Hotel room cuisine: what do you make for dinner with no kitchen?

April 28, 2023 5:39 PM

My partner and I will be visiting a food desert, staying in a hotel room with no kitchen/kitchenette. What should we make for dinner?

I'm going on vacation to a small island next week. Last minute discovery: almost all restaurants on the island don't open until summer, weeks too late. Our hotel room has no range or microwave. Presumably there will be a minifridge. We will need to bring our own knives and cutting board etc. My partner is not a big fan of cold leftovers from meals normally served hot. We need some low effort meal ideas because it would be nice to have options other than sandwiches. We will be arriving by car so cargo space is not a problem. It's just the two of us and we are omnivorous. Ideas?

posted by justsomebodythatyouusedtoknow to Food & Drink (40 answers total)

Does the hotel room have a coffee maker? You can at least boil water with that. That's good for something like ramen.
posted by jozxyqk at 5:43 PM on April 28, 2023 [6 favorites]

Does it have a way to heat water? You can get some instant soups, etc. Also oatmeal packets. I'm a huge fan of "Miso Cup".

If there's a camping store, maybe you could buy a camp stove there, or bring one and then buy the fuel at a/the store. I probably wouldn't try to fly with the fuel unless you research whether it's allowed.

Is there an outdoor grill at the hotel?

Can you find a nearby AirBnB that will let you make a casserole? Or rent their microwave?

Otherwise:

Cold cuts / sandwich supplies
Bread, cheese, crunchy vegetables
Prepackaged camping meals
Granola bars
Nuts (too many of these might be a problem though - look up DHA and nuts)
jerky
posted by amtho at 5:44 PM on April 28, 2023 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Bring an electric kettle (the in-room coffee maker probably won't get the water that hot). There are more ambitious recipes for cooking meals with an electric kettle, as well as ideas for prepping dry ingredients/spices, but you can also just bring "just add hot water" noodles (ramen cups, etc) and other packaged foods that don't require refrigeration.
posted by spamandkimchi at 5:49 PM on April 28, 2023 [6 favorites]

Is there a grocery store there with good prepared foods you can put in the fridge? That’s what I often do on work travel with a per diem.
posted by centrifugal at 5:51 PM on April 28, 2023 [2 favorites]

If there is a microwave, there are microwavable packets/tubs for rice, quinoa, red beans & rice, etc.
Ah sorry, just saw that there is no microwave.
posted by spamandkimchi at 5:54 PM on April 28, 2023

Assuming you will have enough fridge space to keep a shopping bag of perishables that you pick up on your way to the island:

Mezze plate - hummus, pita, baby carrots and mini cucumbers, canned dolmas (bring your can opener!), other dips if desired/available (bonus, leftover dips are good for sandwiches!). You can actually order shelf-stable hummus pods online, but that's not necessary if you'll have a fridge.

Supermarket salad kits - I was very pleasantly surprised by a random salad kit I bought at Wal-Mart in desperation for vegetables on a similar trip.

PB&J and sturdy fruit for breakfast (or dinner), or cereal and milk.

Snack board - similar concept to the mezze plate but more cheese & crackers or charcuterie-oriented, depending on your preferences. Add some dried fruit and nuts too.

Slightly ridiculous idea - pack your microwave or a hot plate! Then you can heat up canned soup or chili, make simple tacos or burritos by heating up refried beans and adding salsa and whatever appropriate bits and pieces you have around. Once you can warm up canned foods and cook potatoes, the world is your oyster.

I would call the hotel to check if you'll have a fridge. I do a fair amount of hotel room cooking when I travel and fridges are sadly not universal, even in fancy hotels.
posted by snaw at 5:55 PM on April 28, 2023 [6 favorites]

Best answer: Second the tip to bring a kettle to boil the water. Coffee maker water always taste like, well, coffee.

Another option is to hit the your local camping store / REI and raid the backpacking meal section. They are typically the “just add hot water” type of thing.

