Feature photo by William Lyn
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We live in a time where the fear of missing out leads international travelers to optimize their itineraries in every way. When dining on vacation, the goal is often to try a destination’s top dishes and visit the trendiest restaurants, bars, and cafes. Social media drives decision-making, from creating a desire to post interesting meal or drink photos while on vacation to acting as a resource for finding places to dine.
This cycle leads travelers down a path of feeling a compulsion not to miss a potentially exciting dining experience or at least make a visit to a spot that will make for a compelling photo. The result brings out the inner Anthony Bourdain in all of us searching to create a memory from a local meal.
The focus on maximizing one’s experience is on the surface, not a bad motivation, as travel expands our minds, and in this case, palettes. A downside of this behavior is that it can come at a cost to our relaxation. After a long day walking through a city, a dinner out can add some extra exhaustion when the day’s activities have finally come to an end, sometimes resulting in a later start the following day.
While the safest option to achieve the relaxation that may be necessary is often a meal in the hotel restaurant or even room service. These in-hotel options often sound better as an idea than what we see in reality, with hotel dining commonly being egregiously over-priced, unmemorable, and unauthentic when compared to meals in local restaurants.
The idea of a hotel picnic solves the problem of how to relax while at the same time providing a delicious and memorable meal made up of local dishes, ingredients, and specialties that are staples of the destination. Turning on the TV in the hotel room to catch up on the news, check-in with loved ones, and snack on local specialties while sipping a refreshing local beverage is the ultimate way to maximize experience without the cost to energy levels.
What is a Hotel Picnic?
A hotel picnic is a planned meal where you purchase local foods, produce, beverages, snacks, and desserts from outside the hotel to enjoy a meal in your hotel room, or on the property, with minimal preparation required.
It doesn’t matter whether you are buying local cured meats, cheese, and bread in France, hot bowls of noodles and stir-fried dishes on the street in Thailand, or Japanese fried chicken and snacks at a convenience store in Tokyo, bringing these local specialties back to the hotel to enjoy in a comfortable atmosphere can be considered as a hotel picnic.
The use of the term ‘picnic’ to describe this style of meal helps understand the idea of having a dinner where you are bringing food from somewhere else to a location that does not have a kitchen. This concept requires all of the food to be cooked or prepared ahead of time in some capacity and ready to eat at the hotel or hotel room. The term also helps to distinguish this type of meal from room service or eating in a hotel restaurant.
The point of a hotel picnic is to take advantage of the local food choices. Purchasing quality local foods at the store and enjoying them while you unwind is a great way to relax yet still create a lasting memory that you will be reminiscing about after your trip.
So, by planning to relax and unwind while at the same time saving a little of your budget and enjoying delicious food, you can create a lasting memory while not compromising on the experience.
So is this just a pretentious way of referring to eating a meal in your hotel room?
Not at all. To be honest, the term is less important than the concept, as it’s helpful to differentiate between eating room service and gathering local delicacies due to the thoughtfulness that goes into deciding on which foods to purchase and where to buy them.
The use of the term ‘picnic’ to describe this style of meal helps to understand the idea of having a dinner where you are bringing food from somewhere else to a location that does not have a kitchen. This concept requires the food to be prepared ahead of time in some capacity and ready to eat at the hotel or hotel room. The term also helps to distinguish this type of meal from room service or eating in a hotel restaurant.
A Way to Balance the Trip Budget
In addition to creating a great memory and experience that complements the other meals on your trip, a hotel picnic is a fantastic option for balancing a trip budget. With the best food options being from local stores or markets selling at prices for locals cooking at home, you will generally have a much cheaper meal than eating out.
These savings can help manage an overall trip budget or allow you to splurge for a slightly pricier meal than you may have otherwise considered.
An Option to Skip Room Service
Room service at most global hotel chains and even independent hotels is primarily created for the business traveler and priced that way. The menus focus on conservative meal options to appeal to a broad range of tastes without being too adventurous. Their target customers are business travelers looking for something convenient after a long day of meetings, with little thought going into the cost of the meal since they can expense it.
These factors often lead to less memorable meal options on these menus. If you were tired during a vacation and decided to have a meal or two at the hotel unless you are staying at an exceptional hotel, chances are the food will not be overwhelmingly impressive or memorable. When you look back on the trip afterward, it will typically be these meals that don’t stand out.
Rarely will you make say after a trip, “Hey, remember how amazing that club sandwich from room service was?” And, if you have made that statement, email me the name of the hotel serving these standout club sandwiches.
