Has lack of Premier Inn breakfast ruined the weekend?

[Liesmorelies]

I mean, it hasn't, not for me, but DH seems to feel otherwise and I don't know if I've been UR. We (us and two dc) were in London overnight to see a show. We would normally maximise our time in the city and leave maybe this sort of time on Sunday, but we've all been ill and still feel a bit tired and rundown and so agreed we'd leave after breakfast and maybe a walk/quick trip to a park or the river.

When I woke I realised our PI was about a 20 minute walk from Shoreditch market where I was sure there are loads of cafes and stalls. Although we normally have the PI breakfast I thought this would be a nice change and mean we would be doing what we had planned (quick trip to somewhere nice and a walk) and could then leave. Also looked up a particular cafe that looked nice. Everyone agreed - all fine.

When we arrived at the cafe there was a queue. DH immediately said in a moody way, 'That's that then,' and started huffing. I said let's walk up (we were at the end of the road) it might not be that bad, but he had walked off. We ended up wandering around the area with him getting increasingly grumpy. Sods law, we weren't really going past any suitable looking cafes, although I'm sure the area is full of them. We did see a Pret but I didn't want that.

We eventually saw a nice independent cafe where we were able to have porridge,pastries, toast and spreads, fresh juice and lovely coffee. We all ate but DH wouldn't stop going on about the bloody PI. Yes, I get that he would eat his body weight there and we ended up with a relatively small breakfast that probably cost more (though our kids are 16 and 18, so no more free PI breakfasts!) but what we had was lovely, the place was lovely, and a bit different, and, ffs, PI will still be there next time. I offered to look for another place or even a Greggs for him to 'top up,' but he went in full strop mode. DS1 loves a PI breakfast too and he didn't moan, and dd was wanting pancakes in the place with a queue but she didn't moan that she didn't end up getting them, it's just him acting like a child. He also moaned about the cost, saying PI breakfast would have done for lunch as well, but we were home in time for a late lunch and no one wanted food on the journey so it's like he's just looking for stuff to moan about.

We're home now but he has said he's sick of me making all the decisions, I'm fussy and nothing is good enough and I'm just hard work. He's gone for a run but it was an atmosphere all the way home. Did I do wrong - I get I could have looked at booking but to me it worked out fine in the end.

I've never actually had it TBF. I've heard not so great things but if I stayed there I would eat it if it was included in the price. I'm not that fussy and just never really stay in hotels.

Arguing over the quality of the premier inn food is pointless since I think we can assume OP and her family like it perfectly fine (given they keep going back).

It still seems daft to me to walk away from food on site to go looking for something else which isn't a given. Massively overcomplicating things especially when you're all tired and run down.

I think it was just unfortunate (but pretty predictable) the cafe you had wanted to go to had a queue.

I think given you've all been unwell & are tired, late night etc, id have just had the PI breakfast & coffee then gone for a walk around the market picking up some nice things to take home. Had a coffee at one of the nice looking cafes etc

he was a sulky twat who said some unkind things, I hope he apologises.

your 'kids' sound great!

what show did you see?

I think I’m with your DH here. Their breakfasts would usually keep you full for lunch and I like the range and unlimited coffees. I would not be happy traipsing round hangry and finding queues for cafes where you don’t know if it’s any good. You also probably paid more for less food, which would be annoying, but that’s just the northerner in me.
Feed people then go sightseeing.
I get you wanted the cultural experience but the rest of your family were probably just hungry. Think of them and not just yourself. He’s right to feel railroaded.

Because a hotel breakfast is convenient, often included in the price and doesn't involve traipsing round trying to find somewhere that's open when you're not feeling 100%.

I'm not sure why you'd choose the trip when everyone's ill, tired and rundown to have everyone traipsing around looking for a special breakfast when you usually tale the convieoent option.

Also, IME, little independent cafe doesn't automatically mean lovely. It can do, but often it can also mean overpriced, poor service and not particularly clean, so unless you have something specific in mind, not necessarily better than PI.

So we have had countless PI breakfasts over the years - I don't think we've ever stayed and not had it. I like it well enough but just thought a change would be nice. Everyone agreed - genuinely. I actually thought they wouldn't (not dd, she doesn't love them as much) but they did. It worked out around the same cost as we would have paid at PI but obviously for a let less food. However, since we then came home that didn't really matter.

I really enjoyed the breakfast we ended up with, which we found within around 15 mins of leaving the place with the queue, so not ages of fruitless walking. We were headed somewhere and then took 15 mins to find an alternative.

Also, I thought if we have the PI breakfast we will then just end up killing time, which I found a depressing thought. I wanted to give the morning a bit of a purpose. As for making decisions - I do, but dh is bloody expert at not planning anything, not making suggestions, not speaking up, then moaning. Not always (the moaning anyway) but I'd say he is getting worse.