I tend to enjoy them, but it is usually because I spent the previous 8 hours backpacking in to some location and I’m chowing down while my attention is on a pika sitting atop a nearby boulder. :-)
posted by SegFaultCoreDump at 5:56 PM on April 28, 2023 [5 favorites]

How about taking an electric skillet with you? That plus an electric kettle, and you could probably put together some decent one-pan pastas. You could also take an Instapot or similar with you if you happen to have one, then you could have rice + protein or veggies you make in electric skillet (which could just be pre-portioned/seasoned protein of choice from the grocery + precut or frozen veggies you cook in the skillet).
posted by yasaman at 5:56 PM on April 28, 2023 [2 favorites]

Bring an electric kettle (the in-room coffee maker probably won't get the water that hot).

Also it may taste of coffee; not so pleasant if you're tea people. Plus they can be a little small if you're cooking for two people.
posted by Rash at 5:56 PM on April 28, 2023

Do you have a Trader Joe's nearby? Their canned dolmades, gigantes beans with dill in tomato sauce and tomato-eggplant are all surprisingly good. Pita or crusty bread with the eggplant-tomato would make a good informal main. The dolmades and beans would go together.

Also those little grape tomatoes keep for some days.

A perfectly good meal: Good crackers/rye crisp/etc with goat cheese (or another soft cheese), grape tomatoes, nuts and apple or orange slices. Lay it all out on a plate. You could add some genoa sausage or something.

Even if the selection in the area isn't great, as long as you have a mini fridge in the room, you can drive in with a mini cooler with a few cheeses and vegetables.

You could make simple marinated vegetables, actually - easy to cut up some cucumber, halve some cherry tomatoes, make a simple vinegar marinade and then crumble in some feta later.
posted by Frowner at 5:58 PM on April 28, 2023 [1 favorite]

Smaller and easier to travel with than an electric kettle: immersion heater. $12.99.
posted by amtho at 5:58 PM on April 28, 2023 [4 favorites]

2nding the kettle . That gives you options for hot beverages, oatmeal, ramen etc. Unless the description actually mentions a mini fridge don’t bank on there being one in the room. If you are travelling by car bring a cooler and be prepared to buy ice every couple of days. There will be a lot of picnic foods in your future. Bring a large, lidded storage container so you can mix salads. Rotisserie chicken with a bag of salad is nice.
posted by koahiatamadl at 6:00 PM on April 28, 2023

Best answer: You could take a tip from my co-workers and bring rice and a rice maker? It's sort of grain-forward but you can cook in it or use it to prep grain bowl type dishes. There's a whole cuisine around them. Most come with a cookbook of recipes as well.
posted by fiercekitten at 6:08 PM on April 28, 2023 [7 favorites]

How long will you be there? Since you're driving, if it's more than a few days just bring your own small hotplate or microwave. even if you don't own one, I would invest an extra $70 on my vacation not to have to eat crackers and jerky the whole time
posted by little striped mule at 6:21 PM on April 28, 2023 [3 favorites]

I once brought a tiny toaster oven with me when I stayed at a remote hotel for a week with minimal services. It was extremely handy. I used it to heat up frozen dinners, roast potatoes, make nachos, toast frozen waffles, etc.
posted by mezzanayne at 6:24 PM on April 28, 2023 [1 favorite]

Presumably there will be a minifridge

Considering how many presumptions have already been proven false, it’s probably worth confirming this before making any firm plans.
posted by kevinbelt at 6:38 PM on April 28, 2023 [15 favorites]

Presuming you'd have an electric kettle, I am strongly seconding the backpacking meals. I recently got some from REI for a camping trip and was blown away with the quality and taste. All I had to do was boil water, pour it into the pouch, wait 20 minutes, then eat. Here's what we're talking about
posted by jerome powell buys his sweatbands in bulk only at 6:54 PM on April 28, 2023 [2 favorites]

I’ve seen some videos of folks making amazing meals with this Shabuki pot and steamer that plugs into a regular outlet.
posted by victoriab at 6:54 PM on April 28, 2023 [2 favorites]

Have you called the hotel to see what other travelers do for food this time of year? Also n'thing verifying there's a refrigerator.
posted by rouftop at 6:57 PM on April 28, 2023 [17 favorites]

A warning about camping pre-made meals. It seems there are some people who think all campers should enjoy spicy food.
posted by amtho at 7:16 PM on April 28, 2023 [2 favorites]

Shelf-stable Indian foods like Tasty Bite brand can be heated in hot water from the coffee maker, or they're okay at room temperature if you don't have that.
posted by Daily Alice at 7:16 PM on April 28, 2023 [4 favorites]

