To have assumed this about breakfast?

[YouWhatLove]

Staying in a country pub with rooms for a couple of nights away with my dc. We went down for breakfast this morning and the waitress asked if we wanted the continental breakfast for £7.95 or the cooked breakfast for £10.95 (slightly cheaper for dc but can’t remember the price). We all had the cooked breakfast, she took our orders and went off.

I then went to the continental buffet bit and got juice for dc, a cup of tea for myself and 2 slices of toast to go with our cooked breakfast. She delivered the cooked breakfast, it was all very nice and then she presented us with the bill that charged us for 3 x continental breakfast and 3 x cooked breakfast. I said she’d charged us twice and she said that she’d seen me go to the buffet so had to charge me. After a bit of a fuss she agreed to only charge for the cooked breakfast but said to not do it tomorrow and that if I wanted tea/ juice/ toast I had to order it with my breakfast.

I haven’t stayed in that many places that offered a continental and cooked breakfast at a separate price but was I being cheeky to assume the cost of a cooked breakfast included juice and toast from the buffet bit? I’m sure when I’ve stayed in Premier Inn or similar that’s been the case or maybe I’ve just been nicking stuff without realising it 😬

Every breakfast buffet I have ever gone too has been base price for continental and extra for cooked on top (but includes continental).

I have stayed everywhere from basic £30 roadside hotels to small B&B up to being lucky enough to have stayed in some 5* luxuary hotels... any I encountered that offered a set up like this rather than an order indervidual items menu have had the same set up.

OP is NOT being wierd in her assumption at all. People saying they have encountered otherwise are being wierd, you must have stayed in some bizaare hotels.

This is why I like all inclusive hotels abroad!! 😂
One I stayed in had Brussel sprouts out for breakfast , strangely nobody was taking them.

If you look at the price for the Cooked, it says it includes continental

But if it didn't say, would you have asked or would you have assumed? Admittedly I can see the confusion when they didn't ask if she wanted drinks while ordering but I'd still ask if I was supposed to help myself before the waitress left.

I've usually seen breakfast menus in chain hotels here and in Europe described as either 'light/express/continental' or 'full/English/Irish' etc.
I would expect the first to be limited -- a pastry or pastries plus bread/toast, jams, cold juice and a hot drink.

But the 'full' breakfast is all of the above plus cooked eggs, bacon etc, specialities like black pudding, hog's pudding, Lorne sausage, and in Europe sliced cold ham and cheese, soft cheese/yoghurts, cake and dried or fresh fruit or compotes as well.

I would expect the system to be clearly explained to guests on arrival at the dining room, and if not, well that's the hotel's fault.
Full breakfasts in Spanish hotels are particularly good value, IME, offering fresh fruit, various cakes, tarts, doughnuts, tortilla, sliced or puréed tomato, olive oil, lots of breads, hard and soft cheeses, sliced salamis and hams as well as the standard hot items and cereals.
You don't need lunch after that!

As I said, the Marstons pubs do seem to all follow the same style of breakfast menu on their website - so it will be interesting to see what the actual menu says.

Honestly - yes. All the times I have ever had breakfast that I have paid for, then it's always been continental plus extra for cooked items. It always includes tea and coffee and juice.

YANBU OP, every place I have ever stayed in, whether a B&B or a hotel, or a cheap PI type place, you get cereal, tea/coffee, juice, toast, and a full fryup all included in one price or you pay a bit less for continental only

Most mid-range hotels expect you to get up and make your own drinks now, so I would have got up and got my own.

it’s the staff’s fault for not making clear when she took you to your table.

@cakeorwine I said earlier that the menu here was similar to those on the website but more limited and definitely did not mention anything being included or excluded with either option.

@Fedupbuyer the menu didn’t call it a “full” breakfast, it called it a cooked breakfast. As I already said the menu is different to the one listed on the website. I guess those are the vague layouts or them and each individual pub sets their own pricing/ wording?

You need a picture of it.

But the menu on the website for the pub should be the same as the one you get given. Otherwise that's misleading.

Have you had a chat with the manager yet?

I would have assumed the same as OP.

I think it's the hotel's fault for not making it clear. She should have asked if you wanted toast / drinks. I think drinks should be included in the price of the cooked breakfast, surely you don't have to pay extra for them? Not sure I would have helped myself without clarifying though

This is in the sun on FB now.

I don’t know if anyone has said but it popped up on my timeline

I don’t know why it popped up on my timeline… I don’t even read the sun but here goes:

www.thesun.co.uk/travel/18770660/mum-hotel-breakfast-cooked-opinion/?utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=sunmainfacebook&utm_source=Facebook#Echobox=1654264356

That is a crap article. Someone agreed. Someone else said. Dear Sun Journalist. Did you ever learn how to write an article?

Oh - and Sun journalist - most people agree with the OP.

@Booklover3 oh ffs. What a ridiculously boring thread for The Sun to go for 🤦‍♀️

I know! I couldn’t believe it either

Just wondering if the OP had a decent breakfast today

@cakeorwine breakfast was disappointing today as I’m home now and had to prepare it myself like a commoner. At least I know what the rules are here though.

should have said something to the manager before you left

I have NEVER been anywhere in UK where continental wasn't included with the cooked breakfast

A cooked breakfast should include toast. I can see the maybe charging extra for a tea or coffee (don’t think they should personally), but no toast?! What are you supposed to dip in your eggs? I’ve never had a fry up anywhere where toast wasn’t included.

I know you're home now but if it was £8 ish for the continental and £11 ish for the full I'd be expecting the continental too.

Why have a buffet you can help yourself to and eat as much as you like and then expect to charge £3 more for a few bacon rashes, eggs and sausages - but no drink and toast?

Everywhere I've gone has been a tiered option.

I agree to contact head office.

They told you the price of both - you had both, not just a cup of tea from buffet but juice and toast. You got caught stealing. Yes some hotels include both together but this one didn’t and you knew that.

I have never known a set up like this, OP. There would normally be the full breakfast which includes everything available - or continental which would be all bar the cooked buffet. Never either/or... YANBU.