iahphx

I've "weighed in" on the Hyatt Place breakfast's before, when they seemed to convert from the "innovative sandwiches" to a Comfort Inn-style instant eggs and cheap sausages model.

Are the imaginative Hyatt Place breakfasts gone?

Since that post, HP has rolled out a "breakfast bowl" program that did improve -- and diversify -- the breakfast offerings. Unsurprisingly (if you read the thread) they particularly improved breakfast during the week (better bowls), and kept the weekend ingredient costs lower. Honestly, I thought that was a good solution to their "problem," and kept HP breakfasts reasonably competitive with the competition.

https://www.businesswire.com/news/ho...ast-Experience

In this context, their test of ending free breakfast surprises me. The "upper middle" motel model in the USA seems to REQUIRE free breakfast these days. I thought it was wise for HP to have an "innovative" free breakfast strategy because HPs in general seem to have an edgier more modern vibe than say a Hampton Inn or a Holiday Inn Express.

Personally, I would NEVER pay for an HP breakfast, even the now somewhat-better ones. It's simply not good enough. I'm sometimes willing to pay for a cooked-to-order breakfast, and perhaps a "real" breakfast buffet, but not the offerings of a motel breakfast bar. If I'm hungry, I'd take that 10 bucks and hit a restaurant.

Moreover, I would be inclined to avoid HPs in the future when I'm paying my own way and -- especially -- when I'm travelling with my wife and family. "Free" breakfast is both convenient and a moneysaver: taking a family out to breakfast is both time consuming and expensive. Honestly, I usually prefer to have a light "free" breakfast at my hotel and then eat lunch later (I'm almost never "going out" to breakfast and then eating lunch). Without free breakfast, HP is simply less competitive in my mind to Hampton or HIX.

A good comparison would be the small Cambria chain by Choice. Cambrias are typically a little nicer version of the best HP, but they don't offer free breakfast. I generally will only stay at them when they're a fantastic award redemption in the Choice program, knowing that I'll have the expense and inconvenience of having to buy my own breakfast. If Cambria included free breakfast, I would prefer the brand to HP, Hampton and HIX and seek them out. If HP goes to paid breakfast, it will be like a big (and not quite as good) Cambria chain to me.

CloudCoder

Some hotels stray from this model. Four Points by Sheraton seems to be in the same market segment as Hyatt Place. 4P properties usually have a restaurant and a sit-down made-to-order breakfast, at a price. Elites can opt for extra points in lieu of free breakfast.

No one knows for sure whether eliminating the free breakfast will save the hotel enough money to offset the loss of room revenue when people decide to stay elsewhere. It seems reasonable for Hyatt to test the concept.

HeadInTheClouds

iahphx

Right -- Courtyard is pretty much the largest upper-middle motel chain that doesn't offer free breakfast. But its concept was created BEFORE the "free breakfast craze." Note that competitors haven't generally matched its format. Indeed, I would submit that, by being a first-mover in this space, Marriott kind of screwed-up its offerings. It's "free breakfast" chain was supposed to be budget: Fairfield. But "the market" liked its middle-upper motels to also have free breakfast (HIXand Hampton are largely responsible for this craze). So note how Marriott in recent years "moved up" Fairfield to be middle. Courtyards now basically compete against Hilton Garden Inns (which Hilton positions as smaller "full-service" hotels).

Four Points isn't really a concept. It's a collection of "full service" hotels that Starwood feels aren't good enough to be Sheratons.

CloudCoder

It's Starwood's lowest offering, which makes it the Starwood brand most comparable to Hyatt Place.

MSPeconomist

loomis

I could be wrong, but wasn't there a time that HP did not offer free BK at any of their hotels?

I thought that Hyatt started to institute free BK at HP's around 2010.

econ

I'd tend to agree, but generally speaking, it's not unusual to see HPs around $10-15 more per night vs. a CY/4P/Aloft/etc. nearby. I always figured that it was due to the free breakfast offered. If that goes away, it will be interesting to see if HPs can maintain that price differential.

HeadInTheClouds

iahphx

Beats me -- although it seems like the now-more-upscale Fairfield chain is growing a lot faster than Courtyard these days.

I don't stay at a lot of Courtyards. To whom do these properties appeal to? The "free breakfast" upper-middle chains seem like good value to all upper-middle travellers, regardless of whether they have status. The "full service" properties are good if you're high elite (with Marriott, gold or better). Who gets good value at Courtyards? The brand makes little sense to me; it seems like just about everyone would do better elsewhere, especially since the pricing at Courtyards is rarely appealing.

WCT3U

Could Hyatt be trying to leapfrog HP to compete with Hilton Garden Inn? As a Hilton Gold, the free breakfast at HGI draws me there.

CloudCoder

It comes as no surprise that Hyatt's various websites are out of sync.

In their site for travel agents, it says that Hyatt House offers free breakfast, but it does NOT say that Hyatt Place offers it.

In the WoH Terms and Condtions, it says that Free Breakfast for Globalist is NOT offered at Hyatt Place, yet whenever I've stayed at HP's outside the US (where they charge for breakfast), it's always provided free to top tier.

It would be a good move on Hyatt's part to get someone in there who can make all their websites sing the same song.

iahphx

I agree: HGI can be a good deal with adequate Honors status. But they seem like a bad deal without status. But so do full service Hiltons, and people still stay at them.

ElmhurstNick

One of the side effects of Hyatt kicking me out of Diamond on stays is that now I won't give them any HP revenue business, only Cat 1 and Cat 2 award stays. I've moved the solo one-night stays to a mix of HIX, Home2Suites, and LaQuinta. I'm not really missing the HP breakfast, and I'll miss it even less if it becomes no longer free.

CDTraveler

I seriously doubt a lower occupancy level is going to be good for anyone in the long run. Eliminating the free breakfasts will cost them certain customers, but is there anyone who would stay there, switching from another brand, because they eliminated free breakfasts?

Generally higher occupancy levels keep room rates down and attract more paying customers - which in theory would be Hyatt's goal. I doubt Hyatt corporate offices give a d@mn if certain customers feel the lobby is a zoo in the morning. As for lower costs for the hotel, possible rate decrease: nope, not buying that one in this lifetime. Lower costs for hotel, higher profits for hotel, not benefits for customers.