Seconding calling the hotel for suggestions. Is there a local person, caterer, lunch restaurant that will do meals for you as a one-off? Is there somewhere you can use an outdoor grill or have an open fire and cook there? The solution you need may not need to be confined to your room. A call to your hotel should help.
posted by Miko at 7:23 PM on April 28, 2023 [7 favorites]

A portable induction cooktop, a pan or pot, and:

- shelf-stable little boxes of tomato sauce (assuming no fridge. one per meal)
- dry basil
- dry pasta
- parmesan
posted by zippy at 7:27 PM on April 28, 2023 [2 favorites]

Bring a crockpot and some crockpot liners so you don't have to try and scrub it out in the bathroom sink
posted by Jacqueline at 8:27 PM on April 28, 2023

If there's a camping store, maybe you could buy a camp stove there, or bring one and then buy the fuel at a/the store.

Do NOT use a camp stove indoors!
posted by Artifice_Eternity at 8:39 PM on April 28, 2023 [18 favorites]

Best answer: Bear in mind cleaning up could also be a giant nuisance.
posted by Coaticass at 9:01 PM on April 28, 2023 [2 favorites]

If you bring a kitchen gadget that uses electricity, bring the correct travel adapter for the wall plug. This is assuming the vacation puts you in a different country.
Don't forget the can opener.
posted by TrishaU at 9:46 PM on April 28, 2023

One of the well known people in the hacker community has an hour+ long talk on eating well using cooking gear that's small enough he can fly with it. (Spoiler: sous vide + induction burner)

If the fridge assumption turns out to be incorrect, is there ice for a cooler?
posted by Candleman at 10:30 PM on April 28, 2023

Best answer: We've brought an instapot along to hotels a time or two, and it's worked well. You can cook just about anything with that.
posted by flug at 10:34 PM on April 28, 2023 [2 favorites]

We brought our insta pot on our five week road trip to the east coast with five kids. It worked really well. Only annoying thing was cleaning it in hotel bathtub when a faucet had low clearance.

Great thing about the insta pot is you can set it up right when you get to your hotel room, and by the time you unpack, dinner may be ready. Lots of onepot recipes are available, And you can also use it to boil water or be a rice cooker.
posted by Happydaz at 10:58 PM on April 28, 2023 [2 favorites]

Point of clarification #1... did you ask the hotel representative if guests have access to a microwave or if there is a microwave in the room? You might also want to ask the hotel representative for advice/ suggestions about how other guests have solved the problem before. A friendly staff member may clarify that while there's no microwave in the rooms, there is a microwave in the breakfast nook or it's no big deal to get access to the staff microwave in the off season.

Point of clarification #2... are you crossing any country/ state/ regional boundaries that will have restrictions on the movement of agricultural products?

You might want to investigate if said island has parks or campgrounds with publicly accessible grills, and/or locations to build a fire or use a camp stove.
posted by oceano at 11:33 PM on April 28, 2023 [5 favorites]

I bought a portable induction burner at IKEA, and I really enjoy it. I thought I would mainly use it for events like your holiday, and for keeping stuff warm at parties, but I use it all the time. It's clean, it saves energy, it's easy to use.
So between buying an induction burner and an insta pot, I'd recommend the induction burner because I wouldn't use the insta pot at home. YMMV. The burner is cheaper, too. Bring a pot or/and a deep pan, and cook anything.
Since dishwashing may be a bit of a challenge, stick to one-pot meals, bring two nice bowls, spoons and forks. Remember to bring soap and a sponge for dish-washing. Remember Tupperware for leftovers. Or even: cut up vegs in advance and bring them in Tupperware that you can then use for leftovers.

You'll need a cooler for bringing the food, so if there isn't a mini-fridge, you can use that for perishables, but bring as few as possible. Cheese doesn't need to go into a fridge/cooler. Bring little containers of UHT milk instead of large containers of fresh. Most vegetables keep fine outside the fridge.

This is where you need to meal plan. Make a plan, prep what you can and store it in the cooler and a basket for non-perishable food. Remember chocolate, it's important for morale. And remember salt and pepper.

