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The prospect of a free breakfast with a hotel room can be undeniably enticing. There is a major convenience factor, and if you wake up starving, it’s nice to have everything ready for you. But who wants to spend an extra $20-30 on a bad breakfast buffet after forking out an already pretty sum on a hotel in an expensive big city? This problem can sometimes be solved by forgoing the paid-for breakfast and finding the nearest donut shop, but for those who want a lazy and indulgent vacation, or who have little time to go wandering around the city (or strip mall area or suburban neighborhood), a free and decent breakfast just downstairs from the room can be a lifesaver.

To help you find these gems, we’ve put together a list of the absolute best free hotel breakfasts available at hotel chains in the U.S. Some of these breakfasts are always free, no matter which branch you go to, while others may require membership at a certain level. For instance, some Hilton hotels only serve free breakfast to its top-tiered Diamond members, while others may require a simple, free sign-up to get immediate access to free breakfasts and other perks. Others still seem to like to keep us on our toes, offering free breakfast at some locations and not others. This list was compiled by using a combination of professional reviews from travel sites, Google reviews from real, live guests, and personal experience.

Best Western Plus

When you think of the brand Best Western, comfort and luxury might not be the first concepts that come to mind. Indeed, run-of-the-mill Best Western made our list of hotel breakfast buffets you should avoid. But as with Marriotts — which range from the affordable Courtyards to the lofty Ritz-Carltons — Best Westerns have their own tiered systems, with Best Western Plus being a cut above the rest. For example, Best Western Plus hotels have all the amenities of a regular Best Western in addition to perks like hot tubs or on-site restaurants, increasing the comfort and convenience factors.

With increased comfort and luxury comes an improved breakfast buffet, which is free to guests and typically garners decent reviews, although it remains far from perfect. One reviewer, talking about the Best Western Plus Berkshire Hills in Massachusetts, said that the cereals and bagels were fresh and plentiful. Meanwhile, a reviewer for the Best Western Plus Hawthorne Terrace Hotel in Chicago on TripAdvisor called the complimentary breakfast “delicious with homemade cinnamon rolls that ‘were to die for.'” Others cite a pleasant ambiance for breakfast, at least during the warmer months, when guests can enjoy their meal in a lively and landscaped courtyard.

Hilton Garden Inn

One of the draws at the Hilton Garden Inn, aside from having a decent breakfast overall, is its consistency across hotels in various areas of the country. The Hilton Garden Inn in Lenox, Massachusetts, receives consistently high reviews in terms of quality and affordability, while the location in Manhattan, on West 35th Street, receives good reviews in terms of breakfast quality, as expected, but does not do so well in terms of variety and selection.

One thing to note is that many Hilton Garden Inns don’t offer free breakfast to all guests — only Gold and Diamond members may receive the free breakfast or enjoy a buffet or a la carte menu on their free credit vouchers. This may be a good thing in Manhattan, where you won’t have to go too far to enjoy a very good breakfast or brunch at one of the many delicious restaurants the city is known for. But it also suggests that with fewer guests partaking in the shared buffet experience, the hotel has more control over the quality of its offerings, which ultimately results in a superior breakfast overall.

Hampton Inn and Suites by Hilton

This Hilton hotel brand is ubiquitous, highly affordable, and offers dignified accommodations, making it a good value-for-money option for anyone traveling throughout the United States. The same can be said for its free breakfasts, which are firmly mid-range in terms of quality. This comes with the territory since breakfast is included in the overall price of the room.

One particular breakfast perk at the Hampton Inn is the presence of a waffle machine. While we can’t speak to the quality or ingredients in the batter, there is something comforting and fulfilling about being able to make yourself a thick, fluffy waffle in the morning and cover it with all the fresh fruit you want. If you’re still not convinced, consider the fact that Paris Hilton herself, famous for being a Hilton heiress, among other things, promoted the waffles by designing a line of strawberry pink waffles which became available at some locations in October 2024. Fans could even purchase the waffle mix to bring home. In addition to the waffles, many reviewers say the Hampton Inn often has a good selection of foods, including cereals, eggs, bagels, muffins, and fresh fruit.

