The End of Free Hotel Breakfasts Could Be Coming Soon. Why It Might Be a 'Big Deal'

Key Takeaways

• Some hotels are offering less expansive—or no—breakfasts as they search for ways to cut costs, industry experts said.
• If hotels charge for breakfast, two-adult households may need to budget at least $20 to $25 more per day of their stay.

Switching to powdered eggs, it seems, wasn’t enough.

Some hotels aren’t just scaling back their complimentary breakfasts. They’re scrapping them altogether as the search for new ways to cut expenses continues.

Higher-end spots are more likely to charge for the morning meal, believing their customers are less focused on price than quality, industry experts said. But mid-tier hotels are adjusting their standard spreads, according to reports, and some industry watchers foresee the trend trickling down to budget hotels, where complimentary breakfasts are a staple for budget-conscious travelers.

Why This Matters to You

Travelers who aren’t able to fuel up for free will need to budget more for their trips. A family of four may need something in the neighborhood of $20 to $25 more per day if they’re eating in the hotel–and even more if the hotel doesn’t have a restaurant.

It’s part of a broader move toward lower costs across the industry. Hotels have been removing bathroom doors, mirrors and desks; reducing room service; and curtailing how many towels guests get and how often they’re washed.

Hyatt Place, an upscale brand, adds $22 to room rates when a two-parent household signs up for breakfast at one of its Chicago locations, according to its website. That’s more than free, but likely less than dining out at many eateries: Two adults and two kids getting coffee, orange juice and standard breakfast could spend some $70, with tip, at the Denny’s closest to the Hyatt Place, according to Investopedia calculations.

That can add up, said Amir Eylon, president and CEO of Longwoods International, which conducts market research on travel. And it could affect travelers’ choices: “Being able to have even just a basic continental breakfast bar—bagels, muffins, some juice, maybe some fruit—is still going to be an important lure,” he said.

Cutbacks may also upset business travelers who appreciate fast, no-frills meals, Eylon said. (The meal is less important to vacationers, who often want to experience what’s unique about an area by exploring its eateries, he said.)

Most Hyatt Place hotels still offer free breakfast, spokeswoman Gloria Kennett said. Hyatt is “testing the ability to book rates that do not include breakfast” at some locations, she said.

Trimming breakfast may be one of the more palatable ways to cuts costs, said Sadie Lowell, founder of the site Bring Back Doors, which helps customers find hotels that haven’t moved away from bathroom doors to save money.

“The hotel breakfast, from what I’m seeing, is one of the few things that hotels can get rid of" without much fuss, she said. “If they can get rid of something without anybody getting upset, I suspect it’ll be gone.”

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Some research suggests free breakfast is a beloved perk. About 42% of consumers rated complimentary breakfast a “need-to-have” hotel feature, and 53% considered it a “nice-to-have” perk, according to 2025 surveys from JD Power, a consumer insights firm. Only 5% said it was “not important,” per JD Power.

Removing complimentary breakfast may be risky at mid-tier and budget hotels, particularly those with limited food service, said Andrea Stokes, the hospitality practice lead at JD Power.

Guests “look for the consistency of a brand when they’re staying at hotels across the country,” according to Stokes. Any change to a brand’s standards, she said, is “a big deal.”

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