To consume shop-bought food and drink in a hotel?

[Alcemeg]

Four nights at a nice French hotel where we feel a bit out of place (other guests a bit snooty). Dinner in the restaurant here is a very hushed and formal affair -- not inclined to repeat the experience. It's also very rich food, served slowly, so you go to bed feeling as though you've swallowed a tub of cement. It's hard to sleep after that little lot.

Our room has a little terrace overlooking the hills. Our preference is to grab our own food and drink from a supermarket when out exploring during the day and stash it in an ice box so we can do our own thing when we get back to our room. But is this a bad thing? Is it rude to the hosts?

YANBU = Go ahead, relax and enjoy your terrace views while scoffing a big fat sarnie washed down with local wine

YABU = Only eat and drink your own stuff secretly in your room with the curtains drawn, or in a layby on the way back from the shops

@DontDoThatGeorge

I blew DPs mind by ordering pizza to our hotel room. It's allowed!

A French hotel?

You did nothing wrong saying good morning to 6 people in a small dining room. It's not like you walked into a banquet hall and shouted HELLOOOOO to 100 people.

@MalteseBubs

at use of Bouffer

😂

I once went into a shop and asked for a matelot (sailor) instead of a matelas (mat/matress). The shop assistant was 🧐

Honestly this is the funniest thing ever, did you really walk into the restaurant and exclaim you were there for a nosh! 😂😂😂😂

@Alcemeg

I'm just terrified of the owners, who walk past now and then to tend to the grounds. I don't know if they would be furious if we sat there snacking and drinking away when their restaurant is just round the corner. On the plus side, we feel this saves bothering them every 10 minutes for another tiny beer (DH drinks fast!) 😋

If they say anything pretend you don't understand French.

If they say anything in English pretend their accent is to thick that you don't understand.

Well, the chef/owner was the man who had greeted us on arrival and appeared quite friendly, I mean we had chatted for a while earlier. So when he showed us to our table, I smiled at him and said "Alors, qu’est-ce qu’il y a à bouffer ce soir?" -- which I fondly imagined was a harmless way of putting it. I was corrected immediately 😶

that was for @Bluntness100 😊

You are not a buffoon! For heaven's sake what 's wrong with saying good morning in the breakfast room to a handful of people. Don't let them intimidate you. They're not posh, you are as good as them. I think the ice and champagne in the sink is a great idea! Though I remember once asking for an ice bucket and two glasses in a very smart hotel ( can't remember which country) and they didn't bat an eyelid. Walk tall, look down your nose at them and enjoy your holiday!

Me and my best friend booked a room in a luxury hotel recently.
Then we ordered Chinese food and took our own wine in

No one cared - not even when I had the brass neck to ask for plates, cutlery and glasses 😂

At a Premier inn in Birmingham there's a takeaway delivery place that comes and knocks on your room door with a menu to take your order.
Twas great.

When I used to travel to London I’d go out for a couple of drinks after work then head to M&S for my 'pisshead picnic' as my boss used to call it

I'd use my £25 allowance to buy a bottle and loads of picnic stuff to eat back at the hotel. As Thekormachameleon they were fine if you asked them for crockery etc

I've done this at a Premier Inn and 5 stars. You don’t have to eat at the place

DH had a work thing at The Ritz once. I went along for the ride (we are SE so turned up after work for laughs) and took some hummous and pitta bread along with a bottle of red wine from M and S while he went out to a work dinner. Perfectly normal behaviour.

Even my 17yo dd is OK with this - took herslef off to London last week and ordered breakfast (waffles) to the hotel via Deliveroo!!

Bouffer

I'm crying 😂😂😂

I always take those pots of porridge when l stay in a hotel- saves time and money on eating out for brekkie or at the very least keeps us going til we find somewhere to eat brekkie.

Ooh I love stocking up at foreign supermarkets for my hotel buffet. Can we have a photo please?

I'd have a cheese baguette, pastries, grapes, and orangina.

Just remembered the most awkward thing about our posh hotel experience which I'd pushed to the back of my mind.

On walking into the room and spotting the basket of free herbal teas, biscuits and coffee sachets I immediately emptied it into my suitcase thinking 'cool I can take those into work with me next week'. Then me and DH pootled off for a little look around the grounds to see what was there. 20 minutes later we went back to our room to find they must have been watching us like hawks and had already been in to re-point/fold the loo roll, turn down the bed and refill the basket of stuff I'd nicked.

The shame of being caught out as a hotel freebie stealer within minutes of walking through the door

You were right to ask, as years ago and I mean many years ago it certainly would have been frowned upon to bring your own food to consume on the premises. I remember the Adelphi Hotel documentary where the hotel manager had a go at guests walking in with a McDonald’s and Sent them back outside.
Also having food in the room attracts pests.

When we were on restricted lock down we had to rely on just eats and have them delivered to the hotel, hotel provided plates and cutlery. Not everyone eats at the restaurant in a hotel.. Eat your own food as long as youre not making a mess

I always do it
Save some money AND being able to eat your dinner in a dressing gown ;)

Yeah, "bouffer" was a bit of a faux pas. For the food situation- as others have said, do what you want. But I'm not surprised people in the restaurant are being a bit frosty with you 🤣

I don't tend to say hello to randoms at hotel breakfasts either. It's 7am, I want eggs, toast, coffee and a bit of peace and quiet!

Hotel picnics are great. I'll pick up local wine, cheese, salumi, bread, and just have a nice evening of it. And ditto on not eating expensive breakfasts when traveling, an electric travel kettle and tea or coffee and oatmeal, all that works well.

My intrusive thought about the French hotel is whether there is a kettle and tea/coffee tray in the room. Or whether you have to bring your own travel kettle, tea bags and mugs. I remember offering our hotel cleaner in Paris a mint tea to try she loved it so much we left her the box of teabags (as well as a non-PG tip!)

I stay in hotels regularly for work (or used to pre-covid) and if the room provides space, l often eat in the room and a balcony with views and a table is lovely.

I would explode if l ate hotel food all the time. Likewise, l would prefer to eat in a casual local bistro when in France. You are paying for the room and providing you treat it with respect, what you do there is your business.

I’ve often eaten in a hotel room but I do try to conceal what I’m taking in. Having read this thread maybe I’ve been too sensitive but like OP I rarely have stated in hotels and prefer self catering.

I wouldn’t be brave enough to order pizza to a French hotel though - I find they are a bit more formal and might frown on that.