I assume the hotel will serve breakfast? And be able to provide rolls for sandwiches to bring along for lunch, and maybe even some ham and cheese for those sandwiches?

Meat needs to be kept cold, so have meat on your day of arrival. A hearty Irish stew uses mainly vegetables that keep well outside a fridge, so good for this purpose. If you have a fridge, this is even better the day after, so cook enough for leftovers you can reheat.

A nice one-pot meal is pasta with gorgonzola. Cook the pasta (I prefer penne for this) in salty water till al dente. Drain off most of the water, but leave about a tablespoon. Add pieces of gorgonzola dolce to the pot, and stir. You can add a bit of heavy cream if you feel fancy. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. The rest of the gorgonzola is great with bread and pears for seconds an other day.

Another great one pot meal is risotto. Heat the broth/stock in your pan first, and keep it in a jug or bowl while cooking. If you are buying the stock, you'll have more than you need for two, save the leftover stock for the next meal (needs to be in fridge/cooler after opening).

A rich minestrone can be a whole meal. The main point is to chop the vegetables into very small dice, They can be an onion, a carrot, a stalk of celery, a small zucchini, a bit of garlic and a one portion tin/pack of some form of legume. You also need a tin of chopped tomatoes. Chop up the vegetables, gently cook them in oil or butter till the onions are translucent, add a glas of wine, then when the smell of alcohol is gone, add the leftover stock, the tomatoes and half a tin of water, then simmer for 15 minutes add tiny pasta, like little stars and cook for five minutes more. Season to taste. (When at home, I'll add some chili flakes and oregano to the vegetables, before the liquids, but I rarely bring them on the road, and it is still delicious) My daughter makes this over campfires in a battered old cast iron wok. Serve with parmesan cheese and bread on the side. Just the other day (at home) I found I had one of those little portion-packages of diced pancetta, and I used that for my fat instead of oil or butter, first very gently browning the pancetta in the pan before adding the vegetables.

Finally, cous cous is a great thing to bring along. Just remember to bring a vessel to make it in -- it could be a Tupperware bowl where you can keep the leftovers in later. Make instant cous cous by following the instructions on the package, I add butter, but you can also use oil. It needs to rest for a while. Meanwhile, make a vegetable stew with large chunks of vegetables like onions, carrots, zucchini, bell pepper, garlic, tomato (from a tin) and some form of brassica. Use a vegetable stock cube for the liquid. Season with warm spices you have mixed from home and brought in a small container. If you can, bring a tube of harissa so you can season your portions individually.
If you like, bring raisins and toasted pine nuts to sprinkle over the bowls.
posted by mumimor at 12:35 AM on April 29, 2023 [4 favorites]

I think for something like a hot plate that would involve using a frying pan, I'd check the hotel's policies - they might consider things like that a fire hazard, and depending on what you make you might set off a smoke alarm. Something like an electric kettle or rice cooker, where the heating element is internal and at most you'll get some steam, seems less likely to be a problem.

Also, salads. The kind with ingredients beyond lettuce. Assuming there's a grocery store.
posted by trig at 2:40 AM on April 29, 2023 [2 favorites]

If you bring a kitchen gadget that uses electricity, bring the correct travel adapter for the wall plug. This is assuming the vacation puts you in a different country.

That's a good point! But a plug adapter might not be enough: if you're traveling between a 110-120v country and a 220-240v country, you'll need either a gadget that can run at the destination's voltage or a voltage converter rated high enough for your usage (probably not worth it).
posted by trig at 7:47 AM on April 29, 2023 [1 favorite]

You can get an immersion coil but it stays hot, so have a designated place to set it down. Or get an electric kettle, useful at home after. Everybody I know who uses an induction burner loves it. If you have boiling water, you can make camping meals. You can make pasta and add pesto, which keeps well, and lots of great meals. If you add a burner, you can make a lot more. I searched camping meals, did not review them thoroughly; it's a rich vein. Here's my Shelf-stable food list.

Bring 2 coolers. 1 with frozen food and several large bottles of frozen water. The larger the frozen water container, the longer it will stay frozen. This should give you several days of frozen food that can be heated in water or on a pan, including tons of microwave meals, like Stouffer lasagne, which can be left out to defrost, then warmed slowly in a covered pan on a burner. If you turn your freezer to a colder setting, that helps the frozen food keep longer in a cooler.

