Half board vs full board vs bed and breakfast: what each includes
Updated
Bed and breakfast means breakfast is included in the room price. Half board includes breakfast and one other meal, usually dinner. Full board includes breakfast, lunch and dinner. A room-only rate includes no meals at all.
| Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Room only | No | No | No |
| Bed and breakfast | Yes | No | No |
| Half board | Yes | No | Usually |
| Full board | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Some hotels let half-board guests choose lunch instead of dinner.
What the guest actually gets
“Breakfast included” normally means one breakfast per guest per night, served on the morning after each night of the stay. Drinks at meals other than breakfast are often not included on half or full board, and some hotels serve a set menu rather than the full à la carte. If it matters, ask the hotel what the board covers before you book. The booking confirmation should say which board your rate has.
A continental breakfast is a lighter, mostly cold breakfast: bread, pastries, cheese, fruit and coffee. A full breakfast adds cooked dishes. Either can be “included”.
What it means for the hotel in the morning
For the restaurant, the board type is the answer to one question at the door: does this guest already have breakfast, or do they pay? On a busy morning a single hotel can have all four in house: a tour group on half board, business guests on bed and breakfast, and a couple on a room-only deal who decide at 08:15 that they would like breakfast after all, and someone has to charge them.
In OPERA Cloud, breakfast and dinner are usually packages attached to the rate code. In Mews, they are usually products included in the rate. Either way, the board is usually set up in the rate, though it can also be added to a single booking. If a rate’s name says “B&B” but the package or product is missing, check how your breakfast list decides who is included, because it may not count that guest.
Related
Kløvr registers breakfast at the restaurant door and writes it back to OPERA Cloud or Mews.