Warm Hampton Cookies
 

I'm headed to a Hampton tonight and that got me thinking about the cookies. The cookies are always served warm, which made me think that they are freshly baked. Although, I could never imagine why they'd have freshly baked cookies but serve such a lackluster breakfast. My fresh baked thoughts have been furthered by the apparent "undoneness" of random batches of cookies throughout the year.

But a few months ago I checked into a Hampton at about 3:30 and there weren't any cookies out. The particular manager who checked me in is an employee with whom I'm fairly friendly (he's my weekday friend). I made a joking comment to him about the absence of the warm cookies accompanied by a pitiable pout. He indicated that he had totally forgotten them and ran to the kitchenette(?) to get them. When he returned I noticed that the cookie tray had a plug attached to it (of course! that's how they stay warm, duh). So I took a cookie and headed to my suite. After unpacking I took a bite of the cookie and it was cold, bland, and flavorless.

I've never had the misapprehension that someone made the cookies from scratch. That is quite apparent from the holiday/time-of-year themed cookies some places have. But it never occurred to me that came pre-baked.

So my question is two-fold. Am I the only one who has noticed this? What is it about the warming process that makes the worst cookie ever fairly tolerable (for a non-homemade cookie)?

And here I always thought the front desk attendant just sat on the cookies to keep them warm.

Seriously, though, I've never actually tried a cookie at a Hampton Inn. Only at DoubleTree, where they practically force them on you.

They can force all they want onto me. I'll even open my suitcase so they could fill it up.

I've seen them bake the cookies at a hampton before. I guess it depends on the location. I've never seen a plug in tray.

The travel it takes to get to the hotel (ie. the anticipation)...

I have always assumed they were prebaked. However, the fact that they were brought out cold, and placed on an electric re-heating tray, would not necessarily make me assume that the cookies had been made off premises. They could have been made on-site earlier that day or even the preceding day (made from scratch, or, as my husband often wonders, "What the #%^* is this mysterious cooking ingredient called "scratch"?) and reheated.

Logic. Or close enough.

;)

I never found them all that delectable, assuming they were from a box.

deleted, company policy

otis spunkmeyer ^

Yet another mystery solved! (I can't say I've ever had the HI cookies, but now I know their provenance.)

There are no cookie guidelines from which to follow
 

Hilton does not mandate that Hampton Inns serve cookies. That fact brings up a couple of points: 1) don't be surprised if you stay at one that does not serve them, and 2) if they do then you may see some inconsistencies between the types of cookies served.

Thanks, but I have a hard time eating anything with the word "spunk" in it.

warm, gooey and cholcolatey
 

I must confess I just ate two that were just baked and not on a warming tray.. When I checked in the desk clerk said they were just baking. by the time I went to the 4th floor with luggage and came bac;)k to print out a boarding pass they were there. Yum. Not as good as Doubletree--no nuts, but better than oreos!

I stayed at a HI back in March for a week and I wish they would have served chocolate chip cookies, heck I would have been content with half baked cookies lol Every day I went down to the lobby and every day there were those disgusting oatmeal raisin cookies on the tray. I despise raisins & each day I was hoping they would give another option, but no luck-I suffered with 7 days of raisins! :td:

The cookies are nice, I actually prefer the raisin ones, but I really wish they would apply some consistency to the fruit bowl.

Bananas are sporadic and the usual offering is the almost fake apples that are all pretty and no taste and a possible orange or two. I take potassium depleting medication and the bananas are really appreciated. (The totally pulpless orange juice is a fair substitute but it is so pulpless as to remind me of Tang.)

Sorry, did not meant to come off with a mini rant. A cookie would be nice, especially after the kids have hit the bowl taking stacks of them back to the room. :p

'Sweet discovery'? :D

Somebody has identified the entire contribution of Doubletree to the Hilton family!