Dealing with hotel buffet hogs?
 

At 2 separate hotels, 1 person hoarded/took multiple of specific item I wanted and didn't let me get any on more than 1 day. Do I talk to them directly? Hotel staff isn't paying attention.

My experience of hotel buffets is that there's a bottomless trough of each of the items and you merely need to ask a member of staff to refill any empty platter. The whole point of buffets is that greedy people can have as much as they want - that's why it appeals to them so much.

I hate buffets, but if the other person is in front of the OP in line, the other person can take whatever he/she wants subject to whatever rules might be imposed by the hotel/buffet (can't fill cooler chest, etc.). It's a commercial transaction between the "guest" and buffet/hotel, not at all like being among invited guests in someone's home, where politeness would suggest offering to share the last of a dish with others.

I have to agree. Unless it’s written somewhere, any guest is entitled to take what they please with no regard to the other diners. If a particular dish is emptied, you best bet is to locate an employee and ask if it will be replenished soon.

I'm talking lack of decency- several days, not 1 day. Restaurant staff unaware same person is emptying it.

It is none of the staff's business nor is it any of your business. Why does it matter to you whether the 10 people in front of you each took 1 of the item and there were 10 in the dish OR there is 1 person and he takes all 10?

The staff's business is to refill the empty dish and your business is to take what you want from that refilled dish.

If a dish is empty and staff are not moving to refill it, point that out to the staff.

Some people are inconsiderate and greedy. I can’t believe you’re just discovering this.

Ask them to bring you a plate of your item. Never had a problem using this method.

I used to think Southeast Asia had the monopoly on good breakfast buffets...until I visited Turkey.

In other words, if you find that the chafing trays are temporarily bereft of simit, peynir, and kaymak, you can blame me.

And if that does happen, ask one of the ubiquitous aloof waiters, the trays will get restocked momentarily.

It's not a good breakfast buffet if they are putting bread/cheese in a chafing tray.

Say something to the restaurant staff about the empty dishes or time your visit to the buffet so that you visit before the "offending" person.
This.

There's a salad bar at one of the local grocery stores. It has many fine ingredients and almost always there is a container of bacon, the finest bacon I've ever had. My salad can be as much as 15-20% bacon and sometimes that means emptying the pan. Does that make me a hog? If there's a store employee nearby, I will alert them to the empty pans. If not, I do not go out of my way. I figure their job is to check regularly.

Absolutely. This is a business deal between you and the store. If you want to fill a container with the bacon that's fine too.

Unless the merchant places a limit on quantity, there is none.

I don't disagree. Our local taproom has a $5 flight night. One of my friends asked for 4 glasses (4 ounces each) of the same beer. The price of a pint of the same beer is $18. TBH, most flights would be valued well above $5 at the 4 ounce glass price X 4. The owner grimaces and pours as requested. Most of us are there for a combination of variety and economy. Every once in awhile, there is a customer who is only interested in economy. There is nothing posted telling you it is forbidden. The same guy probably comes in on $8 growler fill night and orders the same beer.

Those weren’t the things in a chafing tray, but ok.

come to think of it, Turkish buffets are my favorites also because they don’t generally have those trays.