James Hacon quoted in AFAR on why hotel breakfast reveals everything

James Hacon, Managing Partner at Think Hospitality, has been quoted in AFAR’s recent feature on why breakfast is “the most revealing way to judge a luxury hotel”.

The piece makes the case that breakfast is where a hotel’s ambition becomes most visible, from service standards and operational discipline to design choices and sustainability. James’ contribution underlines just how protected the morning meal has become inside hotel businesses.

As he tells AFAR, breakfast is often treated as so strategically important that consultants are “rarely allowed to meddle with it”. In many projects, it is the one area “carved out” of the brief entirely, with teams explicitly told not to touch it.

That lines up with what we see across the industry: breakfast is a universal touchpoint that touches almost every guest, every day. It’s also one of the clearest indicators of whether a hotel can consistently deliver at scale, especially in luxury where expectations are unforgiving. AFAR also highlights practical thresholds James has observed, including that around 25 rooms can be a tipping point where buffets become more efficient and pleasant for guests and teams.

James’ perspective is informed by both operations and strategy. As AFAR notes, he is a former hotel general manager and Think Hospitality has produced an extensive whitepaper on hotel breakfast