Only during COVID. I've stayed in multiple and it's been a buffet style breakfast.

Don’t think Premier Inn breakfast is included in the room price, it’s an optional extra that you have to pay for - £9.99 last time I did it but that was a few years back.

We have done PI breakfasts and done what you have done.

It totally depends where we are staying and why. Generally speaking, if we are on a city break we won't bother with the breakfast because we want to explore and know we will be able to find something in town. On the other hand, we are prefectly happy to have the breakfast there if that is more convenient. Especially if other food outlets are few and far between, or we are going somewhere we know will only have overpriced food.

Whether YABU depends on what everyone else wanted - but DH is clearly going too far to say the weekend is ruined.

From my OP: nice independent cafe where we were able to have porridge,pastries, toast and spreads, fresh juice and lovely coffee. Does that sound mediocre to you? It absolutely wasn't.

Oh I hate the ones who won’t make suggestions or contribute anything until the can moan - he had a chance to say “I’d rather eat here “ and he didn’t so it’s his fault

Yep. If I was tired and hungry and knew I could get a breakfast I'd enjoy (and the OP's husband clearly does like a PI breakfast) and DH hauled me off round a strange place pithering over finding somewhere independent, or with a nice aesthetic, or 'interesting', I'd be quite cross.

I have a friend who has FOMO/decision paralysis when it comes to picking somewhere to eat on trips, but also has a long list of food intolerances. Does this mean she actually finds out whether cafes or restaurants in places we visit can accommodate those intolerances? No. She just dithers for hours until someone hangry and thoroughly done with her nonsense says 'right, I've googled it, this cafe does something you can eat, we're going there'. Maddening. Not the same situation I know, just having a related rant while I'm on the subject 😁

One of my mum’s worst qualities would be dragging us around looking for somewhere to eat, with the pretence of her being easy breezy while also turning down every single place we would walk past. We would always end up in either the first place she refused or in some expensive chi chi place where the food was no better than anywhere else.
It was absolutely infuriating and selfish.

I love a good Premier Inn breakfast.

I always prefer to eat at the hotel before heading out for the day. I would hate just traipsing aimlessly around trying to find breakfast and get the day started. I'd find that extremely irritating.

So, I would probably be your DH in this situation.

I think it was just bad planning really. Sounds like it would have been far easier to eat at the Premiere Inn. I have to say nothing winds me up more than trekking around looking for food when you’re hungry knowing you’ve just walked out of a place that does a breakfast you would have been happy with! Lesson learnt either stick with the hotel breakfast or have an agreed plan and research where you are going to go.

He’s being a baby though carrying on about it and creating an atmosphere. I’d be telling him to give his head a wobble.

Agree with this really. My pet hate is aimlessly wandering round trying to find food - I normally look on Tripadvisor for a plan A and plan B on a city break before we even go out. It was the only time my best friend and I got arsey with each other on a recent trip to Belfast! However he was stropping to make you feel like shit over it which is very unreasonable.

I'd have done the PO breakfast and got a café lunch on the way to the station after our walk.

Honestly? If I was wanting a fry-up and I ended up with porridge, toast and pastries I'd not be very impressed.

Yes, I stay in PI once or twice a year. The ones I have stayed in recently have only had buffet for cooked breakfast.

Yes. It sounds like it was boring

Why do you think it’d be ‘middling or grim’? Have you ever had one, or is it just prejudice?

The last PI buffet breakfasts we had included fresh fruit salad, yogurt, a choice of cereals, croissants, pancakes, bacon, sausages, fried eggs, mushrooms, tomatoes, baked beans, unlimited toast, tea and coffee, orange and apple juice.

But no avocados or chia seeds, so I dare say that makes it pretty grim by MN standards.

It's also all available at the hotel.

To be honest OP you sound like me and I dont mean in a good way

I drive myself mad with 'this isnt right', 'dont like the chairs', 'too busy, 'too quiet', 'too modern', 'too hot', 'too cold'

Im tramping around for ages before I settle on something and then thats because we're about to pass out. When we could have eaten somewhere else much earlier.

And then I moan about my own choice all day

So I have sympathy with you both

We stayed in a PI in August and it was table service for hot breakfast - you ordered off the menu and it was all cooked to order.

I think that you should have gone yourown way. DH and DS, breakfast at the hotel. You and DD, walk and cafe, then decide on meeting up. The trip was for the theatre. At one time I used to fit in as much in as I could, but it doesn't end up really suiting any of us. I'm going in March, staying in the PI by Euston. It's a case of, 'our train leaves at x' let's each decide how we want to make use of our time. We've prebooked breakfast, though.