One Cup At A Time: Musings About Airline And Hotel Coffee

One Cup At A Time: Musings About Airline And Hotel Coffee

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In this post I wanted to talk about something I’m passionate about — good coffee. I travel a lot, I’m often jetlagged, and I’m an early riser, so I’m going to keep this focused on the core of the blog, and talk specifically about good airline and hotel coffee (which on the surface seems like an oxymoron, since you’ll usually get the best coffee at local cafes).

The thing is, there’s such massive variance in terms of quality when it comes to airline and hotel coffee, so I think it’s a fun topic to address. Let me note upfront that I don’t claim to be an expert on coffee, and I suspect a lot of people will strongly disagree with my preferences, and they’re every bit as right as I am (or maybe even more right).

Still, I’ll share what makes me happy with airline and hotel coffee, and then I’m curious to hear what OMAAT readers think, or if you even care about coffee when traveling.

For me coffee is ritualistic

For me the importance of coffee goes way beyond caffeine — for me, drinking coffee is ritualistic.

When I’m at home, my most productive hour is the very first one, where I’m sitting at my desk with a cup of coffee next to me. There’s just something about the experience that I look forward to every day. Often it’s the little things in life that make us happy, and my morning coffee ritual is one of those things.

Is it logical? Probably not. But it’s one of those little joys in life, and something I care about way more than I should.

Coffee is even more important when traveling

My morning coffee makes me so happy at home, but in my opinion it’s even more important when traveling.

First of all, to me there’s all the more need for coffee when on the road and jetlagged. I’m a very early riser no matter where in the world I am, so the value of that first cup of coffee is all the greater when it’s 4-5AM in a new environment.

Second of all, it can often be tough to be productive when on the road, and like I said above, coffee is ritualistic to me. Having a cup of coffee next to me somehow puts me in the mindset to be productive.

Whether I’m waking up in a hotel or am waking up on a plane, I look forward to that first cup of coffee. Yeah, it really is that important to me… maybe this blog should actually be called One Cup at a Time?

A little bit of coffee effort goes a long way

That gets me to the main point of this post. I’ve long argued that hospitality happens at the margins. Often it’s the little things that stand out to me most about a hotel stay or flight, or that I remember long after I’ve returned home.

For me coffee is one of those things. If an airline or hotel has a really great coffee experience, that’s very likely going to be one of the first things that comes to mind when I think about the airline or hotel.

More concretely, what impresses me?

What I look for in hotel coffee

For me hotel coffee is about ease of having access to it, and quality. The first thing I love is when hotels make it easy to get coffee early in the morning.

I’m not opposed to using in-room coffee machines, but the problem is that:

  • Often the machines aren’t cleaned very well, and/or don’t work properly
  • Sometimes the pods aren’t refilled correctly during a stay, so you run out (and you might not notice until you want your first cup)
  • The quality of the coffee varies significantly; Nespresso is pretty good, while some other hotels use much lower end machines and pods
  • Sometimes the only option for milk or cream is a powdered creamer, and at that point I don’t bother
In-room coffee can do the trick

For me the ideal setup is complimentary coffee in the lobby for early risers (and ideally actually for early risers — we’re not talking coffee starting at 7AM).

I appreciate complimentary coffee in the lobby

As an alternative, I’ll seek out an airport hotel that has some sort of proper coffee shop in the lobby, especially if it has extended hours. Several Heathrow hotels have this, for example, and I sure do appreciate it.

Some airport hotels have proper coffee shops

Then of course there’s coffee quality. I’m always disappointed when I stay at a nice luxury hotel, only to find out that their coffee and espresso-based drinks aren’t great. C’mon now!

I’m very happy at breakfast when espresso-based drinks are made by a barista rather than a machine. At a “true” luxury hotel I sort of expect that it will be made by a barista, while at a non-luxury hotel I don’t expect it, but am delighted when it happens.

A nicely presented smooth cappuccino makes my day.

A great airplane themed cappuccino

Conversely, a bitter and watery one makes me… bitter.

Also, while it’s not ideal, I do appreciate club lounges when it comes to easy coffee access. While they usually “only” have machines with bleh coffee, at least you have easy and free access to it all hours of the day, which is better than nothing.

Club lounges can be a great place to grab a cup of coffee

Fogo Island Inn is one of my favorite hotels in the world, and one of the first things that comes to mind when I think of the property is the daybreak basket (okay, the truth is that the amazing people are the first thing that comes to mind, but this is a close second).

