Breakfast amenity

Inna22
Level 10
Chicago, IL

Breakfast amenity

I have decided to pilot offering breakfast at one of my places to see if it boost my booking rate. While doing my research, I came across a number of properties that had the breakfast amenity box checked but no mentioning of breakfast in the description or reviews. When I enquired with a few of them, they all said they just provide quick cook cereal packets and that’s it.  Aside from my full breakfast pilot, I would love to just be able to through some Cheerios in the cupboard and to be able to check off one more amenity but I feel like all I will be asking for is negative reviews. I personally would have been really mad if I booked a place with breakfast and just found dry cereal in the cupboards, not even milk for it particularly when travelling with children. However all these hosts had wonderful reviews. Do any of check off the breakfast box and only provide some snacks, do you ever have to deal with upset guests because of it and do you think you are getting more guests? Thanks

65 Replies 65
Mark1412
Level 5
Michigan, United States

We have a "welcome basket" in the apartment. It changes from guest to guest based on what I can get a good deal on. It usually has things like some candy, crackers or chips, water, coffee and some muffins or some kind of danish. Never thought of calling it breakfast. I could adjust the welcome basket to be less candy and more breakfast... food for thought. 

We also provide movie passes in the welcome basket. The movie passes come from the local theater. You might be able to make a deal with a local resturant to offer a breakfast to your guest. It would help increase business to the local diner/cafe or coffee house while increasing the value of your hospitality.

 

Offering things like Buy a Meal get one type deals, generally don't cost you anything but increases the value and encourages guest to get out and experience some of the local businesses.

We leave movie passes to the local vintage theater, but very few of them use them. They like having them but don't use them.

 

 

Zacharias0
Level 10
Las Vegas, NV

I offered breakfast at the beginning of my time with AirBnB but it was too costly to maintin. I only offered fruit and granola bars. Time, money, storage, cleaning, allergies, expiration dates, and food preferences made me end it and very quickly. I even use to offer bottled water, but even that was pricey and very wasteful. In the heat of summer in Vegas bottled water is a nice to have proposition, but thats not a cost I could absorb. Small hotel chains offer a free breakfast to get the guests up and out of bed so the room attendants can clean the room. If price, location and amenties are all the same Id go with the listing that had a full breakfast, but we are talking about a free breakfast buffet. Breakfast is the cheapest meal of the day for a guest and in my opinion not a selling point

 

Good Luck though.

@Zacharias0Why don't you try offering fresh fruit & a selection like I do?

 

Cereals are fine so long as they are purchased factoring in Best Before/ Use by dates.

 

Most cereal packets come in easy to seal packets and if necessary can be transfered to air tight containers to last longer.

 

All the best

Mark116
Level 10
Jersey City, NJ

@Inna22   That's interesting, that you found a number of listings that had breakfast checked off and no mentions of breakfast in the reviews.  But, then, we usually put fresh flowers in, and used to do for all guests, and about 98% of people never mentioned them in the review at all.  We don't have breakfast checked, but we do have for everyone ground coffee, tea, hot chocolate and instant oatmeal that is left in the pantry.

 

If I booked a place that said they offer breakfast, I would expect "breakfast" e.g. an actual meal, eggs/toast/fruit or waffles/pancakes/fruit, unless it was spelled specifically out that it was a continental breakfast.

 

If you didn't intend on actually cooking a breakfast, some type of a 'breakfast basket ' that you could make up for all the guests,  I would include some kind of bread or pastry, jam, maybe a boiled egg per person, and fruit at a mimimum, maybe also some instant oatmeal or something like that.

Francesca-and-Dave0
Level 10
Vermont, United States

We think it depends on your clientele, your location,  your market niche and your own interests. Our homestead in Vermont is a rural property in an isolated, but popular, tourist spot that caters to outdoor adventure seekers doing biking and skiing. There are no full time breakfast places in the greater 12 mile area and roads in winter can be particularly difficult.

 

Dave is an excellent cook, he likes doing it, makes special dishes for fun and we are a commercially licensed kitchen (by the state) so for us it is definitely a selling point and part of our “brand”...but, it is a bit of extra work and if you promise breakfast, you have to be willing to get up in the morning and deliver. We have made it part of the “experience” — farm fresh eggs, a bay window dining nook that overlooks a meadow with visiting wildlife, heirloom China and we enjoy chatting with our guests if they’re up for it — some are, some aren’t! We get guests who are looking for the traditional Vermont BnB experience — and we have pleasantly surprised those who don’t realize how far from breakfast food they might be in our neck of the woods.

