Checking in on Hotel Coffee

Over the long Memorial Day weekend I made a trip to the San Diego area and stayed at the Hilton Torrey Pines in La Jolla. Since I am usually leery of hotel coffee – especially the quality of what is provided to brew in the room – I’m always prepared with my Bodum French press travel mug, some ground beans of my own, along with half-n-half and sugar. And, of course, I also go online prior to any trip and find the nearest Peet’s Coffee and Tea in whatever city I am traveling to.

But lately, I’ve noticed that most hotels (even some motel chains) have begun providing single cup brewing machines in the rooms as a standard feature. These machines are mostly mini versions of the larger single cup brewers and use pods or K Cups. They have replaced the cheap mini-drip brewers most often seen in hotel rooms in the past. The single cup machines are foolproof so no real instructions needed for guests and certainly less hassle and clean up for the hotel staff. it’s also great for places that don’t offer room service.

The one at the Hilton in La Jolla used pods (Lavazza). It wasn’t too bad and I didn’t have to make the unshowered trek to the lobby coffee cart to get my morning brew. In fact, the ease of brewing may have convinced me to give some real thought to a single cup brewer at home.

Maybe, now that hotels are catching on to the importance of coffee as part of their services, I won’t have to pack my coffee gear. And with most airlines charging for bags, I welcome the chance to pack less and lighten my load and still brew a decent cup in my room.