Comments on: Four appetizing (and less expensive) alternatives to room service

By: Healthy Diet Lets Woman Lose Thirty Pounds in Thirty Days

Healthy Diet Lets Woman Lose Thirty Pounds in Thirty Days — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 18:25:15 +0000

Hi, nice post. I have been thinking about this issue,so thanks for writing. I will certainly be coming back to your blog.

By: Amy

Amy — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 19:15:34 +0000

When I lived in Hawaii and worked at a hotel, we’d frequent a local bar for pau hana drinks. We would always run into business travellers there having dinner at the bar on their own, and we would always strike up conversations with them because they had as much to share with us as we had to share with them. There are few moments of a trip that I remember as much as conversations with the locals. You can’t buy experiences like those sometimes.

Also, I hope solo travelers get over the stigma of dining alone. Not only do you miss out on so much because of the perception of being alone, you end up coming down on yourself in a way that you don’t need to. Chances are: 1) There are a lot of solo diners, and you could make a new friend; 2) No one is judging you the way you are judging yourself, and 3) No one is even looking at you.

By: Bill

Bill — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 17:17:17 +0000

I’ve done all of the mentioned things, including room service and all of the fantastic ready to eat stuff in London. They really do have it up to an art there. I didn’t go to Hyde Park though, so thank you for the suggestion – next time.

I used to go to the convenience store really late, they would put hot dogs on for a lot better price – 5 for a dollar. You could tell that they had been under that hot light for a little longer, but after you put the onions and relish on them, it didn’t make much difference. As horrible as that sounds, it was a lot better than quite a few restaurants I’ve been to – which actually draws attention to my quandry – I want to have a decent meal, but don’t know which restaurant to choose and which to stay away from.

By: Tim

Tim — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 02:52:48 +0000

I have done all of those things. And like Grahams in the first response, I also carry a spork with me. The spork I carry is made by “Light my Fire” and has a spoon on one end and a fork on the other. Also, on one edge of the fork side is serrations, so it makes a decent knife, too.

I like to ask those I work with who are locals where the good places are to eat. I have been pleasantly surprised, even at a “pizza and Mexican” place.

By: debgill

debgill — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 23:33:14 +0000

I never have ordered room service. I have done all the others in addition to going to a farmers’ market and getting fruit or finding a grocery store and getting crackers and cheese. I do not travel to places that have airports, so go solely by car. I always carry a kit with napkins, plate, cup, utensils, paring knife, can opener, sugar, salt, and pepper.

Smelly take-out in your room is nasty, so be prepared to cart the stuff to a (often very hard to find) trash can somewhere in the hotel.

Eating pizza in the car is not very easy, but it keeps the smell out of your room.

By: Dawn

Dawn — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 22:57:05 +0000

I’ve done all of these, as well. I hate eating in my room and I get tired of being waited on.

The best by far is the grocery take-in (or out). The last time I was in London on business for over a month, I and a business partner discovered Marks & Spencer’s food hall. They had so many yummy ready-to-eat healthy items. It was July and August and the weather was beautiful. Almost every night, we would change at the hotel and pop by M&S, grab a few items, and walk to Hyde Park, rent a couple of chairs, and enjoy lovely picnics along the serpentine. We relaxed and people watched. It’s one of my favourite trips of all time!

By: GrahamsTravelBlog

GrahamsTravelBlog — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 20:10:55 +0000

I’ve done all of those things, but I’ve never ordered room service. It might be that I’m frugal, but it’s also a culture thing. Generally I’ll get out and find a place to eat, but if I’m tired, I’ll order take out or bring something in.

I also tend to carry around a pair of reusable chopsticks and a spork with me wherever I go so I don’t have to beg, borrow or steal utensils.