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?

For a non cooked breakfast for guests I lay on

Tea, coffee and fresh juice
High quality bread, white and brown
Pain au Chocolat and Almond Croissants
Homemade preserve
Marmalade
Yogurts
Cut up fresh fruit, strawberries and bananas and anything else I have in
Homemade granola

I also have ham and cheese but don't necessarily put them out.

I don't run a B and B either.

What you were given OP, is shocking.

One croissant & one pack of dairylea: only those & no extra? Nothing else, no drinks at all? That's pretty funny.

My experience of "continental breakfast" is heaps & heaps of food.
At least 2 types of toast, at least 3 types of cereal, probably several types of milk, 2-3 types of fruit juice drink, coffee, tea. Usually some cold things like cream cheese, cheese slices, deli meats. Huge array of spreads. Nothing cooked so yes limits on variety but No limit on quantity.

Next time go to Ibis or Holiday Inn lol

You’ve all made me feel loads better for feeling so enraged/heartbroken about my lack of breakfast!
It’s a UK Based hotel btw but in my previous experience there’s still usually been a good selection although I have to admit that was at pricier places so I wasn’t sure if I was expecting too much.

I know in Europe it’s more simplified but we’ve usually had a minimum of lovely coffee and fresh mini pastries with jams and preserves abroad.

I once went to a hotel which advertised a continental breakfast - there was no dining room and they just put out a plate of stale biscuits at the reception desk.

(That was in the US).

DS has been a breakfast chef in a five star hotel in Devon recently. Apart from the full English breakfast option of bacon, sausages, eggs whichever way you want (fried, poached, boiled, omeletted, with or without hollandaise sauce) hogs pudding and something potatoey, there will also be home made granola, muesli, preserves, and fresh fruit salad. You could ask for a bagel with smoked salmon and cream cheese, toasted or not, jam, marmelade, or marmite or patum paperium. The bread will be baked fresh, from dough made in the kitchen the day before. And if your dog wants a lightly boiled egg, it will be delivered with due ceremony. When you are paying £350 per night, you can choose what you want for breakfast.

I'd expect pastries, bread and muffins, spreads, cheese, meat, yoghurt, fruit, fruit juice.

A croissant and a processed cheese slice isn't a continental breakfast by any stretch!

For four star I would expect a selection of breads/pastries/ Cereals/fruits/cold meats (at least two types_cheese/yogurt. Noticing smoked fish more and more recently along with a choice of teas and coffee.

I have had what you got a couple.of times in hotels but it was always when I never paid for brealfast and was checking out before 5.30 am to make a train/bus and the hotels did it because there was nowhere to get breakfast before 7.30 am. It was free and welcomed but would not be happy if I had paid.

It's about quality too, not just "what". A couple of times when I bothered I realised it's chemical yohurt, chemical juice from concentrate, watery ham and rather acidic sour "fruit" (tinned fruit is the safest option). I don't eat cereals/muesli even at home so these in a hotel aren't attractive either. My alternative to all this crap was coffee in a cafe and a large slice of cake (in Europe cakes are good) - now, that's what I call breakfast.

We served better than that at cub camp!!
We had choice of 2 cereals, brioche, cheese and ham, choice of white or brown bread with jam or honey, apples, oranges and peaches, with orange juice, milk or hot chocolate for the cubs plus lots of coffee for the adults!!!

Only really really good hotels do breakfast a la carte. The rest can't afford to because breakfast is delegated to a competent junior chef who is hoping for a commis vacancy where she or he will learn something new. DS gets up at 5.15 to do breakfasts, then platters for lunch, followed by sandwiches for afternoon teas, and finishes about 6.30 pm, and all the mise en place for next day, and often staff food too.

Breads, pastries, croissants and preserves, cereals and cold meats/cheeses.

And forgot, some fruit/yoghurt usually.

But he has renegotiated his wage from £5.90 per hour to £9 since the ex-dinner lady-cook failed to match his Trip Advisor ratings!

I would expect a choice of cereals, toast, bagel, croissant, yoghurt, other fruit, danish pastries, thinly sliced cheese and meats, coffee/tea, fruit juice.

However I live in the USA which which tends to offer more.

US nationals do seem to have expectations above European normal, but quite often there are lots of choices and the quality of provisions is only okay.

Well I’ve decided I’m going to complain tomorrow if it’s the same offering...

I'd be gutted, I love breakfast food!

What does Trip Advisor say, I'd enjoy writing a scathing review.

Cheese, bread, hams, pastries, yoghurt and cereal with juice coffee and tea

US nationals do seem to have expectations above European normal

IME they don't expect the cheese and cold cuts of meat in a Continental breakfast.

I have had what you got a couple.of times in hotels but it was always when I never paid for brealfast and was checking out before 5.30 am to make a train/bus and the hotels did it because there was nowhere to get breakfast before 7.30 am. It was free and welcomed but would not be happy if I had paid.

Where I work I sometimes get someone saying quite late on (I start at 11pm) that they are leaving earlier than breakfast and wanting to settle bills. Our breakfast is included in the room, and I always offer to have the continental out for whatever time they need it for, so they can have at least something before they leave. Our chefs starts at 6 and all are happy to do an early breakfast from around 6.30am when all the equipment is on and warned up, given some warning. I do have people appear at 5.30/6 and want a breakfast (I realise you don't, this is just an observation) and that's pretty hard to do without any warning so I've had to improvise and it's not always what you'd get normally. Everywhere I've worked has been happy to accommodate an early breakfast, at least continental as the night porter can get it all ready and sorted for what time you require, with some notice.
If I'm anywhere and leaving early I ask for an early breakfast, and it's always been accommodated ☺️

I would expect

Cold ham and garlic sausage
Boiled eggs
Cheese
Fresh bread and unsalted butter

How was breakfast?

Blimey I stayed in a £35 inc breakfast hotel recently and there was still several cereals, bread (you had to toast it yourself which is fine), jams/nutella, and croissants/pastries.