I decided to check out the breakfast buffet at The George Hotel, Christchurch, and take a look at their spread. The hotel dining room was a large, open space with lots of big glass doors and windows.
Breakfast Buffet and Gym at The George Hotel Christchurch: A Perfect Way to Start a Day
A wide array of cereals, fruits, cold cuts and cooked food was all neatly laid out on the tables. I was told that I could also order something from the ala carte menu if I wanted to. I quickly got myself a plate and browsed through my options. I wanted a hearty breakfast to start the day with (you can also read my article about the great breakfast I had at Shanghai Restaurant, Riccarton Road Christchurch).
They had neatly laid out wellness shots in shot glasses. The drinks were almost over so I grabbed one before they could run out. I wanted to have a healthy breakfast and I could see they had all kinds of fruits, both fresh and canned.
I took a small helping of the peaches, pears, apricots and black plums. They were slightly sweet and slightly tart and were an excellent start to the day.
For dairy lovers, the hotel had provided two kinds of milk and a variety of flavored and unflavored yogurts, as you see in the image above. Since there were many kinds of cereal on offer, guests could pick and choose whatever we liked. The mango yogurt and berry yogurt were both sweetened but the plain yogurt wasn’t.
I took a helping of the fresh watermelon, grapes and papaya and tried to choose between five varieties of jam.
I love cereal and the range of granola, muesli and cornflakes cheered me up at once. There was even gluten free granola for anyone who suffers from allergies. I tried a little and I loved the crunch of it. Topped with some yogurt and jam, it was a great treat. Condiments like ketchup and butter sat neatly beside the toasters so guests could take as much of it as they wanted.
Having finished with all the sweets, I started towards the savory options on the buffet. The hotel offered both white and brown bread. They had toasters lined up so that we could toast the bread to our liking.
The plates filled with cheese, cured salami and cold meats were almost running out. Obviously, they had been very popular. I loaded up my plate with a few of my favorites and turned towards the hot food (and speaking of hot food, you can also read my article about the Ancestral Restaurant at 35 Riccarton Road Christchurch).
Everything had been kept warm in warming dishes and the tongs were clean and within easy reach. All the items had been freshly prepared that morning. I got a bit of the sautéed mushrooms and grilled tomatoes to add vegetables to my meal.
The bacon had been fried to perfection and I couldn’t wait to get started on it. I could tell that the sausages had been grilled. That added a smokiness and depth of flavor to the dish that I loved.
The hash browns had been made in perfect bite sized pieces. Who doesn’t love some fried potatoes in the morning? I happily picked up a couple of the hash bites. The scrambled eggs were creamy, salty and smooth. They had been fried just the right amount and hadn’t become rubbery. Seasoned with pepper and salt, a warm bite of scrambled eggs was all that I needed.
I also wanted to get a bowl of porridge from the ala carte menu. The hotel staff brought it topped with some brown sugar, cinnamon, fruits, walnuts and pecans. I added some syrup to the bowl just to sweeten it a little more before digging in.
Now that I had eaten a big and hearty breakfast, I thought it was time that I paid a visit to the gym. Third Space Fitness was conveniently located right next to the hotel building and guests could visit from dawn till midnight.
Big windows let in lots of natural light and floor to ceiling mirrors made the interior look extra bright.
The gym was filled with all the equipment that anyone could ever need. I decided to start off with some light cardio on the indoor exercise bikes that you can see in the images below. I wanted to take it slow at first, after the heavy breakfast.
Other than the basic exercise bikes, treadmills and weights, Third Space Fitness even had rowing machines and ski ergs. A full body workout would get me energized for the day and train my upper body. So I used the rowing machine after the bike.
Then I tried out the ski erg for a few minutes, both for my core and arms as well as for my legs.
Obviously, the gym also had a number of dumbbells and kettlebells in all sizes and weights. The dumbbells started from 4kg and went all the way up to 40 kg.
They were all lined up on the shelves in a neat manner, organized per weight from top to bottom.
The kettlebells were a little old and the paint had faded. But they had been beautifully maintained.
As you can see in the image above, the lowermost shelves were filled with yoga mats and ropes. These would be ideal for people who didn’t want to do cardio or weight training. There was enough space in the center of the gym to set up a yoga mat and do some stretches.
Finally, I decided to indulge in a few minutes of running on the treadmills. They had screens so I could easily monitor my speed and pace.
A leg curl machine and a training bench sat in the corner surrounded by barbells. The best thing about the gym was that all the equipment was clean and well cared for. I knew that the staff regularly wiped down all the machines that were used. After I was done, I picked up my towel and went out to the gym lobby.
The bright and colorful lobby was full of sunshine. Plants stood in rows along the wooden shelves and comfortable chairs sat under a small television. It immediately put me in a good mood for the rest of the day.
