horrible coffee
Apr 26, 2017 | 11:05 pm
#1
Original Poster
formerly declinespecificinformatiom
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: USA
Posts: 1,140
horrible coffee
A nice cup of coffee is one of my great pleasures, however, the coffee is absolutely horrible at almost every hotel I've ever stayed at. The good coffee I've had has been at random places in central America and in Kenya, everywhere else the beans are invariably of low quality, over roasted and old and in many places a nespresso, which is even worse.
I remember FDW mentioning kroner's coffee in Kreurig and have several similar stories, and every Aman, FS (except when Baltimore had La Mill), Westin, has just had bad coffee.
For me, coffee is an important drug and a huge luxury. But why are the hotels skimping so badly?
I remember FDW mentioning kroner's coffee in Kreurig and have several similar stories, and every Aman, FS (except when Baltimore had La Mill), Westin, has just had bad coffee.
For me, coffee is an important drug and a huge luxury. But why are the hotels skimping so badly?
Apr 26, 2017 | 11:45 pm
#3
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: LHR / IAD
Programs: BA/AA/UA
Posts: 2,955
When you have a truly superior cup, there's little that compares. The only thing I can think of is that tastes do vary. And for many people the idea of a good cup is that stuff they get from a certain coffee chain whose name I will not even credit by mentioning.
On many occasions I've enjoyed splendiferous coffee in Italy but the best Espresso I ever had was at a coffee house on Hudson Street in Greenwich Village named "Maurizio" after its owner. Long gone now, alas, but I probably had a hundred Espressos there. Never had a top-notch cup in a hotel, come to think of it, but have had many good ones. Salut!
On many occasions I've enjoyed splendiferous coffee in Italy but the best Espresso I ever had was at a coffee house on Hudson Street in Greenwich Village named "Maurizio" after its owner. Long gone now, alas, but I probably had a hundred Espressos there. Never had a top-notch cup in a hotel, come to think of it, but have had many good ones. Salut!
Apr 27, 2017 | 12:41 am
#4
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Virginia City Highlands
Programs: Nothing anymore after 20 years
Posts: 7,190
My wife always travels with her set of coffee and two cup french press. As long as there is hot/boiled water available, then there is no problem.
Apr 27, 2017 | 7:51 am
#8
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: WAS
Programs: Free Agent
Posts: 1,775
I'm not sure which model invisible's wife uses, but the Hario mini-mill is quite portable and has a fairly consistent grind for when one is on the road.
Apr 27, 2017 | 8:07 am
#9
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: City of Angels
Programs: DL Kettle| HH Pot
Posts: 525
Apr 27, 2017 | 9:01 am
#10
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: ORD/MDW
Programs: BA/AA/AS/B6/WN/ UA/HH/MR and more like 'em but most felicitously & importantly MUCCI
Posts: 19,811
I refuse to believe all coffee in all hotels is horrible except for one's own secret exclusive stash. For goodness' sake.
There was a thread in the Travel & Dining section a few years ago about identifying the best steak in the United States. Within 50 or 75 posts it was proclaimed that there are no good steaks in the United States -- Ruth's Chris, Morton's, S&W, Peter Luger, Gene & Georgetti: all dog meat -- except for one poster's secret steak supply grilled on his own secret grill in some undisclosed location.
There's discernment, and there's derangement.
There was a thread in the Travel & Dining section a few years ago about identifying the best steak in the United States. Within 50 or 75 posts it was proclaimed that there are no good steaks in the United States -- Ruth's Chris, Morton's, S&W, Peter Luger, Gene & Georgetti: all dog meat -- except for one poster's secret steak supply grilled on his own secret grill in some undisclosed location.
There's discernment, and there's derangement.
Apr 28, 2017 | 8:05 am
#11
formerly vienna-resident
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Montepulciano, Tuscany
Posts: 1,167
A nice cup of coffee is one of my great pleasures, however, the coffee is absolutely horrible at almost every hotel I've ever stayed at. The good coffee I've had has been at random places in central America and in Kenya, everywhere else the beans are invariably of low quality, over roasted and old and in many places a nespresso, which is even worse.
I remember FDW mentioning kroner's coffee in Kreurig and have several similar stories, and every Aman, FS (except when Baltimore had La Mill), Westin, has just had bad coffee.
For me, coffee is an important drug and a huge luxury. But why are the hotels skimping so badly?
I remember FDW mentioning kroner's coffee in Kreurig and have several similar stories, and every Aman, FS (except when Baltimore had La Mill), Westin, has just had bad coffee.
For me, coffee is an important drug and a huge luxury. But why are the hotels skimping so badly?
Another issue is that many hotels - instead of buying the right equipment and training their staff properly in using it - simply buy a fully automatic coffee machine that makes cappuccino at the touch of a button. It usually tastes terrible. Worst example is Rocco Forte Villa Kennedy in Frankfurt, which has coffee not better than the one from a vending machine. And that for an Italian-owned hotel.
Apr 29, 2017 | 6:18 pm
#12
Join Date: May 2010
Location: FSD
Programs: BAEC, Delta SkyPesos, VS FC, SQ KF, AA, HHonors
Posts: 1,884
I've noticed this with tea, as well. Few places are willing to splurge on the higher marginal cost of the really good stuff. Why serve TWG (US$1/bag retail) when Twinings (US 4-10 cents/bag) does the trick? There's little rhyme or reason in the pricing, so you can sample 4 places charge $3.50 for a cup of tea, and get 4 vastly different (in wholesale cost and quality) teas.
With coffee, I am reasonably convinced that I am just getting Nespresso or K-cups in many places that aren't hipster cafes. If I go to Hipster Cafe here in HNL, I get Coava or Four Barrel coffee 2 day air freighted from PDX or SFO ground fresh. Cost: $3.50 + tax. If I go to a diner, it's $2.95 for instant coffee.
With coffee, I am reasonably convinced that I am just getting Nespresso or K-cups in many places that aren't hipster cafes. If I go to Hipster Cafe here in HNL, I get Coava or Four Barrel coffee 2 day air freighted from PDX or SFO ground fresh. Cost: $3.50 + tax. If I go to a diner, it's $2.95 for instant coffee.
Apr 29, 2017 | 6:30 pm
#13
Moderator: Delta SkyMiles, Luxury Hotels, TravelBuzz! and Italy
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 27,016
It would seem as some are more passionate than others about coffee
http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/18/europe...etti-moka-urn/
http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/18/europe...etti-moka-urn/
Apr 29, 2017 | 9:03 pm
#15
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 15,377
I do this, too - I have an Aeropress and a hand cranked burr grinder and use the hotel coffee maker to heat the water. A few places that I've traveled regularly I could count on being able to get beans that he been roasted within the last day or two.