In this post, I want 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, as I haven’t covered this in a couple of years. 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.
In this post:
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
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). There’s a lot of inconsistency here, but in my experience, Four Seasons is the only major hotel group that does this consistently.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Qatar Airways cappuccinos, on the other hand, are quite good.
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. 😉
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…
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).
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).
I love that that EVA Air has iced coffee in business class.
Heck, I love that in JetBlue’s Mint business class, you can even have an iced cappuccino with oat milk.
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, or at least put more effort into non-alcoholic drinks. United is the only major airline to serve cold brew consistently (complimentary in premium cabins, or for purchase in economy). I wish we’d see more airlines follow United’s lead.
And I guess an espresso martini on Emirates at the bar is one way to get your caffeine as well. 😉
Also, I love when an airport lounge has barista made drinks, whether we’re talking about a Qantas Lounge or a United Polaris Lounge.
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.
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.
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?
I have a saying: I always view church coffee as a form of penance.
I mainly stay at Hampton or Fairfield Inn, Courtyards or Hilton Gardens. Work requires it and points prices for family travel utilizes them. I rarely have high expectations, but I do however have an expected base for coffee. If they can't maintain a consistent "decent" regular coffee then I move on to a new establishment next trip.
Qantas lounges barita almond milk latte is divine. They'll always make me a large one in my latte mug :)
Also I remember having a delicious rose cappuccino a while ago in the Pier Business lounge in Hong Kong
Qatar onboard espresso coffee selection is fabulous & you can have any of the coffees hot or iced
In Doha lounge I've had a great decaf espresso martini ....
Coffee is really nice in the morning, totally agree with you Ben. However travelling brings some challenges. Will share some.
Turkey - no problem, wonderfully strong coffee in the little cups, stronger than expresso. Takes a bit to get used to.
Italy - no problema, straight or with milk all are good
Japan has strong coffee sold in machines, comes in a can and its a kicker, better than hotels
USA - Starbucks cannot deliver a hot expresso, very disappointed
I abolutely need a good cappuccino in the morning. In fact, a good cappuccino makes or brakes the breakfast. Made by a barrista makes all the difference. I’ve good memories of Park Hyatt Zürich and Park Hyatt Saigon. The least I’m expecting is a good machine where at least you can make one yourself. There are still hotels which charge >30USD for breakfast and just have drip coffee like the Hyatt Regency Austin. Unbelievable. It’s...
I abolutely need a good cappuccino in the morning. In fact, a good cappuccino makes or brakes the breakfast. Made by a barrista makes all the difference. I’ve good memories of Park Hyatt Zürich and Park Hyatt Saigon. The least I’m expecting is a good machine where at least you can make one yourself. There are still hotels which charge >30USD for breakfast and just have drip coffee like the Hyatt Regency Austin. Unbelievable. It’s too diffucult to buy a good coffee machine??
I used to do a cappuccino lounge review on my vlogs. Number 1 still is the LaPremiere Lounge in Paris, followed by the new OneWorld lounge in AMS. But very often you just find the same machines in the lounges….
Thanks for sharing. As a frequent traveller (100-150 yearly hotel nights over the last 10 years) and a coffee snob, I have had to adapt habits quite a bit. These go a bit further than yours. Here’s what I do: 1/ I avoid hotel coffee at all costs, especially in the US, it is simply not acceptable quality to me and should never have been brewed in the first place. Even in Europe, hotels use...
Thanks for sharing. As a frequent traveller (100-150 yearly hotel nights over the last 10 years) and a coffee snob, I have had to adapt habits quite a bit. These go a bit further than yours. Here’s what I do: 1/ I avoid hotel coffee at all costs, especially in the US, it is simply not acceptable quality to me and should never have been brewed in the first place. Even in Europe, hotels use the cheapest coffee available, simply awful 2/ I always look up «specialty coffee» nearby my hotel and always try to make time and support local coffee houses in the morning 3/ As a backup I always carry with me a few Nespresso pods from the brand ILLY which, despite not being specialty, is decent. I rinse the hotel Nespresso machine 3 times. Twice with tab water, once with mineral water before pouring an espresso. I have both standard and decaf with me. 4/ Recently I have discovered Specialty Drip Coffee bags as well. So now I always carry a couple of these with me (example: https://rocketbean.com/for-individuals/shop/magic-drip-coffee-bag/), which can be brewed in any hotel room or any airline lounge. The only thing you need in a kettle and mineral water. As for airline coffee, I stay away from that too. Only exceptions are canned specialty coffee, or AirBaltic which sells specialty coffee (also from Rocket Bean, a Latvian coffee house). Yes the water is from the water tank, but I still indulge from time to time - https://www.instagram.com/reel/C574i19izBr/
I once found a product (called growers I think) at AMS airport where they sell disposable envelopes pour overs. There's organic grounds inside of very high quality stuff, different regions of beans. You open it and add hot water and wait for it to drip out. There's a separate spout. It can be reused. Fairly flat but not really tiny. Unfortunately, they went out of business and there hasn't been a competitor.
