Why You Should Book a Kitchenette in Your Next Hotel

Do you often complain how badly you eat on your vacations? Eating too much at the included breakfast? Eating too many foods that you're not supposed to eat? The answer for you may be booking a kitchenette with your hotel room.

Here are the advantages of staying in a hotel room with a kitchenette:

Eat breakfast when you want. When I'm on vacation I like to know I can sleep until the ungodly hour of 8 AM if I want to. And I don't want to rush to get ready for the breakfast that ends at 9:30 AM. My German partner is just the opposite. He loves the idea of getting down early to an all-you-can-eat buffet. So this is a constant source of friction for us--he rushes me, and I keep telling him to go by himself. Next time we travel, we're getting a kitchenette. I can eat when I want. I don't have to worry about making it in time for breakfast.

Save money on meals. Of course, you'll want to eat out during your holiday. It's part of the pleasure of a vacation. But eating out every single meal can drain your pockets very quickly. Cooking one meal a day via your kitchenette saves you a significant amount of money.

Don't totally blow your diet. If you're one of those travelers who loses weight to look good on your vacation and then has to start a stringent diet when you return home, a kitchenette may save you some pounds and a lot of emotional anguish. Cooking your own meals may help you stop from gaining a lot of weight so you don't hate yourself when you get back.

Control what you eat. If you have a medical condition, requiring special foods or dietary restrictions (diabetes, high cholesterol or high blood pressure), making your meals in a kitchenette can help you stick to your dietary regime. It may even make the difference between being able to go on vacation or staying home because of food problems. And if you sneak in a meal, it will alleviate your guilt because you'll know that you are eating healthy most of the time. If you have to take medicine with your meals, having a kitchenette can make this a lot easier--even if you do choose to eat out. And strict vegetarians can reap lots of benefits by cooking their own meals. Going out to dinner won't be the continuous hassle it always is when you must scour every restaurant and menu for meatless meals that taste good.

Don't be a slave to your kitchenette. The downside to cooking your own meals is, of course, what it always is: the cooking and the cleaning up. And maybe you don't want to be bothered with this during your vacation. But no one says you have to eat every single meal in no matter what your reason for booking a kitchenette.

So if it gets too hot in your kitchenette, get out and get a great dinner in town.

Ilene Springer lives and teaches EFL in Malta. She is author of An-American-in-Malta.com.