Originally Posted by
hhoope01
For me, when traveling with the family, I'm usually not as enamored with stuffing 4 or 5 of us in a single hotel room even if it is on the beach. I normally try to find an MVCI property instead and get a big suite with a full kitchen. I've stayed at the MVCI properties in Ft. Lauderdale, Aruba, St. Kitts, Hawaii (more than once), etc. All of them were on the beach (OK, the Beachplace Towers is across A1A, but as close as it could get to the beach there.
) I've not tried it yet, but the Marriott Key West Beachside hotel is really an MVCI that Marriott turned into a hotel instead. So lots of 1, 2, 3 bedroom suites for awards.) In all of those, we tend to buy some breakfast foods and cook breakfast in the room every morning. Much cheaper and is as tasty as we want it to be.
My family is smaller, just three of us. Mom, Dad, and daughter still prefer a MVCI property like you do for the extra space and we don't mind making our own breakfast when we have full cooking facilities. Sometimes we also cook in for dinner. MVCI is a format that works well for us when we can get it.
On the other hand, there are urban areas (though MVCI's are starting to pop up in them with Pulse; however, Pulse is more like a standard hotel room) and rural areas where MVCI doesn't have coverage. In those areas we definitely prefer a property with complimentary breakfast as much for the convenience factor as the cost savings. RI's, FI's, and SHS's fit the bill nicely for these areas. They also tend to have rooms with two queen beds available versus most full service properties that are still either one king bed or two double beds. If a CY is at the right price point (cash or points) and a good location we will still stay at them even though they don't provide free breakfast.
Bottom line, complimentary breakfast is not an absolute deal breaker for us on family stays but it is a very significant factor after location, bed format and room/suite size. Each to their own....
--Jon
P.S. I need to also start looking at SPG properties and see how that enhances/changes the equation. My SPG account has been dormant for so long, I can't automatically link it to my MR account online and I have been too lazy to call in to get it fixed.
P.P.S. For Hawaii and other resort areas when there wasn't a MVCI property available, we do stay in the full service resorts.. We either make our own breakfast in the room (cereal, milk, coffee, tea, fruit, etc.) or go to the Starbucks or other onsite coffee shop as a treat. It is very rare we want to spend the time nor the money for a full sit down high end breakfast (buffer or off menu). Time is as big or a bigger factor as the money. We want to get up and started on the days adventures frequently exploring off property. We do enjoy the rest of the resort facilities (typically nice pools, beach access, and nice walkways to shopping/dining areas).