Originally Posted by ldsant

This post has to be a joke. Last year I spent 300+ nights at a hotel - this year so far 290+. In other words I stay at hotels a lot.

Originally Posted by dat4life

I thought HPs were heaven after I crossed over from IHG and Marriott last year. Nice, large, comfortable rooms. And a pretty decent breakfast compared to Holiday Inn Expresses and Fairfield Inns. At least there is always fruit, yogurt, and cereal available which is all I really need.

Originally Posted by RobH

I spend about 200 nights per year in hotels for work. Over the years I've changed loyalty multiple times; I started out with IHG, moved to Hilton, Starwood, and Hyatt. I've also used Wyndham and Best Western as secondary programs. In 2014 I spent about 50 nights at a single Hyatt Place, in 2015 it has been well over 100 nights in the same property (Hyatt Place Omaha Downtown/Old Market). This hotel has very comfortable rooms, a fantastic location, covered parking, satellite TV with big screens, and is generally quite good. The breakfast, however, is so bad that I can no longer put it past my lips. This is the primary reason why I'm divorcing from Hyatt. I've had the opportunity to stay at another Hyatt Place (Baton Rouge, LA) on a couple of occasions. Breakfast was less disgusting there by a small margin, but was still quite bad.

My reasons for quitting:

• I tend to do long-term gigs for big projects. My customer ultimately pays the bill. They'll usually pay for a hotel at the level of a Hyatt Place, they typically won't spring for higher end hotels such as Grand Hyatt or Hyatt Regency.
• When I move on to my next assignment, there may not be any Hyatt hotel at all. If there is, most customers won't pay for anything above a Hyatt Place. Therefore chances are I'll be stuck at yet another hotel with a ***disgusting breakfast***.
• Hyatt Place's breakfast is ***so bad*** that I have to waste time and money going elsewhere for breakfast. That cuts into my billable time and per diem, so it costs me money.
• I have a United Presidential Plus card which automatically gives me Hyatt Platinum. I stayed at a Hyatt Regency before I was a 100+ night customer using the credit card status, and was treated well. I'm not convinced that Diamond status is worth it.
• Of all the programs I've participated in, my preference is Starwood. Some of their lower tier brands have deficiencies, but the deficiences aren't as bad as the ***disgusting breakfast*** at Hyatt Place. They have enough properties that I can usually avoid the Alofts, Four Points, and Elements.
• Both Holiday Inn Express and Hampton Inn have a superior offering to the ***disgusting breakfast*** at Hyatt Place. That is a sad commentary on Hyatt Place.

To further expound on why Hyatt Place's breakfast is ***disgusting***:

• Hyatt Places don't have an actual kitchen. Thus we're presented with a breakfast that consists of:
  • Lukewarm egg-shaped objects on soggy untoasted english muffins.
  • A community yogurt bowl (or should I say petri dish?)
  • A layer of uncooked, unsalted oats topped with water, unstirred in a vat
  • Fruit that is cheap, hard, and doesn't taste good (even in the summer when fresh fruit is easily obtainable)
  • Low quality pastries
  • Really bad coffee
• Poor service, on busy days the foods isn't replenished fast enough (saw this in Omaha and Baton Rouge)

I have well over 100K Hyatt points to use. I've got family in Baton Rouge, LA and Yonkers, NY, both locations have Hyatt Places. I'll be using my points there, but I'll be going out for breakfast every morning of those stays.

Hyatt may well have a fantastic product in their higher priced brands; I don't stay in those kind of hotels frequently enough to benefit from that. Their low price brand has a deficiency that is so bad that it is unacceptable.

By the way did I mention that Hyatt Place has a ***disgusting breakfast***?

Originally Posted by MSPeconomist

There might be better breakfast solutions if the OP continues staying at HPs. For a single long stay, it could make sense to purchase a cheap toaster or toaster oven; for a long sequence of weeknight stays at the same HP, the OP might be able to work a deal to keep a small box or suitcase with the toaster at the property (or at his client's office) if he/she isn't driving to the location. Every HP room contains a coffee maker, wet bar with counter workspace, and reasonably-sized refrigerator, so figure out what else you need to make a breakfast that works for you.

If OP is flying in and out every week, so that luggage space is limited, how about finding a good bakery and purchasing high quality croissants for breakfast? Most towns should at least have a source for decent muffins. Take OJ, butter, etc. from the HP breakfast to supplement. If you don't like either the breakfast coffee or the in room coffee, again try to buy something better that works with the HP coffee machines. (Does Starbucks sell the new coffee that's been appearing at HRs and GHs?)

Take yourself out for a good breakfast on some days, or if you're on location over weekends, splurge for a good brunch in place of buying lunch somewhere.

Originally Posted by peteropny

I would second this. In 1991 when I "lived" in a Hyatt for 2 months when relocating - this was before hotel status or free breakfasts

Originally Posted by peteropny

I would say that 50+ nights of even the best breakfast would probably burn me out.

Originally Posted by MikeFromTokyo

A google search revealed several Panera bread locations. The breakfast sandwiches and other items sound good, and they of course have good bakery and coffee etc...

There is something weird about this thread. It seems there are many obvious solutions to the breakfast problem if staying at a limited service ptoperty like this.