"What time is breakfast?" looks like the simplest e-mail in the inbox. But the guest who asks often has a reason: an early train, a toddler who wakes at six, a coeliac partner, a friend who wants to join them. A reply that answers only the time leaves the real question open. A reply that answers the reason gets a happy guest and sometimes a little extra revenue.

What the guest actually wants to know

  1. When is breakfast served — on the days I am staying?
  2. Is it included in my booking, and if not, what does it cost?
  3. Can you solve my special case — leaving early, allergies, children, a friend joining?

Dinner and restaurant questions often come in the same e-mail ("…and can we eat at the hotel in the evening?"). Answer those too, or point to a ready list of places nearby — see our guide on local tips.

Template 1: Times and what is included

Template: breakfast times and price

Hi [Guest name],

Thank you for your message!

Breakfast is served in [the breakfast room / the restaurant] at these times:
• Monday–Friday: [time]–[time]
• Saturday–Sunday and holidays: [time]–[time]

[Breakfast is included in your booking. / Breakfast is not included in your booking, but you can add it for [price] per adult and [price] per child ([age]–[age] years). Just reply and we'll add it.]

We look forward to welcoming you!

Kind regards,
[Your name]
[Hotel name]

Template 2: Early departure — breakfast bag

Template: early departure breakfast bag

Hi [Guest name],

Thank you for letting us know! Breakfast starts at [time] on [day], so it will be too late for you.

Instead, we can prepare a breakfast bag the evening before with [contents, e.g. a sandwich, yoghurt, fruit and juice]. It will be waiting [in the fridge in your room / at reception] from [time]. [It is included in your booking. / It costs [price] per person.]

Just confirm how many bags you need, and let us know if anyone has allergies.

Kind regards,
[Your name]
[Hotel name]

Template 3: Allergies and special diets

Template: allergies and special diets

Hi [Guest name],

Thank you for telling us in advance — it helps us prepare.

Could you tell us exactly which foods [you / your guest] cannot eat? Then we'll check with our kitchen and confirm what we can offer.

At breakfast we usually have [e.g. gluten-free bread, lactose-free milk, plant-based yoghurt]. Please note that [our kitchen also handles nuts and flour, so we cannot guarantee that anything is completely free of traces]. You know best what is safe for you, so please ask our staff on the day if you are unsure about anything.

Kind regards,
[Your name]
[Hotel name]

Template 4: Breakfast for people not staying with us

Template: breakfast for non-guests

Hi [Guest name],

You're very welcome to join us for breakfast! It is served [time]–[time] on weekdays and [time]–[time] at weekends, and costs [price] per adult and [price] per child.

[At weekends and in summer the breakfast room is often full, so please let us know which day and how many you will be, and we'll keep a table for you.]

Kind regards,
[Your name]
[Hotel name]

Example: how BookingWatch answers

A typical e-mail that mixes three questions, and the reply BookingWatch drafts from the hotel's breakfast information:

Real examples from our hotel

A real breakfast e-mail from our own small seaside hotel in Sweden, with the reply we actually sent. The name is changed and some details are generalised.

In our own hotel's inbox, about 49 of 900 guest e-mails over two years were about breakfast, dinner or restaurants nearby, which makes it one of the ten most common topics. The real number is higher, because we only counted the topic when an e-mail had no other main subject — many booking enquiries also ask "is breakfast included?".

Source: BookingWatch analysis of 900 anonymised guest e-mails to the founders' hotel, October 2024 – October 2026.

Write down your breakfast facts once

Breakfast questions are quick to answer when the facts are written down in one place that every colleague (and your AI assistant) can use:

FactExample
Serving timesWeekdays 7:30–10:00, weekends and holidays 8:00–10:30
Included or notIncluded in all room rates; non-refundable rates without breakfast can add it
Price if not includedPer adult, per child by age band, free for small children
Early departureBreakfast bag the evening before, in the room fridge or at reception
Diets you can cater forGluten-free, lactose-free, vegan — with an honest note on cross-contamination
Non-guestsWelcome when there is room; table booking needed at weekends
DinnerWhich evenings you serve dinner, or your list of restaurants nearby
Hand to staffSevere allergies, large groups, breakfast in the room

Best practice

  • Give the times for the guest's days. If weekend times differ, say which one applies — "on Saturday breakfast starts at 8" is clearer than two time ranges.
  • Answer the reason, not just the question. An early start, a child, a diet: the reason is usually in the e-mail, and solving it is what the guest remembers.
  • Say "included" or give a price. Guests who booked through an OTA often do not know which rate they chose. Check the booking before you answer.
  • Mention breakfast in the pre-arrival e-mail. Times, price and the breakfast bag option answer most questions before they are asked.

Common mistakes

  • Answering only the time when the guest explained that they leave before breakfast opens.
  • Promising an "allergy-safe" breakfast that the kitchen cannot guarantee.
  • Telling a guest how serious their allergy is, or what they can "probably" eat — that is not the hotel's call.
  • Forgetting to pass the allergy or the breakfast bag order on to the kitchen, so the reply is right but the morning goes wrong.
  • Ignoring the dinner question that came in the same e-mail.