8 of the World’s Most Extravagant Hotel Breakfasts
Lavish room service and plush robes make breakfast in bed a highlight of a hotel stay, but spots from Seoul to Andalusia, Spain, are turning the typical buffet into a meal to remember—and a reason to leave your room in the morning
Floating breakfasts, roving oyster carts, celebrity chef-crafted croissants, caviar and Champagne stations—hotels continue one-upping each other with spreads so spectacular, they’re worth the stay alone. The once humble buffet is now as extravagant as a Michelin-starred meal—and even served in the same restaurant. From postcard-perfect terrace views of Lake Como to Parisian Art Deco legends dripping in gold, Galerie has rounded up eight of the world’s best hotel breakfasts that are so impressive, you’ll be waking up early.
Puente Romano in Marbella, Spain
Modeled after a whitewashed Andalusian village and named after its centerpiece historic Roman bridge, Puente Romano Marbella has become a culinary mecca bearing some of the biggest names in the Mediterranean, Middle East, and beyond, from Cipriani and COYA to Nobu and GAIA. In the morning, signature beachside restaurant Sea Grill and adjoining spot La Petite Maison transform into a buffet with classics like Spanish tortillas and a create-your-own pan con tomate station with Ibérico ham, in addition to sweet touches like a chocolate fondue fountain, beautifully displayed donuts and churros, and an egg station on the terrace overlooking the sea.
Hôtel Plaza Athénée in Paris, France
At Hôtel Plaza Athénée, breakfast unfolds in the opulent, Michelin-starred La Grande Table du Plaza Athénée, which designer Remi Tessier embellished with 20,000 gold leaves and a striking centerpiece chandelier dangling over the namesake Royal Table, a design masterpiece in its own right clad in antique Breccia pink marble. Art de la table matches the decor, with silver tiered trays displaying artisanal jams and pastry chef Angelo Musa’s daily-baked viennoiserie-like croissants and pains au chocolat. Indulgent breakfast spins include truffle omelets and soft-boiled eggs with Golden Imperial caviar that’s as gilded as the name suggests, but the Plaza Classic that’s worth booking a stay alone is the omelette blanche soufflé chèvre et épinards, an airy, puffed omelet sprinkled with soft goat cheese and spinach.
Atlantis The Royal in Dubai, UAE
Breakfast in the UAE is a lavish affair with rooms dedicated to a specific style of cuisine, but Atlantis The Royal’s Gastronomy spans an entire floor, with 17 live cooking stations (even better, breakfast is a five-hour affair that runs until noon). Start at the coffee roaster, where you can take your pick of freshly brewed drinks, before navigating spaces ranging from an oyster and Champagne counter to a cheese and charcuterie room that could rival any Parisian fromagerie (of course you’ll have plenty of accoutrements and spreads to choose from, including honeycomb and truffle date syrup). Towers of butter sit alongside fresh bread and pastries, the Eggs Benedict bar is separate from the egg station, and there’s even a pizzeria with a wood-fired oven in the back.
La Mamounia in Marrakech, Morocco
Marrakech’s lauded La Mamounia has been the Hollywood hideaway for the likes of Charlie Chaplin and Francis Ford Coppola, not to mention where fashion royalty Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé called home, and where Paul McCartney composed Mamunia. Today, the palace-inspired property features concepts by some of the world’s most celebrated chefs—including Jean-Georges Vongerichten and Pierre Hermé. One of its best-kept secrets, however, is the breakfast buffet at poolside Le Pavillon de la Piscine, where Moroccan specialties like rghaif (flaky flatbread), quail egg tagine, and baghrir (the thousand-hole pancake) are displayed in a setting worthy of royalty.
The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel in New York
Art Deco beauty, The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel, is a New York staple known just as much for piano music and jazz that lingers late into the evening at martini favorite Bemelmans Bar as it is for its fine art collection and murals—and at Dowling’s at The Carlyle, you’ll be surrounded by more than 200 pieces from local artists. Despite being one of the hotel’s newer additions, breakfast couldn’t get much more “old New York” than Dowling’s at The Carlyle, where decor champions the 1930s and ‘40s and the latest art acquisitions include five of Madeline illustrator Ludwig Bemelmans’ paintings—an homage to the celebrated Upper East Side bar. Breakfast sticks with the restaurant’s theme of reinvented New York classics like an Upper East Side bagel stuffed with homemade smoked salmon and Boursin cheese, plus decadent spins like truffled eggs Benedict, crispy cinnamon French toast with maple crème anglaise, and a pickled chili brioche bacon, egg and cheese sandwich slathered with maple chili aioli.
Grand Hotel Tremezzo in Lake Como, Italy
In the mornings, Grand Hotel Tremezzo’s breakfast hovers above Lake Como at La Terrazza Gualtiero Marchesi, named after Italy’s first three Michelin-starred chef. Executive chef Osvaldo Presazzi worked alongside Marchesi and pays homage to him today through dishes like deconstructed scallop ravioli aperto. In Italy, food is a scene-stealer, but here, it’s competing with the view over Italy’s famous lake, where the jetset swan in summer. Grand Hotel Tremezzo’s sprawling buffet spread matches the timeless glamour of the lake, with Art Nouveau-style silver vases and trays displaying delicate pastries and Italian specialties, plus cheese and olive oil from Tremezzina, cured meats from Lake Como’s Valtellina, and honey from nearby valleys.
Palace Hotel in Tokyo, Japan
Horsedrawn carriages were once the way ambassadors arrived at the Imperial Palace, and a piece of history is still highlighted today at Palace Hotel Tokyo, where breakfast is served moatside at the Grand Kitchen, overlooking the Imperial Palace Gardens. Start traditional with a classic Japanese breakfast tray of miso soup, rice, a Japanese rolled omelet, and grilled fish du jour, or indulge in one of the specialties like a truffle omelet, chicken pho with an Asian fried egg, or a grilled Japanese tenderloin morning steak paired alongside buffet dishes streaming out of the show kitchen.
Four Seasons Hotel Seoul in South Korea
At Four Seasons Hotel Seoul, dining options range from an outpost of Japanese restaurant Akira Back to spruced-up bar bites at Charles H., a speakeasy-esque bar that continually earns a place on the list of the world’s best. For its internationally-themed buffet eatery, The Market Kitchen, New York design studio AvroKO—behind Six Senses London and San Francisco’s The Jay—drew inspiration from Europe’s signature market halls—arcade-style ceilings and all. This one, however, comes complete with a 24-karat gold-crafted chocolate fountain and live cooking breakfast stations ranging from fresh seafood and rotisserie meats to street-style plates, made-to-order noodles, and charcuterie and cheese. While a taste of South Korea is woven into the pan-Asian cuisine, you’ll also be dining on history, with remains preserved beneath the restaurant’s glass floor.