Social media users are openly sharing how they walk into hotels and help themselves to complimentary breakfast buffets - often without being challenged, according to Reddit threads and viral TikTok clips. The phenomenon, highlighted by the New York Post, has prompted a flurry of tips from people who say the practice is simple at many mid-range properties.
Breakfast buffets are a perennial travel perk, but several Reddit threads and short-form videos show that it is not only registered guests who are taking advantage. Posters on forums and creators on TikTok have described methods they say make slipping into the dining area easy, particularly at hotels that do not check room keys or issue breakfast vouchers.
One Reddit user summed up the approach in blunt terms: "Enter any mid-class hotel right around the time they start serving breakfast, and the lobby is empty. Most hotels of this class serve free breakfast." The same thread also shared a specific tip: "walk to the bathroom and stay there for 10 minutes or so" before walking to the "breakfast bar" to eat.
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The trend has carried on to TikTok. In a viral clip, TikToker Sophia Masso declared: "They make it so easy to get the free hotel breakfast when you're not staying at a hotel." The video, which shows the creator eating eggs, sausage and other buffet items at an undisclosed location, has been watched millions of times.
Commenters on the posts have offered tactical advice - and a warning of sorts. "The trick is not to go for the upscale resorts. Nice places are much more apt to catch you or have protocols in place that prevent this," wrote one user. Another boasted, "Common hotels with bland generic breakfast are a dime a dozen and super easy to walk into. I've literally jogged into them like I'm getting back from a morning run, eaten breakfast and walked out."
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Industry and travel observers note that practices vary. Some hotels explicitly reserve the complimentary breakfast for registered guests and will charge non-guests. In contrast, others do not routinely check who is using the dining area - a reality that appears to have encouraged the behaviour seen online. Travel commentators have also pointed out the ethical and legal question marks around taking a complimentary meal when one has not paid for a room. If you are a guest, it is sensible to assume breakfast is intended for registered occupants or paying diners. If you are unsure about a hotel's policy, ask the front desk rather than rely on a tip from an internet post.