No one likes being jet-lagged and starving, only to face a “continental breakfast” with croissants that taste like they’ve been left out for days. Or worse, coffee that still has bits of powder in it.
After too many mornings like that, we figured it was time to separate the forgettable from the fantastic. So, we hunted down Calgary’s best hotels where the continental breakfast actually feels like a reason to book a room.
Here’s what we found.
How much does it cost to eat a hotel’s continental breakfast in Calgary?
Most hotels in Calgary don’t charge you anything for their continental breakfast, as it usually comes with a nightly stay. This will vary depending on the hotel.
Table of Contents
1. Carriage House Hotel & Conference Centre
Address: 9030 Macleod Trl
Contact Details: +14032531101
Operating Hours:
- Check-in time: 3:00 PM
- Check-out time: 12:00 PM
The Carriage House Hotel’s morning spread holds its own. We love the house-made granola and fresh fruit that hasn’t met a syrup bath. The pastries also taste like they’re from a boutique bakery, not a freezer bag.
The real draw for us, though, is the Sunday Brunch Buffet. It’s what the hotel is best known for, and it lives up to most of the hype.
The prime rib is sliced to order and comes out tender. The garlic shrimp manages to avoid the rubbery fate of most hotel seafood.
The made-to-order omelet station is perfect for those in a hurry. There’s no 20-person line, just a chef who won’t forget to ask if you want extra cheddar on that omelet.
The baked goods are just as good. The cinnamon rolls are glazed to sticky perfection, and the scones crumble just right.
Drinkwise, the coffee is decent, but their tea and juice selection is a bit on the weak side. They didn’t have many choices compared to the rest of the spread.
Beyond breakfast, the rooms are comfortable with plush beds that tempt you to sleep and views of the Calgary skyline.
Free buffet-style continental breakfast
“Our recent stay at Carriage House was as comfortable as a hotel stay can be: the rooms are clean and well-maintained, with great attention to detail clearly paid to both the decorations and available creature comforts. The food is delicious, reasonably priced and generous in portion size. The service is prompt and polite. Included is a free buffet-style continental breakfast. While I’m no expert traveler (and what little traveling I do is usually on a shoestring budget!), this is certainly the nicest hotel I’ve yet stayed in, and I’ll be staying here again next time I need a room for the night in Calgary!”
– JC, Google Reviews
Nothing short of amazing
“Our recent stay at the Carriage House Hotel in Calgary was absolutely fantastic! From the moment we arrived, we were impressed by the cleanliness and condition of our room, which offered a breathtaking view of the city from the 9th floor.
The service at the hotel was exceptional; the staff were incredibly friendly and attentive, making our stay even more enjoyable. We particularly loved the outdoor pool, which was warm and well-maintained—a perfect place to relax.
One of the highlights of our stay was the continental breakfast. It was nothing short of amazing, with a wide variety of delicious and fancy options that exceeded our expectations.
Our visit coincided with the Calgary Stampede, which we were unaware of when booking. Despite this, the hotel provided a peaceful and convenient retreat. Although we didn’t leave the hotel to explore the city, its location was easily accessible and served as a great stop on our way to Radium Hot Springs.
Overall, our experience at the Carriage House Hotel was five-star across the board. We would definitely stay here again and highly recommend it to others.”
– Gigasoft Computers, Google Reviews
2. Le Germain Hotel Calgary
Address:
Contact Details:+14032648990
Operating Hours:
- Check-in time: 3:00 PM
- Check-out time: 12:00 PM
Le Germain Calgary takes a more curated approach to breakfast, which really caught our attention.
They partner with CHARCUT (a local meat-and-cheese powerhouse) and Yann Haute Patisserie (a Calgary bakery legend) for their continental breakfast. That’s probably why their morning spread feels more thoughtfully assembled than a typical hotel.
The CHARCUT charcuterie board isn’t just a sad pile of deli slices. It has paper-thin coppa, peppery lonza, and a sharp cheddar that pairs well with their berries.
