Will you describe how the Home Exchange program works?
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On my list of hotels I’d like to stay at.
Hotel Del (Coronado)
The Plaza (NYC)
Just one night. I don’t care about the breakfasts at these two.
If you are looking for a great breakfast (and hotel) in Auckland, I will suggest the Cordis. The restaurant where breakfast is served is called Eight…it has 8 stations. We had four breakfasts there and really, they were terrific!
You know where we had great breakfasts? Japan. The buffet usually included American/European food, Japanese food and Chinese food. Almost all of it yummy.
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This is sort of my nightmare - in-laws or otherwise. Doesn’t matter if I like them or not, 4 people sleeping/snoring/bathrooming/whatever in a small space would be my personal hell, lol. But I admit that my in-laws would have totally done the same. What does one hotel room mean? Stuff as many people in it as you can!
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Agree that the breakfast buffets at Japanese hotels are generally quite good and generally part of a higher pricing option. The breakfasts served at high end ryokans were not buffets, and seemed to include only Japanese options that weren’t really how I wanted to start my day. 
One thing that has started to influence my hotel bookings are the cancellation policies, especially if I’m driving. I remember when the standard was cancel before six on day of arrival. Then there started to be a lot of cancel the day before arrival. Now I’m seeing some that are 7-14 days out.
The number of stars and good reviews are my top priority, but I try to avoid places with unreasonable (to me) policies. Besides the cancellation policy, others are a $150 cleaning fee for a one night stay with a dog, a way higher cost for people who don’t opt for a pay-in-advance, no refund rate, and really high parking fees.
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That’s another reason I book direct with the hotels and not through a third party. When my daughter was doing her co-op in Denver, my husband flew out to drive back with her in December. There ended up being a huge blizzard forecasted on their preferred route home and he called the hotel they were supposed to stay at that night (a Hampton Inn) and told them that they were going to have to cancel and not only did they credit him but they arranged for a room at a different Hampton Inn along their new southern route to avoid the storm.
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When we do our bike trips, we normally stay in what I guess would be called boutique hotels/inns. In Europe they usually have pretty good breakfasts, and I LOVE that they almost always have really good espresso machines. At home I drink 2 lattes every morning, but I generally won’t pay for them when I’m not home. But to be able to get them “free” makes me so happy.
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Had a similar experience with a Kimpton. Canceled maybe 2 hours before check-in bc of a snowstorm that had pretty much stopped us dead in pur tracks. They were experiencing the same and were sympathetic to our plight. In general, we have been treated well by IHG hotels.
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Many, many years ago we had the same experience. We had car trouble and just wanted to call it a day rather than continuing the drive to the city where we had a reservation. We called the hotel (also a Hampton) and they arranged a room for us where we broke down. They earned a lot of goodwill that day. I was pretty loyal to Hampton Inn’s for a long time.
It’s nice to hear there are still properties providing good customer service.
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When my mom was ill and in hospice, I wasn’t sure how long I would need to be in a hotel.
We were cleaning out her apartment, things got done ahead of schedule. I had a hotel booked, it was after the time to cancel.
The desk clerk was able to cancel a reservation that was not refundable. I was very grateful for that desk clerk at the holiday inn express.
I always book direct
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The best breakfasts I’ve seen have been in Israel (kosher too :)) I remember DS20 used to eat by color, like “orange breakfast day” with salmon, carrots, clementines, OJ…
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I loved the Ryokan breakfasts!
Okay, i like mango lassi and sherbert. You can have the rest! 
- Mango Lassi
- Simmered Koya-dofu (freeze-dried tofu)
- Simmered Tender Octopus, Snap Peas
- Somen Noodles in Bamboo Pipe
- Shredded Egg, Fried Tofu, Chicken
- Chopped Green Onion, Ginger
- Soft Steamed Egg Custard
- Grilled Plate: Shrimp, Shiitake Mushroom, Grated Yuzu Peel
- Ashitaba (Japanese Angelica Tree) and Carrot Sesame Dressing
- Boiled Shirasu (Whitebait), Grated Daikon Radish, Shiso Leaf, Clam, Cucumber, Seaweed, Sunomono (Vinegared Salad)
- Simmered Beef with Sansho Pepper
- Izu Dried Fish, Wasabi Pickles
- Katsura-style Koshihikari Rice
- Miso Soup with Blue Crab and Green Onion
- Assorted Pickles
- Shiratama Zenzai (Sweet Red Bean Soup with Mochi Balls)
- Homemade Sherbet
I’m not a big fan of the dried fish, and I loathe everything sweet red bean, but otherwise that all looks tasty.
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Fancier hotels in Hawaii have Japanese style breakfast items in their breakfast buffet offerings. I always get a bowl of miso soup with a generous spoonful of seaweed and tofu! And pickled vegetables.
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Not a single thing on that list. Just yuck. (Well, grilled shrimp if there’s nothing else on it.)
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Faro. It’s southern part of Portugal.
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Home Exchange is a program to join with a membership fee. You receive some points for signing up. There are homes to stay all over the world. It is very popular in France and perhaps started there.
You are expected to host, either in your own home or some have a second home or apartment on their property and can do that directly with exchanging for someoone’s home, or receive points in exchange. I have had people stay in my home for a few days either while I’m traveling or occasionally have stayed in a friends house in my town so people can use my house. I’ve also hosted folks for a night or two in a spare bedroom while I’m home for fewer points. Then I use those points when traveling, which has saved me thousands in hotel fees. I’ve really enjoyed hosting the interesting people who have stayed with me. The program allows a charge for cleaning, for post stay clean up.
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Food quality in Japan tends to be very high. I’d eat most of this, but my favorite would be the soft steamed egg custard, which can be delicious. Chawan mushi in Japanese.
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