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Whether you’re taking the family on a summer vacation or traveling solo, getting complimentary breakfast at hotels can be a great way to save money. Hotel breakfast runs the gamut from elaborate buffets to bare-bones continental spreads, but the convenience of getting your first meal of the day on-site can’t be overstated. After all, when you’re hungry, the last thing you want to do is pack up the family and figure out a decent breakfast spot near the hotel. Complimentary breakfast is as much a convenience as it is a luxury.
While hotels typically charge a premium for on-site breakfast, there are several ways to get it for free. Let’s take a closer look.
Book a hotel with complimentary breakfast for all guests
When researching hotels for your next trip, check for properties that offer complimentary breakfast to all guests — regardless of room rate, elite status or other factors. Several budget and extended-stay hotel brands always include breakfast free of charge. This is great because you’ll generally pay a lower nightly rate and get free breakfast for all registered guests, helping you extend your travel budget further.
Examples include Hyatt Place and Hyatt House hotels, which offer complimentary buffet breakfast to all guests. If you’re a Marriott loyalist, you can get complimentary breakfast at SpringHill Suites hotels as well as Fairfield Inn and TownePlace Suites properties. Meanwhile, Hilton offers complimentary breakfast at Hampton Inn, Homewood Suites and Home2 Suites properties.
Lastly, Intercontinental Hotels Group (IHG) offers free breakfast to all guests at Holiday Inn Express and Staybridge Suites properties. If you’re deciding between multiple hotel brands, narrowing down your choices to one of these brands can help you score hotel breakfast without any added cost.
Look for room packages that include breakfast
Booking hotel packages that include complimentary breakfast is a great way to save money on your vacation. Not only do you get a free meal but you sometimes get a discounted rate on the hotel room itself.
Often, these packages cost $15 to $40 more per night and include breakfast for up to two guests per room. Kids eat free at many hotels, so booking a breakfast-inclusive package can be a significant money saver. Having breakfast included in your package also means you don’t have to worry about finding an affordable place to eat when you arrive at your destination, which can be a big plus when traveling to expensive destinations.
Book a room with club lounge access
Many luxury hotels offer a special category called “club rooms” that include nicer accommodations with better views and access to a club lounge. These lounges offer complimentary breakfast and sometimes even afternoon tea and evening appetizers. Internationally, you can sometimes find full-blown breakfast, lunch and dinner buffets at club lounges. This means you can save money by not purchasing meals outside your hotel.
Domestically, club lounge spreads are less elaborate. At the very least, breakfast includes pastries, cereal and fruit. Some lounges also offer hot breakfast items like eggs and waffles. By booking a room with lounge access, guests can enjoy a free breakfast and possibly other meals without having to pay extra for it.
Always compare the cost of a club room against the breakfast-inclusive rate to determine which makes more sense. If the prices are similar, a club room might provide more value since you’ll get breakfast, snacks and possibly additional meals and a happy hour. Plus, your room will typically be in a better location, offering more space and/or a better view.
Overall, booking rooms with lounge access is an excellent way to get free breakfast and other amenities during your hotel stay, often at a reasonable cost. If the club room rate is too high, you can try negotiating a lower-cost upgrade at check-in.
Third-party bookings
Normally, booking hotels through a third-party Online Travel Agency (OTA) isn’t a good idea. Most of the time, you won’t earn points or be able to use hotel elite status benefits. But booking with a third-party OTA can make sense if you’re looking for free hotel breakfast, specifically through American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts, Visa Signature Luxury Hotels Collection and Expedia VIP Access Hotels.
American Express’ Fine Hotels & Resorts (FHR) program lets card holders enjoy free breakfast and other amenities when staying at participating hotels. With FHR, eligible card holders can enjoy complimentary daily breakfast for two people per room. The program also offers exclusive benefits such as early check-in and late checkout, space-available room upgrades, complimentary Wi-Fi and on-site dining or experience credits.
You’ll need either The Platinum Card® from American Express or The Business Platinum Card® from American Express to book with Amex FHR. And while the personal Amex Platinum has a $695 annual fee (see rates and fees), it gives card holders a $200 statement credit toward prepaid FHR bookings every year, among other high-end travel benefits.
The Visa Signature Luxury Hotels Program cards gives card holders access to several benefits, including free breakfast for two guests at select hotels. Additionally, card holders may be eligible for additional amenities such as a $25 food and beverage credit, room upgrades and more.
You can access Visa Signature Luxury Hotels with a Visa-branded credit card. Some popular options include the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card. Those with a Visa Infinite card like the Chase Sapphire Reserve® can access the Visa Infinite Luxury Hotel Collection, which provides the same or better hotel perks.
Expedia VIP Access is another program that provides complimentary breakfast and other exclusive perks to elite members staying at select hotels. To receive complimentary breakfast at Expedia VIP Access hotels, you must have One Key Silver elite status or higher. In addition to breakfast, you’ll receive parking credits and 50% extra OneKeyCash.
Whether you’re looking to save money on your next hotel stay or you just want some extra pampering during your vacation, these programs are sure to provide you with plenty of options. Just make sure to compare the rates offered through these programs against what you’d pay when booking direct.
Hotel elite status
Having hotel elite status can also get you complimentary breakfast at many hotels. Most hotel chains offer complimentary breakfast to mid- and top-tier elite members. But you don’t have to spend dozens of nights to earn status. You can get it simply by applying for a hotel credit card or a status match.
Getting hotel elite status with credit cards is the fastest way to upgrade your status and enjoy perks like free breakfast. For example, the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card provides instant Hilton Honors Gold elite status. Gold elite members receive complimentary food and beverage credits in the US and free breakfast abroad. The annual fee is just $150 (see rates and fees), which you can easily recoup by taking advantage of the breakfast benefit on a couple of stays.
Meanwhile, Marriott loyalists can apply for the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card, which includes Marriott Platinum status. This includes perks like lounge access, daily breakfast as a welcome amenity and 4 p.m. late checkout. The card has a $650 annual fee (see rates and fees) but also includes other perks like a monthly $25 dining credit and an annual free night certificate worth up to 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy points.
Status matches are another way to get hotel elite status. This involves contacting a hotel chain and asking them to match your current loyalty program tier with their own program. Hotels will usually review your current loyalty accounts and match your tier if they feel it is comparable.
This can be a great way to quickly get higher status without spending money on hotel stays or credit card annual fees. Travel website StatusMatcher can help you find which loyalty programs offer status matches. Complimentary breakfasts can be a great way for travelers on a budget to save some money while on vacation or business trips.
Bottom line
Whether you’re traveling for business or pleasure, complimentary hotel breakfast is both a huge convenience and money saver. Use the methods outlined in this article to secure free breakfast during your next hotel stay.
Check out CNN Underscored’s guide to the best travel credit cards currently available.
Click here for rates and fees of the Amex Platinum card.
Click here for rates and fees of the Hilton Honors Amex Surpass.
Click here for rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Amex.