Food Feature Friday #45: Free Breakfast and a Hotel.

For the last few days I've talked about my semi-impromptu hotel trip while our building's termites were being dealt with. Yesterday I was going to do a 'part 2' to the 'part 1' I wrote on Wednesday, but with the amount of exhaustion I was experiencing I just couldn't get my mind in the right place to do an accurate review of the Hampton's Inn.

I know today is a "food feature" which is the basis for today's post, but I will be including a review for the particular Hilton hotel I stayed at in Mission Valley. 


Quick run down of Part 1: On Wednesday my Padawan and I checked ourselves into a wonderfully cold hotel since our apartments were being tented for pesky critters - termites. I mentioned the service, the cleanliness, and a part of the hotel itself. Basically a rundown of our first day. As for day two, we'll that starts now.

We woke up in the morning at 6am, literally the moment complimentary continental breakfast started downstairs in the lobby. My little guy was a tad reluctant, but this mostly had to do with him still being groggy from the medication he had and the fact that he was a tad sick.


There were hardly any other guests at breakfast during this time, making it the optimal time to enjoy a nice quiet meal. Plenty of clean seats were vacant and the food - while not 5 stars - was presented in an adequate fashion, giving everyone enough space to move about in an organized fashion. Again cleanliness was very apparent everywhere, showcasing this hotel's keen eye for making a welcoming environment at all hours of the day.

Yesterday's breakfast consisted of homestyle potatoes, waffles (regular or blueberry), hard boiled eggs, three types of cereal, omelets, Canadian ham, pastries, toast, bagels, croissants, and fruit. To drink you had the choice of coffee, milk, orange juice, or water. Condiments of sorts were placed around the food to help you flavor-up any dish you were preparing. I went with an omelet, a hard boiled eggs, potatoes, and two mini waffles (which I made myself - but it's much easier than it sounds). My potatoes and eggs were covered with a "Pace" style salsa, while my waffles were spread with strawberry jelly.

Overall the flavor of each item minus the waffles, were mediocre. To me it was almost as if I had eaten some bland frozen foods that had been perfectly warmed up. Nothing was disgusting or in poor taste/quality, but they just weren't AS flavorful. Even with the condiments mixed in everything was a bit "off". I could see that it's beneficial for the hotel to make food this way however, because it allows a little more room for people to dress up their preferred eats the way they desire most.


Speed through time with me and see what I did in the meantime HERE. Don't worry I'll wait...

Now that you're all caught up, let's get to today's breakfast. Everything was basically the same, with the "main items" changing. I had scrambled eggs (mixed with ham and cheese) covered in salsa, some sausage, a croissant with cream cheese, banana waffles (which I made by mashing bananas and mixing it with their batter before I cooked it) and a bowl of "Raisin Bran" cereal.


Orange juice and coffee were my preferred drinks for both mornings and the food was the same quality both days.


Don't get me wrong, I ate LOADS of food both mornings. It wasn't just because the food was free, I genuinely did enjoy it to some degree. I would go again and again for their breakfasts. The fact that they have 24/7 free coffee also helps incredibly.


Once I took my Padawan to school, I came back to pack up and head towards the apartment (a different story for another time).

Leaving the hotel I have a definitive opinion on how the experience as whole went down. I will never forget this stay. They bent over backwards to make us comfortable, even granting us free early check-in to accommodate my sick son. Their cleanliness was beyond belief, the service was better than could imagine, and the memories of eating by a fire pit with my baby with forever resonate with me.

I couldn't recommend this hotel enough and I'm forever grateful for their honest and wonderful service. My Padawan even recommends it, wishing to return back soon himself.


The parking is $19 an day, but personally I feel it's a price to pay when you want to stay at a hotel like this. The security was also stealthy but comforting.


So if you find yourself in San Diego and you need a hotel, I HIGHLY recommend the Hampton Inn in Mission Valley. You won't be sorry when you leave rested, relaxed, and feeling like Hilton really cares about your happiness!