It’s a well known social media phenomenon; the crystal clear infinity pool with an elegant tray floating perfectly on the surface, filled with fresh tropical fruit, delicious looking pastries, steaming coffee and freshly made juice, usually with a beautiful bunch of flowers and set against an incredible landscape backdrop, often with an influencer posing beside it. We’re talking about the floating breakfast of course. Even if you’ve never tried one, the odds are you’ve seen at least one on your social medias.
1. More than a trend
Having seemingly originated in Bali, these types of luxury breakfasts are fast becoming mainstream, particularly in Asia and the Pacific. Influencers and regular social media users alike share their morning feasts from their warm-weather private villa resorts in places like Thailand and the Maldives. They have been gaining popularity over the years, however the Covid-19 pandemic seems to have increased their popularity even further, as hotel guests choose to avoid buffets and communal dining rooms, and instead opt for a floating breakfast in their private pool or hot tub.
Of course the trend of capturing these breakfasts on camera and posting them on the Gram only serves to further promote them, essentially a free marketing tool for luxury hotels, as social media users see the breakfasts online and then want to get in on the experience themselves. This has led to many hotels having to up their game to get ahead of the competition, offering everything from novelty heart-shaped baskets instead of trays to rainbow arrays of food and one hotel, Cape Fahn on Koh Samui, Thailand, is even working on a floating afternoon tea experience.
2. A good idea?
Floating meals definitely seem to have gone from a fleeting trend to very mainstream, but there are certain questions around the practicality of eating this way. What if you’re a bit of a clumsy person (especially first thing in the morning) and your coffee ends up in the pool? Or the tray becomes unbalanced as you get into the pool? Do these breakfasts actually get eaten (some of them feature alot of food) or are they just for the Gram? And lastly, how healthy is is to eat whilst immersed in water? I was always taught to wait a minimum of one hour after eating before going back in the pool…
