What is "continental breakfast"?

jmcquown said:

I've been investigating some hotels for a trip I'm contemplating. Some have full breakfast buffets
(my choice!) or offer a full breakfast menu. Others say "continental breakfast provided". What is
that? Coffee, fruit and toast? Which continent are they talking about?

Jill

Coffee, orange juice, and toast. Sometimes you also get cereal and/or a stale donut.

Best regards, Bob

jmcquown said:

I've been investigating some hotels for a trip I'm contemplating. Some have full breakfast buffets
(my choice!) or offer a full breakfast menu. Others say "continental breakfast provided". What is
that? Coffee, fruit and toast? Which continent are they talking about?

It's the European continent, and the "continental breakfast" varies from one place to another. It is
generally coffee or tea, juice and some sort of bread.. In Italy, I had coffee, juice and a crusty
roll with butter and jam. In Belgium we had coffee, juice, a wonderful soft roll and a sweet bun. In
Switzerland we had coffee, juice, cheese and wonderful freshly backed bread. At a cafe in Paris we
has coffee, juice and a selection of fresh baguettes and croissants with butter and strawberry jam.

More often than not, the hotels that I have stayed in over there offered a buffet breakfast that
included a variety of cold cereals, yogurt, breads, rolls, croissants, sweet rolls, wonderful cold
cuts and cheese, soft boiled eggs, bacon, sausages, sometimes even fresh gravlox.

Continental breakfasts in Canada and the US have usually been a disappointing cup of coffee and
muffins, just something to tide you over until you can find some real food.

In article <[email hidden]>, "jmcquown"

Quoted message said:

I've been investigating some hotels for a trip I'm contemplating. Some have full breakfast buffets
(my choice!) or offer a full breakfast menu. Others say "continental breakfast provided". What is
that? Coffee, fruit and toast? Which continent are they talking about?

Quoted message said:

Jill

Bread, butter, rolls, beverage, sometimes hard-cooked eggs; cheese, cold meats, perhaps cold cereals
with milk available. My experience on the continent of Europe.
--
-Barb, <www.jamlady.eboard.com> updated 2-10-04.

jmcquown said:

I've been investigating some hotels for a trip I'm contemplating. Some have full breakfast buffets
(my choice!) or offer a full breakfast menu. Others say "continental breakfast provided". What is
that? Coffee, fruit and toast? Which continent are they talking about?

It can vary from a nice light meal of coffee, OJ, a pastry/bagel and yogurt to Folger's
instant and a stale doughnut, depending on where you're staying. Since many places have
different ideas of what a "continental breakfast" is, you're really better off asking them
what it means rather than us.

Ariane

jmcquown said:

I've been investigating some hotels for a trip I'm contemplating. Some have full breakfast buffets
(my choice!) or offer a full breakfast menu. Others say "continental breakfast provided". What is
that? Coffee, fruit and toast? Which continent are they talking about?

It varies. Usually means cold food, not much of it, not much variety and serve yourself. Juice,
coffee, pastries freshly thawed.

I've stayed at a couple Mariott Residence Inn suite hotels recently where they put out a real-food
breakfast buffet as part of the room charge. Scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, make-your-own waffles,
breads, muffins, beverages, etc. Good every time. Also a light evening meal buffet. Not uptown, but
the price is right if convenient fuel is what you want. All the foods were at least palatable and
some were rather good.

Room rates from $89 to $119 per night, all food included. Kitchen (if you want to cook your own) in
the rooms. Space and sleeping accommodations for wife, kid and me, *and* free high speed computer
connections, too. Hard to beat it.

Pastorio

"jmcquown" <[email hidden]> wrote in
:"]news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

I've been investigating some hotels for a trip I'm contemplating. Some have full breakfast buffets
(my choice!) or offer a full breakfast menu. Others say "continental breakfast provided". What is
that? Coffee, fruit and toast? Which continent are they talking about?

Jill

Usually this is a semi cold breakfast. The hot or warm item might be toast. A bowl of whole fruit
and several types of rolls/buns and a selection of jams/honey/peanut butter. Some juice and coffee.
Usually these things are placed where you can serve yourself. Possibly a toaster and you make your
own toast. Usually this is cause the restuarant isn't open in the mornings or there isn't one.

--
Once during Prohibition I was forced to live for days on nothing but food and water.
--------
FIELDS, W. C.

"jmcquown" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

Quoted message said:

I've been investigating some hotels for a trip I'm contemplating. (snip)

Others

Quoted message said:

say "continental breakfast provided". (snip) Which continent are they

talking about?

Well at least we know where you AREN'T going (or at least should avoid given that comment).

