Kosher Encyclopedia

Joseph chose to stay at this hotel because of its many amenities, one of which was the free continental breakfast. Of course, with the increasing availability of kosher-labeled products, he had plenty to eat! The breakfast menu included cereal, pancakes, waffles, muffins, cut fruits and vegetables, hard-boiled eggs, and hot coffee and juice. Could Joseph enjoy the breakfast menu? Or should he make his own breakfast in his room using the microwave and coffee maker?

We live in an age where maintaining kosher habits at home is easy. However, when travel plans disrupt our daily routines, we face challenges that we wouldn't normally face at home. In this article, we discuss how Jewish people can handle the challenges of staying in a hotel.

This discussion focuses primarily on non-kosher hotels in the United States. Many of the issues discussed in this article will not arise in kosher-certified hotels. However, consumers should be aware that some kosher certification agencies ensure that everything in a hotel is kosher, while others only certify the food—they do not feel obligated to ensure that all hotel facilities, including swimming pools and other amenities, are kosher.

Many hotels offer a wide variety of breakfast items. Prepared foods such as pancakes, waffles, and other baked goods are not edible due to the ingredients and utensils used. However, whole fresh fruit and sealed foods with kosher labels are permitted. Hotels should provide plastic utensils for guests to use. Pre-cut fruit and vegetables are not edible, as knives could be used to cut non-kosher foods. Hard-boiled eggs (hard-boiled or soft-boiled), even in the shell, are not edible, as they are not prepared by non-koshers. Plain coffee is permitted, as is milk (for those who do not consider milk kosher). Hot water in a jug is also permitted.

Hotels may provide frozen kosher "airplane meals" upon request. Some hotels may also stock these meals in case of an emergency. The hotel must ensure that the kosher meal packaging is intact.

Generally speaking, the microwave in the hotel room is likely to have been used to heat non-kosher food. Therefore, if kosher food is to be heated in it, it must be wrapped in two layers of sealed bags.

Kosher food can be stored in a clean refrigerator. Fish, meat, and uncooked wine must be sealed if leaving the room for cleaning.

Many hotels have coffee makers in their rooms and offer kosher coffee. However, it is best not to use a coffee maker. While most people don't wrap food in coffee jars to heat it (usually only kosher people do this), it is possible that non-kosher food has been placed in a coffee jar. Therefore, it is best not to use a coffee jar.

You can use the hotel's ice machine, as it is designed for making ice.

To make a hotel kitchenette kosher for Passover, you must follow the same procedures as you would in your own kitchen. For more information, please consult the Star-K Passover Guide. All utensils must be koshered before Passover to ensure they meet kosher standards.

Those staying in hotels who do not bring any leavened foods into their rooms must perform a "search" (a Passover ritual involving the search for unnoticed leavened foods in corners of the room). Brushes are not permitted during this process. Some hotel rooms have a "little cupboard" containing drinks and snacks. If there are foods in the cupboard that are not kosher for Passover, ask the staff to remove them. Alternatively, ask the staff to lock the cupboard and state that the guest is not responsible for the non-kosher foods. Ice from the ice machine may be used, but the ice bucket in the room cannot be used. The coffee machine is also not allowed to be used.

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