Breakfast Inclusive Prices
 

Hi. I'm planning our first trip to Italy and have had lots of fun using web sources, guidebooks and tips from other travellers to make hotel reservations and paln the trip. When I fax my travel itineray to a hotel, I always ask for a price NOT including breakfast. In every case, the hotels send me a confirmation that includes breakfast in the price. When I question this, they ignore the question. Must I pay for these hotel breakfasts? Must I take care of this prior to arrival, or can I insist on no breakfast and a price reduction on arrival. I would appreciate your insight.

Some, though few, hotels make breakfast optional. In many cases they will not, however. <BR> <BR>You can certainly try again when you check in, but don't have high hopes for success. <BR> <BR>If a 'continental' breakfast is at issue, the cost to the hotel is probably more or less a dollar or two. <BR> <BR>Ed <BR>Rome.Switzerland.Bavaria <BR>www.twenj.com <BR>

Hi Mavis: <BR> <BR>European Hotels usually have breakfast included. It is usually a Buffet type thing. Not a bad way to start your day. I don't think you'll find they will reduce the price if you do not want breakfast. Enjoy your trip.

I requested prices of hotel rooms without breakfast on my first trip to Italy, and found that some places would omit breakfast and knock a bit off the rate, while others would not. It's up to each hotel. You may have more success explaining what you want via telephone, rather than fax, if it's important to you.

Most Italian breakfasts are little more than a roll, preserves and coffee, so why make a big deal about it? I don't think they are going to discount the room by much, if at all, and don't you want a cup of coffee in the morning? It's not like UK and Ireland where you'll get a full cooked breakfast with eggs and meat and fruit. And, as the other poster said, it's probably worth only a dollar or so.

Mavis, as suggested you can try when you get there, but I wouldn't count on it. <BR>They wouldn't reduce the charge by very much, if at all. If they have a computer, the rate per room is probably already entered in it, without adjustments for not having breakfast. <BR>They probably don't want to start making individual adjustments on this as it could be endless, as in "I'd like to have breakfast on Tuesday, but I don't want it on Thursday." <BR>Additionally, hotel rates are not set by the desk staff but by the owner who may be a person but is more likely a corporation. A rate for a hotel room has a lot of factors that go into it <BR>(overhead, salaries, real estate taxes, etc) and they may not want to figure out or even disclose how much they build in for the rolls and coffee. They still have to pay the kitchen and wait staff whether you eat the breakfast or not.

Another thing to consider with the included breakfast is coffee. If you like more than one cup, you may save a little by taking the hotel's breakfast. One cup of coffee anywhere in Italy can cost as much as the included breakfast. If you are traveling with other people, the breakfast room is always a good place to meet and get set for the day with several cups of coffee or tea!

Mavis, <BR>As everyone said just go with the breakfast - the difference in price would be so small you'd really not save anything by going "out". Personally I've always found it's easier to have breakfast at the hotel anyway just for convenience sake if nothing else. If it's a small hotel they are probably not geared to doing two kinds of computing prices, it's breakfast included period! If you don't do breakfast it's your loss, not theirs so to speak. As some one said the price of coffee and a pastry in a cafe might be the same as the hotel breakfast if it's broken down (personally I never worry about it, we just eat!).

I really like the breakfast included idea and wish more U.S. hotels would do it. Saves time and gives you a little to go on first thing.

Just about the ugliest ugly-American scene I have ever had the displeasure of witnessing occurred in the hotel information booth in the Florence train station when a woman had an absolute tirade demanding a room without breakfast included. Please don't do that when you get there. It makes all of us look bad.

Yeah, Holly..You go, girl. Just saw the same thing in Paris where an ugly American woman had some kind of a discount coupon for a reduction on the Opentours open top bus. After arguing w/ the driver and delaying everyone for almost 10 minutes, I reckoned that she saved about a franc--- almost a dime!!

Know just what you Mavis. I have run into the same thing. I read somewhere (though I know you should only believe 50% of what you read) that Italian law requires that all hotels offer a non breakfast price, and the article I was reading said that you should not take the breakfast because you can get better food for the same price of less at a market ot local shop nearby. So I asked for a price quote both ways too, but 4 out of 5 hotels completely ignored my request. I did find one hotel the Santa Chiara that would quote a price with and without. The difference ended up being 20,000 lire a night (a little less than $5 per person). I went with this hotel because they were the only one out of 5 that would even respond to my request and I appreciated that, but the truth is, now that I know its only $5 a person per night, I'll probably just pay it and eat the crossaint and drink the coffee. It just seems easier.