I get it's like any nuanced/subjective food or beverage but I came up on NYC bodega coffee out of the big urns with ample milk and sugar. So hotel coffee never bothers me, from the high end properties to the road warrior standbys. What annoys me to no end is when housekeeping sees you've been using the coffee or tea but doesn't replenish it. For some reason this has been a bigger problem in London...
I get it's like any nuanced/subjective food or beverage but I came up on NYC bodega coffee out of the big urns with ample milk and sugar. So hotel coffee never bothers me, from the high end properties to the road warrior standbys. What annoys me to no end is when housekeeping sees you've been using the coffee or tea but doesn't replenish it. For some reason this has been a bigger problem in London of all places, where I've noticed even smaller hotels have much higher-quality in-room coffee and tea setups.
Like others when I have the space I travel with a grinder, coffee, kettle and pourover / aeropress. So worth it. But it is a space consideration.
I travel with an Aeropress and some coffee. If there is a kettle in the room (non US hotels), I can make a nice cup of coffee in no time. I don't mind the Nespresso pods, but the machine usually makes thimble sized coffee.
When I do road trips in the US, I travel with my Aeropress, a bag of coffee, and an electric kettle. I can control the quality and consistency of the coffee...
I travel with an Aeropress and some coffee. If there is a kettle in the room (non US hotels), I can make a nice cup of coffee in no time. I don't mind the Nespresso pods, but the machine usually makes thimble sized coffee.
When I do road trips in the US, I travel with my Aeropress, a bag of coffee, and an electric kettle. I can control the quality and consistency of the coffee and I don't have to get dressed and go down to the lobby in the AM for my first cup, or deal with a sketchy in-room coffee maker.
Aeropress coffee is great - I absolutely love how much control you have over it, and with high-quality beans I make coffee that tastes better than literally any coffee I've had anywhere, aside from barista-made espressos at coffee shops that care about quality. But it's too fiddly for me to consider taking an Aeropress and kettle on the road. I just settle for whatever is easily available and hope for the best.
Cappucino is not coffee.
I have never stayed at Four Seasons. However, every Hampton Inn I have stayed at always has coffee in the lobby.
Free coffee really does add to a hotel. I stayed at a very sh*tty Travelodge on the outskirts of a major NA city recently. It was truly awful in just about every way. Run down, dusty, saggy bed, etc... but it had free coffee/hot chocolate in the lobby. My partner and I were both surprised and borderline willing to reconsider our opinion of the hotel as this was a perk we don't often see in...
Free coffee really does add to a hotel. I stayed at a very sh*tty Travelodge on the outskirts of a major NA city recently. It was truly awful in just about every way. Run down, dusty, saggy bed, etc... but it had free coffee/hot chocolate in the lobby. My partner and I were both surprised and borderline willing to reconsider our opinion of the hotel as this was a perk we don't often see in the area where we were traveling - at least outside breakfast hours. Coffee was ok and hot chocolate was very good. We'd never stay there again but for a few moments after we had the coffees all was right with the world. Imagine if a "nice" hotel did this.
I was surprised at the Park Hyatt Vienna for not having great coffee at breakfast in a city that prides itself on its coffee culture (the hotel was absolutely fantastic in every other way though).
In contrast, I loved Park Hyatt Sydney's coffee; enjoying a perfect flat white while watching morning joggers go past, the Sydney Opera House in the distance, and those garage style doors open to let the warm air in... sublime.
@Super I too was surprised at the PH Vienna coffee. Espresso drinks were mostly well executed, but I couldn’t believe they were using Illy coffee beans.
Even worse, the coffee at the Park Hyatt Zürich was not good at all. Machine made, and when I asked for barista-made, it was hardly any different than the machine made version (poor quality).
You should link to this article as a preface for your flight reviews when you order coffee on a plane then sleep for 3 hours so that your commenters don't annoyingly call that out as if you're just flying for funsies.
Also is it just me or is a meme coming up after you post??
"No milk for morning coffee, used vanilla ice cream" https://onemileatatime (dot) com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/coffee.jpeg#comment-5278393
I had the same thing happen after posting here and on another article.
I once found a product (called growers I think) at AMS airport where they sell disposable envelopes pour overs. There's organic grounds inside of very high quality stuff, different regions of beans. You open it and add hot water and wait for it to drip out. There's a separate spout. It can be reused. Fairly flat but not really tiny. Unfortunately, they went out of business and there hasn't been a competitor.
Qantas lounges barita almond milk latte is divine. They'll always make me a large one in my latte mug :)
Also I remember having a delicious rose cappuccino a while ago in the Pier Business lounge in Hong Kong
Qatar onboard espresso coffee selection is fabulous & you can have any of the coffees hot or iced
In Doha lounge I've had a great decaf espresso martini ....
