AIBU to ask what you’d expect from a “continental breakfast”?

[Aberforthsgoat]

If you were staying at a hotel and continental option was offered what would you expect that to include?

Selection of meats, cheeses, fruit, cereal, pastries?

Selection of juices and tea and coffee
Toast
Cereal
Pastries
Fruit
Yoghurt

I have just stayed in mid range hotel and there was pastries / toast/cereal /yogurts fruit and cheese/cold meat . not a huge amount of choice within that but it was ok .

What they offered you, OP, sounds like a complete piss-take, especially if you paid extra for it.

I would complain. And name and shame if you get nowhere.

Depends where in Europe you are.

In France, croissant and coffee
In Spain, similar
Also in Italy

In Germany, bread, boiled egg, cold meats, cheese, jams, honey. On an upper level, pastries, yoghurt, maybe cereals but more the müsli type.

If a cheap motel/hotel in the US, coffee and a selection of sickly sweet, pre-packed cinnamon flavour plastic pastries.

That breakfast probably wouldnt even fill a toddler never mind an adult.

Got more in Amsterdam Ibis budget hotel.

Cereal, yogurts, toast, cheese, cold meats, jam, fruit, orange juice, tea and coffee

I love a particular french hotel where breakfast includes only OJ, hot drink, one pastry and one section of baguette pp with preserves.

That’s appalling. I’d definitely be complaining about that. I’d also warn prospective guests on trip advisor or their social media pages.

Just stayed at a nice continental 4 star hotel, and breakfast included:

Fruit
Yoghurt
Cereals
Cheeses
Cold meats
Smoked salmon
Various salads
Various breads (that you could toast)
Pastries
Fresh juices
Tea and coffee

Also cooked breakfast of sausages, eggs, tomatoes, beans etc on offer.

And there was a gluten free table.

That's piss poor. In the hotel I work at (mid range for where we are) breakfast is included in the price, a continental help yourself buffet and then a hot food menu to order from. Buffet is -
6 cereals to choose from including 2 homemade museli/granola
3 juices and water and milk (semi skimmed but we have skimmed, almond and soya on request)
6 types of fresh cut up fruits (melon, grapefruit etc)
Small homemade pots of fruit yoghurt.
White/brown bread and toaster
Jam, marmalade, honey, marmite, Nutella, butter and spread.
Tea, fruit/herbal teas and filter coffee.
Pain au chocolate and croissants.

Tbh I thought our breakfast was a bit sparse for the room rate, but I've changed my mind reading this! Definitely complain OP, but try head office or general manager rather than a duty manager. Duty managers can only pass on they don't normally have the clout to change things.

The least I have had .
Cereal ( at least 3 variety)
Yogurt
Fruit
Crossiant
Tea
Coffee
Juice.
2 sorts of jam. ( marmalade +1)

Usually As well as above
A variety of bread ( toaster )
Cheese ( variety)
Salami
Cold meat such as ham
Several types of jam

We do Airbnb and each morning guests have
Fresh juice
Unlimited Nespresso coffee and an assortment of teas
Fresh fruit
Freshly baked croissants and Danish pastries
Yoghurt
Toast, butter, jams

We get nice feedback about our breakfasts (though we get even nicer feedback about our dog and two cats 🤣)
The breakfast you describe for a posh hotel is pretty rubbish and I would be very disappointed 😥

Oh and a selection of cereals of course!

That's do cheeky it's (nearly) funny.

so cheeky

I still want to know if OP was obliged to pay extra, or if this epicurean delight was "included"

When I was young (laments......) I stayed in a youth hostel. There were cereals, milk, yoghurts, bread (to toast), butter, and cheese spreads/small cheese portions. That was a 3 star youth hostel! Endless coffee/tea/fruit juices.

You received what you'd get in a 1 star youth hostel.

"The continental offering was a mini croissant in a sealed packet and a slice of dairy Lea cheese...."

It's a * ⭐️ masquerading as a* ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Recently stayed in a best western..continental offerings were chopped fruit, yoghurts, fresh pastries, cheese and deli meats, cereals.
You should complain!

Crap you shouldn't have paid for, or bother to come down to in the morning.

What that's bloody awful!

We've stayed in a few different premier inns(visiting DH's family for a few days,going to watch a football match)and the continental part of the breakfast is always huge.

Croissants,pain au chocolat,pain au raisins,cinnamon and raisin bagel,blueberry mini muffins,sourdough crumpets,bread(white,malted or gluten free)American style buttermilk pancakes,8 different spreads for toast,fresh fruit salad,apples and bananas,red berry mix,dried fruit mix,organic yogurts,Greek yogurt,kellogs cereal and muesli,granola,weetabix,porridge and that's just the food.

That is all unlimited as well so you can eat as much as you want,the drinks are also unlimited and you have a choice of costa coffees,different types of tea,different types of juice and smoothies.

That's only £7.50 per adult and any child under 16 eats for free when dining with an adult that's having breakfast.

I would complain OP,I'm sure what they gave you can't be right!

Stayed at an Ibis in London three years ago, I had two use their "early morning" continental. It had

Toast
Pastries
Jam/Marmalade/Nutella/Marmite
Fruit
Yoghurt
Coffee and Tea
Juices
Water

A wrapped croissant is something I last had on an overnight flight