There's nothing quite like waking up on holiday to a delicious morning meal you haven't had to cook yourself. This is our love letter to hotel breakfasts around the world – whose offerings tantalise travellers with flavours that not only satisfy, but tell stories of the places they're in. Featuring everything from sweet semolina pancakes in Marrakech to savoury full English platters in the Cotswolds, this list is bound to make even freshly fed bellies rumble.
Barcelona’s El Avenida Palace Hotel has been a key player in the city’s hospitality industry for more than 65 years and the venue’s traditional beauty still remains. This extends to the timeless appeal of its classic continental breakfast, which offers a wide variety of cold components as well as hot plates of bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs and mushrooms. Guests can add breakfast to their bill for around €15 (£12/$16) per person when booking direct.
You’ll find the Andersen Hotel in buzzing Vesterbro, the former meat-packing district of Copenhagen. Its organic breakfast buffet is included in your room rate and comprises a thoughtful selection of milks for your cereal and hot drinks, various breads, eggs, pastries and cold cuts, cheese, fresh fruit and yogurt. It's fuss-free, light yet hearty and delightfully hygge: perfect to set you up for a day of cycling and sightseeing around the city.
The Diwa Club is a beautiful resort in India's southern Goa region, surrounded by rice fields and just a stone’s throw from the beach. There are two on-site restaurants serving up complimentary breakfast for guests: Bistro runs an all-day breakfast between 7am and 7pm, ensuring that those indulging in a lie-in don’t miss out on the goods. VIVO is buffet-style, with additional a la carte options influenced by the cuisines of Europe and Asia.
Set within the grounds of an opulent château, Auberge du Jeu de Paume unsurprisingly delivers a breakfast fit for royalty. You have to pay extra for the privilege, but when previous visitors consistently rave about the breakfast, something makes us think it’s worth the splurge. It's a decadent continental buffet affair, covering all the usual suspects that can either be enjoyed in the comfort of your room, on the private terrace of your suite or in the hotel’s marble-floored restaurant.
With its Black Forest location and cosy wooden cottages, Mühle Schluchsee is an idyllic retreat in the Germanic countryside whose ethos revolves around nature, food and sustainability. Breakfast in their restaurant is included as standard when you book a room, or you can pay an extra €5 (£4/$5.50) per day to receive it in bed. Choose from an array of freshly prepared fruit, breads, pastries, meat, cheese, cereals, juices and eggs cooked however you desire them.
In Japan’s second-largest city, The Sheraton Yokohama Bay provides breakfast for its guests at an extra cost. This allows you plenty of choice though, as there are three different breakfast spots within the hotel. The main option is Compass, an all-day dining restaurant with a global buffet of seasonal salads, pastries, cloud-like omelettes and unlimited combinations. They also offer a Kanagawa breakfast, placing a spotlight on dishes and ingredients eaten traditionally across the prefecture. If you’re in a hurry, grab a drink and a quick bite at Seawind coffee house or Dorer bakery.
The Esplanade Zagreb Hotel blends Art Deco details with broader contemporary design – a winning combination which has been seducing travellers for almost a hundred years. Their top-tier breakfast (not included in the standard room rate but can be added for a fee) is an abundant buffet with several a la carte dishes also offered, showcasing a generous choice of local produce and Croatian specialities alongside crowd-pleasers such as eggs Benedict, French toast and pancakes with Nutella.
Located just a short stroll from Hyde Park in swanky Mayfair, The Connaught is definitely a product of its environment, with sumptuous suites, elegant interiors and a breakfast to match. Whether you eat in bed or in the Jean-Georges dining room, dishes range from light bircher muesli and matcha chia bowls to fluffy pancakes, flaky pastries and avocado on granary toast. A full English is available for £24 ($32), with truffle scrambled eggs setting you back £35 ($46).
The Greenwich Hotel is in NYC’s Tribeca neighbourhood, just a few blocks away from Little Italy. It offers a pool, spa facilities and a breakfast-inclusive rate which gives guests the opportunity to sample food provided by the hotel’s own restaurant Locanda Verde. Depending on the season, guests can enjoy their meal either in an open-air courtyard area or in the charming drawing room bar, with a lovely range of options such as a frittata caprese, organic oatmeal with poached apricot and pistachio, lemon ricotta pancakes and smoked salmon bagels.
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Conveniently positioned for exploring the cosmopolitan charm of Potsdamer Platz, the Grand Hyatt Berlin is a 5-star hotel with a spa overlooking the city skyline. While not included in the room rate as standard, the additional cost for breakfast seems justified when you see just how much there is to choose from at the buffet. Served at the on-site Vox Restaurant between 7am and 11am (12pm on weekends), pamper yourself with plates full of bread, croissants, cured meats, assorted fruit, omelettes and other cooked treats which can also be delivered to your room.
