SEA_Tigger

I am at the Hyatt Harborside in Boston. I have a 6:00am flight to IAD and then on to SEA. Like most airport hotels, breakfast doesn't start until 5:30am - at which time I will be seating myself in 1B on a UA A320. Ok, they do offer the choice of a "tuna sandwich or fruit plate", but seriously. I won't eat until around 9:00am local time (BOS-IAD lands at 7:45am and IAD-SEA departs at 8:30am so no time to eat at IAD - not that McDonald's sounds appetizing) on the plane, and breakfast is the worse meal on a plane.

Why don't airport hotels offer breakfast from like 4am or so? That way, I could have a nice Eggs Benedict before I leave, skipping the mystery eggs (or fruit plate) on the plane. It's extra revenue for the hotel and hey, the kitchen and food is there. I have seen some 24-hour service, but again it's stuff you'd eat before you go to bed or have insomnia - light things. The Hilton Logan had a better selection on their after midnight selection, though mostly sandwiches - the only breakfast item was a Continental. Not a hearty breakfast to start your day and keep you going (especially on a transcon or international flight where you are in the air for 5+ hours).

auh2o

IMHO most hotels should (but don't) offer Beakfast 24X7.

stimpy

Pick a hotel with a Denny's across the street. Or for Europe I try to choose a hotel next to a train station. You can always get cheap early eats at a train station.

mosburger

The problem might be to convince a fair-skilled cook to do the nightshift, especially if the job doesn't pay that well. Maybe there is an external 24h delivery service in the area that can be organized through the concierge?

Reminds me of the 3:30 am noodle soup breakfast I once had at a Korean night restaurant preparing for a morning meeting some four hours drive away. All the other (rowdy) customers where coming to have their bbq plates and beer while I slurped down my Udong and waited for a call from my equally pissed off colleague with the car.

Athena53

It wouldn't have to be Eggs Benedict, either. A bag (emblazoned with the hotel logo) containing a bagel, your choice of spreads, fruit, cheese and juice wouldn't be a lot of work for the kitchen staff to assemble. You could eat it while waiting in the airport for the coffee shop that opens 5 minutes before you have to board.

ebell

I run into the "early breakfast dilemma" when I do government travel to military bases as a civilian contractor. Starting at 6 am isn't that uncommon, so I usually end up eating breakfast out of whatever I can find at the 7-11. It's not bad, but breakfast at the hotel would be nice.

Recently, though, I've found hotels near base that start serving breakfast at 5 am, which is just early enough to scarf something down before driving onto base. And recently, one of the hotels I was staying at started their breakfast buffet at 4 am! They even told me the breakfast buffet hours in military time when I checked in.

But, yeah. In places where people would logically be up and out early, having that early morning breakfast available is nice.

seanthepilot

I hate to say it but it's a cost/service delivery issue.

The hotel looks at the night shift as a dead end. Multiplies the wages, multiplies 365 days, times the number of hotels in the chain and comes up with a number thats too tough to bear.

Compounded with service delivery. For the customer, speed of delivery for breakfast is the most important. Throw in 20, 40, or 50 orders for the same time and you've now got that many potential scr*w ups and that many angry customers.

IMHO Hotel chains hate spending money on wages, and delivering service that costs money. They also don't like creating obstacles to a guests service perseption. They'd rather not offer it, then have you upset at what they've done.

Just my 2 cents. Hotels aren't about guest service, not anymore.

linsj

When I was at the Sheraton Hong Kong last month, the desk clerk told me when I checked in that they had 24-hour room service. But the breakfast menu to put on the door knob said it started at 6 a.m. I called room service that night to find out if I could get my order earlier. The person I talked to took my breakfast order and reassured me it would be delivered at 4:45; said she'd be sure I got it. And I did.

cordelli

I dont think that there is much of a demand. I know when I travel and have a first flight out, the last thing I want is to get up earlier then I have to and get breakfast. I'll either get something at the airport (I think Breakfast is the best food McDonalds offers by the way, I could eat egg McMuffins all day), or I would have picked something the night before at one of the quick marts or what ever when I picked up my diet coke for the evening.

I think Hamptons breakfast to go in the bag with the muffin, apple or whatever, water, and the rest is probably one of the best ideas to hit hotels in ages. Not just for flights, but on the way to meetings, etc.

magiciansampras

I envy people that can eat a big meal that early in the morning. My body needs a couple hours to get going.

FTraveler

Several months ago, at about 4:30 a.m. before leaving the hotel to catch a 6:30 a.m. flight, room service delivered my breakfast nice and hot and within 20 minutes - 12 oz. NY steak and 3 eggs, smoked salmon and bagels, croissants, pitcher of hot coffee, glass of OJ, fresh slice fruit. Didn't have dinner the night before and I was starving. Oh, forgot to mention I was staying at the Rio in LV. On the basis of how many hotels offer a substantial 24-hr room service menu, I think Las Vegas wins hands down. No pun intended. ^

obscure2k

Some hotels will put a pot of coffee in the lobby for their early check-outs. Otherwise, in the U.S., I will use the in-room coffee-pot and buy a muffin the day before. Some resorts in HI are very good at this. They will have juice and coffee and muffins available very very early for those bleary-eyed departees.

obscure2k

Las Vegas has a whole different set of rules. It is a world unto itself." What goes in in Vegas, stays in Vegas"--including great 24-hr. room service.

Canarsie

Although the loss of revenue impact may be minimal at best, how many of those breakfasts would generate little or no revenue for guests who are elite members of that hotel chain’s frequent guest program and may be entitled to a free breakfast?

By the way, it’s not solely airport hotels. Often I work in places that are not near any major cities. I will usually stay in a hotel on the way and will usually have to wake up and leave earlier than when breakfast is first served in order to drive to the client and be on time for a meeting at 7:00 in the morning.

mosburger

I still think it might be an issue of getting staff to cook and serve. If I would be a reasonably qualified cook on my way up the only places I would want to work nightshifts would be big city clubs or night-time bistros. Hotel breakfast isn't nearly as appealing as preparing a 2am caviar snack and the champagne-influenced big tip to follow.

Hotels might really consider either preparing take away Breakfast packages themselves or outsorcing to an external provider based on pre-orders. Hmm, maybe airline caterers...