Hyatt Place

Although the Hyatt Place website states that it offers free breakfast at most locations, it seems that the chain may be gradually discontinuing this practice, allowing guests to book rooms that don’t necessarily include breakfast. Instead, guests can book a stay with breakfast included, for a higher fee, which technically makes it no longer “free.” But the flip side is that if you don’t want to have breakfast at the hotel, you don’t have to pay for something you’re not going to eat anyway. It just depends on how you look at it. That said, those with World of Hyatt Globalist membership — which comes with a host of perks such as faster check-in — will continue to enjoy free breakfast no matter where they go.

In terms of the breakfast itself, reviewers at the Saratoga Springs, New York, location consistently described a standard but decent breakfast with plenty of tasty options and friendly staff. Meanwhile, guests at the Hyatt Place in Virginia Beach were impressed with the selection and the professional manner of the staff, who managed to keep the buffet well stocked even on busy days.

SpringHill Suites by Marriott

At SpringHill Suites, free breakfast is available to all guests and typically offers a buffet with a good variety of options, including grab-and-go type foods like pre-made sandwiches. This can be especially useful if you have an early flight to catch, or a business meeting, and don’t have the leisure to sit down and relax at the breakfast table. More generally, guests seem to have noticed the positivity surrounding SpringHill breakfasts, as these spreads are often rated well across the board.

A reviewer for SpringHill Suites in Columbus, Ohio, said the breakfast was simple but good, while others called it top-notch or excellent. Meanwhile, reviewers for a Baton Rouge location of SpringHill Suites praised the selection of cold and hot goods in the breakfast buffet, the hours of operation, the accommodating staff, and the homey, comforting feel of the meal as a whole. This Southern charm may not be available at all SpringHill Suites locations across the nation, but it’s good to see that some local flavor can seep into what are otherwise fairly standard breakfast experiences.

Holiday Inn Express

A lot of people seem to rate free hotel breakfast buffets highly based on their wide selection, but often, quality can truly trump quantity. In other words, if you’re dealing with excellent food, you won’t need all that choice. For instance, in 2018 Holiday Inn Express started partnering with Cinnabon to produce delicious cinnamon rolls for its free breakfast buffets, and guests couldn’t have been happier. In reviews about the breakfast, many of them cited the cinnamon rolls as a true highlight. And if you find them at your buffet, don’t worry if the Cinnabons are not refrigerated–they’re not supposed to be.

But a single item cannot make a breakfast stellar, especially if you have a gluten allergy. So it’s useful to note that the Holiday Inn has other goodies to offer its guests in the morning. Some reviewers of the Holiday Inn Express at the Phoenix airport highlighted the freshly made coffee, which staff keep coming at a steady pace. Others pointed out that the temperature of the food was kept at an ideal “Goldilocks” temperature — neither too hot nor too cold, but just right.

Residence Inn by Marriott

Some hotel breakfasts stand out not because they offer what everyone expects to find, but precisely because they don’t. This seems to be the case with the Residence Inn, at least in part, where you can find iced coffee, a true rarity in the world of free hotel breakfasts, and an especially welcome addition during the summer months. Other unexpected but right-on-the-mark breakfast items at this hotel chain include the egg, chorizo, and cheddar breakfast burrito or the ham, cheese, and pepper omelet.

But never fear, because those with a sweet tooth will also be accommodated at the Residence Inn, which serves plenty of oatmeal with various sweet toppings, chocolate muffins, and blueberry scones, which The Points Guy describes as having “big, flakey bites of sugar.” Healthy choices are also on the menu here, as pointed out by some reviewers for the Residence Inn Las Vegas Hughes Center, who cited the hotel buffet’s scrambled eggs and fresh fruit in particular.

Embassy Suites by Hilton

It’s always a good sign when a hotel offers omelets at its free breakfast buffet, but it’s even better when that omelet is made fresh in front of you, with all your favorite toppings. This is the case at most Embassy Suites locations, where chefs can make all manner of omelets, including with egg whites only, with toppings ranging from diced ham to mushrooms and various shredded cheeses. If you’re lucky, you may even be able to ask them to make you a stack of fresh pancakes with fresh and delicious toppings. The difference between a stale pancake that has been sitting in a chafing dish all morning and a fresh-off-the-griddle pancake can make or break your entire day.

