If you've ever snuck a snack for mid-morning from the free breakfast
buffet at your hotel, I'm here to fess up to doing just that.
Really I'm surprised that more people don't just admit to pinching the pastries or filching the fruit. I'm sure we all do it, don't we?
If your worst excess on holiday is taking an extra item from breakfast
in case you get hungry later, then surely most hotels are okay with
that, considering some guests' bad behaviour.
Taking a bun for brunch is hardly on a par with trashing your room or jumping off your balcony into the pool.
I couldn't believe it when I read that hotel and etiquette experts are
suggesting that the police might be called for theft if you're caught
leaving the breakfast buffet with items you haven't eaten then and
there.
I'm pretty sure the boys in blue have better things to do than police
the buffet for breakfast burglars.
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In fact, I was recently in a lovely little hotel where the police actually popped by at the end of the breakfast sitting to get a free feed, at the invite of the generous hotel owners.
Most of the cooked food would only have had to go in the bin otherwise, so it may as well fill tummies one way or another.
I think the last thing the police want to be doing on a busy shift is
checking out whether you've helped yourself to one croissant too many.
As for advising that you should ask restaurant staff if you can take leftover breakfast items for your lunch later, that's laughable.
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At most hotels I've stayed at, the hardworking hospitality staff are run off their feet keeping the food flowing and clearing tables.
The last thing they want is someone asking daft questions that could land them in trouble with their boss if they say yes.
It's one of those situations where it is best to beg forgiveness rather than ask permission, I think.
Having worked in a hotel myself and seen how much food is wasted when collecting room service breakfast trays, I can safely say that taking something you'll eat in a bit is better than piling your plate high and then having to leave half of it because your eyes are bigger than your belly.
I'm not a fan of food waste and my boys have been taught that they need to clear their plate if they've helped themselves to food, even if it's coming from an apparently endless supply.
I've got three boys, but sometimes it feels like I'm raising a hoard of hobbits rather than a clutch of children.
They would happily eat second, third and fourth breakfast, given half a chance.
Even when they've had cereal, followed by a cooked breakfast, rounded off with a yogurt and fruit, I can still guarantee they will be asking for a snack within half an hour of leaving the breakfast table.
We might not even have made it out of the hotel by that point. So having a pastry or piece of fruit to hand to keep them going is more or less essential to a happy holiday.
There are some places where I wouldn't take extra items from the
breakfast buffet though.
If I'm staying in a big chain with lots of guests, it's obvious that the impact of taking a couple of croissants to munch on the go is going to be less than in a small, family-run place that's being run on tight margins.
Our favourite place to stay recently was a youth hostel in Berlin where the rolling buffet was open until almost lunchtime on the morning we checked out.
It meant the boys could have something to eat first thing and then pop back for more while I got the room packed up.
The halfboard package we had booked wasn't cheap, but the food was delicious and plentiful, so it was excellent value for money.
I can't imagine wanting to stay in a hotel where the staff watch the guests like hawks to see who has taken more than their fair share for breakfast -that's not really a relaxing way to start the day, is it?
Similarly, I think packing a backpack full of food from the breakfast buffet to feed your family for the whole day is probably taking it a bit too far.
Don't go bananas at the buffet and staff will be happy to turn a blind
eye, I find -life's too short for worrying about who's smuggling out a
bun in their bag.
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