The other cooler can have a few bottles of frozen water, and fresh foods like salad greens, milk for coffee, cheese. frozen water on the bottom, then foods that won't be damaged if they get too cold, greens on top. You try to plan to use foods as the coolers warm, consolidating as the frozen cooler thaws. Things like polenta with pepperoni, green olives, and olive oil for the last night, for example. You might be able to get ice from the hotel, which would mean you could bring tons of stuff. Always put a quilt/ blanket/ pillow over the cooler, to add insulation.

I have a camping packing list that is very thorough, but the kitchen list will give you ideas. if you have friends who camp, they'll probably lend you gear. With space not an issue, you could bring stuff from home, or from a thrift store and leave it behind. The one piece of gear that's worth a splurge is a well insulated, well-sealed cooler. Yeti is popular, but the Ozark brand at Walmart is affordable and quite good.

Plan all your meals, including condiments and pack whatever foods will be needed; ziplock bags are awesome. Now's the time for those packets in the fridge drawer. Bring proper cutlery and your nicest travel mugs. It's a pain to have to bring food, but you can still eat well and have a nice vaca.
posted by theora55 at 9:36 AM on April 29, 2023 [1 favorite]

Don't forget the air purifier, so all the cooking smells can be filtered out quickly after cooking! Otherwise, portable induction cooktop/electric kettle/rice cooker/instant pot/camping stove is your best bet.
posted by yueliang at 7:19 PM on April 29, 2023

I've never tried it but I've heard you can cook lots of things using the iron. Pack aluminum foil!
posted by Preserver at 7:32 PM on April 29, 2023 [1 favorite]

Figure out what you're going to want - will it be cold? Hot? Boring? Etc.

Call the hotel and ask what they suggest while verifying there's a fridge and/or they haven't already solved the problem out of necessity for other guests.

After living in hotels fir work for WAY too long, I know I get bored with soup almost immediately, sandwiches shortly after, tortillas a week or few after that, and what I crave is "fresh" and crunch (ie not potato chips, and not awful pre-made salads).

You can make Vietnamese spring rolls if you have the rice wrappers and buy ingredients. It's also a good way to make your inevitable PB a little more interesting - repurpose as a spicy dipping sauce.

If you crave citrus and it's unavailable or out of season, those little tins of segmented Ojs are your friend.

If you crave hot and don't have a microwave, the instapot/etc is the best answer. I've been tempted to buy one and leave it behind on perdiem after too many terrible fast food meals (+/- food poisoning, which is an experience I associate with travel).

If you just need some very loud crunching and don't fear the gastro repercussions, TJoes and other grocery stores often sell a kinda 'brassica chunk' mixed veg that was my fav if I could find it. Things like broccoli stem, cabbage, kohlrabi, etc, in little centimeter dice - cover in creamy dressing and enjoy! It was my fav, but the effects are rough for anyone you share a bed with!

I had a work friend who made 'sushi' from leftover rice and grocery store findings, a knife, and using the tray the coffee maker lived on as a cutting board and serving tray. It was impressive creativity in suburban TX where we stayed for a month of training. No restaurants around, sick to death of pizza and what we could eat cold from the supermarket, and we were trying to have a celebratory thank-god-this-is-over party.

Re:cleanup - this is why my overnight bag now includes a little mini dish scrubber. Invaluable when you realize you have one cup you need for coffee in the am and are going to be cleaning out noodles/leftovers/etc with shampoo. Put dish soap on your grocery list - works much better than shampoo!
posted by esoteric things at 9:43 PM on April 29, 2023 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Well, we've arrived. Within 30 minutes of putting feet on pavement some complete strangers we met on the street invited us to a island community dinner. Never change, BC gulf islands.

I appreciate all the helpful advice, in part because it was so varied. A lot of the higher-prep-time advice I wasn't able to follow as I was rushing out the door. However, here I sit with my kettle and well-stocked minifridge, about to enjoy a nice charcuterie midnight snack. Thanks metafilter!
posted by justsomebodythatyouusedtoknow at 9:27 PM on May 1, 2023 [3 favorites]

instant noodles.
posted by jdthompson at 9:22 PM on July 5, 2023