Yann’s croissants arrive still warm, and the banana bread comes studded with walnuts. Even the granola parfait is served with Greek yogurt and fresh honey, rather than prepackaged syrup.
Although the continental breakfast here isn’t a buffet, the food is no less satisfying.
One of our researchers ordered the Giant Breakfast Sammy off the hotel’s a la carte breakfast menu and liked the silky scrambled eggs that came with it. The blistered tomatoes paired with the warm croissant also made her morning even better.
The dining room itself is a chic, low-key café, with leather booths and soft lighting. Plus, their weekend hours until 11 AM are a godsend for staycationers who like to sleep past 7 AM.
The croissants were better than the ones we experienced in France
“I loved everything about this hotel. The entrance was welcoming and stylish, the staff were pleasant and helpful, and the room was perfectly laid out and comfortable. We stayed in the Junior suite which included a couch and chair, desk, plenty of storage space, a stunning bathroom, as well as a very comfortable king bed and pillows. We plan on returning for a longer time. Also, the room included a continental breakfast which was excellent. I actually thought the croissants were better than the ones we experienced in France, and that says a lot. Thank you Le Germain staff for going out of your way to make our stay perfect. And thank you Calgary. This city has the best vibes. I can’t wait to return for a longer stay.”
– Joni Moffatt, Google Reviews
Decent continental breakfast
“Excellent place to stay in downtown Calgary. Walking distance to lots of restaurants and bars. Service was excellent. Decent continental breakfast.”
– Sean Malone, Google Reviews
3. Residence Inn by Marriott Calgary Downtown/Beltline District
Address: 610 10 Ave SW
Contact Details: +15878852288
Operating Hours:
- Check-in time: 4:00 PM
- Check-out time: 12:00 PM
The Residence Inn’s continental breakfast’s hot station alone could rival a diner. The dishes rotate regularly, so those staying longer can enjoy a variety of meals for breakfast.
When we stayed at the hotel, we had an excellent vegetarian patty with a tangy tomato sauce. It was honestly so much better than having to stick with a plain bowl of cereal.
The make-your-own waffle station is well-organized as well. There were no sticky batter spills that is common at self-serve counters.
The oatmeal bar comes loaded with toppings like toasted almonds and dried cranberries.
At the fruit-and-cheese selection, they serve cantaloupe that’s actually ripe and berries not drowned in watery syrup. The cheese comes thinly sliced and is kept cold on a bed of ice, so no one gets sick from dairy left out.
Many guests we talked to also single out the coffee bar as a highlight, which we can understand. Being able to order a latte instead of settling for the drip coffee most hotels serve is definitely worth praising.
The only major complaint we have about the hotel is that the rooms are on the smaller side. While clean, we were expecting bigger rooms after seeing the rooms at other hotels.
The breakfast was exceptional
“We absolutely loved our stay and will definitely return whenever we’re in Calgary! The location was perfect, within easy walking distance of everything we wanted to see and do. While we did have to pay for parking, that’s completely understandable for a downtown location and wasn’t a problem at all. The breakfast was exceptional – truly the best continental/buffet I’ve had in a long time, setting a new, very high bar for hotel breakfasts! Ample seating in the breakfast/lounge area plus spectacular views of the city. Clean and spacious gym & laundry area. The staff were all incredibly friendly and helpful, making our anniversary trip truly special. We also loved the updated room; the layout was very well designed and perfect for both short and long stays. Smart TVs where with the option to login to your Netflix account was very useful, too! Overall, it was a fantastic experience.”
– L Quijano, Google Reviews
The continental breakfast is large and plentiful
“Wow!! This place was awesome!! The rooms are furnished nicely, clean and spacious. The view was fine. I loved the kitchenette and layout. A variety of restaurants and a grocery store are nearby. The continental breakfast is large and plentiful, the best I’ve seen in a hotel. Would, definitely, return. Don’t know how much the room cost cause I was there for business.”
