Surprise Pikachu at the Breakfast Bar: Why Your Hotel Stay Isn't an All-You-Can-Eat Freebie
Picture this: bleary-eyed travelers, wild-haired and—sometimes—barefoot, padding down to the lobby in desperate search for that holy grail of morning rituals: free coffee and a complimentary breakfast. The front desk staff, meanwhile, is steeling themselves for another round of “but isn’t breakfast included?” and “what do you mean the in-room coffee machine isn’t a biohazard?” Welcome to the daily grind at hotels everywhere, where expectations and reality often collide in caffeinated confusion.
If you’ve ever been the guest giving a surprised Pikachu face at the lack of free eggs and bacon, or if you’re the long-suffering staff explaining for the hundredth time how bookings work, this tale from Reddit’s r/TalesFromTheFrontDesk will hit home. We’re taking you behind the counter—and into the comment section—to explore why nothing in hospitality is ever really “free,” and why your in-room coffee might be the unsung hero (or villain) of your hotel stay.
“Breakfast Included” – Decoding the Myth
Let’s get this out of the way: unless you specifically booked a rate that includes breakfast, you are not waking up to a magical, cost-free buffet. As OP u/HonestCompote3495 puts it, “I’d like to assume that when you booked your reservation, you were not being held at knife point and could assess that the rate that includes breakfast was higher than the cheapest rate. Please stop giving surprised Pikachu about this. You selected it. You KNOW it.”
This isn’t just a single hotel’s policy—commenters chimed in from around the globe to confirm that, especially at mid-range and upscale properties, breakfast is a paid privilege. As u/TravelingWithJoe explained, “Most hotels above a certain level charge more, especially outside the US… Generally, the food is not worth the inflated convenience cost and you can either get a lighter breakfast for a lot less or a much better quality breakfast for around the same price elsewhere.” Meanwhile, u/asyouwish recalled European breakfasts that cost 18-20€ per person for “cold cuts, sliced cheese, hard boiled eggs, breads… and good coffee (but no other drinks).” For them, the value just wasn’t there.
And yet, the myth persists—perhaps fueled by years of roadside motels offering waffle makers and chafing dishes of scrambled eggs as standard. The truth? Always check your booking. As u/PupperoniPoodle so succinctly put it, “If you’re booking your room and see ‘room: $100’ and ‘room with breakfast: $115’ there shouldn’t be a surprise that there is no free breakfast.” Preach.
The Coffee Conundrum: In-Room or Lobby (and Do You Need Shoes?)
But breakfast isn’t the only battleground. The quest for a decent cup of coffee has guests wandering the halls like caffeine-fueled zombies. Our OP describes guests shuffling down to the lobby, shoeless and skeptical of the in-room coffee machine. “Yes, I see your little nose wrinkling up at the thought of using the complimentary coffee machine in your room,” they write, addressing the subtle (and not-so-subtle) distrust that many feel towards that mysterious, often plastic contraption perched atop the mini-fridge.
The comments section was a goldmine of coffee opinions and horror stories. u/frenchpressfan admitted, “I have stayed in hotels with complimentary coffee in the lobby and every time, that was leaps and bounds better than the free coffee in the room. So yes, you would find me looking for free coffee in the lobby too. Just that if it's not there, then I won't make any noise about it.” u/bonnbonnz chimed in with a coffee connoisseur’s lament: “the last 5ish years all of the hotels I’ve stayed at have single cup pod coffee machines and the pods that are available are so gross! Like bitter mud with some tree bark…”
There’s also a subculture of travelers who come prepared. u/NotThatLuci brings their own coffee to brew in the room, while u/frenchpressfan travels with a kettle for a better brew. And for the hardcore skeptics? Some commenters, like u/whskid2005, don’t trust those machines at all: “Housekeepers have such limited time and enough to do with basics so I’m not blaming them.” Others are haunted by tales of coffee makers being housed in hotel bathrooms—cue the collective internet shudder.
And let’s not forget the barefoot brigade. u/NoiseParking5914 summed up the horror: “It disturbs me that there are people walking barefoot in public 😖.” Meanwhile, Australians and New Zealanders entered the chat to defend their barefoot ways—proving cultural differences extend far beyond breakfast.
The Breakfast Buffet: From Disappointment to Delight
So when IS hotel breakfast worth it? The consensus: sometimes, but usually only if you’re waking up in Asia. u/TurtleBucketList swooned over Asian hotel buffets: “Dim sum, sushi, daal, french toast, fresh fruits I barely know, charcuterie AND noodle soup for breakfast?! Yes please!” Even the skeptics admit that a world-class buffet can be worth the splurge. u/BasicTelevision5 fondly recalled a Scottish hotel with an “impressive buffet with a great range of hot and cold food… SO worth it!”
But elsewhere? Meh. “Outside of Asia? Pretty meh,” TurtleBucketList sighed. For many, grabbing a pastry at the local café is both tastier and cheaper. u/brideofgibbs represents the thrifty traveler: “Unless breakfast is included, we never buy it. It’s terrible value… DH & I always shake our heads, eyes wide in cheapskate horror, at the mention of the hotel breakfast.”
Booking Blunders, Incidental Mysteries, and the Wisdom of the Front Desk
What ties all these tales together is a simple truth: booking a hotel room isn’t rocket science, but it pays to read the fine print. Many guests, as OP notes, seem baffled by the very basics—wrong dates, confusion over incidentals (“what is an incidental, I don’t know her”), and the eternal breakfast debate. u/Active-Succotash-109 summed up the modern solution: “If only there was a little machine… that you could pick up and find out without leaving the comfort of your room if there was any coffee in the lobby free or paid.” (Hint: there is, it’s called your phone.)
As for the front desk staff, patience is both a weapon and a shield. Some, like OP, have seen it all and wear shoes in the lobby as a matter of principle. Others, like u/BasedDog480, have had to deal with grown adults throwing fits over breakfast, only to apologize later. It’s all in a day’s work.
Conclusion: Know Before You Go (and Bring Decent Coffee)
The next time you check in to a hotel, remember: nothing, nothing, NOTHING is free—unless you paid for it. Read your booking details, manage your expectations, and maybe pack your own coffee just in case. And please, for everyone’s sake, wear shoes in the lobby.
Have a hotel breakfast horror story or a coffee hack to share? Drop your tales below—just don’t make us explain what “incidental” means again.
Original Reddit Post: Guess what? Breakfast isn't included unless you booked it as such