Every morning the hotel places a basket in front of your door with a pot of coffee, freshly squeezed juice, and warm scones. How much can this really cost the hotel to do? Maybe a couple of bucks. But it literally rocks my world, and leaves a lasting impression. When I’m having dinner at Fogo Island Inn I’m already thinking about the daybreak basket. Heck, I’m thinking back longingly on this right now, and I haven’t visited in years.

Fogo Island Inn morning basket

The Four Seasons Boston is probably the best hotel in the United States when it comes to coffee. The hotel has a complimentary coffee shop in the lobby for hotel guests, where you can enjoy anything from a cold brew to a barista-made cappuccino.

Four Seasons Boston coffee shop

I also appreciate luxury hotels that offer complimentary coffee or tea delivered to your room. For example, this is a standard for St. Regis, though policies vary — some properties only offer it to suite guests, some only offer it once a day in the mornings, etc.

St. Regis offers complimentary butler service coffee

What I look for in airline coffee

For me, airline coffee is about quality, variety, and presentation. Let’s be honest, in general the drip coffee on airlines isn’t going to be good, given that they’re using water from the plane’s tanks, and they’re often not using great beans.

I am happy when airlines have espresso based drinks. Of course they’re not all created equal. ANA’s first class cappuccinos? They are watery as could be.

All Nippon Airways first class cappuccino

Qatar Airways cappuccinos, on the other hand, are quite good.

Qatar Airways first class cappuccino

I also appreciate when effort is put into presentation. I love the silver tray on which Etihad serves coffee in first class. Do I need half a dozen sweets every time I order a coffee? I most definitely don’t. But that doesn’t mean that I don’t enjoy them. 😉

Etihad Airways first class coffee presentation

I even appreciate when airlines have unique mugs. I love Japan Airlines’ coffee mugs, and I may even have one or two of them at home…

Japan Airlines first class coffee mug

But beyond espresso and cappuccino, I appreciate when airlines have other options as well. Emirates used to have french press coffee on many routes, though that’s no longer offered due to lack of demand (I think people largely just didn’t know it was being offered).

Emirates first class french press coffee

I love that Austrian Airlines has an amazing coffee menu that’s a focal point of the business class service (then again, this is more of a dessert than an actual coffee).

Austrian business class Eiskaffee

I love that that EVA Air has iced coffee in business class.

EVA Air business class iced coffee

Heck, I love that in JetBlue’s Mint business class, you can even have an iced cappuccino with oat milk.

JetBlue Mint business class iced cappuccino

While I get that iced coffee and cold brew is more of an American thing, personally I wish we’d see more airlines offer this. Delta serves cold brew on select flights, and I think that’s a really exciting development that I hope we see other airlines follow. It’s especially great because you can avoid drinking the water from the plane’s tanks altogether.

And I guess an espresso martini on Emirates at the bar is one way to get your caffeine as well. 😉

Emirates business class espresso martini

Also, I love when an airport lounge has barista made drinks, whether we’re talking about a Qantas Lounge or a United Polaris Lounge.

Turkish Airlines Lounge Istanbul cappuccino machines

I generally expect barista made drinks in first class lounges, while I’m delighted when I get one in a business class lounge. But some things also just puzzle me.

United Polaris Lounge cappuccino

For example, they’ll serve me $100+ per bottle champagne in American Flagship First Dining, but they’ll pour you a cappuccino from the same machine they have in the Admirals Club. No thanks.

American Flagship First Dining coffee

Bottom line

Thanks for indulging me and letting me share my coffee preferences here at One Cup at a Time. I realize I care about this more than most, but I can’t state enough how memorable a good coffee experience is to me, whether on a plane or in a hotel.

Thanks to the airlines and hotels that go the extra mile to keep us caffeinated. And to those that don’t, it’s never too late to up your game. 😉

To fellow coffee lovers — what do you like and what do you dislike when it comes to airline and hotel coffee?

Conversations (29)
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  1. Nate nate Guest

    How exactly did Japan Airlines’ coffee mugs make it into your home?

    1. OCTinPHL Diamond

      I have 2. I asked nicely on one trip. I "borrowed" one on another trip.

  2. TheBestBlackBrent Diamond

    Ah, not this shit again...