Across the way from Australia’s famed Surfers Paradise Beach, the QT Gold Coast is a design hotel made for sun-worshippers and watersports enthusiasts looking for the ideal base. Breakfast is an optional extra here, but should be an experience you try at least once during your stay. Served at the hotel’s Bazaar dining concept, a food-market-style space with a global buffet, guests can pick up everything from pancakes, waffles and cronuts to wooden boards piled high with crispy bacon and sausages.
Nestled between spiked mountains, verdant rainforest and the unfathomably blue Caribbean Sea, Sugar Beach is a lavish resort where you can upgrade to an all-inclusive package to get all of your meals, including breakfast, thrown in. Morning meals are served at The Terrace, where the outdoor dining area promises tropical breezes accompanied by a great spread at the restaurant’s continental breakfast buffet. Guests are invited to also sample items like huevos rancheros, Belgian waffles and poached eggs with Creole sauce from the a la carte menu.
Sometimes a great breakfast is more than just the sum of its ingredients. At the family-run Koza Cave Hotel, it is the owners’ hospitality and commitment to preparing all of their dishes from scratch that make breakfasts here a truly memorable experience. Everything is included in your room rate and freshly made each morning, with Turkish specialities served alongside cheese, fruit, cereals and fresh orange juice. Early birds will also want to head to the hotel terrace before breakfast, which provides one of the best views of Göreme’s otherworldly landscapes at sunrise.
Franschhoek may be renowned for its fine wines, but rumour has it that the breakfasts in town are pretty top-drawer too – especially at the Akademie Street Boutique Hotel. There's no added cost, making this perhaps the chicest bed and breakfast going. Guests are led into the property’s tranquil orangery where a luxuriously wholesome offering of seasonal fruit, home-roasted granola, pastries and yogurt awaits, as well as a plentiful choice of cooked dishes that can be washed down with a coffee, a smoothie or even a glass of Champagne.
Few of us will be fortunate enough to visit somewhere like The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort in our lifetime, with its private lagoon, butler service, Ayurvedic spa and overwater villas. But dreaming is free, so let’s pretend for a moment. Breakfast (which is also free for paying guests) is presented at the resort’s signature poolside restaurant Alba. Its elevated takes on traditional favourites include poached egg with orange hollandaise and black truffle and a lobster omelette with crab and caviar. You can even opt for a floating breakfast, complete with tropical fruits and bubbly.
Situated in the Nine Streets district on the Keizersgract canal, The Dylan Amsterdam really embodies the laid-back character and understated splendour of this gorgeous city. Breakfast doesn’t come with your room booking, but is still worth considering while you’re there. Treat yourself to breakfast in bed or wander down to Bar Brasserie OCCO, where the menu starts small with overnight oats, coconut porridge and avocado sandwiches before revealing belly-busting alternatives like Norwegian eggs (smoked salmon and poached egg with hollandaise sauce on brioche) and a full English.
The Double Red Duke in the Cotswolds village of Clanfield hasn’t even been open a whole year yet, but its William Morris-inspired wallpaper and big-flavoured food have already garnered something of a reputation. A self-serve breakfast is included in your room rate so expect bowls of granola and muesli, hunks of sourdough, homemade preserves and fresh fruit. But the real magic lies in the a la carte menu, which packs a massive punch. Try the breakfast muffin with its richly seasoned sausage patty, gooey egg and oozing Ogleshield cheese or the smoked haddock omelette for something super special.
As the name would suggest, Anantara The Palm resides on the Palm Jumeirah man-made archipelago off the coast of Dubai. The possibilities are multiple when it comes to breakfast, which comes included with a bed and breakfast rate booking. Crescendo, with its fusion of international and regional cuisine, is the resort’s primary all-day dining spot and go-to for many guests at breakfast time. But there is also Helios, a Mediterranean-inspired waterside restaurant and Revo Café, which has an extensive morning menu offering filled croissant sandwiches, acai bowls and more egg dishes than you could try in a single week.
Bali is the motherland of the famous floating breakfast, where pool-dwellers can indulge in a delicious morning spread without even having to reach for their towel. The Samsara Ubud presents theirs in a crescent-shaped boat filled with sweet pastries, cakes, fresh jungle fruit and yogurt. Indonesian nasi uduk (steamed rice cooked in coconut milk), French toast and lobster eggs Benedict are also options. Those who prefer a static meal are more than welcome to dine at a table and breakfast is included with your villa booking.
Paris is for (food) lovers and at Le Bristol, a luxury hotel in the 8th arrondissement, there are two potential places to try a particularly exquisite breakfast. Epicure, the hotel’s three Michelin-starred restaurant, is all about quintessential Parisian indulgence: think Champagne and soft-boiled eggs with caviar. A more modest affair awaits at Café Antonia, which offers a continental breakfast, an American breakfast, fresh fruit salad, eggs cooked to your preference, Viennoiserie, cheese plates, pain perdu and so much more. Needless to say, this all comes at an additional cost.
