Five Reasons a Vacation Kitchen is Great Anyway

I am constantly amused by marketers who promote the cost saving advantage of having a full kitchen in a vacation venue. Excuse me, but who do you think is going to be cooking up all those cost savings? Uh, huh. Usually it’s us. The wives. The women. Well, here’s a clue for you guys (usually NOT the family cook): Cooking Is Not My (and dare I say, Our) Idea of A Vacation!

There are exceptions, I know. One of my closest friends claims that cooking relaxes her. Well, guess where her women friends go for great home cooked meals? We’re more than happy to help her relax. Yum.

Then there are you gentlemen who enjoy cooking. And if that’s you, and you’re taking the family on vacation and just can’t wait to get your hands on the fully stocked kitchens in your dream venue, then power to you!

But even my super-hostess friend appreciates a break from baking. So we’re back to the puzzling rationale behind marketers promoting fully-stocked kitchens in vacation venues. Even more puzzling, I have found myself — a die-hard non-cooking female — curiously attracted to these vacation venue kitchen amenities. Why?

Turns out, there are lots of ways a vacation kitchen comes in handy — without cooking! Here are five great uses:

  1. Leftovers. Probably obvious, but without a refrigerator and microwave and/or oven, these cost savers usually wind up feeding the gulls. With a fully stocked kitchen, on the other hand, you can go out for dinner, order the large size, and bring back the rest. You’ve just saved calories, money, and the effort of cooking!
  2. Relaxing at “home.” Vacations were meant to help you relax. But after an exciting day on the beach, skiing the slopes, shopping, SCUBA diving, or whatever your idea of a good time happens to be, it’s not unusual to find vacationers dragging themselves back to their hotel rooms or resort condos. So relax already! Try heating up some butter (30 seconds) and drizzling it over freshly popped microwavable popcorn, then plopping down on the sofa and watching a movie. The venues that provide full kitchens probably also provide living rooms and dining rooms too. Add a glass of red wine to the mix (a little pino noir perhaps, chilled in the frig), and you just can’t get any better than that for winding down your hard day of play.
  3. Munchies. I am certainly not advocating you add a major grocery shopping tour to your agenda. Egad! That is certainly not my idea of a vacation! But a quick stop here and there along the way is a totally organic way of collecting a few munchies. You know how useful munchies are: car trips, hiking and biking, or visits to amusement parks. Parents can actually regain a bit of control over what goes into their kids’ mouths while saving a lot of money on impulse snack purchases. So where does the kitchen part come in? Well, ever trip over a bag of goodies or find said goodie bag in a hot car or suitcase? Cabinets and frigs to the rescue!
  4. BYOB. The last B stands for Beverage. As in purified, oxygenated water. Or juice. Or your own sweet tea. Whatever. You know how much sodas and other drinks cost on the road. How nice to be able to store your favorites in your vacation kitchen and bring some along for your outing.
  5. Morning Coffee. I’ve stayed in many places that offer complimentary coffee in the lounge or lobby. Trouble is, I need my first cup before I tackle the shower. Once I got desperate enough to actually walk down to the office in my bunny slippers. Some venues have little coffee makers in the room to prevent those very public displays of desperation. But even then, we’re usually talking about instant coffee. Love your Starbuck’s Via if you like, I’m bred for brewed. And don’t even look at me with that powdered creamer stuff (read the label, you’ll see why). Doesn’t a nice coffee maker in your own room, your favorite freshly ground coffee, and your choice of additives sound like a relaxing way to greet a vacation day?

OK, so all these ideas involve some minor preparation. But I still love the comforts of home away from home. Even if I choose not to use them.

To find venues with these comfy amenities, visit intele.theme-travel.com or rovia.theme-travel.com (don’t feel shy about registering on the rovia site; you will NOT get spammed!)

Filed under: Budgeting • Travel Tips: Venues

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