  3. Sam Guest

    Hasn't this been posted before?

    It sure feels familiar.....

  4. iamhere Guest

    If the coffee is good or not also depends on the location and the establishment's usual clientele. Some places in Asia are known for tea for example.

  5. iamhere Guest

    Baristas are not making hand made coffee either. They are using a machine too and the coffee may not be better quality. You just prefer the human interaction of it.

  6. John Guest

    Ben, your passion for good coffee is well known. Which is why I'm totally surprised you rate Nespresso as being OK. Personally, I got a distinct horribly metallic tang in every cup of Nespresso, no matter where I've had it, on different machines and flavours. Which is why I stopped after two years of trying to 'like it'. Nespresso is awful and only succeeded because of slick marketing (similar to Lindt chocolate marketing)! And I'm not even a coffee aficionado.

  7. Art Nicklaus Guest

    I’m a coffee geek as well. I roast my own beans at home and drink pourovers with my Bluebottle dripper and their lovely bamboo filters that don’t add that paper taste. I’ve tried several different packable supposed “gourmet” instant coffees—didn’t like any of them. Then I discovered Dripkit. Single serve disposable pourover units you can get in different types of beans and roasts. I love their Rival brand coffee that has had the green beans...

    I’m a coffee geek as well. I roast my own beans at home and drink pourovers with my Bluebottle dripper and their lovely bamboo filters that don’t add that paper taste. I’ve tried several different packable supposed “gourmet” instant coffees—didn’t like any of them. Then I discovered Dripkit. Single serve disposable pourover units you can get in different types of beans and roasts. I love their Rival brand coffee that has had the green beans stored in old whiskey barrels for a period of time. Dripkit.com. All you need is hot water and a cup.

  8. Jittery Eric Guest

    I am Jittery Eric. I travel to take pictures of cups of coffee which I post on my Instagram account @jittery_eric. My current favorite hotel coffee purveyor in the United States is The Hideout at the Laylow Hotel in Waikiki. They say they open at 6 am, but I've been there earlier!

  9. Steve Diamond

    Yeah ill stick to starbucks.

  10. Donna Diamond

    I rarely drink anything but espresso, either a macchiato or cappuccino. And I’m a purist, no automatic machines, no “cappuccinos” that are latte’s (80% milk), no iced drinks and no Nespresso. Pretty much will pass up anything other than a barista prepared drinks. The Plaza Premium Lounge at FCO has great espresso. While traveling, I regularly go out to caffès, passing on all but a few hotel offerings. I’ll drink a regular coffee on a...

    I rarely drink anything but espresso, either a macchiato or cappuccino. And I’m a purist, no automatic machines, no “cappuccinos” that are latte’s (80% milk), no iced drinks and no Nespresso. Pretty much will pass up anything other than a barista prepared drinks. The Plaza Premium Lounge at FCO has great espresso. While traveling, I regularly go out to caffès, passing on all but a few hotel offerings. I’ll drink a regular coffee on a plane if I’m desperately tired and need a hit of caffeine.

    That Austrian Airlines “cappuccino” looks nauseating to me. If you’re looking for a great espresso dessert, next time in Italy, order an Affogato, where a scoop of ice cream meets a pour of hot espresso. You’ll love it.

    1. Guy.From.Vienna Guest

      The Austrian coffee dish is not a cappuccino but an Eiskaffee, consisting of a double espresso (usually cold), some vanilla ice cream and whipped cream or Creme Chantilly, served with one or two wafer sticks. It’s not a hot beverage, rather a dessert or an afternoon snack and gives you more than a few calories.

    2. reddargon Diamond

      Ah yes, of course, the only *true* coffee is Italian, and anyone who thinks otherwise is just not enlightened.

  11. Leo Liang Guest

    Every airline I flew on in Business is happy to serve me ice latte, even if it's not on the menu, don't know why are they special?

  12. Kevin M Guest

    Ben, I just want to say as a very longtime reader I’ve really come to enjoy your writing style over time as it’s evolved, and unexpected/atypical posts like these are some of my favorites.

    I personally don’t care nearly as much about coffee as you do, but I read this word for word anyway expecting I’d learn a few things, and I sure did. Surprise and delight indeed! Thank you for all you do.

    (And if this is a repost, I must have somehow missed it the first time.)

    1. OCTinPHL Diamond

      Yes. It would be nice if that were indicated somehow, but…. That will never happen.

