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
Wendy117
Level 10
Bexley, Australia

@Alan475  @Inna22 @@@@, In Australia, if we offer breakfast then we need to be licensed as a Bed and Breakfast.  With all if the government scrutiny short term rental is currently experiencing,  i feel it is better not to offer breakfast. I leave bread, butter, spreads, milk and some cereal as complimentary not mentioned in my  listing. 

Helen427
Level 10
Auckland, New Zealand

@Wendy117, ahh all those over the top health & safety aspects are best to be challenged.

 

In New Zealand a few years ago there was a backlash about not been able to make and sell / provide home jams at stalls in fairs/ markets.

 

It was way over the top & was eventually sorted with a little common sense

Helen427
Level 10
Auckland, New Zealand

@Inna22 @Wendy117 @Yulianna0 @Alan475 @Huma0 

 

I offer a selection of seasonal fruits, cereals, freshly sliced fruit on toast, bread, frozen fruits that can be defrosted in a short time etc for breakfast as to the best of my knowledge it's Air Bed and Breakfast!

 

It varies from guest to guest if they have breakfast on or off the property or meander to a nearby cafe or don't have breakfast at all.


Those that do have breakfast have been thankful, especially when I have made them Golden Syrup on toast if they have not had it in recent times as it brings back warm fuzzies, or hot porridge with fruit and a dash of cinnamon and knob of butter!

 

Some guests have given personal feedback prior to check out, others in reviews or in private feedback.

 

All the best

Huma0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

@Helen427 

 

I was wondering, if only some of your guests partake in breakfast, how do you avoid food waste (a pet hate of mine)? Do you ask them in advance if they want the breakfast/what they want? Do you shop for it in advance, or to order?

 

I know it is Airb Bed & Breakfast, but in London few hosts offer the second B. Most of my short-term guests head out sightseeing in the morning. Some have breakfast here (there are supermarkets and a deli 1-2 minutes walk away, as well as the cupboard stuff I provide) and others have it elsewhere (cafes also very close by and it's so quick to get into central London so the choices are endless) and some don't have breakfast at all. 

 

If I was living in a less convenient area, anywhere rural for example, or where you had to drive to find food, for sure I would provide breakfast. Here, however, I think so much of it would end up in the bin. I tried providing fruit bowls for a while, but hardly any guests ate the fruit so it just went to waste.

@Huma0  Same here.  We were providing  either apples, pears or oranges and almost no one ate any of it, then you are stuck with overripe fruit, which like you, I hate to see go to waste, so have to figure out some use for it, LOL, or give to the squirrels, so now we almost never provide fruit anymore.  It looks great and is super inviting, but if people don't actually eat it, why do it? 

Huma0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

@Mark116 

 

I sometimes think that guests assume it is just for decoration! 

 

Banana cake is a good way to use overripe bananas, but I don't have time to make cake that often, nor can I eat that much cake. Tried offering the cake to the guests, but they didn't eat that either!

@Huma0  We leave either cookies, or some kind of breakfast type pastry/cake  on the last night, and almost everyone does eat those.  We leave them with a hand written note card that says basically thanks for staying, mentions 5 stars, LOL, etc.  People do seem to love that, much more than the flowers, go figure.

Huma0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

@Mark116 

 

Thats a nice idea. Yes, I can see how something like that would be appreciated, especially if the guests are travelling straight after check out.

 

The thing I find is most appreciated food/drink wise is the bottle of bubbly (and card) I leave for guests who are celebrating a special occasion (go figure). I only had one couple (honeymooners) who never mentioned it or thanked me for it.

@Huma0, I have learned that it is the way to make people smile! I’m showing fruits on the table and say: this is not decoration. It has to be eaten quickly! Even if they don’t want fruits, they are laughing:) 

And I don’t have waste, I’m buying everything in small individual packages. As for me it is more hygienic. And even those who are leaving very early can take something to have a bite:)

Huma0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

@Yulianna0 

 

It's good that you don't have too much food waste. However, I'm conscious also of waste in terms of packaging so I'm not keen to have small individual packets of everything. I do have some of those 'easy oats' individual packets, but they are paper rather than plastic so not so bad.

 

I'm no saint, but I try to be reasonably environmentally friendly. That is very hard when you're hosting. It's sometimes incredible how much packaging guests can go through, especially the small plastic water bottles and plastic shopping bags. I have a filter tap for drinking water and also a crate of re-usable shopping bags in the kitchen that they can use, but most guests do not bother with these things.

 

Here is some of the plastic from two guests making a bagel each (not including the packaging for the bagels - this is just the fillings):

 

IMG_1003.JPG

@Huma0, that’s true. The amount of garbage that some people leave sometimes is surprising. But I reuse plastic bags and even bottles:) bags go to the bins and bottles help me to water flowers, specially in summer:) 

Huma0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

@Yulianna0  I try to reuse the plastic bags too. The plastic bottles, on the other hand, are too numerous to find uses for even a fraction of them. I'm talking about the little, 250ml ones.

I have seen how people are using them to decorate flowerbeds. In fact I think that sooner or later we will return to glass bottles or reusable ones. I see many guests are using such. 

Helen427
Level 10
Auckland, New Zealand

@Huma0@Yulianna0 @Sarah977 @Paul154 @Inna22 @Stephanie128 @Mark

 

Banana, chocolate, courgette  and other cakes can be sliced & frozen in a seal container & taken out as required, it usually tastes as fresh as the day it was made.

 

Coming from a large family we had regular baking days growing up and it worked very well for us, including when us children used to sneak frozen biscuits out of the freezer when no one was around looking..

@Helen427 Great idea to freeze!