Why healthier hotel breakfast options have become staples

Tad Wilkes

Avocado toast and other trends

Though many hotel guests look forward to indulgent breakfasts while staying in hotels, a growing number of travelers appreciate menu offerings that help them stay in line with their usual healthy regimen but with exciting flavor profiles. This nutritious breakfast trend has firmly taken root across hotel brands.

“Travelers have been redefining what wellness means to them, and, knowing that they will be opting for hotels that meet this demand, there is a huge opportunity right now to embrace a holistic approach through providing choice and control with reimagined on-property breakfast options,” Adam Crocini, senior vice president and global head, food and beverage brands, with Hilton said, adding that lighter, healthier options are now staples across much of the Hilton portfolio.

“Though previously, morning dishes like avocado toast, grain bowls, and smoothies were viewed as a trend, these more healthful items are now an expectation among our guests,” Crocini said. “It is essential to offer a variety of nut- and plant-based milks, as well as viable options for gluten-free, vegan and vegetarian items to ensure there is something for everyone to enjoy.”

Avocado toast has its own station and remains a favorite at the breakfast buffet at Fairmont Orchid in Waimea, Hawaii, David Viviano, director of F&B at Fairmont Orchid, said, adding that the healthful trend has also infiltrated the room service menu, which is not just for comfort foods anymore.

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“Açaí bowls continue sales to be strong in our coffee shop, and we just added it to our in-room dining menu,” Viviano said. “We offer it as a station at our breakfast buffet and for in-room dining. Chia pudding is available on our buffet.”

The expectation for healthier choices isn’t exclusive to luxury properties. Embassy Suites by Hilton now offers made-to-order egg white omelets, as well as avocado toast and breakfast power bowls made with quinoa, sweet potato, and kale. Home2 Suites by Hilton is known for its toasted artisan breakfast sandwiches, which include turkey sausage, egg, and swiss on wheat; and a turkey, ham, egg white, and cheddar flatbread.

Listening to guests and paying attention to their morning behavior also informed tweaks at Tru by Hilton, which migrated from a loaded waffle bar to a three-topping pancake bar, focusing on fresher, healthier ingredients. Guests can also now use an automatic, hands-free pancake maker, an enhancement that Crocini said enabled the brand to improve the quality of the pancake batter and reimagine toppings to include nuts, seeds, fresh fruits, and higher-quality syrup.

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Healthy trends at resort hotels too

Even resort hotels, settings ready-made for breaking from eating patterns back home, realize that sometimes indulging means eating fresh, healthy favorites. At Margaritaville Beach Resort Cap Cana in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, made-to-order dishes at the breakfast buffet at the Boathouse feature a range of healthy selections including smoothie and green juice stations that offer rejuvenating beverages and bowls made with local fresh fruits. 

“The global wellness tourism market is increasing exponentially, and we want to ensure that we stay ahead of the demand curve by offering healthy meal and beverage options that provide endless opportunities for customization,” Florian Dürre, culinary and service director with Karisma Hotels & Resorts, said.

Healthy breakfast is part of a lifestyle shift

An age-old challenge for healthy eaters is finding suitable options when traveling, but hotels are making it easier to find what they want. Rising interest in healthy fare often converges with consumers’ expectations of customizable experiences.

“Recognizing that guests choose healthier breakfast options for a multitude of reasons—beyond health concerns and fad diets—is a massive shift in the approach to accommodating travelers’ needs,” Crocini said. “As our global 2023 trends report found, more than half of travelers are most concerned about having an easier travel experience.”

Hilton’s research made clear that wellness and balance are priorities for the modern business traveler. With that in mind, the newer stylish, contemporary Tempo by Hilton brand is collaborating with Bluestone Lane for on-property, made-to-order and/or grab-and-go food and beverage experiences, addressing dietary needs including vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free.

“Providing guests with a range of breakfast options has allowed them to control their stay experience and enjoy offerings that best fit into their daily routine. Our guests seek choice and convenience as it pertains to making and enhancing their breakfast options, and, as they are increasingly more ingredient-focused, healthier options in retail and grab-and-go are highly prized.”

A calling card for bookings

The positive results of Hilton’s updated offerings are showing. More than mere lip service to a small demographic, healthy breakfast menus can make or break a traveler’s decision on where to stay.

“Knowing that breakfast is among the three main attributes guests cite when choosing a hotel, we were very pleased to see satisfaction scores increase in this category with this innovation,” Crocini said “I believe we will continue to see an increase in wellness-based products across all aspects of breakfast as well as all brand categories. Breakfast buffets that include make-your-own açaí bowls and custom, curated avocado toasts will put wellness control squarely in the hands of the consumer.”