Hi Folks; we offer a room in our house on a B&B basis, charging £45 for two people. The breakfast isn’t a full cooked one but a substantial continental: cereal, fresh fruit, fruit juice, yoghurt, toast made from home-made bread, home-baked croissants., &c. We get rave reviews for it! However our next guests have said they don’t want it! - they’re going out for brunch with the person they’re visiting here. This is the first time this has happened, so I’m left in a bit of a quandary - the question is, even though they haven’t asked for it, do I offer a partial cash refund for the breakfast they’re not taking - say £5? What do people think?
2 Likes
No, that is crazy. Would be like a discount on dinner if you don’t eat the free bread.
10 Likes
If you really want to do that IN THE FUTURE, create a new listing with breakfast NOT included and put the price to what you want. I don’t recommend it though…
4 Likes
I also provide self-serve breakfast items – most of the things you mentioned and a few others but no home-made items due to health dept. regulations. Many people don’t take advantage of it and I have never discounted. Especially at your price point (I am similiar $39 for two people) I think a refund would not be expected.
4 Likes
I offer free coffee, tea and a few snacks.
Sometimes they are not consumed at all.
It would never cross my mind to give a refund for this.
6 Likes
I wouldn’t refund anything.
They chose your place for many reasons and found it a fair deal. (Just like I think the Comfort Inn is a good value, even if I don’t use the pool, gym, and breakfast)
6 Likes
I’m going to concur with everyone else. Don’t automatically offer a refund. Sometimes guests consume more, sometimes less. It averages out. This just happens to be the minimum a guest can consume for breakfast. Do you charge more for guests that consume the maximum (e.g., everything you put out for them)?
If they ask for a refund, then you can do whatever you think is right, but if you do give a refund, don’t use cash. Do it through Airbnb even though it might take a little extra effort. That way a guest can’t double-dip in case they request a refund for something else.
5 Likes
In case there is enough time in advance when guest expressed his/her wish not use that part of your hospitality, you can show your gratitude with such excellent attitude and communication and offer some discount if you wish. It will also show you as exceptional host. However, I do not think that you must do that discount, just because your host don’t want to use that part of your service. It’s similar as in hotel - price for room is include breakfast. If you do not want to use it and go somewhere else, it’s your business, but hotel is not obliged give you discount for that. It may, but may not.
So it’s up to you, I would say give them discount and explain that you doing that as exception, because in fact you are not obliged to do that.
Your guest most likely will appreciate such attitude and you have chance for better feedback 
1 Like
No way. They booked it. If they don’t need your breakfast, be it. Leave it at that. Don’t be surprised if someone refuses your breakfast. Some people are gluten intolerant, others might be on keto diet, meaning they eat only meats or omelets, others might be diabetic, so avoiding sugar like the plague. I personally never eat cereal. Yogurt? I only eat only one type, the turkish one, that I grew up with. I would probably refuse your breakfast too and going out for an omelet and avocado toast, but I would never ever ask for a refund. That’s rude.
At my own house I offer breakfast on sat or sun, but I ask the guests when they arrive. I usually offer omelet (or egg white omelet, spinach omelet), with avocado toast, a variety of cheeses, tomatoes, olives, thick crust bread (paesano) form Whole foods, butter and honey. Everything organic. And Greek coffee. Sometimes I might have savory pastries, like spanakopita or cheese sticks (from Costco). Usually the European guests or ladies want it and it’s nice to chat up a bit. I don’t advertise it and I don’t mind if they say yes or no. You notice, no cereal or any juice. It has a ton of sugar in it. I don’t eat it, I dont offer it.
2 Likes
Eat it yourself and enjoy a brekkie on your guest.
JF
8 Likes
No, I wouldn’t. And if they asked for refund I wouldn’t grant it. Some people use more, some use less. If we charged and refunded for each set of guests individually we would drive ourselves nuts.
7 Likes
If they have not asked for a refund, don’t offer. If you feel uneasy about it, give them a box of chocolates as a welcome gift or a bottle of wine.
3 Likes
I wouldn’t give them anything that you don’t give to all other guests—just regular hospitality.
1 Like
Do not refund them. Do not make them special offers, or offer special gifts because they don’t eat your food. They knew up front that breakfast was included in the price and they choose not to eat it.
I do full prepared breakfasts and cater to any dietary requirements as part of the nightly price. You don’t want my food (we get a few, and some who don’t want it every day), that’s too bad. No discount. You are only one guest and it’s Breakfast for Two? No you can’t have two portions, neither can you get a discount. The per night price is what it is…
3 Likes
That’s the real point.
I’ve stayed in many hotels that have had a spa, or a gym, or some other facility that I haven’t used. Obviously, any free amenities like that are not really ‘free’, I was still paying for them in the nightly price.
It’s entirely up to me whether I take advantage of them.
Imagine a guest goes to stay with a host who has a pool. The guest doesn’t use the pool. Is the guest entitled to some sort of recompense because he/she didn’t use the pool? No!
3 Likes
I’m with @Ritz3. Don’t give a refund, that doesn’t make any sense to me. But you could give them something else as a little welcome snack or something instead. It would come out the same for you and you’d be upping your hospitality.
I have to admit, I tend to avoid places that provide breakfast because I don’t want to pay for breakfast. I have never eaten breakfast and come from a family of non-breakfast eaters. My husband doesn’t eat breakfast either. On the occasion that I would book a place that provides breakfast, I would not under any circumstance expect a discount for not eating breakfast. But a bottle of wine…that would up the value for me.
2 Likes
Congrats on your wonderful brekky!
However, you’re not really in the unwanted discount business. This Canadian suggests a plate of that lovely bread and a cuppa for when they get back - or to take with them.
Maybe offer something in lieu of the breakfast, but there’s absolutely no way I would preemptively offer a refund.
3 Likes
I’m with everyone else - no discount. If they don’t take a shower, you don’t refund them for less water use. It’s generous of you to think about it, but don’t mention it. If they ask for a discount, tell them it’s just part of the rate and still available for them should they change their mind about brunch.
1 Like
I stayed at the Nomad hotel near CDG airport in Paris this past April. The hotel is very high tech and eco-conscious, and provides guests with a tablet that (among other things) monitors and displays your water usage. Guests with usage above a certain allowance are charged for the excess. An interesting concept, I thought, although it did make taking a shower feel a bit stressful.
2 Likes