Mom Shares a Hotel Breakfast Trick to Save Money and People Are Saying: “That Is Just Shameful”
Traveling with kids is one of the most rewarding and exhausting things a parent can do, and finding ways to cut costs without sacrificing the fun is basically a full-time job. One Australian mom has gone viral for sharing a hotel buffet trick that she swears makes family trips so much easier. Her method is simple, practical, and apparently pretty controversial. It turns out the internet has very strong feelings about what you can and cannot do at a hotel breakfast.
Alana Tabak, a travel-loving mom of two who documents her family adventures on her Instagram page The Travelling Tabaks, posted a video explaining one of her favorite tricks for keeping kids fed throughout the day. During a recent family vacation to Bali, she brought an empty kids’ lunchbox with her to the hotel’s breakfast buffet. Just before the family headed out for the day, she filled it with things like croissants, fruit, and small pastries. The idea was to have snacks ready for the kids while relaxing at the pool or beach later, without spending extra money on food.
Alana was upfront that this hack is not for everyone. She acknowledged in her post that some parents would find it totally normal, while others would be mortified at the idea. But her reasoning was pretty straightforward and hard to argue with. “Hungry kids by the pool are a lot more embarrassing,” she wrote, adding that this little trick saves both money and a lot of stress. She made it clear she would not do it anywhere it was explicitly not allowed, and that she sees it as a practical way to reduce food waste rather than take advantage of anyone.
The video racked up more than 314,000 views, and the comments section became a genuine debate about travel etiquette. Plenty of parents rallied behind her, saying they do the exact same thing on their own vacations. One person said they did it during their own Bali trip and called it a lifesaver for dealing with mid-morning meltdowns. Others chimed in saying they pocket fruit or small rolls for their kids without a second thought, calling it a smart use of what they have already paid for.
On the other side, a fair number of people were firmly against it. Some commenters called it outright theft, arguing that paying for breakfast gives you the right to eat at the buffet, not to take food away with you for the rest of the day. One person made the point that guests pay for a breakfast service, not an all-day snack supply. The debate even spilled into conversations about food waste, with some defending the habit by pointing out that huge amounts of buffet food get thrown away every day anyway, so packing a few items actually makes more sense than leaving them behind.
The conversation also got surprisingly personal, with some people admitting that this exact habit causes arguments in their own relationships. One woman shared that her husband always wants to pack something from the buffet and she refuses every single time. It also came up that some hotels have clear policies against taking food out of the dining area, and a few guests even said they have been stopped by staff. According to reports, some hotels in certain countries treat it as an additional meal charge if you are caught removing food from the buffet, and one woman recounted being chased down by hotel staff in Hong Kong over a single banana she had slipped into her bag.
Despite the mixed response, Alana said she has no plans to stop. She sees it as one of those small, harmless family travel hacks that makes the whole experience a little smoother and more affordable without hurting anyone. Whether you find it genius or a step too far, it is clear that hotel buffet etiquette is way more complicated than most people realize.
Share your thoughts on this breakfast debate in the comments.
