From eggs benedict to the minibar: seven food and drink gamechangers that became hotel hits
One of the most exciting aspects of arriving at a world-renowned hotel is exploring all the wonderful food on offer to guests. Over the years, hotels have been at the forefront of innovation in dining, creating exciting new ways to prepare and present food to offer guests a truly unique experience on their travels. Some of the creations to emerge from hotels over the past century have gained iconic status.
Here are six dishes and drinks, and another culinary innovation that we have hotels to thank for bringing into our lives.
Walnut or wal-not? The Waldorf salad The Waldorf-Astoria New York is among the world's most storied hotels. A byword for luxury, it has welcomed countless famous people through its doors, from US presidents to stars such as Frank Sinatra and Marilyn Monroe. Its renowned – and perennially popular – Waldorf salad was invented in 1896 for a charity ball in honour of the St Mary's Hospital for Children. The maitre d'hotel, Oscar Tschirky, created the original dish, consisting of apples, celery and mayonnaise, and, some time later, walnuts were added, giving the salad its satisfying crunch. Modern versions usually include grapes, and sometimes chicken, while the dressing can be made with the addition of lemon or orange zest, or with yoghurt instead of mayonnaise.
Squidgy comfort: the brownieIf there's one sweet treat that signals comfort, it's the squidgy, chocolatey brownie. The gooey confection has many origin stories, and one suggests it was created in the kitchen of the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago in 1893, at the direction of Bertha Palmer, a socialite and philanthropist whose husband built the hotel.
As chair of the Board of Lady Managers for the World's Columbian Exposition, held in Chicago, she tasked pastry chef Joseph Sehl with creating a new dessert that would be easy to box and transport.
The first reference to the word 'brownie' appeared in the Sears Roebuck catalogue, published in Chicago in 1897. The hotel still serves brownies made to the same recipe, consisting of semi-sweet chocolate, butter, sugar, flour, eggs, vanilla extract and crushed walnuts.
The brunch behemoth: eggs benedictThis classic brunch recipe is another Waldorf creation. According to a story first published in the New Yorker, in 1894 Wall Street broker Lemuel Benedict arrived for breakfast at the hotel feeling hungover. He ordered 'buttered toast, crisp bacon, two poached eggs, and a hooker of hollandaise sauce'.
It must have gone down well as, soon after, Tschirky, known as 'Oscar of the Waldorf', added the new creation to the hotel's breakfast and lunch menus, but with his own twist. According to the New Yorker, 'Oscar's version of eggs benedict substituted ham for bacon and a toasted English muffin for toasted bread' – a change Benedict himself wasn't keen on, claiming: 'English muffins are unpalatable, no matter how much they are toasted or how they are served.' Millions have disagreed since.
The national drink: pina colada Just the thought of this creamy, tropical cocktail brings to mind golden beaches and sun loungers – which is fitting, because the pina colada was first created at the beachside Caribe Hilton in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in 1954. The hotel's bartender, Ramon 'Monchito' Marrero, was experimenting with a new recipe that blended rum, coconut cream and pineapple juice with ice. After spending three months perfecting his creation, he named it the pina colada, which means 'strained pineapple' in Spanish, and began serving it at the hotel's Beachcomber Bar.
The pina colada became so popular that in 1978 it was named the official drink of Puerto Rico. Today, it remains among the most requested cocktails the world over.
An intergalactic treat: the DoubleTree cookieBarron Hilton, the hotel group's late chairman and CEO, used to speak passionately about the company's vision of a Lunar Hilton, which would one day welcome guests on the moon. It hasn't quite happened yet, but for Hilton's 100th anniversary in 2019, the company found an innovative way to bring its hospitality to space.
DoubleTree hotels are known for the warm chocolate chip cookies given to guests on arrival (more than 30m are eaten every year), and in January 2020, the cookies became the first food ever to be baked in space. On the International Space Station, astronauts used a prototype Zero G Kitchen oven to prepare a test batch of the cookies, made with oats, flour, semi-sweet chocolate chips and chopped walnuts. Their experiments produced perfect cookies, just like the ones at DoubleTree hotels.
The next big drink? Simia sour In 2020, Pernod Ricard, owner of Monkey 47 gin, partnered with Hilton to host a digital cocktail competition across Europe, the Middle East and Africa to find the hotel brand's 'next big thing'. A mixologist at the Cloud 9 Sky Bar & Lounge in Hilton Prague created the winning entry, simia sour, inspired by the Earth's tropical rainforests and exotic wildlife. It contains Monkey 47 dry gin, egg white foam, a refreshing twist of fresh lime juice and cranberry juice for the 'perfect sour taste', and is shaken over ice and served in a martini glass. It is now on the menu in 350 Hilton hotels across 29 countries.
Press 9 for … room service The Waldorf-Astoria isn't just known for its culinary firsts – it also pioneered the concept of room service, so guests didn't even need to leave the comfort of their rooms to eat. When the art deco hotel opened on New York's Fifth Avenue in 1893 (the hotel's original site became the Empire State Building), it offered an immediately popular innovation: room service to cater to the privacy demands of its VIP guests. The idea of world-class cuisine brought straight to your room soon caught on at hotels around the world.
To check out some of Hilton's top culinary offerings, see below or book direct at Hilton.com and save on your stay. Join Hilton Honors for free and save up to 20%* in the Hilton Sale, now on.
