Hotels that offer free breakfast can make travel much more convenient and affordable. Not only is it nice to wake up at your hotel and have a bite to eat before you go, but not paying for breakfast can easily help you save $ 40 or more for a family of four.

Some hotels with free breakfast offer this benefit as part of their nightly rate or as an add-on option that you may choose when booking your stay. However, anyone who travels knows that free hotel breakfasts are do not created equal. While some brands offer a basic continental breakfast with baked goods and juices, others can go so far as to offer a hot breakfast menu or even a buffet breakfast with hot items. like waffles, omelets, cookies and gravy.

Due to COVID-19, however, many hotels have changed their free breakfast options focus on takeout options like packaged baked goods and pre-made breakfast sandwiches. Ultimately, free breakfast is better than no breakfast, but what you actually receive can vary widely.

Hotels where breakfast is free

If you are traveling to the United States and want to have free breakfast most mornings of your trip, it may be worth focusing on booking specific hotel brands. Here are some of the major hotel brands that offer free breakfast at most of their establishments:

Best Western

Overall, Best Western properties all offer free breakfast to their guests. This includes the Best Western, Best Western Plus and Best Western Premier hotel options. As with other hotel brands, however, not all locations participate.

Choice hotels

Choice hotels tend to include free breakfast in their nightly rate, and you can expect this free meal when you stay at the following hotels:

• Comfort Inn
• Comfort Suites
• EconoLodge
• MainStay Suites
• Quality hostel
• Sleep Inn

Hilton

While not all locations participate, various Hilton-branded properties offer free breakfast. These include:

• Canopy
• Embassy Suites
• Hampton inn
• Home2Suites
• Homewood Suites

Hyatt

If you’re a World of Hyatt member and book your hotel stay directly through the Hyatt website, you can enjoy complimentary breakfast with the following hotel brands:

• Hyatt Place
• Hyatt House
• Hyatt Zilara / Hyatt Ziva
• Miraval

IHG

Regardless of how you book your room, the following IHG hotel brands offer free breakfast for every night:

• Holiday Inn Express
• Staybridge Suites

Also, be aware that kids 11 and under eat free with paying adults at Holiday Inn properties. This includes breakfast, as well as lunch or dinner.

Marriott

Marriott boasts of having more than 2,500 hotels that offer free breakfast in the United States alone. Brands that offer free breakfast to all customers include:

• Element
• Fairfield Inn and Suites
• Residence Auberge
• Springhill Suites
• TownePlace Suites

Radisson

Country Inn & Suites offers a complimentary breakfast to all of its guests. Free breakfast with other brands may vary and depend on the room you book, so be sure to check this perk when comparing your options.

Wyndham

Wyndham has a range of family owned hotel brands that offer free breakfast. Properties with free breakfast at the hotel include:

• Baymont by Wyndham
• Days Inn
• Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham
• Howard johnson
• Wyndham Quinta
• Microtel by Wyndham
• Super 8
• TravelLodge by Wyndham
• Wingate by Wyndham

Other Ways to Get Free Hotel Breakfast

The easiest way to get a free breakfast is to book a stay at a hotel that offers that meal to all of its guests. However, there are other ways to get free breakfast at the hotel, which are described below.

Earn elite status with a hotel brand

If you travel often enough that you can achieve elite status with your favorite hotel brand, you might get free breakfast or Executive Lounge access with breakfast and snacks with every stay. It can depend a lot on what kind of elite status you have, as well as what specific hotel brands you stay with the most.

If you have World of Hyatt Globalist status, for example, you’ll receive club access or free breakfast where that benefit is available. On the other hand, Hilton Honors Gold and Diamond members both receive a free continental breakfast at participating hotels.

With the Marriott Bonvoy program, you will have lounge access once you become a Platinum Elite member or above. Platinum and above members can also choose a free breakfast as a welcome convenience, although the ultimate benefit may come in the form of a specific amount of food and beverage credit for each night of your stay.

Get the right resort credit card

While most hotel credit cards don’t automatically grant the elite status that can get you free breakfast, there is one notable exception – the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire card. This card comes with automatic Hilton Diamond status, which gives you access to the Executive Lounge and complimentary breakfast at participating properties.

Use a portal that includes free breakfast

Finally, check if you have the option to book your hotel stay through a portal that offers free breakfast and other perks. If you have the American Express Platinum® Card, for example, you can book your hotel stay through the Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts program, which includes daily breakfast for two, a room upgrade based on availability, free Wi-Fi, a guaranteed late check-out and more.

If you have the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, on the other hand, you can check out the Luxury Hotel and Resort Collection from Chase. The properties in this portal offer guests a daily breakfast for two, a special perk unique to each property, free Wi-Fi, a room upgrade based on availability and more.

Just be sure to compare the prices of these portals with the prices elsewhere on the web (including directly with hotel websites) to make sure you aren’t overpaying for additional perks, like the possibility of a upgrade and free breakfast. Luxury travel portals affiliated with credit cards may offer competitive rates compared to what you would pay to book direct, but not always. If your goal is to get a truly “free” breakfast then you should use the numbers and compare.

The bottom line

Free breakfast can make travel a lot more convenient, and the benefits only get worse when you travel with your family.

Before you book your next vacation, look for ways to get free breakfast and other perks that make travel both more comfortable and affordable. Some benefits come automatically when you take a hotel credit card, but you may be able to reach other people just by shopping.