Originally Posted by
OsakaWino
That's really interesting. The last time we were at the HR Kyoto I asked at check-in if the diamond comp breakfast could be used for the Japanese set breakfast (it is the same price as the buffet) and they said no. Did not ask again at breakfast, but will next time (which is tentatively this Monday depending on what the weather report is tomorrow morning). This would be especially good on a multi-night stay; even the best buffet gets tiresome very quickly if it is the same every morning.
I would suggest not asking at check-in but at the restaurant at the time you order breakfast. Let them know that you want to pay the difference to upgrade to a different breakfast. This is a common request, and has always worked for me at Japanese properties.
Your comment on the 'full American breakfast' surprised me a bit. I checked the T&C and it just says 'complimentary full breakfast', which seems to leave a lot of room for interpretation by the hotel. It is hard to claim that the buffet is not a 'full breakfast'.
Sorry my post was unclear- I was not referring to the complimentary Diamond breakfast benefit, as I no longer have this status and now pay for my breakfasts. Of course a buffet constitutes a full breakfast, but often I want to be served breakfast at my table instead of getting up to serve myself. My complaint was that a standard American breakfast option served at the table was not even listed as an option on the menu available for purchase. I suspect that this was an attempt to cut costs by steering guests toward the buffet, which is not appropriate at hotel trying to compete in the luxury market segment in Tokyo.