kymbakitty

Actually, this is just one of the reasons I prefer hotels w/Executive Lounges! But there is no guarantee that the entire family (sweats and all) don't end up there either. However, at least the ENTIRE hotel isn't eating up there. It's typically nice and quiet...mostly business travelers like myself that don't make a whole lot of noise at 7:00 a.m.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And I have been avoiding the ES for YEARS.....can't even remember the last time I chose an ES....ick.

Ravenboy2001

Sweats.. LOL!

Twice this year, I've been seated at an HI, eating my rubber bacon and dried hockey puck biscuit and saw a grown woman come to get breakfast in her PAJAMAS. You can't make this stuff up. In Savannah a couple months ago, I saw an entire FAMILY come to breakfast in their PJ's. quite disturbing to say the least.

Companycar

I think you are missing the point here. It's not that these are poor little old ladies that haven't traveled in 30 years they are selfish slobs most of the time who are only worried about themselves and what they can get for free. I am extremely considerate of other people's time and I have proper manners why should I respect these slack jawed yokels. It takes effort to be organized and to think about others who don't have time to stare at you while you slice a banana in your cereal.

thebigfish

..that the educational system in the US has failed.

That gravy is just wonderful. Full of fats, salt.. and who knows what else. This keeps the cardiac docs ahead on their med school loan payments and malpractice insurance.

TBF

Companycar

Because I stay at 90% Hampton Inn I'll share my finely tuned breakfast routine with you (as if anyone cares).

1.) Dump Waffle batter on Waffle machine (if there isn't one then start bagel in toaster) WARNING: Don't start routine until Waffle machine/toaster is ready otherwise you will get trapped in the breakfast vortex along with the other confused patrons.

2.) Get a cup of OJ then get cup of coffee and grab sugar and creamer then drop off at table. Scan your re-entry point while watching Waffle timer (very critical timing here) If you went the bagel route don't think your out of the woods yet someone will steal a freshly toasted bagel in a heart beat!

3.) Waffle should be ready ( have your own fork in hand as the Waffle poker tool thing is bound to have batter on it or is in the egg trough or gone altogether) get it then grab 2 peanut butter packs get out of there. Boom done

ffI

I have never had a crowd at HI. Probably get up too late to catch the crowds. Usually on holiday with the family in pyjamas :-). The ES have usually had a restaurant and are a bit more organized. The Hiltons (when stay is paid for by someone else) are always at a full service restaurant anyway.

Sweet Willie

I'm thinking perhaps the person doesn't stay at HI's as much as you do, in which case I might not call that person an idiot.....@:-)

Crazyhotelguy

sadly, this is the same reason I avoid executive lounges. Same disorganization. Same grazing zombies(usually with a more DYKWIA attitude). Give me the breakfast in the full service restaurant. Usually the restaurant buffets are more organized.

jbelinc

I am not an early riser by any means, and I am usually late for everything. BUT I make sure I get to the airport extra early and I am the first person at the buffet in the morning. The food is somewhat fresh, there are plenty of seats & no PITA people bumping in to me.

It also depends on what Hamptonn Inn you stay at. I'll stay at a HI in Alpharetta, GA and the breakfast experience is actually nice because people there are on business, travel frequently and know how to act. The breakfast area is quiet,clean & well stocked. On the other hand, I stayed at a HI in Orlando and breakfast was a complete disaster, people pushing,shoving, screaming,throwing food on the floor,grabbing with their hands, not enough seating. I even had a complete stranger sit down at my table and then invite his wife and 2 kids over to eat.

coachrowsey

Just what I was going to say. Happens everywhere I've been.

mcgahat

I amm not a big fan of buffets and the mentality that seems to go with it but I must saw it is even worse at hotels that provide completely free breakfast. I do not stay at a Hampton Inn now because of this. Well, unless their rate is cheap enough and possibly a restaurant nearby that I can get a decent meal without watching the breakfast train wreck. I would not judge those that are getting themselves oriented and are wondering around a bit as not everyone spends so much time in hotels and just trying to size things up and I find that better than the person who feels a need to dive in head first and take more than they actually need as if there will never be enough.

Points Scrounger

Perhaps it's a reflection of the properties where I've stayed*, but I don't recall any HI breakfast scenes I'd call a "train wreck"? Generally speaking, I've found the family units at these places fairly well-mannered and polite (re: the woman who hollered to her swarming brood). There seems to rather high expectations here, IMHO. The most egregious behavior I can recall was at a Hilton Lounge watching a guest picking the nuts from the cheese-and-fruit tray with her fingers.

I hadn't really noticed that the breakfast areas are "flow designed" until it was pointed out here earlier, but they're definitely better than Holiday Inn Express's single file cafeteria line. As for folks taking the last of something, I find I can come back when the newly nuked replacement chow arrives.


* disclaimer: I have never been to Orlando (except to change planes), and have no desire whatsoever to go there.

jamesteroh

This thread makes me think of my breakfast experience in the EL at the palmer house this morning.

It's a continental style breakfast and in all honesty not that good. I wish they would give you vouchers for breakfast downstairs instead like they do if you are gold and don't get upgraded. I couldn't believe the way the people behaved.

there were tongs out and people were still using their hands to grab things. someone just jumped in line in front of me where the bagels were and said her son dropped his bagel on the floor and needed to get in right away and proceeded to just get another bgel and throw it in the toaster. That I could tolerate but when I got to the toaster the kid dropped his bagel again and I quickly put my bread in when she went back to get yet another bagel.

I couldn't believe all the families this morning either. I couldn't even get a table and wasn't able to get an upgrade (they did give me a very large nice room though) and at Palmer house I was forced to hold all the stuff since there were no trays, go to floor 8 and then get on another elevator to 12. When I was getting in the elevator a couple with their kids were getting off the elevator and were in such a hurry the one kid bumped into me.

I am not trying to sound stuckup but there is definetly a different class of people staying on the executive floors on weekends at palmer house now than before. I refuse to pay for a NOR-1 upgrade and I do select the free Exec level upgrade but never seem to get it anymore.

bowdenj

Absolutely - different chain (sleep inn) - but I've given up this weekend and now just going to McDonalds for breakfast!

jamesteroh

I stayed at the palmer house last night and this mornings continental breakfast crowd at the EL was like that of a hampton, maybe worse. And the food wasn't anybetter. at least hampton has waffles. There was no hot food at all at PH.

I am not sure why these people behaved like that this morning or at Hampton. The breakfasts are nothing special and in fact I was regreting I just didn't go to the beuffet downstairs instead and if I stay at a Hampton I usually just eat elsewhere unless I don't have any time and just grab some fruit and eat it fast.