Plan Ahead or Be Spontaneous
By planning, you can significantly improve the quality of your hotel picnic. Planting the seed of this idea before your vacation will make you think about options while you plan your trip and make you more aware of items you can purchase while you are out and about on your journey.
The more you are able to plan, the better it will be, the caveat being that often it is better to be spontaneous in deciding to have one, depending on how you feel at the moment; though, making a plan at the last minute will naturally reduce the number of options you have for your meal. The critical considerations for planning a hotel picnic are the location for the dinner, the utensils and dishes, and where to buy your food.
Location, Location, Location
When deciding where to have a picnic at a hotel, you must first check what options are available for you to have the meal. While a hotel room desk or table are suitable options, hotels with more scenic sitting areas can make for an unforgettable sight for a hotel picnic. It’s not hard to imagine having a post-trip memory of a delicious spread of local foods on a balcony table with a view of the water, the city skyline, or nearby mountains.
If you are at a city hotel, most likely, your room may be the only option, with lobbies and public spaces often too hectic or not suitable to settle down for a meal of your own food. However, when staying outside a city or at a place with natural beauty around it, you may have several locations at your hotel, such as tables outside with a view or on a balcony or terrace, to enjoy your meal. In addition, some hotels may have more secluded spaces inside that are available for sitting down with some food to relax.
Utensils and Dishes
A key consideration with making a meal in your hotel possible is to have the proper utensils and dishes. Depending on your hotel, you might already have a few plates, cutlery, and glasses in your room, even a corkscrew and bottle opener. However, budget or boutique hotels may not have any of these items in the room or even available.
If you are considering a hotel picnic ahead of time, check with the hotel before you go out if they can give you these items from room service or the restaurant. If they don’t allow it, you can consider the things you need when you are out. It’s also worthwhile bringing a small corkscrew and bottle opener in your checked bag for the trip.
The situation you want to avoid is buying great wine and food and bringing it back to your room to use tissues as plates, use your hands to eat everything, and drink wine out of a coffee mug. Of course, any improvement from there is an upgrade, but obviously, eating with real utensils and dishes will make it much more enjoyable.
Go Local
The point of a hotel picnic is to experience local foods in a comfortable and relaxing setting, so set your sights on finding the most local items you can gather, though don’t get too hung up in the definition of what can be considered local.
A key objective is to taste foods that are either local specialties, classics, or typical of what residents eat today. Whether that ends up being hundreds of years old cheese from the region or a sandwich that has been insanely popular at deli’s in the city in the past twenty years, you have a meal that is authentic to your destination, and that’s what counts.
Don’t Be Afraid of Everyday Foods
While the idea of gathering local foods may inspire the most ambitious of us to reach for the stars of the nearby food scene, it’s important not to overdo it when it comes to sourcing ingredients and dishes for the picnic. Only visiting the highest-rated specialty grocers for the meal will take away from the relaxing part of the concept.
Don’t hesitate to look for a grocery store or market nearby your hotel rather than trekking across a city for a top store. A bit of convenience goes a long way for planning this type of meal and finding foods that local residents will purchase as part of their daily life will add to the experience.
Seasonal Fruit and Vegetables
One of the best places to visit when traveling is the lively local markets that some countries and cities have serving residents. Walking through a market and admiring the seemingly perfect produce or exotic items that you aren’t as familiar with is essential to getting to know your destination. There is no better way to experience this than to be an actual customer.
Track down a nearby market in the neighborhood your hotel is in, or find one on the way back to your hotel when you are sightseeing. It’s key to avoid buying items early in a long day sightseeing to realize you have to carry a backpack of fruit or vegetables around all day, wearing you out, and possibly bruising the items in your bag along the way.
Make your purchases based on what utensils you have to prepare the fruits or vegetables. Most likely, your sink and basic utensils will be all you have. It’s an easy lesson to learn that buying a beautiful pineapple seems like a much better idea at the market compared to when you get it back to the hotel and start carving it with a dull knife from your mini-bar.
If you are looking to prepare a basic salad, keep it basic. It’s easy to get carried away with vegetables only to realize you need to chop, slice, and prepare them on a plate without proper kitchen tools.
Meat and Cheese
One of the more exciting parts about visiting other countries, especially European countries, is the prepared meats and cheeses available and of such high quality. Buying deli-style meats and charcuterie is often highly budget-friendly for a quality of meat that would be pretty expensive when exported to outside countries. Similarly, the European cheese culture provides an abundance of high-quality cheeses at highly affordable prices.
