"Upon arrival, we weren't given the brunch menu and had to request it ourselves. After reviewing it, my wife and I expressed our desire to partake in the brunch while ordering off the menu for our kids (ages 9 and 3). We were informed that this wasn't allowed and that everyone at the table had to participate in the brunch, citing the pastry/lox tower and snack cart as reasons. Our children showed no interest in the lox or snack cart; they simply wanted pancakes and eggs, which we were willing to pay for separately. It seemed unreasonable to expect us to pay $45 for our 3-year-old who wouldn't eat anything from the brunch offerings. While I could understand this potentially being applicable for our 9-year-old, she also wasn't inclined to enjoy much beyond maybe a pastry.
The server went to discuss this with the manager, but we were informed that we all had to purchase the brunch, and the manager never came over to address our concerns. We felt very let down by how the situation was managed. Eventually, we ordered breakfast for the kids, as they were starting to get hungry and we didn't want to scramble to find another place at the last minute.
After placing our order, the server returned to say that another manager would have been willing to comp the kids' brunches, but by that point, we were done and had already placed our order. Unfortunately, the first batch of pancakes we received was burnt and tasted just as bad. The eggs were okay, but the bacon had an overwhelming smoky flavor. They did remake the pancakes, which turned out fine.
Overall, I was frustrated by the lack of understanding from a hotel that likely hosts many families in similar situations. We've attended numerous brunches across the city, and we've never encountered such an inflexible approach with kids. We won't be returning."
