In defence of “just eating at the hotel”
The underrated delight of eating well at hotels in Victoria, Toronto and Palm Springs
It rained the whole week we were in Germany. In May 2013, my husband and I traipsed around Munich in soaking wet, not waterproof jackets like amateurs. And soaking-wet socks. And soaking-wet white sneakers I had bought especially for the trip.
On our final night, we were quite done with traipsing (or should I say wading) through the city and decided to “just eat at the hotel.” Feeling defeated and like less-than-stellar backpackers, we headed down to the Bold Hotel’s restaurant.
As it turned out, our hotel had a fantastic restaurant, complete with a large tap list of German beers. We dined on traditional flammkuchen (the German rendition of pizza) in their modern dining space, lit by flickering candles — it turned out to be one of my favourite meals of the trip.
Yet somehow, a decade later, I’ve only recently realized that some restaurants in hotels are actually good – in fact, some of them are downright fantastic. And, as of late, I have opted to book hotels solely based on their dining offerings: On our most recent trip we had an overnight at Toronto Airport, so I made sure we stayed at ALT Hotel, which I knew had a pizza oven, while one of the deciding factors for choosing the Park MGM Las Vegas was because bucket list restaurant Best Friend is housed there (not to mention that it’s attached to Eataly).
There’s no shame in “just” eating at the hotel — in fact, these days it’s downright cool! Shed the shame of not wanting to trek out again after a long day of touring a new city. Take that elevator ride downstairs sans jacket and saddle up to the hotel bar for a good cocktail and a meal.
Corporate convenience is for chumps
For many years, the idea of convenience overtook the need for quality dining in hotel restaurants, even in high-end hotels, because many people were too just tired to leave — and let’s be honest, there aren’t many feelings as good as sitting in your big fluffy bed in a bathrobe eating a room service cheeseburger. But like most convenience products, restaurant menus didn’t need to be groundbreaking, nor offer a wide selection, because we would eat whatever was available underneath that silver cloche.
Thankfully, hospitality trends are moving away from this and in the past year alone, I have had several great culinary experiences at hotels across North America. Hotel restaurants are not just a necessary amenity anymore, offering up the same corporate continental breakfasts from one city to the next — they are becoming representative of their local surroundings.
All-star chefs are moving into hotel restaurants and because of the pandemic hoteliers have had to get creative with how they present their offerings — we are all benefitting from upgraded minibars, free (actually good) margaritas at check-in and fantastic espresso whenever you need a jolt.
The Fairmont Empress in Victoria, British Columbia
The moment I sipped my off-menu Aperol Spritz on the verandah overlooking Victoria's inner harbour at the historic Fairmont Empress Hotel, I knew we were in for a good stay. Not only is the hotel bar, Q at the Empress, ranked one of the best bars in the country according to Canada’s 100 Best where I had a fantastic French75 made with their famously-purple Empress 1908 gin, but their afternoon tea service is correspondingly legendary at this luxurious old railway hotel.
Tea at the Empress is a must-do activity when in Victoria, and it’s a culinary experience I highlighted in my book Where We Ate (you can pre-order here, it’s out June 6th!) It was exactly as I had pictured it, with big palms arching into the tray ceilings and a gentleman tinkling away at the grand piano in the corner. Our server was a seasoned veteran in the dining room and provided incredible insight into the teas on offer — plus the tea sandwiches were next level, as were their iconic raisin scones.
The Saguaro in Palm Springs, California
After a long day of driving through the Mojave Desert from Las Vegas to Palm Springs, we were determined to peruse Palm Canyon Drive to hit up one of the restaurants I had researched. But after delays in getting our rental car and highway traffic, we were just too tired. Luckily the restaurant inside our hotel, The Saguaro was fantastic.
El Jefe, which can be found just off The Saguaro’s lobby, is on most “where to eat in Palm Springs” lists and many patrons aren’t even staying at the hotel. We were seated on the patio overlooking the pool and brightly-coloured courtyard and were promptly brought the round of complimentary margaritas the hotel provides every guest — and it was a good margarita, not just because it was free but actually good.
And so were the housemade chips and warm salsa which came soon after we sat down. Then came more margaritas and the ridiculously good fish tacos. It was the perfect start to our weekend in Palm Springs and we didn’t have to leave the hotel to feel like we were immersed in this retro-cool city.
The Ace Hotel in Toronto, Ontario
We splurged on our stay at the Ace Hotel Toronto last fall — for Adam’s sake because there are guitars in the upgraded rooms, and for mine because of the minibar!
The Ace hotel chain is known for its food offerings and the Toronto location didn’t disappoint, everything from the fantastic mini bar with local sodas and wines (at prices on par with the liquor store) to the fantastic espresso drinks in the lobby. The impeccably designed lobby was filled with locals and travelers alike throughout our stay — the vibe was decidedly cool local coffee shop.
Speaking of vibe, the weekend we stayed at Ace’s rooftop bar, Evangeline, opened and to say “it was a vibe” is an understatement. French fries with cocktails? Yes, please.
Oh and did I mention that on the bottom floor is Alder, run by Chef Patrick Kriss of Alo, the best restaurant in the country?
No more “just eating at the hotel”
When researching which hotel with a great restaurant, there are three things to remember:
Look for restaurants housed inside the hotel, not hotel restaurants. Yes, there’s a difference. We’re trying to avoid the corporate continental, remember? A sure sign is if the restaurant has its own social media accounts or, even better, a separate website.
Look for chefs you recognize who have taken over hotel restaurants.
If you see a hotel restaurant on a “must-eat” list in that respective city, it’s a safe bet.
And remember, no shame in room service — bathrobe cheeseburgers for life.