Breakfast.
It appears in every review, takes centre stage on travel websites, and is often the highlight of presentation videos. In the world of hospitality, breakfast is the service that attracts the most attention.
Arguably, it’s the most important one.
In fact, it’s the only service—together with the bed—that all guests use.
At training courses, they often refer to the holy trinity: SHOWER + BED + BREAKFAST.
Organising the first meal of the day means dealing with two major challenges:
- Breakfast should change frequently, adapting to the type of clientele and the season.
- The dining area and kitchen setup should evolve accordingly.
Two rather tricky things.
And the second one—changing the physical setup—is quite a disruptive process.
Today, a modern breakfast buffet requires multiple refrigerated sections, and some heated ones too. Not long ago, milk for coffee was almost always powdered, used in automatic machines. Now, there’s a growing demand for fresh milk—meaning we need equipment that keeps it cold and ready for the dispenser.
Bread, focaccia, savoury pies and pizzas—now popular at trend-setting hotels—require not just skilled hands, but also more space and specialised tools in the kitchen.
Chefs are far more involved than they used to be (if they were even present at all), since guests increasingly expect freshly made dishes.
Adjusting the breakfast offer seasonally isn’t easy either.
And honestly, this is where we sometimes fall short.
This year, for example, breakfast and the dedication of our team—led by Mirella, with Simona in the kitchen—have been receiving fantastic feedback. We’re getting many compliments, and we’re proud. It reassures us that the ideas we’re putting into practice are steering us in the right direction.
But if there’s one recurring bit of criticism—even if minor and very much in the “matter of taste” category—it’s that our breakfast lacks variety.
There’s just too much of the same, all the time.
It’s been like this for a few years. We talk about it, reflect on it, and we believe we’ve made progress this year. But still, that comment occasionally comes back.
What does it actually mean?
Croissants? They must always be there. It’s unthinkable to alternate flavours on different days.
As for fresh fruit for the salad—realistically, it’s always the same. Apples aren’t ideal, pears brown quickly (as do bananas), and we don’t use oranges, mandarins, grapes or dates.
Mango is tricky to cut, and you won’t find persimmons or pomegranates in summer.
So rotating the fruit selection really only applies to whole fruits—or perhaps to seasonal appearances of figs or watermelon, served separately. We often have figs; the others, less so.
Cold cuts? Cheeses? Cured meats?
We’re still unsure what people mean by “more variety”.
Are we missing specific kinds—like smoked sausages, Parma ham, halal-friendly meats? Or is it about a wider selection of cheeses?
True, there are many cheeses on the market, and perhaps we could go beyond our current offering: Tremosine cheese, soft spreads, mozzarella, and sliced edam.
Vegetables.
Trends suggest expanding options, but again—raw veg suitable for a buffet are limited: carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, a few lettuce leaves.
We’ve experimented with mixed salads—baby leaves, walnuts, cherry tomatoes—but they tended to be left untouched.
We do serve boiled potatoes occasionally, which our British guests love. And we often have crudités to go with hummus, which we prepare in different flavours.
What else?
Cakes. Yoghurts. Juices. Bread. Eggs and sausages.
Yes, there’s a lot out there. And perhaps we could rotate some products more.
But still—omelette, bacon, sausages, Greek and natural yoghurt, white, wholemeal and multigrain bread… these all feel like they must be available every morning. Don’t they?
That leaves just the cakes.
Oddly enough, they seem to be less in demand than in the past.
Are we all simply more cautious with sweets these days?
Or are we just not choosing the right ones?
We always serve a tart, and then rotate between brownies, marble loaf, muffins, and some small pastries made by Alessandra—samples of what we offer at the bar.
All in all, we’re trying. And we welcome criticism—it helps more than compliments (though those are lovely too).
But we probably need to study a bit more. To understand better.
To meet the expectations of those who still leave our EVERYTHING a bit unsatisfied.
Or perhaps… it’s a matter of presentation?
Well… as soon as we’re able, the flooring, lighting, chairs, tables and central buffet will definitely be updated. We know the breakfast room is showing its age.
Every year, we postpone it, thinking bedroom efficiency is the greater priority.
But its time will come.
It must.