Tucked within the old town of this UNESCO World Heritage City, the Casa San Agustin is Cartagena’s most beautiful boutique hotel. Breakfast is included in the standard room rate, and is consistently described by guests as excellent. It’s served in the hotel’s on-site restaurant, Alma, which is lauded for its attention to detail, amazing staff and Colombian flavours. Breakfast usually consists of rainbow-coloured tropical fruit, fresh bread and pastries, arepas and calentado (rice and beans topped with fried eggs). Plus, there’s even a complimentary mimosa bar!.
Located within the city’s bustling medina, El Fenn is a hotel and art boutique made up of several interconnected riads. The colourful and calm oasis it provides is also home to some of the finest food in Marrakech. Breakfast is covered in the standard rate for overnight guests and is taken on the hotel’s terrace, which overlooks the Atlas Mountains. Highlights of the menu include shakshuka, msemen (Moroccan semolina pancakes served with butter or honey) and avocado toast with radishes that’s almost too pretty to be eaten.
The Iberostar Parque Central is set across a pair of historic buildings with rooftop pools and wonderful views across Havana. Running with the theme of two, there is also a duo of restaurants within the hotel where breakfast is served daily. In Restaurant Habana Elegante, you’ll find a buffet breakfast offering both international and Cuban fare. Over at the Mediterranean Restaurant, inspiration is taken from the local cuisine and given a continental European twist. Book on a bed and breakfast or half-board basis to ensure you don’t miss out.
At Pan Pacific Singapore on the Marina Bay, be sure to choose the Great Escape with Breakfast package which includes daily breakfast for up to two adults. Served buffet-style at Edge restaurant, it features an assortment of fruit, cereals, charcuterie and cheeses, as well as traditional elements of Western-style cooked breakfast. There are many local options to taste as well, such as congee (rice porridge), nasi lemak (a Singaporean dish of coconut rice, chicken rendang and sambal eggs) and baked dim sum. Coffees, cakes and pastries are served at the hotel’s Pacific Marketplace too.
As is typical of the Sandals brand, the Royal Bahamian is an all-inclusive, adults-only resort where all your meals are taken care of. Breakfast is available at three exclusive restaurants, each with their own individual focus. There is Kanoo specialising in pan-Caribbean dishes, Italian-influenced Tesoro and La Plume, which offers a la carte items like French toast with banana, rum and orange, steak and eggs, omelettes, fresh fruit juice and patisserie baskets. Room service can also bring breakfast to you if you’d rather stay in your pyjamas.
Hotel Palazzo Zichy is housed within a beautifully preserved neo-Baroque palace, whose ornate staircases and twinkling chandeliers immediately allow arriving guests to know they’ll be very well looked after during their stay. A fabulous breakfast is covered in the room cost with certain rates and packages. The array of varied, delicious produce on display includes myriad fruit and vegetables, cheeses, cured meats, sausage and smoked salmon, eggs and baked goods. For a bit of interactive fun, you can also squeeze your own fresh orange juice.
The Chatrium Hotel Riverside proclaims itself to be the very best luxury hotel in Bangkok and, if their breakfast is anything to go by, they could well be right. It can be added to your bill for a reasonable extra fee and can be enjoyed at either the River Barge Restaurant or in the Lobby Lounge. The selection is enormous, evolving from European and American-style meals to a local breakfast, which incorporates a dim sum basket, a choice of either congee moo (rice porridge with minced pork) or khao phad goong (prawn fried rice) and Thai condiments.
With unencumbered views of the Petronas Towers, Traders Hotel is already a popular choice amongst city-breakers before they’re even made aware of its foodie credentials. Gobo Chit Chat is the on-site restaurant where a buffet breakfast (not included as standard) is served, covering everything from pancakes and waffles to Southeast Asian options such as mi goreng mamak (a spiced noodle dish) and roti canai (flatbread). Those looking for a takeaway breakfast can also visit On The Go, where they can pick up pastries, muesli or an egg and avocado sandwich alongside their morning coffee.
Set in the heart of the Eternal City, Hotel Artemide provides comfortable accommodation for travellers looking for the perfect balance of classical architecture and contemporary styling. Before spending a day pounding the cobbles of Rome, a good feed is essential. Rooms at the Artemide are available with a bed and breakfast rate – and you won’t regret paying for it. The breakfast experience here is, by all accounts, amazing. Geared quite heavily towards the sweet of tooth, guests can help themselves to Sicilian cannoli, tiramisu and crêpes Suzette, among many other sugary delights as well as savoury ones.
To be one of the best hotel breakfast in the business, you really need to master the holy trinity: a plentiful selection, quality ingredients and exceptional service. The Park Plaza Westminster Bridge, which sits across the River Thames from Big Ben, has this down to a fine art. Guests waxing lyrical about the lovely staff and the diverse menu choice. There’s not only a continental buffet to wrap your chops around, but several cooking stations offering pancakes, omelettes and waffles, as well as a team of friendly chefs ready to make your eggs to order.