"jmcquown" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

I've been investigating some hotels for a trip I'm contemplating. Some have full breakfast buffets
(my choice!) or offer a full breakfast menu. Others say "continental breakfast provided". What is
that? Coffee, fruit and toast? Which continent are they talking about?

Jill

Continental Europe, where (aside from the Netherlands) a light breakfast consisting mainly of coffee
or chocolate and pastry is widely standard.

A U.S. "continental breakfast" can vary greatly in quantity and quality, from cheap coffee and pre-
staled donuts to elaborate spreads with good coffee, assorted juices, several kinds of pastry,
fruit, and other goodies. What it normally won't have is cooked foods such as eggs. If you don't
already know the hotel, it is pretty hard to predict what you will find.

--
Chris Green

Quoted message said:

I've been investigating some hotels for a trip I'm contemplating. Some have full breakfast buffets
(my choice!) or offer a full breakfast menu. Others say "continental breakfast provided". What is
that? Coffee, fruit and toast? Which continent are they talking about?

Jill

In my experoence the breakfast buffet sometimes has more food on it than anyone could eat. I like
my breakfast, and I usually get the Continental Breakfast, it usually, but not always has, coffee,
juice , bagels etc, cereal, fruit , yogurt , and maybe some pastries. The buffet may have bacon
eggs , pancakes and sometime salmon, hot breakast cassaroles , omlets , etc . It really sort of
depends, if I eat the buffet , there is a lot more than I can handle. Rosie

zxcvbob said:

jmcquown said:

I've been investigating some hotels for a trip I'm contemplating. Some have full breakfast
buffets (my choice!) or offer a full breakfast menu. Others say "continental breakfast provided".
What is that? Coffee, fruit and toast? Which continent are they talking about?

Jill

Coffee, orange juice, and toast. Sometimes you also get cereal and/or a stale donut.

Best regards, Bob

Oh goodie! (laughing)

Jill

Melba's Jammin said:

In article <[email hidden]>, "jmcquown"

Quoted message said:

I've been investigating some hotels for a trip I'm contemplating. Some have full breakfast buffets
(my choice!) or offer a full breakfast menu. Others say "continental breakfast provided". What is
that? Coffee, fruit and toast? Which continent are they talking about?

Quoted message said:

Jill

Bread, butter, rolls, beverage, sometimes hard-cooked eggs; cheese, cold meats, perhaps cold
cereals with milk available. My experience on the continent of Europe.

It used to be coffee, milk, sugar, a roll or croissant, butter and jam. If it was in a fancy hotel,
there might have been a bread basket instead of the single roll or croissant and several preserves
and honey.

zxcvbob said:

jmcquown said:

I've been investigating some hotels for a trip I'm contemplating. Some have full breakfast
buffets (my choice!) or offer a full breakfast menu. Others say "continental breakfast provided".
What is that? Coffee, fruit and toast? Which continent are they talking about?

Jill

Coffee, orange juice, and toast. Sometimes you also get cereal and/or a stale donut.

It is of course supposedly what you would get in Europe. Some places have just served egg,
croissants or some form(s) of bread and yoghurt, but most have various cheeses, cold meats, a couple
of types of eggs, several breads, yoghurts, etc -- a nice spread.

Doug

Bob (this one) said:

jmcquown said:

I've been investigating some hotels for a trip I'm contemplating. Some have full breakfast
buffets (my choice!) or offer a full breakfast menu. Others say "continental breakfast
provided". What is that? Coffee, fruit and toast? Which continent are they talking about?

It varies. Usually means cold food, not much of it, not much variety and serve yourself. Juice,
coffee, pastries freshly thawed.

I've stayed at a couple Mariott Residence Inn suite hotels recently where they put out a real-food
breakfast buffet as part of the room charge. Scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, make-your-own
waffles, breads, muffins, beverages, etc. Good every time. Also a light evening meal buffet. Not
uptown, but the price is right if convenient fuel is what you want. All the foods were at least
palatable and some were rather good.

Given my choice of any five given motel chains, I'd pick Marriott. I also had a good experience with
Embassy Suites (the one in San Diego), and they included a similar 'free' breakfast buffet as well.

Quoted message said:

Room rates from $89 to $119 per night, all food included. Kitchen (if you want to cook your own)
in the rooms. Space and sleeping accommodations for wife, kid and me, *and* free high speed
computer connections, too. Hard to beat it.

(laugh) I used to get excited if a motel had an ironing board.

nancy (that sounds kinky, but ironing on a towel with a travel iron isn't as much fun as it looks)

"zxcvbob" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

jmcquown said:

I've been investigating some hotels for a trip I'm contemplating. Some

have

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

full breakfast buffets (my choice!) or offer a full breakfast menu.