But if you’re short on time, you can also grab a pre-made omelet that still tastes pretty good despite not being made fresh. Alongside that, there is a wide selection of good quality buffet foods you can pop onto your plate as you whisk by. Speaking of plates, Embassy Suites is one of the few hotels on this list that provides real porcelain plates to their guests instead of the usual paper plates. This may seem like a small thing, but it helps to elevate the overall experience.

Hilton Curio

Hilton Curios are a step up from some of the other Hilton hotel chains on this list. They are also somewhat boutique-like, meaning they tend to have more unique aspects about them and don’t necessarily conform to the cookie-cutter idea of a Hilton hotel. This makes Curios a little hit or miss sometimes, but when they’re a hit, they make you feel like you’re staying in a luxury hotel and that you’re really being taken care of, including in terms of breakfast.

It’s also important to note that like the Hilton Garden Inn, many Curios do not automatically offer free breakfast, but it can be achieved if you select a rate that includes breakfast when booking your room (or if you’re a Gold or Diamond member with access to breakfast credits). But what the Curio lacks in access, it makes up for in quality. Some Curios offer breakfasts that are so good, even non-guests come from outside to partake in it, as in the case of the Hotel Saranac, Curio Collection at Saranac Lake in New York. The food here was consistently rated highly, and many people appreciated the freshly brewed coffee, especially since the rooms at this location do not have coffee makers.

The Mandarin Oriental

Because this hotel chain is consistently among the most expensive in the world, it may seem surprising that you can access a free breakfast just with a few extra clicks of the mouse. Indeed, all you have to do is become a Fans of M.O. member, which is quick, easy, and completely free to sign up for. Once you are a Fan, you have the option to choose among various benefits to be enjoyed during your stay, including late check-out, spa benefits, or room upgrades.

But if it’s the free breakfast you’re after, be sure to choose the complimentary daily breakfast as one of your perks. Depending on the location of your hotel, you will be able to choose from a variety of freshly pressed juices, homemade granola, whole wheat muffins, seasonal fruit, applewood smoked bacon, and more. The menu includes some of the highest quality food on this list, and you can tell by the taste and feel of it. Indeed, even if you get down to the breakfast room to only find breakfast pastries, juices, and teas and coffees, you can be sure that these will be some of the best pastries, juices, and teas and coffees you’ve ever had.

Relais & Châteaux

As with the Hilton Curios, Relais & Châteaux hotels are not cookie-cutter versions of each other. Each hotel has its own distinct personality and feel. Similarly, each hotel decides whether or not to offer free breakfast, so if you’re after this particular perk, be sure to double-check its status at the time of booking. And it’s worth doing so: Relais & Châteaux is a hotel chain that is particularly well-known for providing good food, so much so that it even has its own list of restaurants –not exactly a chain, as each restaurant is unique and includes Michelin-starred dining establishments as well as restaurants appearing on the venerable list of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants — but a series of eateries bearing the Relais & Châteaux brand.

One Relais & Châteaux that offers a great free breakfast is the Castle Hill Inn in Newport, Rhode Island, which incidentally, also serves great food at brunch, lunch, and dinner. One reviewer said the food here was so good that they canceled all their other dining reservations in town and took all their meals at the hotel. Another advised guests not to skip the pancakes, while yet another referred to the breakfast as a special treat.

Methodology

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Choosing a hotel to stay at during a vacation, road trip, work trip — or just because, — is a highly personal choice and depends on many factors, one of which may or may not be breakfast. When breakfast is included in the price of the room, it can certainly be a bonus, and it may even skew your decision to choose that particular hotel. But this is only really true if the breakfast is halfway decent. Indeed, some hotels offer such bad breakfasts that you might be better off ordering Uber Eats or heading out the front door to the nearest bakery.

But this handy guide is here to help you determine which breakfasts are worth the trip. Based on a combination of public reviews, professional reviews, and personal experience, we’ve put together a list of some of the best free hotel breakfasts offered at hotel chains in the US, spanning a wide range of geographical areas, price points, and comfort levels. For example, we noticed that many of the hotels on this list consistently received high Google or TripAdvisor ratings from guests in terms of breakfast. The assessments of Relais & Châteaux and Hilton Curios were based on personal experiences since these hotel chains tend to vary more in quality and free offerings compared to more widespread chains like Hyatt Place or Best Western Plus hotels.