The Best Continental Breakfast for Your Guests

Many hotel chains offer a continental breakfast free of charge to all guests. The light fare often consists of coffee and bagels, although some locations go above and beyond by providing a full meal. They put on a significant continental breakfast display each day to entice guests to book an extended stay.  

How Continental Got Its Start

Residents in the countries of continental Europe enjoy a lighter breakfast on a daily basis. They do not tend to gorge on pancakes, bacon, sausage, and eggs as many Americans prefer. Many European families stick to eating bread and fruits to start their morning. The hotel continental breakfast is modeled after this concept.  

Buffet-Style

Not all guests have time to sit down in the morning to a large meal. Rather than offering a restaurant-style breakfast, most hotels do it buffet-style. Everything gets set out so guests can grab and go as they please. This option also allows more patrons to make their way through the dining area, rather than having to wait for tables of diners to finish their food before the next group can take a seat.  

Meal Times

The best locations offer a large chunk of time for this meal. It ensures more guests can make their way down to breakfast and enjoy the offerings. Places that only serve the food for a short time are not a good fit for many patrons who want to be able to come and go as they please, rather than adhere to a strict schedule set forth by the hotel. A time of 6 a.m. to 9 or 10 a.m. seems to work best, as it ensures guests have a several-hour timeframe to make their way down to the meal.  

Beverage Offerings

Although many people enjoy coffee in the morning, not everyone drinks java. A breakfast with multiple beverage offerings is the best solution since it pleases everyone. Many locations offer orange juice, a staple breakfast drink, as well as tea. Doing so allows all guests to find something they like, including the kiddos. Water is, of course, on the list as well.

Bread Entrees

The main course often consists of some sort of bread entree. Rather than having pancakes and sticky syrup available, most locations stick to offering bagels, muffins, and rolls. Cream cheese spread, butter, and jam are often available in single-serving containers so each person can use one or more as they please. Some extravagant locations do offer waffles and pancakes as part of their continental breakfast, especially on weekends when guests tend to have more time to enjoy a large meal.  

Fruit

Fruit is a healthy meal option that is easy to grab on the go. Many locations choose to pair fruit with their bread entrees to appease guests and provide another choice for those who want to skip the carbs. Bananas, melon slices, grapes, strawberries, and blueberries are common offerings.   If you’re a hotel, motel, or bed and breakfast owner looking to add a wider variety to your morning menu, we encourage you to browse our items at National Hospitality Supply. We offer a large assortment of supplies that improve breakfast offerings to keep guests coming back for more.