Breakfast

[Katherine861]

I have a guestroom and bath in our home that we rent out.

We live in a very organic area but our travelers are not necessarily.  I really don't want to include breakfast anymore (I think the coffee cake and fresh fruit I offered felt boring???) so I only offer coffee and tea now.

What is a great but inexpensive way to offer something?  Should I just make a couple different muffins/coffee cakes, freeze them as individual servings and put out either each morning with some fresh fruit?  Or have a bowl fo granola and yogurt and fresh fruit?

What fits all sizes and is easy?    I am already reducing my room night price to attract more visitors.  We have 5 stars so far from all.

And what time do you put it out? I have been going for 8:30am

And how do you find out if they are tea or coffee drinkers?

[Basha0]

unless you really enjoy going to all the trouble, I would just provide coffee and teas they can make themselves. I’ve stopped providing milk because once opened I have to throw it out after they leave for food safety reasons. Plus, so many people have food restrictions these days. Also, seems like an expense you don’t really need to incur 

[Gillian166]

@Basha0We decant milk into smaller (sterile) glass bottles. you can find these easily. We also use gin bottles as well. We only offer actual milk, not any of the nut or grain juices that are trendy nowadays. We trialled including almond milk (we buy them in small 150ml tetra boxes) and people took them rather than using them, so we stopped that. 
@Katherine861  we are in a lovely food and wine region so it's very local/organic/foodie around here, but not all my guests understand or appreciate that. We don't offer food, just tea, coffee and hot chocolate. We do bake our own cookies that we put in lovely glass jars but we don't advertise this. 
I think you're on the right path, bake muffins or a bar loaf (like banana bread). But honestly in this day and age of allergies and food cults, you might find yourself wasting your time. And if you are dropping your price why are you adding an expense? 

Why not see if local restaurants will offer your guests discount vouchers for brekky/brunch? We love hosting, but we also love guests who get up and leave on time, so we have a section in our house manual devoted to breakfast places. 😄 

[Helen3]

I make my own cake and bread so will make some for guests when I have time as well as offering tea, coffee and a cupboard with spices, herbs, oils etc

Breakfast I wouldn't offer as it's too complicated with all the allergies and diets in today's world.  

[Gwen386]

@Katherine861 I only leave enough “complimentary” coffee, tea, and breakfast bars for up to 7 days. The guest is responsible for purchasing these things for themselves for longer term stays. 

[Anonymous]

@Katherine861  Breakfast is not a commonly searched for amenity on Airbnb, so it doesn't add any value to your listing or increase your bookings. For the overwhelming majority of guests, coffee and tea is gracious plenty.

If your location happens to be very far from food shops and cafes, breakfast becomes a more desirable perk. But there's no item that will satisfy every taste and dietary need, so you risk wasting a lot of precious morning time and throwing away food (and money). 

[Ron8433]

Hello all,    Finally decided to realist my flats here in the US.   THANKS  …… for the insights of what’s going on with breakfast.     I may also add …. As I have two additional private flats in my building, have a few breakfast items stocks in the kitchen does add to the value of the unit.  I do so as a one time …welcome home kind of PR….. !     Even though there are many options one block away.     I am near three major medical communities so that may also play an important part in the decision process! 

[Huma0]

@Ron8433 

How long is your average stay and do you find that guests understand that the breakfast items are a one time, welcome offer rather than something you'll restock during the stay?

RE adding value, I think it can vary enormously. The last airbnb I stayed in didn't advertise breakfast, not even tea or coffee etc. However, there was tea, coffee, sugar, milk, cereals, bread, conserves, yoghurt and fruit and the host let us know prior to the stay that she had provided breakfast items. 

This is a clever tactic that seemed to work. I could see from the reviews that guests were very impressed to get all of that at a listing where they were not expecting breakfast as it was frequently mentioned in the reviews and the listing had a 5.0* rating, including for value. It's also a good way of avoiding complaints that the breakfast wasn't this nor that, or special requests for gluten free bread, or nut milk or whatever.

I wouldn't have minded if there was no breakfast as it wasn't advertised, but as the nearest shops and cafes were a bit of a steep walk away, we certainly did appreciate it and make use of some of it. Of course, as a host, I assume that these items were actually factored into the nightly price and therefore not free at all, but most guests will view it as a freebie and be delighted!

[Solveig0]

Do you have a kitchen where people can make their own breakfast? 

[Huma0]

@Katherine861 I think it depends on the location. If there are good options nearby where guests can eat breakfast or buy stuff to make breakfast (assuming you allow them to use the kitchen) then it's not necessary to provide it. As others have mentioned, you'll also never find something that is going to please everyone, not even when it comes to milk and could end up with a lot of wastage. I stopped offering fruit because hardly anyone ate it and hardly any of my guests touch the breakfast cereals. So, I just advertise tea, coffee, sugar, oil, salt and pepper.

However, if it's a bit of a trek to the nearest cafes and shops, then the guests might really appreciate having something to eat before they head out.