Others

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

say "continental breakfast provided". What is that? Coffee, fruit and toast? Which continent are
they talking about?

Jill

Coffee, orange juice, and toast. Sometimes you also get cereal and/or a stale donut.

Best regards, Bob

Maybe where you stay but not everywhere. In my experience it means fruit/fruit juice,
bread/toast/pastries, and coffee/tea. It can be great or horrid depending on the quality of the
ingredients. BTW the term "continental" is understood to refer to the continent of Europe less
Great Britain.

--
Peter Aitken

Remove the [censored] from my email address before using.

Fran said:

"jmcquown" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

Quoted message said:

I've been investigating some hotels for a trip I'm contemplating. (snip) Others say "continental
breakfast provided". (snip) Which continent are they talking about?

Well at least we know where you AREN'T going (or at least should avoid given that comment).

You obviously don't know me, Fran. I'm a smart-ass. BTW, "continental" shouldn't refer to the 48
contiguous states but apparently in some hotels it does.

Nancy Young said:

Bob (this one) said:

jmcquown said:

I've been investigating some hotels for a trip I'm contemplating. Some have full breakfast
buffets (my choice!) or offer a full breakfast menu. Others say "continental breakfast
provided". What is that? Coffee, fruit and toast? Which continent are they talking about?

It varies. Usually means cold food, not much of it, not much variety and serve yourself. Juice,
coffee, pastries freshly thawed.

I've stayed at a couple Mariott Residence Inn suite hotels recently where they put out a real-
food breakfast buffet as part of the room charge. Scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, make-your-own
waffles, breads, muffins, beverages, etc. Good every time. Also a light evening meal buffet. Not
uptown, but the price is right if convenient fuel is what you want. All the foods were at least
palatable and some were rather good.

Given my choice of any five given motel chains, I'd pick Marriott. I also had a good experience
with Embassy Suites (the one in San Diego), and they included a similar 'free' breakfast buffet
as well.

Quoted message said:

Room rates from $89 to $119 per night, all food included. Kitchen (if you want to cook your own)
in the rooms. Space and sleeping accommodations for wife, kid and me, *and* free high speed
computer connections, too. Hard to beat it.

(laugh) I used to get excited if a motel had an ironing board.

nancy (that sounds kinky, but ironing on a towel with a travel iron isn't as much fun as it looks)

Funny story... when I went to Atlanta on a business trip I was travelling with two male co-workers.
We stayed at the Residence Inn, which had a very nice breakfast buffet and also cook-outs by the
pool after work with free wine and beer. We check in, the male clerk says "Are you travelling on
business?" "Yes." He gives each of them their room keys, then looks at me and says, "How many keys
will you need?" EXCUSE ME?! They are still talking about that at the office!

Jill

Nancy Young <[email hidden]> wrote in
:"]news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

(laugh) I used to get excited if a motel had an ironing board.

nancy (that sounds kinky, but ironing on a towel with a travel iron isn't as much fun as it looks)

You have an iron? What exactly does it do? I've heard about these "iron " things but never really
ever saw one.

--
Once during Prohibition I was forced to live for days on nothing but food and water.
--------
FIELDS, W. C.

Peter Aitken said:

"zxcvbob" <[email hidden]> wrote in message -"]news:[email hidden]-
berlin.de...

Quoted message said:

jmcquown said:

I've been investigating some hotels for a trip I'm contemplating. Some

have

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

full breakfast buffets (my choice!) or offer a full breakfast menu.

Others

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

say "continental breakfast provided". What is that? Coffee, fruit and toast? Which continent are
they talking about?

Jill

Coffee, orange juice, and toast. Sometimes you also get cereal and/or a stale donut.

Best regards, Bob

Maybe where you stay but not everywhere. In my experience it means fruit/fruit juice,
bread/toast/pastries, and coffee/tea. It can be great or horrid depending on the quality of the
ingredients. BTW the term "continental" is understood to refer to the continent of Europe less
Great Britain.

I forgot to mention the little basket of teabags next to the 550W microwave oven. (styrofoam cups
are next to the coffee pot.)

Best regards, Bob

Quoted message said:

Nancy Young <[email hidden]> wrote in
:"]news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

(laugh) I used to get excited if a motel had an ironing board.

nancy (that sounds kinky, but ironing on a towel with a travel iron isn't as much fun as it looks)

Hands up all those who have ironed a shirt on a towel and found they had melted the varnish on the
desk, which glued the towel to the desktop.