The key to buying meat and cheese is to take advantage of the specialty meat and cheese shops in big cities and towns. These shops offer impressive selections and qualities that are often incomparable with larger grocery stores. The staff or owners are often experts at procuring the best choices and focus on freshness and seasonality. Best of all, they usually let you try items before you buy.
For more budget-friendly options, the grocery stores and chains still provide great value with options that are often inaccessible in your home country. Of course, the selection won’t be as wide, and the quality will be lower than specialty stores, but the lower margins assure you the best prices around.
Fresh Baked Breads, Pastries, and Cakes
Countries with solid bakery cultures are often a shock to those who have grown up with grocery store bread. Those who have enjoyed the taste of fresh bread in France, Germany, or Italy are always surprised to find that the quality is high, bakeries turn out fresh bread daily, and the price is incredibly low. In many areas, especially all over France, you can expect to pay at most a couple of euros or less for a loaf of bread.
Don’t forget the logistics of carrying bread, from the length of a French baguette or Italian bread to the possibility of crushing a loaf of fresh bread in your bag. Find a bakery close to your hotel and make sure their hours are suitable for your plan.
It Doesn’t Have to Be Fresh
While fresh and specialty foods are often the best choices for a hotel picnic, some countries offer unique choices that are part of local culture and everyday life. Convenience stores in Japan are one example of a perfect one-stop-shop to pick up everything you need for an easy meal at the hotel.
The Japanese convenience store has become a must-visit attraction for foreign visitors traveling to Japan. Stores offer a wide selection of surprisingly delicious local microwaveable meals prepared on the same day, piping hot Japanese fried chicken, popular instant ramen brands, sandwiches, salads, and a good selection of local beers and affordable wines. Of course, there is no better way to experience the surprising level of quality in those stores than to buy a bag full of food and snacks to take back to the hotel.
Streetside Comfort Foods
Another option for those looking for low-effort food choices at the hotel yet desiring a more authentic experience is grabbing some takeaway street food to enjoy in the comfort of the hotel. Whether traveling through Italy, South America, Eastern Europe, or Southeast Asia, you might come across street food stands, streets, or markets full of exciting and locally popular dishes that you can’t resist the sight and smell.
Grabbing a few slices of pizza al taglio, a couple of bowls of noodles, or a banh mi or two and taking them back to the hotel creates a relaxing and laid-back meal option after a busy day touring a city.
Enjoy a Deli or Gourmet Food Counter
Those looking for more substantial meals in their hotels may find that a salad, cured meat, cheese, and bread are not enough to satisfy their hunger, and a larger meal is what is needed. Instead, consider visiting local deli or gourmet food counters, like those often seen in big-city department stores or luxury markets across Europe, North America, or even Japan’s biggest cities. These shops and counters often have the best representation of time-tested local dishes.
Look for the counters that seem to be the most popular and see what the locals are shopping for. It’s worth remembering that locals may be looking for a momentary escape of their own in some cities, opting to buy their country’s version of Chinese or Thai food at these same markets. Be wary of steering too far from the objective of enjoying a local-style meal, even if your favorite Thai noodles are on offer.
No Need to Make It Pretty
While social media is a crucial driver behind us looking for photogenic meals, it’s important to remember that a hotel picnic does not need to be pretty to be satisfying. If you are short on utensils or kitchen tools, don’t be shy to rip bread with your hand if you don’t have a proper bread knife. Make up for any missing utensils in any creative way that you can.
It’s worth conceding that the feature photo of this post may look a bit too perfectly arranged to make a point of not worrying about making a hotel picnic look pretty. What’s missing are photos I never took of a perfect Beijing duck meal spread across the day’s newspaper on a hotel desk while staying at the St. Regis in the Chinese capital, or a few pretzels, a bowl of German potato salad, and sausages in a Westin in Munich.
It doesn’t need to be picture perfect to be memorable, as the imperfections of making the meal happen will enhance the memory of having incredibly delicious food in a place that you would never have expected to.
Make it Happen
Having a hotel picnic can be as easy as making a spur-of-the-moment decision to skip a restaurant and buy some things on the way back to your hotel, or pre-planned where you pack a few necessities in your bag to make it more enjoyable.
While you don’t need to go to great lengths to incorporate a hotel picnic into your trip plan, plan by getting an idea of the food options you have available in your destination and nearby your hotel.
Most importantly, it’s worth remembering that a hotel picnic does not conflict with maximizing enjoyment. Instead, it will enhance your trip, allowing you to enjoy delicious local specialties while relaxing and saving energy and money at the same time.
