Understanding the Data: Insights from Analytics and Industry Analysts

Counting croissants isn’t what keeps investors up at night, but data sure does. Revenue jumps after prepaid breakfast disappears, guest complaints skyrocket, and—wait—occupancy goes up when you’d think it’d drop? Who expects analytics dashboards like Power BI or Tableau to show that cutting eggs and toast could bump average daily rate (ADR) up 9%?

Trends Spotted by Hospitality Analytics

I remember those rollout disasters last fall—managers glued to POS data, backend spreadsheets acting like they’re prophecy. It’s all about how TIBCO Spotfire spits out room revenue versus food spend, which everyone treats like gospel until, oops, prepaid buyers now spend 27% less on-site food. So… who’s winning?

Tableau’s trendlines showed it: kill prepaid breakfast, incidentals go up, guest satisfaction tanks. SoftSpace Solutions’ blog breaks down how analytics teams push for more bundles, but then deal with chargebacks when they target the wrong guests. Patterns don’t lie—rooms sell out for big events if breakfast is optional, but regulars bail on weekdays once they catch on.

What Industry Analysts Are Saying

Danny from STR never shuts up on webinars: hotels chasing numbers alone are missing the point, but plenty of GMs just see “dynamic pricing” and throw out the old playbook. One consulting report says prepaid opt-ins dropped 30% this year, but per-guest breakfast spend is up. Makes no sense—unless business travelers just expense it somewhere else.

Analysts love “actionable insights.” They all say you need clear KPIs, like Panintelligence’s take: “Set goals, manage quality, pick the right tools or burn through loyalty.” Sometimes I wish they’d just ask the breakfast server what people actually want. Would save everyone a lot of time. Why is everyone obsessed with pattern detection when all I remember is a sad breakfast tray?

Looking Ahead: The Future of Hotel Breakfast Offerings

If you thought “breakfast included” still meant anything, I’ve got bad news. This year, I’ve watched midscale brands toss free eggs into extinction, and those pilot programs? Still can’t even get the sign fonts right. Hotel breakfasts? Not predictable. Not even for loyalty nerds or business travelers who still think points are currency.

Predicted Evolutions in Hotel Breakfasts

Remember when you’d elbow your way to the waffle machine, praying nobody grabbed the last banana? Yeah, that’s mostly over. Now, it’s all about these “innovative” bento boxes—sure, they look cute, but suddenly you’re paying for breakfast that used to be free. I found out the hard way at a Fairfield in Asia. Nobody at check-in mentioned the extra charge, and, of course, my loyalty points didn’t cover it. So much for consistency. I keep hearing upper-midscale brands are quietly chopping breakfast options just to save a buck. Some manager bragged in a recent analysis about saving thousands by slashing buffet packaging. Great for their spreadsheets, but try explaining to a family that $25 a head isn’t a rip-off when the website said “breakfast included.” Sometimes they rotate menus based on how full the hotel is, so “continental” breakfast could mean three pastries or, weirdly, just an apple.

I’ve obsessed over reviews—seriously, I scroll for hours—and most people just want something easy, not fancy. Cold croissants? If they’re free, nobody cares. But, of course, now there’s this whole tiered system: pay extra through the app, or cough up for “Members-Only” lounge access. I once saw a DIY omelet kit you had to pay for. Nope. Not doing that.

Potential Return of Complimentary Breakfast

Will free breakfast ever actually come back? I keep hearing different things every week. One GM told me they only bring back the full buffet if groups book at least two nights. Hotels love “selective free breakfast” for loyalty members—it’s creeping back, but really only if you’re a frequent flyer or some kind of VIP. I haven’t seen real stats in months, but HotelsMag mentioned a few brands making more money by shrinking buffets. Good for them, I guess. For the rest of us, it just means another trip to Starbucks in the lobby.

If you’re like my mom—who still asks, “Is breakfast included?” before anything else—you’ll notice some hotels dangle it as a seasonal deal if you book direct. Last month, a front-desk guy whispered, “We just serve yesterday’s muffins if the weather’s bad.” Not exactly comforting, but at least he was honest.

So yeah, some places still toss out the free breakfast when bookings drop, but don’t count on it. The only thing that stays the same is that nothing does. They’ll call it a “guest experience enhancement,” but really, it’s just less food for more money.