These things are absolutely not a replacement for waffle machines. They barely cook the pancake all the way and the batter often has a rubbery texture worse than any store-bought mix. Also you can easily make better pancakes at home.

Meanwhile, hotel waffles are crunchy on the outside with a soft interior and malty flavor thanks to the big heavy specialized waffle makers. They taste much more fresh, and most importantly you can't make them at home without the expensive specialized equipment. Home waffle makers just don't have the same mass of heated metal to get the same results.

I actively avoid Holiday Inn Express for business travel because of these things. I prefer the breakfast at many Quality Inns which are often 1/3 the price. Hampton Inn does it right with waffles and two flavors of batter nationwide.