I love coffee but only drink decaf as I drink epic quantities (I am also English and don't drink tea)
It is even harder getting a good or adequate decaf - it is so depressing when caf is from a bean but the moment you ask for decaf out comes the sachet of instant.
When I travel I tend to use Google maps and put in 'coffee' to find the best local coffee shops and have found some gems over the years.
Most airline and hotel coffee is bad. Some US hotels have a Starbucks and that's a saving grace, particularly if you're into ice coffee.
Ben, totally agree. So many otherwise nice, luxury hotels will treat coffee as an afterthought. It makes me question if they know what they're doing at all. Don't even get me started on iced coffee drinks, which I've learned to not even order unless it's a US hotel which is geared towards a millennial customer base (as much as I hate to say it).
Two comments: 1)Please! Don't call it filter coffee. Call it multi-cup pour over; 2) A martini is a traditional cocktail made with varying portions of gin and dry vermouth that is stirred on ice (not shaken), strained, and served in a cocktail glass with a garnish of either lemon peal or olive. It does not contain vodka or coffee liqueur, nor is it garnished with coffee beans. A potential name for this concoction would be "Wide Awake Drunk."
Good coffee is also quite subjective. While some coffee might be objectively bad (stale beans, dirty machines, not enough beans used etc.) there are many diferences to what can be seen as good. For example I'm quite disappointed with Austrian Airlines. They serve one of the best coffees I ever drank in ther inter-EU flights. But on widebodies they only offer bad espresso based coffees, except for breakfast. Generally it's the same for luxury hotels,...
Good coffee is also quite subjective. While some coffee might be objectively bad (stale beans, dirty machines, not enough beans used etc.) there are many diferences to what can be seen as good. For example I'm quite disappointed with Austrian Airlines. They serve one of the best coffees I ever drank in ther inter-EU flights. But on widebodies they only offer bad espresso based coffees, except for breakfast. Generally it's the same for luxury hotels, I will probably not like the coffee Ben enjoys as he mainly wants espresso based milk drinks whereas I will be disapointed if they have barista made espressos which are rarely tasty.
I love it when hotel lobbies have coffee available round the clock, it's just a small quality of life thing that makes a real difference when you're visiting.
Puro Warsaw has a great free self serve coffee machine in the lobby that also does hot chocolate, which was super nice when you were out in the cold weather all day and could quickly come in and grab a nice warm drink in a to-go...
I love it when hotel lobbies have coffee available round the clock, it's just a small quality of life thing that makes a real difference when you're visiting.
Puro Warsaw has a great free self serve coffee machine in the lobby that also does hot chocolate, which was super nice when you were out in the cold weather all day and could quickly come in and grab a nice warm drink in a to-go cup, then head back out again. It's a fantastic hotel in general, too.
Similarly, the Astotel Hotel Joke in Paris had a filter coffee machine available all day and not only was it really delicious coffee, they also put out free snacks, cookies and cakes for guests to grab at any time.
Probably a fairly small investment for them but something I remember and would consider if I visited again.
Neither of these hotels was particularly expensive or high-end, either, just good at knowing what guests enjoy.
While I absolutely prefer a lobby coffee option, one thing that drives me up the wall is when a hotel offers no in room coffee option--I've found this to be common at mid-tier Hilton properties such as the Curio Collection and Motto. Even more annoying, the coffee in the lobby at these locations is usually both poor quality and expensive.
100% in agreement across the board. Coffee is often both the bain and the greatest joy of travel.
I guess I'm not staying in high-brow enough hotel brands since I usually see coffee available nearly 24 hours a day in the lobby.... Hampton Inn, Tru by Hilton, etc.
If you mean a large vat of industrial grade coffee with complimentary sachets of white powder, then yes, I've seen that too, and it's always welcome.
But if to you, coffee means espresso, either from one of the increasingly good automatic machines, or made by a barista, not so common. You can't get filter coffee even in a McDonalds in Australia any more, they only sell espresso (and generally do a good job at it).
I'm in the same boat. Coffee is a ritual as much as a caffeine boost, and it helps start my day on the right foot. One thing I've really liked on the hotel side is something I encountered on my last trip to Japan, where several places we stayed at provided single-serve packets of pre-ground coffee so that you can make your own pour-over brew with the provided electric kettle. It worked quite well, though...
I'm in the same boat. Coffee is a ritual as much as a caffeine boost, and it helps start my day on the right foot. One thing I've really liked on the hotel side is something I encountered on my last trip to Japan, where several places we stayed at provided single-serve packets of pre-ground coffee so that you can make your own pour-over brew with the provided electric kettle. It worked quite well, though admittedly if you tried to pour a typical American size brew (more than 8 ounces) the coffee was pretty watery.
Often times though, especially if I'm in a city hotel, I'll just leave the hotel and find a local cafe to get my morning fix and a pastry, if not a full breakfast. The coffee quality is reliably higher that way.
A warm beverage on offer is a cornerstone of hospitality around the world throughout history. Hotels that uncle and dime for coffee is insulting