    2. pwirth158 Member

      Agreed. As someone who loves coffee, and this blog, I've seen this article re-appear at least twice now. One of those reposts was a rather extensive re-work, but this one doesn't appear to be. It would be helpful to know what, if anything, has changed, rather than have to re-read and try to figure that out myself.

    3. reddargon Diamond

      Just want to echo what everyone else is saying on the small chance that it actually results in some change. I wasted several minutes scrolling trying to see what had changed before I came to the comments to post this same thing.

  13. Garret Guest

    Love this post, partly due to an intrinsic interest in the subject but mostly due to the personality and color that you bring to the subject. Thanks for continuing to maintain this item with such high quality content for so many years!

  14. Never In Doubt Guest

    While your gig is reviewing hotels, if you wanted good coffee, here’s an idea: you could walk to a local coffee shop.

    I know, crazy.

  15. Marc Guest

    Lucky - what is your coffee set-up at home?

  16. Huy Guest

    Like you, morning coffee is like a ritual. I would even recommend packing hand grinder and a pour over with paper filters. Especially when traveling to regions where coffee is grown, it's so nice to pick up a nice bag of beans and make coffee in the morning.
    Even in coffee growing regions, some of the hotels only offer the low grade coffee which is very different from the ones they export or sell...

    Like you, morning coffee is like a ritual. I would even recommend packing hand grinder and a pour over with paper filters. Especially when traveling to regions where coffee is grown, it's so nice to pick up a nice bag of beans and make coffee in the morning.
    Even in coffee growing regions, some of the hotels only offer the low grade coffee which is very different from the ones they export or sell as a specialty bean. This was the case in a SLH property in Costa Rica.

  17. mel Guest

    I prefer a good double espresso any day. But I must say I like the Blue Mountain which Singapore Airlines serves in first class.

  18. Nelson Diamond

    I have to admit, I love from time to time a coffee but it's not like, "the first thing."
    What I find the most anoying thing is that most of the world producers of coffee offers a terrible quality of coffee.
    For example, i think first time I went to Brazil (the biggest producer in the world) must have been around the year 2000 and since I've been there hunderds of times. I...

    I have to admit, I love from time to time a coffee but it's not like, "the first thing."
    What I find the most anoying thing is that most of the world producers of coffee offers a terrible quality of coffee.
    For example, i think first time I went to Brazil (the biggest producer in the world) must have been around the year 2000 and since I've been there hunderds of times. I still have to drink the first coffee I like, there. Most amazing is that some people put already sugar in it when brewing.
    From my experience, the best coffee's I got were in Europe (exclude most of Spain) albeit they aren't producers, they just made the beans ready for use, and there mostly you create the quality.

  19. D3kingg Guest

    I’m a tea drinker which is uncommon for most Americans. The last coffee I had was a cappuccino from the espresso machine at the AA FL lounge. The nicer the hotel the better the in room coffee and tea offerings. My 5 star Hilton in Mumbai had Nestle instant coffee but roasted organic Darjeeling seemed like a better option.

    Starbucks Instant via is not bad at all considering it’s instant. It doesn’t pack that...

    I’m a tea drinker which is uncommon for most Americans. The last coffee I had was a cappuccino from the espresso machine at the AA FL lounge. The nicer the hotel the better the in room coffee and tea offerings. My 5 star Hilton in Mumbai had Nestle instant coffee but roasted organic Darjeeling seemed like a better option.

    Starbucks Instant via is not bad at all considering it’s instant. It doesn’t pack that sour aftertaste. Maybe put some in your suitcase or hurricane kit in case of emergency .

    1. Mike O. Guest

      Being Asian-American, I'm also a tea drinker myself. From English breakfast and Earl Grey to Hong Kong Style milk tea to Teh Tarik and the like, green tea, jasmine tea, you name it.

    2. D3kingg Guest

      Oolong tea and Lapsang Souchong .

Featured Comments Most helpful comments ( as chosen by the OMAAT community ).

The comments on this page have not been provided, reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any advertiser, and it is not an advertiser's responsibility to ensure posts and/or questions are answered.

Morgan Diamond

Isn’t this a repost?

8
OCTinPHL Diamond

Yes. It would be nice if that were indicated somehow, but…. That will never happen.

7
Sam Guest

Hasn't this been posted before? It sure feels familiar.....

2
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