sent

When I'm traveling alone for conferences, I prefer to eat in my hotel room as well. Sometimes it's not convenient to get to a supermarket in some downtown locales or when I don't have a car so I usually carry some instant-meal items with me. I usually try to avoid eating out just to stay healthy because I can instantly feel myself gaining weight from just inhaling the aroma of chinese take-out.

However, when I'm traveling with my fiance on vacation, he will clobber me if I make any mention of visiting a fast-food chain or getting a salad from the deli and eating it in the room while relaxing. With him, we have to sample all the authentic local cuisine and alcohol we can find as well as visiting high end restaurants, all in the same trip. His food itineraries can wear me out and of course I gain weight but with our love for food, it ends up being a lot of fun.

camargo

I work a lot of events (food festivals, tennis tournaments, etc.) that can run into the late evening and by the time I leave often many of the local restaurants are closed or about to close. Also, by that time, I just want to sit down and put my feet up without having to spend an hour or more to eat.

When I'm working an event that I know has those kind of hours I'll usually book a stay at something like a Marriott Residence Inn or a Hyatt Summerfield Suites---places that have a kitchen. When I get into town to do the setup, one of my first stops is at the local supermarket and I lay in some basic stuff like pasta, salad mix, fruit and veggies. That way, when I get off work I can just go 'home' and do something quick while I kick back and watch a little TV.

The other thing that I like about those kind of hotels is that I can usually pop in for a quick breakfast that they serve or I can stock in some bagels, cream cheese and fruit and relax in my room and watch the morning business news. Personally, I really hate to have to waste an hour at Denny's and spend $10.00 on a really crappy breakfast.

jhflyer

I like to eat lunch out in restaurants when traveling, especially abroad. Some evenings, I prefer to have food from the local grocery stores. I can eat on my own schedule in my hotel room or condo, and it is a lot less expensive than having a good dinner out. Also, I generally have fresh fruit, yogurt or other breakfast items in my room since I tend to wake up hungry. This is a lot more convenient for me. Of course, there are exceptions.

jonesing

Like djk7 I don't mind eating alone. Wasting 1+ hour of my time is what irks me. So I'll usually do a sit-down dinner once and the rest of the week I'll get take-out from the nicer restaurants but rather waiting for them to make the meal, I'll usually spend the time shopping at the adjacent mall or Best Buy or something.

A guy from another facility got sick from eating at a commercial restaurant once. So now, he NEVER eats out. Instead, he'll go to places like Fresh & Easy or Whole Foods Market and buy some of their fresh, quick meals and then cook them himself at his hotel.

aspex

Personally don't like to eat alone at a restaurant outside of the hotel restaurant. I've done it a few times over the past couple of decade and only did it to eat at a particular restaurant because of its fame or whatnot.

Like others I try to book rooms that I know I'll have at least a mini-fridge and a microwave. That seems to be easier to do in the US than elsewhere. Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton Inn, Doubletree & Homestead Suites all fit the bill and sometimes I even get lucky and can book into a suites version (but typically not). So being an HHonors member I tend to shy away from the Hilton hotels and only stay at their luxe brands (Conrad, Palmer House) on special occassions.

That said, I typically like to hit the local grocery. Whole Foods when available. Otherwise I shop where the locals do. Simply being able to have milk, OJ, butter, bread & cold cuts for a snack anytime I feel like snacking is wonderful. I can also work crazy hours (graveyard shift anyone?) so sometimes it just is not convenient to be able to eat at restaurants.

Room service has been hit or miss with me. Some have been very good, others downright awful. Considering I'm also bounded by a meal limit on business travel I've passed on room service more often than not because it creates all sorts of headaches for me when the meal is on the hotel bill for expense reimbursement.

jwb1969

I travel for business, and mostly to Domestic cities.

I prefer eating out, even when home. And since the wifey lost interest in going out to dinner. I use my time on the road to escape and get in a nice meal. Plus being a Steak-a-holic, I get to check out some of U.S.'s best steakhouses.

I hope the people who say the prefer room service or eating in the room, I ASSUME they have already explorer the city, sites, and restaurants.

I know a few people who travel a lot for business and their time on the road, is governed by a corporate time schedule and can't get out. Or like my brother is a bit of a recluse and when he's on the road, not only does corp control his clock, but he'd rather sit in four walls.

I find it very sad, for people who don't get to experience other cities or countries.

jakuda

When I travel on business to a city with interesting food, it's no problem, however those cities are generally quite rare, I've found.

While I enjoy a nice dry-aged steak now and then, I generally find eating at steakhouses to be quite boring. Too each his own though. Mid to upscale steakhouses are ubiquitous domestically, so you have better luck finding places to eat.

Fornebufox

At conferences networking over meals is just part of the deal. But even though I love the varieties of food experiences I prefer to stay in places where I can prep my own food. I know what I want for breakfast and don't care to pay $10-30 for something else, and I just don't want to spend the time, money or calories for most other meals.

Of course, with frequent trips to Paris lately it's been hard to stick to this...

h15t0r1an

I do "all of the above". I travel in many different ways both for business and increasingly for leisure. It's good to always have some breakfast-type food, or whatever floats your boat that can be heated up with a kettle in your luggage as a backup. Alternatively, stock up as soon as you hit town. Yes, after a hard day or after the graveyard shift even pot noodles or pot rice can be strangely appealing.

If I am not in a place with access to a microwave then I also carry a small low-voltage cooking apparatus that is powered by electricity with me and use it very discreetly in the hotel room. Its voltage is so low it does not flip the switch found in many European hotel rooms as any normal item powered by electricity could. Risotto, vegetables, all baked dishes e.g. lasagne or cannelloni, and soup all cook really well in this. It's funny how much more consoling and restoring a hot meal in your hotel room can be when you are on the road.

jrehfeldt

I do all the above also. I have begun to attribrute so much travel weariness to bad diet. Once I really started keeping to a strict diet, it has opened up a lot of ease of motion.

moman

I'm kind of the opposite. I hate eating at home.

I've went 6 months at a time without going to a grocery store. Eating at home alone is boring so I prefer to get out and at least see something. Even if I go out just to pick up take out. I've ran the math on it and can hardly make great hamburgers and salads for the price I can buy them prepared from good, local restaurants. I can't even make a good sandwich cheaper than the $5 Subway footlongs, which I cut in half and there is two meals.

LTN Phobia

I quite like eating out alone, and I usually read a book in between courses (I normally have a formal lunch/dinner if I do go out to eat alone).

In case I can't be bothered going out for something to eat, I never stay at any hotel that does not have a 24-hour room service.

thiefhunter

I bought a gorgeous loaf of nut bread for my hotel room in Australia, but I wanted it toasted so badly! What, in a hotel room would toast bread? http://bobarno.com/thiefhunters/2009/03/necessity/

GekkoHQ

I can understand how you can get bored if you just eat in the same sort of places the whole time. I use various things to find me interesting restaurants that provide an experience rather than just food. It's all about finding the quirky restaurants that make eating out enjoyable.

camargo

The iron in the closet.