Kea Lani #5 Breakfast

Our first morning, after seeing the view off the lanai in the light for the first time (it was quite solidly overcast), we headed down to breakfast at the buffet breakfast restaurant. I had originally booked a breakfast package directly with the hotel. After I had booked it, however, the hotel had a fifth night free promotion, so I changed packages (and saved over $600.00). We thought we would have the breakfast, though, if it was worth it- I had heard great reviews. 

It was busy in the restaurant, even though it was barely 8:00 am. I guess everyone is time-shifted, too.  We were sat with menus. I asked for one kids menu, as one of the 13 year olds in our party is the lightest, pickiest eater ever! The other one eats like an adult, so I have no issue paying for an adult portion. However, it pains me that the other one has aged out of kids menus. Three of us decided to get the buffet, and my partner decided to try Loco Moco, in keeping with a pledge to eat as local as possible. The buffet was $34/person. I was immediately disappointed by the buffet selection- the fruit consisted of canned peaches and mandarins, some pale cantaloupe, green bananas and sour, unripe pineapple. Hey! Wait a minute! I am in Hawaii- where are the fresh fruits!? The rest of the items- baked goods (very nice), cereal, eggs benedict, omelette station- were okay. Nothing I haven't had a hotel in Toronto in February. I was just expecting something else, I think...maybe an orchid here and there? The restaurant is half inside, half out. We sat in a kind of weird spot in a courtyard- our fault, my daughter wanted to sit by the waterfall- but it was probably a bad choice a it was kind of tucked away and maybe even a little dismal...although the people sitting outside by the adult pool were fighting off bold sparrows that tried to eat off their plates. 

Plate one from buffet. 

Loco moco- rice, soy sauce flavoured gravy, a hamburger patty and two fried eggs. 

Overall, a sort of so-so breakfast. I was glad that we weren't committed to it every morning. In fact, it was the only time we ate there in six days. The bill came, and it was $135.00. Ouch! Our server didn't even ask about the kids menu on the table...just billed the kids both as adults. So here is how I feel about that: both my partner and I have a long history in the Hospitality business. One of us owns a restaurant, and the other is a Hospitality high school teacher. I really think that servers should be trained to observe! Especially at a buffet service. If our server, who didn't actually seem that interested, were observant, they would note the kids menu on the table, and the half bagel with one bite out of it on the plate, and note mentally that the kids rate ($16.00) would be more than fair. I get that the hotel probably sees way too many cheapskates trying to pass off their ravenous teenagers as kids...but come on. A little observation and attention goes a LONG way. That's all! I didn't feel like bickering over the bill on this first morning of a long planned holiday, so I paid it and vowed that we wouldn't make that mistake again.