– Toshi Takahashi, Google Reviews
4. Hampton Inn by Hilton Calgary Airport North
Address:2021 100 Ave NE
Contact Details: +14034529888
Operating Hours:
- Check-in time: 3:00 PM
- Check-out time: 12:00 PM
The Hampton Inn Calgary Airport North is the hotel people book when they want to avoid airport chaos, not document it on Instagram. It’s built for convenience, and in that respect, it delivers.
Having paid $30 for airport parking only to sprint through the terminals, we were immediately sold on their perk: free parking with a nightly stay and a shuttle to the airport gate.
For the most part, the rooms are spotless and have outlets exactly where you need them (bedside, desk, mirror). The queen room was compact but clutter-free, with a work desk that fit my laptop and a carry-on.
Plus, the continental breakfast isn’t half bad. They have generous topping stations for waffles, oatmeal, and even cereal.
We appreciate that there’s no limit on how many servings we can get. There’s no staff hovering over the breakfast station monitoring how many pieces of bacon people grab.
However, a few people complained that the scrambled eggs are sometimes soggy and the sausages are a bit cold.
Continental breakfast had a good variety
“From the moment we walked in the door we were impressed with how clean and modern it was. The late night front desk staff was so friendly and helpful. The room had everything we needed and matched the new clean modern design as the rest of the hotel. The
Continental breakfast had a good variety for everyone. And we were able to utilize the free shuttle that operated every 20 minutes on the hour. Being only about a four-minute drive from the airport it was a great option for late night stay. We would stay here again for sure!”
– Brittaney Yeast, Google Reviews
Breakfast is great
“We stayed here twice during our trip (after our late flight in and prior to an early morning departure) and had a great experience! Breakfast is great, rooms are updated and clean, and all the facilities are wonderful including the indoor pool and hot tub. If you have an early morning flight, highly recommend returning your rental car the night before and utilizing and free shuttle system, it was very convenient!”
– Evan Johnson, Google Reviews
5. Wingate By Wyndham Calgary Airport
Address: 57 Freeport Cres NE
Contact Details: +15873930700
Operating Hours:
- Check-in time: 3:00 PM
- Check-out time: 11:00 AM
The Wingate By Wyndham Calgary Airport continental spread is straightforward but reliable. The scrambled eggs are fluffy rather than rubbery, and the sausages and hash browns deliver that kind of savory comfort you want before a flight.
The make-your-own toast station avoids carb monotony with bagels and English muffins, while cereal and yogurt cater to quick grazers. For families, they serve up food kids love, from pancakes and bacon to bite-sized pastries.
We also love how kid-friendly the drink station is, with favorites like apple and orange juice. Most adults, on the other hand, reach for that bold cup of coffee for their morning boost.
That said, the hot food rotation is more limited than what we had expected. Still, it’s miles ahead of the sad muffin-and-coffee combos at most airport hotels.
As for the rooms, they’re spacious, clean, and thoughtfully designed. The king room has a separate sitting area with a desk (perfect for last-minute emails) and blackout curtains that make us want to sleep some more after breakfast.
The biggest con here is that you can’t open the windows. Though the HVAC keeps the rooms cool, some guests said they missed being able to let in a bit of fresh air after a day or two.
Breakfast was a full continental breakfast
“Great hotel! We stayed here for 1 night and wished we booked a couple more nights.
Friendly staff, comfortable beds, full bath tub. Clean and spacious rooms.
Pool and hot tub were nice.
Very quiet despite being right near the airport.
Breakfast was a full continental breakfast with eggs, sausages, hashbrowns, toast/bagels, cereal, fruit, coffee, juice. Very pleasantly surprised!
The only thing I would change is that the windows don’t open, so you can’t get fresh air. Other than that, we really enjoyed our stay!”
– Katherin P., Google Reviews
Continental breakfast was decent
“Great customer service. Very nice and polite staff. A pleasure to deal with them. The room has a slight thermostat issue but the staff quickly changed the room for us without any fuss. The hotel is right next to the airport and about 15 min from downtown which is great for work. There is a Tim Hortons right next to the hotel. The continental breakfast was decent; what you would expect. Very clean rooms and comfy beds. Will stay here again.”
– Zaid Mirza, Google Reviews
