Please help with an argument about hotel buffet breakfasts

[Toffeesgirl]

If the Breakfast times are say 7.30-10am, does that mean:

a) you have to have finished your breakfast and be out by 10ish or

b) you can arrive and start your breakfast up until 10am

This causes a long and mostly! lighthearted discussion with friends.

I always assume you need to leave by 10am.

I see it as a shop opening time. Service starts at 7.30 and service ends at 10. Walk in at 9.55 and don't expect a full buffet. Staff will have begun clearing up and the food isn't going to be replenished. Otherwise every CF will be coming it 9.58. No doubt hotel staff on here will have some examples

It stops being served at that time. You don’t need to leave that’s ridiculous.

Food cleared at 10 is my guess

Food stops at 10. If you turn up at 9:55, there will be sod all food. They will be clearing tables but unlikely to chuck you out

I think it's okay to be sitting drinking coffee and finishing what's on your plate at 10am, but not to expect there to be food available to help yourself to after that time.

I would say the food would stop being brought out at 10 and what's left would be cleared away shortly afterwards but if you had a cup of coffee and breakfast at your table already I wouldn't expect to be kicked out at 10.

Though having said that, I'm not sure because I've long gone by then🤣🤣

This. But check-out time is a factor too.

(B), if it’s at all a reasonable place.

Somewhere in between. You don't need to have finished by 10, but arriving at 9.59 isn't ok either.

Food starts being cleared away at 10, and not replenished and you're finished when you're finished.
Just don't expect the buffet to be as full as it would have been at 7.30am and if there's something not left then either ask for it in a decent manner and be prepared to wait while it's done (most places won't have an issue with doing say a couple of sausages or something if they've ran out) or don't have it.
It's not usually the asking for these things that's the issue, it's those who start kicking off when they've slid in at 9.58 and there's not much left because they expect that it should be completely full until 10am which would cause a ridiculous amount of wastage that is completely unnecessary.

I'd aim to be down by 9:30 with things slowly being wound up and not replaced after that point.

I have always found it's fine to go in any time up until ten and you'll still be asked if you'd like to order anything fresh from the menu (eg. Eggs Benedict) and to help yourself to the buffet. I don't think the buffet is replenished with as much food, but items are never missing, such as no baked beans at all once they're empty.

B.

I would expect them to stop replenishing food shortly before 10am and to start clearing away at 10am. I don't think you need to leave by 10am but if you want a decent breakfast, then you probably need to get there by 9.40ish at the very latest.

In not-so-good hotels, they often start clearing up and taking stuff away before the end of the allotted slot, so it also depends a bit on where you're staying.

They stop serving at 10am.

This means they'll stop putting out new food at 9.30am meaning if you get there at 10am don't expect a full selection. And the staff will be less than impressed at you because they can't clean the tables as quickly.

You don’t have to leave by 10 but no more food and they may start proper cleaning up which will make you feel a bit awkward but I’ve never been rushed out. I always aim to show up with at least a half hour to go otherwise you just get the dregs.

No fresh food or coffee provided after 10am, but they will let you linger and finish what you have.
If you're still there at 11am, they might then chuck you out!

You can go in at 9.55am, but you will most likely get dry scrambled egg from the bain marie.

I'd think they would stop replemishing the buffet about 9.50. so you'd have whatever is there if you arrived at 9.59. They may empty the buffet at 10 or just after that but they would probably give you another 20 mins to eat what you already had before asking you to leave. I'd never go down later than 9.30 though.

I stayed in two different hotels in two different countries over the weekend. Both finished serving breakfast at 10.30. In both, the food wasn’t being replenished from about 10.10, and at 10.30 sharp, staff started clearing the counters of food, starting with the savouries, leaving the pastries and cake till last. About 10.40, they turned off the coffee machine. People were still finishing food they’d already taken to their tables after 10.30.

I would definitely get there by 10.00 if I was hungry and wanted more than coffee and toast.

b) but as others have said you run the risk of getting the dregs and the staff clearing up so no second visit to the buffet!

@Toffeesgirl it’s b). You can turn up but they will have stopped replenishing and will start clearing empty serving plates etc. And they will start cleaning empty tables. So there may not be much left although you can fill your drinks and make toast usually 🤷🏻‍♀️

In my experience 7-30-10 means the staff start shutting the buffet down at 10. The machines are turned off, the food & drink is taken away, the serving areas & tables are cleaned down and nobody else is admitted. Anyone who is still sitting at a table is allowed to finish what they are eating while the staff clear up around them.

I practically live in hotels for work. It means that they start clearing away at 10am. You can come down at 9.55 and start breakfast but there will be very little left and none will be freshly cooked.

I don't know OP, but you have made me want a hotel buffet breakfast.