 

We also have a 24/7 refill station with coffees, teas and light snacks that we replenish daily since the local market closes early at night. Due to the commercial license, we do not allow kitchen privileges. Having the breakfast costs us about an additional $3-$5 per person depending on season, where we shop and what Dave serves, but we get $90 per night for two people in the king bed suite, which makes the effort worth our while— but ONLY because Dave enjoys it. We try to ensure that the visit it is a good deal for us and a good deal for guests.

 

On the other hand, our bungalow in Florida is within 5 minutes of numerous grocery stores and restaurants that are open 24/7 so we don’t serve breakfast — unless Dave feels like it!  

 

We have never had any complaints about breakfast, but a few have declined. We don’t actually promise anything more than a “continental” breakfast and our 24 hour refill station. We almost always manage to put on a full country breakfast and our continental breakfast includes cereals, yogurt, fruit, cheeses, coffee, tea and toast with peanut butter, almond butter and jams — and fresh baked goodies!

Sally221
Level 10
Berkeley, CA

Wow, Francesca & Dave- that sounds like a comprehensive continental breakfast, as in yum! I include homemade scones , fresh squeezed o.j & seasonal fruit salad, all organic, fabulous coffee many tea choices and a view of San Francisco bay, I really enjoy setting a pretty table & hearing appreciative sniffs as guests come upstairs. We aren't in walking distance of any cafes so this is a selling point- parking is often scarce and lines can be long at favored places. I always ask about food allegies & diet restrictions ahead of time. I wonder if a jar of good quality granola, milk -shelf stable if that's helpful + some fruit would suffice for Inna's needs? and of course good coffee  & teas! The main thing is not overpromising & underdelivering, Sally

I'm in jville NC....not a view of the beach or anything super special  just my back yard or woods since I live near the country.  I live in a huge military based town, do as for breakfast...idk I work odd hrs and I live a few mins from 2 local markets and I tell them anything in the house they are welcomed too. I wouldn't know what to get with the tourist and military and etc coming thru. Then again I just stared  with  Airbnb.  Any advice is appreciated though  

Huma0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

@Inna22 

 

That's really interesting. I offer my guests tea (various types), coffee (ground, instant and decaf) and sugar - mentioned on the listing as tea, coffee and sugar. I also provide them with hot chocolate, honey, syrup, sweetener, jam and breakfast oats, which I don't mention, kind of under promising and overdelivering. Some guests are not interested and others seem impressed, even if they don't use the stuff.

 

I would never in a million years have thought to tick the breakfast amenity box for that stuff. If I were a guest and booked a place with breakfast, I would be mightily peeved to find that consisted of cereal pouches (especially if there was no milk). I wonder how these hosts get away with it? The only explanation I can think of is that they are priced similarly or lower than any local competition not offering breakfast. Even then, this sounds like a case of overpromising and underdelivering! That, I would have thought, was enough to result in some disgruntled guests.

 

I agree that if you're going to say you provide breakfast, it doesn't have to be a cooked, full on affair, but cereals with milk, fruit, toast and/or pastries, plus tea, coffee, sugar and juice would be the minimum I would expect.

@Huma0 

I could not agree more but was shocked to see such a large number of hosts getting away with it. And not a single review mentioning no breakfast! I guess it goes back to guests never reading. Perhaps none of them even looked to see that breakfast was one of the amenities and were not expecting any

Helen427
Level 10
Auckland, New Zealand

@Inna0 I provide Breakfast - as per my listing, you are welcome to come and visit, even if it's just for breakfast when you come to New Zealand!

Helen
Helen427
Level 10
Auckland, New Zealand

@Huma0You are welcome to come and stay in my home for breakfast, you will be provided a selction of cereals and a selection of other treats including delicious avocados in summer, alas not at the moment as they are UK prices!!!

 

 

Alan475
Level 3
Angaston, Australia

Our local region (The Barossa Valley in South Australia) is known for it’s hospitality.

It’s rare to find accomodation that doesn’t supply, Cooked Breakfast provisions, Cheese platter and a bottle of wine. This is included in over-all price. So a little extra work for the Host makes a Happy Guest. The Guest won’t mention the Breakfast in the review but the smile on their faces says it all!

Yulianna0
Level 10
Madrid, Spain

@Inna22, for example I’m providing continental breakfast. I show how it is on the picks, so people can have an idea what to expect. For sure I have fresh coffe for them, tea or chocolate if they prefer, juice and toasts. Seems to be that people are satisfied with it.