What hotels offer free breakfast?

[wackymother Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close wackymother]

I'm trying to figure out a 2.5-star Hotwire hotel in Alexandria, VA. I've read everything on Better Bidding and Bidding for Travel...now I'm hoping you guys will be able to help me figure this out. What hotel chains offer free breakfast?

I know some Marriott brands offer it, but not all. Are there any other big chains that offer free breakfast?

[wackymother Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close wackymother]

Comfort Inn? I'm thinking it may be a Comfort Inn. Are Comfort Inns 2.5 stars?

[3kids4me Super Moderator and Super Mom Find all posts View Profile Close 3kids4me]

Embassy Suites?

[wackymother Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close wackymother]

Could be....

Sigh. Hotwire and Priceline can be wonderful...or they can be such a pain. I think I might be better off just getting a Residence Inn or something and picking up the Marriott points for the stay.

[Luanne Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Luanne]

Someone on TUG posted a great rundown on the Marriott chain and which of their hotels provided a free breakfast. For example Residence Inns do, Courtyard do not. Hampton Inn (Hilton) also provides free breakfast. The "best" way to tell is to go to the hotels you're interested in and check on their website.

And, not all free breakfasts are created equal. Dd and I stayed at a Travelodge on our trip to WA to take her to school. We were only going to be there one night and I was looking for cheap. The hotel was fine, but their "continental" breakfast was horrible.

[falmouth3 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close falmouth3]

Hampton Inns provide a free breakfast.

[Luanne Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Luanne]

Also, I think Embassy Inn may charge for their breakfast, same as Courtyard.

[wackymother Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close wackymother]

Someone on TUG posted a great rundown on the Marriott chain and which of their hotels provided a free breakfast. For example Residence Inns do, Courtyard do not. Hampton Inn (Hilton) also provides free breakfast. The "best" way to tell is to go to the hotels you're interested in and check on their website.

And, not all free breakfasts are created equal. Dd and I stayed at a Travelodge on our trip to WA to take her to school. We were only going to be there one night and I was looking for cheap. The hotel was fine, but their "continental" breakfast was horrible.

Any idea where the chart is? I think some Residence Inns provide breakfast and some don't...there are two in Alexandria, and one seems to and the other doesn't seem to. Oh, wait, I went and looked and now I see "buffet breakfast" listed under Complimentary Services on the second one, halfway down the page. The other one puts it at the top of every listing.

We're traveling with my MIL and she likes the whole breakfast thing....maybe I'll just stick with my Marriott reservations and get the points...

[Dori Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Dori]

I think most, if not all, Choice Hotels (Sleep Inn, Comfort Inn, Quality, Clarion) offer free breakfast of some sort. We have experienced anywhere from doughnuts and coffee to fresh cooked waffles and fresh fruit. We usually stay at a Choice hotel, as we are members of their loyalty club.

Embassy Suites also provides a lovely breakfast.

Dori

[chriskre Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close chriskre]

Some Super 8's and Baymont Inn, Country Inn & suites, Fairfield Inns, Holiday Inn Express, Hilton Garden Inns, Wingate Inn, but my favorites are Embassy Suites & Residence Inns because of the free managers wine and light dinners along with the free expanded breakfasts.

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

I'm trying to figure out a 2.5-star Hotwire hotel in Alexandria, VA. I've read everything on Better Bidding and Bidding for Travel...now I'm hoping you guys will be able to help me figure this out. What hotel chains offer free breakfast?

I know some Marriott brands offer it, but not all. Are there any other big chains that offer free breakfast?

Hotwire quality ratings are more generous than priceline. A Hotwire 2.5, or even 3, is like a Priceline 2. Crappy HOJOs on Hotwire are 2s.

As far as free breakfast, we have found that they generally end with the 2.5s on Priceline. 3s don't have the freeibies. Adjust up for Hotwire.

As an example in a chain, take Hilton. A Hampton Inn on Priceline will likely be a 2 or 2.5, and have breakfast, and a Hilton Garden Inn, or Doubletree, will be a 3, and not have free breakfast.

You can always contact the specific hotels in the area you're searching and ask what they offer.

[wackymother Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close wackymother]

You can always contact the specific hotels in the area you're searching and ask what they offer.

Good advice about the star levels! Normally I wouldn't look below a 3.5 or maybe a 3 on Hotwire, but I'm always hoping I'll get a middle-of-the-road Marriott brand. (It hasn't happened yet, though.)

Unfortunately the Hotwire Alexandria area is HUGE and has hundreds of hotels, some right in Old Town (hence you have to pay for parking) and some out on the highway. Marriott alone has about 12 hotels in the area.

Hotwire has what looks like a good deal for a 4* in Old Town, for $76, but I'm thinking for the $8 to $20 difference between that and a Residence Inn that I choose, I'll go with the cancellable Residence Inn. That way, if there's a blizzard, we can just scrap the whole reservation.

[Nancy Platinum Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close Nancy]

Where in Alexandria do you need to be? I live in the outskirts, but Alexandria is spread out and it depends on whether you need to drive or want to walk. Also time of year might make a difference.

Nancy

ps. Near me there is a brand new (not officially scheduled to open till later this month) Hampton Inn that I believe is open. Will have an Alexandria address, but a little ways from downtown Alexandria proper.

[wackymother Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close wackymother]

Nancy, I PMed you.

Everybody, thank you for the info on breakfasts! I'm going to make up a list for myself. It will always be handy for Hotwire!

You know the new annoying thing on hotel websites? You'll look to compare rates, and you'll see a good rate, click on it, and find out that that is a special advance-payment non-cancellable rate, and the regular rate is at least $40 per night more.

[bigfrank Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close bigfrank]

Hampton Inns provide a free breakfast.

And it happens to be a pretty good continental breakfast.