what time do YOU usually serve breakfast?

[B&B netherlands]

i had a situation last sunday for which i already prepared myself. an arriving guest (5 nights) had not asked much while booking by telephone, i think it's a bit early to ask/talk a week in advance about breakfast time;) he said he found me 'on internet' and phoned/booked rather late (after 10 pm).

it was as i already suspected 'work related'. so i filled up the minibar with everything i usually serve, except for bread. i bake that the night before, fresh every day, for people who want breakfast before 7.30 am.

my guest ordered breakfast to be served at 6.45 am, arriving around 9 pm the evening before. i explained that it was quite okay to arrive after 6 pm, but that i really could not physically be expected to get up around 6 am to make him breakfast... he was utterly surprised.

'okay, then serve me breakfast at 7.15 am, as the bread is already there...?'

i explained: sir, you have everything availavble in your room to make breakfast, as much as you want, fresh bread and butter, orange juice, jams and cheese and ham - it's just not ME serving it.

i learned from having guests who book my B&B as they have to catch a very early flight at neighbouring airport schiphol. leaving as early at 6 am! which would mean serving breakfast at 5-5.30 am... honestly.

my usual breakfast time is between 8 and 9 am - but 7.30 is no problem. wedding guests or people staying for a relaxing weekend, kindly say: 'can we ask for breakfast at 9.30 am?'

so my question is: what time do YOU usually get up to serve breakfast? i don't serve a cooked breakfast.

i heard my guest leave the house this morning at 6.15 am.... 'will return at 10.30 pm, staying with friends watching a football match', he told me last night.

my other guest who has stayed here for 7 weeks (!), also work related, said: 'when i have to book a hotel, i never expect breakfast before 7 am, that's normal! and hotels employ people 24 hrs a day, you run your B&B singlehandedly.'

message sent at 22.49 pm local time. still waiting for guest to arrive.

[Hells Bells]

Do you not have some way of letting your guests return late at night without you having to be awake to let them in? I'm in total agreement with you not being available for breakfast so early in the morning, but as a guest, I would expect to be able to return late if I wished .

[B&B netherlands]

no problem, if discussed in advance - they get a spare key to the front door. but i have to be careful with my keys, having 2 rooms with guests coming after hours, i cannot supply a double set. these keys are quite expensive to replace, as well. have to order them with a special code, at the manufacturer's. takes 2 weeks to receive. so i have to 'monitor' which guest(s) to trust with the spare key...

you know what happens if a guest forgets to hand them back. i must say: i'm more keen to get the key back sometimes, than to get paid in the morning

just had a chat with sue on FB, about this subject... and she said dave really doesn't even expect breakfast before 7 at the hotels he stays in (and they're upmarket)

[pepsipuss]

I would not expect breakfast before 7 am but if I had to catch an early flight and needed to be out of the house well before that I might expect a small discount on the room for that night. It is certainly what I would my offer guests if the question arose. If on the other hand they have everything they need in order to make a continental breakfast and that is what is included in the price I can't see why you should have to be there to serve it at the crack of dawn.

[aasta]

We serve a cooked breakfast from 8:30 to 10. We ask guests the day before they are due to leave what time they would need breakfast and accommodate guest´s early departures with coffee, juice, granola, fruit, muffins (which I bake the evening before).

We also offer guests the option of taking a tray to their room. Am wondering if we should offer to serve/leave a tray for late risers/honeymoon couples.

[Normandie]

I'm fairly relaxed about breakfast times. I have holidaymakers rather than business people but we do get people heading for early morning ferries to the UK. In that case I they can have all the usual continental-style breakfast selection if they have time for it and I do get up at 5.30am if they want breakfast. I don't mind doing it. Normally, though, they just make themselves coffee, tea etc upstairs and then I see them off. If they don't have the usual croissants, pains aux chocolate etc then I deduct 4 euros per person from the bill.

Latest I've served breakfast is about 10.30 and again, I don't see it as a problem.

I suppose in an ideal world, I'd like guests to have breakfast between 8 and 9am and then be out and about by 10am. But it doesn't usually happen that way.

[brenda]

Our normal Breakfast time is 08.00 to 09.30 although Guests are welcome to linger as long as they want after this time. We offer a choice of Buffet or English Breakfast and do request that English Breakfasts are ordered the day before if possible although we will do one on demand if necessary.

We have many guests who have early flights so a 5.30 Breakfast - or even earlier on occasion - is not unheard of. If they don´t want to eat so early we offer a packed Breakfast to take with them. As we offer two alternatives we do not give a price reduction if they refuse either option.

I personally would expect to be able to return to my accommodation as late as I please rather than having to arrange this in advance; however, if your Guests know this is the rule before thy book they should not complain.

[Normandie]

As we offer two alternatives we do not give a price reduction if they refuse either option.

I personally would expect to be able to return to my accommodation as late as I please rather than having to arrange this in advance...

As I've literally not spent the money (croissants, baguette, freshly squeezed orange juice, coffee, fruit, yogurts) then I'm happy to refund the breakfast element.

My guests can come and go at any time but the reality is, unless they're coming back from a distant day trip (in which case they'd presumably tend to book a b&b nearer to the action) I've never had guests back later than midnight. Oh except a wedding party... but we were at the wedding too so the house was fully locked and the guests knew to find one of us if they needed to go back to the house.

[B&B netherlands]

to all: thanks very much for your response. i can see it really differs widely; i can see that all of you have your own ways.

for arriving late: i should have explained that my property is neighbouring other houses, my nextdoor neighbours being on 'the other side of the wall'. so i try to prevent keeping other people awake with my business - i'd rather not have complaints.

most B&B's in the netherlands - i checked before i started myself - as a rule, ask their guests to arrive not earlier than 4 pm and before 9 pm. i always offer a spare key for people who want to return late - as most people really do not want their host waiting up after midnight for them!

it's just the ones that i feel a bit lost, guests asking me to be 'flexible', and as i get mostly onenighters, i would be sleeping less than 6 hours a night during high season to keep them all happy. agewise (64 in a few months) and healthwise, it would not be a good idea...

i really would like to give more than a 100 percent service, attention and care, and a nice freshly prepared breakfast, served by myself, with a smile, for all my guests...

[brenda]

"i really would like to give more than a 100 percent service, attention and care, and a nice freshly prepared breakfast, served by myself, with a smile, for all my guests..."

My smile has to be painted on at times!

"for arriving late: i should have explained that my property is neighbouring other houses, my nextdoor neighbours being on 'the other side of the wall'. so i try to prevent keeping other people awake with my business - i'd rather not have complaints"

Of course you are right in not wanting your guests to disturb your neighbours. Luckily we have no adjoining properties as round here local Fiestas - what many guests come to this area for - do not get going until 11 p.m. so we have to expect guests to return in the wee hours.

Obviously we all have to adapt to local conditions and just do the best we can for our guests - sorry if my previous post sounded rather sanctimonious as this was not my intention at all.

[normandiehelen]

we offer breakfast from 8 -9.15

If guests require an earlier breakfast we offer alight breakfast from 6 am or offer a 'takeaway breakfast'- most guests really appreciate the offer of us getting up early and often opt for the take away option!