Call me crazy, but "free" is about as much as I'm willing to pay for a hotel breakfast. Especially at a Fairfield, the quality is so low it shouldn't legally be called food.

I avoid low-budget hotels outside of markets where there are either no alternatives or rates are absurd. If I'm staying at a Fairfield, etc 90% chance I'm skipping the garbage being served anyway, finding alternate options nearby, or pretending I'm intermittent fasting and skipping breakfast.