express® Gold Card and American Express® Business Gold Card members.
Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.
Hyatt Prive
The Hyatt Prive program offers special perks when booking eligible properties through a Hyatt Prive agent. In addition to free breakfast, guests can enjoy upgrades, early check-in, and late check-out. Unlike other programs, Prive benefits often stack with World of Hyatt’s elite perks. Plus, you’ll earn points and elite night credits.
Virtuoso
Virtuoso is a network of travel advisors who specialize in luxury experiences. Booking through Virtuoso can include complimentary breakfast, hotel credits, and exclusive amenities. It’s always worth checking with an agent to see if they can get you free breakfast without a massive markup.
Bottom line
You can enjoy free hotel breakfast without a massive markup by leveraging elite status, booking strategically, or partnering with the right travel advisors. Whether you prefer budget accommodations or luxury stays, this benefit offers convenience and value to all travelers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do hotels give complimentary breakfast?
Many hotels offer free hot breakfast, including SureStay Plus hotels, Hampton by Hilton, Holiday Inn Express, Fairfield Inn & Suites, and Comfort Inn. These hotels typically offer eggs, sausage, and waffles as part of their free breakfast.
What hotels offer free hot breakfast?
Many hotels offer free hot breakfast, including SureStay Plus hotels, Hampton by Hilton, Holiday Inn Express, Fairfield Inn & Suites, and Comfort Inn. These hotels typically offer eggs, sausage, and waffles as part of their free breakfast.
Do you tip for complimentary breakfast at a hotel?
It’s a good idea to tip the staff at breakfast in any hotel, regardless of whether it’s complimentary. A good tip amount is generally 15% of the comped cost.
What is continental breakfast vs full breakfast?
A continental breakfast is usually a selection of cold food items (pastries, cereal, cold cuts, fruit), while a full breakfast includes hot options. A full breakfast might include eggs, sausage, bacon, waffles, and/or pancakes. The selection will vary by hotel.
Does Hilton Garden Inn have free breakfast?
Yes, Microtel by Wyndham includes free continental breakfast for all guests. Breakfast offerings typically include coffee, cereal, pastries, and fruit.
Does Microtel offer free breakfast?
Yes, Microtel by Wyndham includes free continental breakfast for all guests. Breakfast offerings typically include coffee, cereal, pastries, and fruit.
Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.
