enox5

Interesting. The lady at reception said it was a brand thing - but maybe she didn't know.

A lot of hotels are doing this right now - using covid as a reason (excuse) to cut back on services. I think it's short sighted to punish the people that do choose to stay at your hotel

TGLoyalty

Dont forget England is just about to come out of a lockdown where all restaurants had to close including in hotels. In fact hotels were only allowed to stay open for non leisure stays so I imagine the bag was a way for them to offer something rather than nothing.

enox5

Below are two photos of the breakfast...

My room rate included breakfast, so they had to offer something. I understand that hotels are struggling, but this isn't good enough in my view. They could have at least made some sandwiches!

VSLover

that is almost identical to the bfast i had at the aberdeen residence inn back in october, just BEFORE scotland went back into lockdown.

im not surprised or bothered really in the time of covid. i was more shocked to have a hot bfast at a different hotel in inverness!

enox5

I think your approach to life is better thank mine! You are surely happier with things than me!

VSLover

ha! not normally but i just have such low expectations in these periods when travel is not recommended or open but know so few people are staying at hotels so i guess it suited me well to expect nothing and be surprised by this rather poor offering

stuartpig

Totally unacceptable. Mr SP is a diabetic. He has a very strict diet, no sugar whatsoever (even with medication his health is starting to deteriorate despite how good he is with diet). He could eat the apple. That is it. They must cater to dietary need. Will be tested when we go to Edinburgh Residence Inn. I can’t understand why an RI can’t just fill the fridge with breakfast items and leave the guest to cook.

enox5

I agree. I think some hotels are being lazy and short sighted. They see a chance to save some money, and just grab it.

They could get their staff to prepare a decent packed lunch if they wanted to. But that would involve time, effort and a little bit of money

I stayed at the Doubletree Liverpool on my next trip, and they were much better

RAPC

First of all, that breakfast you posted is certainly the weakest one I have seen when compared to my UK travels this year. However none of my stays were during a full lockdown, with only necessary work stays being offered. During that time, I suspect hotel operations are at an absolute minimum. I suspect that your earlier comment about it being thrown together from Tesco won't be far from the truth.

I know from staying at a similar chain (non-Marriott) hotel in the North West, that they were preparing for the recent lockdown and expected to be offering no F&B service and were switching to a grab bag. Most days, outside of housekeeping they were expecting to only have two members of staff on duty at any time during the day and one overnight. It is the reality of rock bottom room rates, and low occupancy rates. Costs and staffing are cut to try to keep the properties afloat, not to annoy guests. At least it has stayed open. A number of hotels have decided to close for a period of time, with a few in London already mentioned, plus the Marriott Manchester Airport as a more local one, which isn't due to re-open now until April.

To call them lazy and short sighted, is rather tone deaf at this time. I want a decent breakfast, I want to receive my loyalty benefits etc, but I also think there needs to be some understanding as to why these are below par recently.

enox5

I agree with the main thrust of your points. I just think that it's possible to make some sandwiches and maybe offer a croissant. The apple I had was tiny, and was soft - it can't be that difficult to provide a decent apple.

I simply don't believe that it was impossible for the hotel to provide something better

I fully agree that these are 1st world problems, but that's why we're here on flyertalk

stuartpig

Exactly. If there are very few guests too, I am sure it takes no more effort to be generous. We are hoping to stay at Edinburgh RI at Christmas and we have been told already we are getting sod all. That I don’t get as they could provide 4 days DIY breakfast for about £15 from Sainsbury’s. Even less from LIDL.

RAPC

Absolutely agree with you - I've consistently seen better, the bar was set pretty much as low as it can go with the breakfast you received. Things like plastic wrapped or bagged croissants, pastries etc were the norm at many hotels, especially earlier in the summer when hotels first started to re-open. Making sandwiches won't be practical though, as many hotels, even when F&B staff were working, didn't want the risk of handling food beyond wrapping up component parts.

If I think back to one of our first stays after the first lockdown, it was at a Holiday Inn Express. They had grab bags with yoghurt, a carton of milk and cereal bowl/box combo, a decent piece of fruit, a wrapped croissant and if you wanted a hot sausage sandwich, they would provide you with a wrapped roll and served a couple of sausages from the back on a plate for you to build your own. All very simple, but it did the job. Even without the hot food part, I think that should be the sort of basic level available for a hotel to provide on a breakfast rate, although quite a few places include the Aloft are not.

And because I am being empathetic to the hotel industry and staff at this time, I can 100% guarantee that on my next stay somewhere, I am going to have a terrible breakfast experience (or no breakfast) that drives me to comment on FT.

carrotjuice

Stayed at this hotel in Nov 2021. Over a year since COVID started. But a boldly displayed sign now greets all guests at reception “The entire world is facing labour shortage. Be kind for those who turn up.”

Personally, one to be kind to all hotel staff I agree.

But the sign seems to continue to use COVID as an excuse for all service and property upkeep deficiencies (my room had too many defects to count).