I’m an early riser who usually forgoes breakfast. Coffee and a lengthy walk are all I require to kick off the day—then I’m set until midday. Even on typical weekends, I usually just have a green juice along with a bowl of berries and yogurt. Occasionally toast.. But when traveling, I seek out hotels that include breakfast. I pile up pancakes and home fries, sample every sausage with poached eggs. In recent years, I’ve observed that buffets are prioritizing local dishes over standard omelets, pastries, and fruit salad. I was delighted by the vast breakfast buffets in Dubai and Abu Dhabi offering couscous, tomato and green shakshukas, curries, and stews. The laminated pastries were stuffed with chocolate and pistachio cream, while the baklava was soaked in local honey. In Seoul, the Dutch ovens held wobbly eggs, fried rice, and dumplings. I’ve seen other hotel guests bypass the French toast sticks, opting instead for tamales and tacos in Mexico and callaloo with saltfish in Jamaica. Hotel breakfasts’ variety shows how chefs accommodate tourists’ familiar preferences while linking them to local traditions, turning the hotel into a draw for non-guests. Last year, I visited The Inn at Little Washington in Virginia, the eccentric 48-year-old restaurant operated by chef Patrick O’Connell, brimming with antiques and George Washington memorabilia.
