My Extremely Bizarre Breakfast Fail at the Hotel George

I was in Washington, DC last week and decided to stay at the Hotel George on Wednesday night. The Hotel George is located two blocks from Union Station and is a short walk from my office. Per the hotel website, the George is "A Boutique Hotel, Reigning on Capitol Hill." Fancy!

When I booked my reservation, I upgraded to include breakfast the next morning at the hotel restaurant, Bistro Bis. The deal was straightforward: For an extra $20 on my hotel bill, I could have up to $30 worth of breakfast at Bistro Bis on Thursday morning. 

I looked at the menu online, and most of the breakfast items were between $15-20. With coffee and a tip, it would probably be about $25-30 if I paid out-of-pocket. So I figured I would treat myself to a nice breakfast on Thursday morning and added that upgrade to my stay.

When I checked in at the hotel on Wednesday evening, I asked the gentleman at the front desk about the breakfast package. He said it was easy: I simply tell the waiter my room number, and they will know I have the breakfast option. It will all be taken care of. He added that the restaurant opens for breakfast at 7:00 AM. Great.

Thursday morning, I arrived at the restaurant at about 6:58 and walked in. There were no customers, but an employee (maybe 45-50 years old) was standing near one of the tables. 

"Am I too early?" I asked. 

"Are you meeting someone?" he asked back. No, I am not meeting anyone. I am just looking to have breakfast. He tells me to take a seat at a giant booth that could seat six. What would I like to drink? Coffee sounds great. 

When the man came back with my coffee, I said I was in Room 302 and had paid for the breakfast upgrade. This is where things quickly went off the rails.

First, the man said he didn't know anything about this package. Never heard of it. Am I sure that it isn't for a different restaurant? What other restaurant?! There is only one restaurant in the hotel, and the man at the front desk specifically pointed to it when I asked about what time it opens for breakfast.

I politely mentioned that I upgraded my hotel stay to include breakfast. "Did you ask the manager if it's ok?" he now inquires. So now I have to ask the manager? What would I even ask him? To bless my meal? Why would that person need to get involved?

On my hotel confirmation, of course, it mentions the free breakfast. But I didn't bring that piece of paper with me because I didn't think I needed it.

The man walked away for a minute, and I sat there in stunned silence. I looked at the menu and was unsure if I should just order and try to sort it out afterwards. When the waiter came back about a minute later, my menu was sitting in front of me on the table (where a plate would be), and he pointed to it and said in a condescending tone, "Your menu is right in front of you!"

Yeah, I know. I am aware what a menu is. I mean, it's right in front of me. I know what I want if I decide to order. Just because I am not HOLDING the menu doesn't mean I don't know what a menu is, sir.

Now things went from bad to worse. I told him I didn't want to order unless I knew it was paid for. No, he said, I would have to pay him for breakfast, then "take it up with the hotel manager." Again, the hotel manager! Why?? 

At this point, I smiled nervously because I was just confused. The waiter then sternly said to me, "Don't smile. Washington is a town of power. It's a very serious town. People don't smile." Then, he walked away and brought back a sheet of paper showing the "important" events going on in the restaurant that day. 

For example, did you know there was a reception scheduled that afternoon for Senator Pat Toomey? Wow - incredible! In that case, I completely understand why you can't honor my breakfast upgrade!

At this point, I waited for the man to walk away, and then I just got up and walked out. There is a Corner Bakery Cafe right up the street where I sometimes have lunch. I went there and had a delicious breakfast of eggs, toast, bacon, potatoes, and coffee for $10.

When I checked out of the Hotel George, I explained the situation to the lady at the front desk. She took off the charge for the breakfast upgrade and said there has been a lot of confusion about the promotion. She said that if I brought her the receipt from the breakfast in Bistro Bis, they would deduct that amount from my hotel bill.

So let me get this straight: I pay an extra $20 to book the hotel with a free breakfast. Then I am supposed to pay for breakfast out-of-pocket, then the hotel will manually deduct that amount from my room charge? If that's the case, I should have just booked the hotel normally, paid for breakfast normally, and moved on with my life!

My interaction with the man at Bistro Bis was one of the most bizarre experiences I've had in years. Blessings to the Hotel George, blessings to Pat Toomey, blessings to people who smile, and blessings to the Corner Bakery Cafe for actually providing me with breakfast! 

Photo Credits:
Hotel George: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g28970-d120556-Reviews-The_George_a_Kimpton_Hotel-Washington_DC_District_of_Columbia.html
Pat Toomey: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pat_Toomey
Corner Bakery Cafe: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g28970-d4341990-Reviews-Corner_Bakery_Cafe-Washington_DC_District_of_Columbia.html