Conde’ Nast Travel ranks the best hotel breakfasts in the world. Their take:
- Chiltern Firehouse, London
- Upper House, Hong Kong
- Hotel d’Angleterre, Copenhagen
- Hôtel du Palais, Biarritz
- Park Hyatt Saigon, Vietnam
- Otahuna Lodge, New Zealand
Of these, I’ve only been to the Park Hyatt Saigon. I gravitate towards chains where I can leverage points, promotions, and status and don’t shell out real cash for luxury stays.
Having eaten breakfast at one of the hotels on the list, though, gives me some insight into the list. The Park Hyatt Saigon does a wonderful job with breakfast, provided complimentary to Gold Passport Diamond members. Here’s the Saigon baguette with grilled pork, pate, pickles, chilies, and mayo:
Still, while very good, it’s not close to one of the world’s six best hotel breakfasts. It’s not even the best Hyatt breakfast.
My single favorite breakfast experience has been at the Park Hyatt Maldives, largely because of high quality food and good coffee trumped by an incredible view and slow pace. Things have sped up a bit there with the introduction of a buffet to compliment menu ordering, though.
In the US my favorite hotel breakfast, not a buffet, is the Andaz 5th Avenue where Diamonds can order complimentary room service and I can’t imagine not having the lemon poppyseed pancakes. Although the room service breakfast at the Park Hyatt New York (an option for Gold Passport Diamonds) is hard to top as well.
Although it’s hard to beat the Diamond complimentary room service at the Park Hyatt Vendome in Paris.
My favorite club lounge breakfast belongs to the Grand Hyatt Hong Kong for the view and service.
I’m also not sure that the Park Hyatt Saigon’s breakfast is better than what the Park Hyatt Siem Reap does, especially the soups. I’m not saying it isn’t better, just that it isn’t so clear cut that Saigon belongs on the list while Siem Reap doesn’t.
I don’t think there’s anywhere in the world that does hotel buffets like Kuala Lumpur, across the board almost no matter where you’re staying such as the Le Meridien or the Intercontinental or the Grand Hyatt.
Given that there are so many breakfasts to rival Saigon’s, can this be a definitive list of best hotel breakfasts?
Especially since the list leaves off the St. Regis Bali? I can’t imagine any Starwood Preferred Guest Platinum amenity that rivals breakfast here.
Caviar
Seared foie gras with eggs
Lobster
Lobster
Sashimi
The breakfast offered oysters and wagyu beef tenderloin as well, plus a full buffet.
I don’t claim to have a definitive ranking of the world’s best hotel breakfasts, though I’ve certainly sampled some amazing ones. (And I do have a definitive claim on ranking the best hotel elite breakfast benefits.) The breakfasts I’ve tried that don’t make the list, though, give me reason to be skeptical that this ranking is it.
Mandarin Oriental Singapore! Sometimes we stay a night just to experience it! Amazing fresh fruits and juices(pink AND green guava) wheatgrass if you’re lucky. Breads, pancakes sweet rolls that we never even try. Bagels(though not like NY) smoked salmon and other fishes, cheeses and charcuterie, house made yogurt, Chinese, Japanese and Indian stations. Eggs etc two kinds of soup like phở or fishball. Great service! Our manager Ryan always brings us fresh cut mangoes. Oh I forgot ham and several kinds of sausages. Going back in November. Hungry already.
Gary, two hotel breakfasts that I will never forget: Mandarin Oriental in Kuala Lumpur and Mulia Senayan in Jakarta. It was the first time I saw a guy with a wood fire grill and a huge selection of top prime steaks (from rib eye to New York steaks) that he would grill at your taste and bring to your table. Yes, at 6:30AM. 🙂 Simply fantastic.
W Hong Kong and the St. Regis Saadiyat Island Abu Dhabi – I have never seen anything like them!!
So many people talk about the Park Hyatt Vendome breakfast, but i was highly disappointed while staying there. While its expensive so its a nice perk of free for diamond members, the selection was small. Food was good and high quality, but how about some pancakes, waffles, crepes, french toast, or something along those lines. All of which were an added fee. Free room service breakfast is always a plus as well, but it was basically a continental breakfast with made to order eggs,
Have been to Upper House. Breakfast is good, but St. Regis Bali, Four Seasons Bangkok and W Hong Kong are all clearly better. I’m sure others are as well … this list is suspect, though it was never meant to be accurate, I assume–just generate page clicks…
It is a rather silly ranking, especially since taste is such a subjective thing. Also, wonderful breakfast — nothing short of a royal feast — can be had throughout Asia. I was at PH Saigon and I cannot say that I was impressed with their b’fast offering. On the other hand, breakfast at W=A Shanghai on the Bund was superb!