*Terms and conditions apply. Must be a Hilton Honors Member.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
9 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Vacations in turmoil as JetBlue slashes flights
Published: Updated: Vacations have been thrown into turmoil after JetBlue announced plans to slash summer flights. The budget airline is launching new cost-saving measures after weak travel demand is threatening its bottom line. JetBlue admitted that its chances of breaking even this year are 'unlikely', in a memo seen by Reuters. As a result the carrier is planning to wind down less popular routes and cutting its leadership team, CEO Joanna Geraghty told employees in the note. 'We're hopeful demand and bookings will rebound, but even a recovery won't fully offset the ground we've lost this year and our path back to profitability will take longer than we'd hoped,' Geraghty said. US airlines have taken a hit after President Trump's aggressive trade policies and border crackdowns have seen a significant pullback in travel to the US. JetBlue is not alone in scaling back capacity ahead of the summer travel season, with United also cutting four in every 100 of its domestic flights . 'While most airlines are feeling the impact, it's especially frustrating for us, as we had hoped to reach break-even operating margin this year, which now seems unlikely,' Geraghty explained. JetBlue is under additional financial strain as it us undergoing inspections of some of its engines, which has grounded a number of its aircraft. In other efforts to cut costs the airline is planning to park six of its Airbus jets instead of retrofitting them as initially planned. It comes after JetBlue previously pulled its full year forecast in April to readjust to the new demand environment. The company also previously announced its plans to make a $3 billion saving by deferring buying 44 new Airbus jets. JetBlue's shares are down more than 44 percent so far this year. Earlier this year United announced it would be axing flights due to a dip in demand for US travel. 'The softer economic situation is creating softer demand for travel,' CEO Scott Kirby told investors on the airline's first quarter earnings call in April. United said it also saw flights coming out of Canada see a 9 percent dip, with the rest of international demand coming in to the US down 6 percent. Canadians have been boycotting US travel after Trump threatened to make America's northern neighbor the '51st state.' As a result air travel dropped 13.5 percent in March compared to the same time last year. Flair Airlines was forced to abandoned its routes from Vancouver and Calgary to Phoenix, Arizona as a result of such low demand. Tourist hotspots that rely heavily on Canadian visitors, such as Buffalo, New York and Old Orchard Beach in Maine have seen dramatic drop-offs in visits. Some hotspots such as Palm Springs in California have even hung signs begging Canadians not to boycott them .
Telegraph
10 hours ago
- Telegraph
Epic or Ikon Pass: Are multi-resort ski lift passes worth the cost?
A lot has been written about the Epic Pass and the Ikon Pass since they were first released to skiers and snowboarders, in 2008 and 2018 respectively. Depending on who you listen to, these multi-resort season ski passes, launched by US-based companies Vail Resorts (Epic), and the Alterra Mountain Company (Ikon), have either opened up affordable multi-resort skiing to the masses, or destroyed the sport completely. As always, the truth is a little more nuanced than much of the internet would have you believe. But as the passes and the conglomerates behind them continue to evolve, with significant expansion in Europe in recent years, most people's principal questions remain the same: is a multi-resort lift pass worth it? And if so, which one should I buy? Epic, Ikon, or something else entirely? In this guide: What is a multi-resort lift pass? How much does the Epic Pass or Ikon Pass cost? Should I buy a multi-resort lift pass this winter? What are the downsides? Are there any additional perks? What is a multi-resort lift pass? A multi-resort pass is a season pass that allows you to ride the lifts at a large number of ski resorts throughout the winter for a fixed price. The Epic Pass The first mass market multi-season pass was the Epic Pass, launched by Vail Resorts in 2008. At the time, the company owned five resorts: Breckenridge, Beaver Creek and Keystone in Colorado as well as Vail itself, and Heavenly, on the south shore of Lake Tahoe, in California. The original Epic Pass offered skiers unlimited days at all five for just US$569 (£419) – a ludicrously good deal compared to typical season-pass prices for individual resorts. Some commentators thought the company was crazy, but it proved to be a visionary move. Typically, season-pass sales spiked if there was early snowfall, and slumped if there wasn't. But because the Epic pass was only on sale in the summer months, with the cheapest prices reserved for earlier buyers, the company could guarantee its cash flow for the following winter long before the snow had started to fall. Today, Vail owns and operates 42 ski resorts around the world, including Whistler in Canada, Park City in Utah, and two recently-acquired resorts in Switzerland: Andermatt and Crans-Montana. Thanks to partnership agreements, the Epic Pass for the upcoming 2025/26 winter will allow holders to ski in over 80 resorts worldwide – including unlimited days to Vail-owned destinations. The Ikon Pass Having noted the success of the Epic Pass, the Alterra Mountain Company launched their own version, the Ikon Pass, in 2018. Alterra owns 17 ski resorts (and two heli-skiing operations) all of them in North America. Their Ikon Pass offers unlimited access to most of their properties (with a few exceptions, like Deer Valley and the heli-skiing operations) and up to seven days skiing in over 60 partner resorts worldwide, including iconic destinations in Europe like Zermatt Chamonix, and the Dolomiti Superski Area. Other passes There are other multi-resort passes on offer too. As a response to the dominance of Vail and Alterra, various independently-owned ski areas banded together to launch the Indy Pass in 2019. The 2025/26 version will offer up to two-days access in over 250 resorts worldwide. In Europe, there's the Magic Pass, which offers unlimited access to just over 100 resorts – the bulk of which are in Switzerland, with a handful in France and Italy. Elsewhere, passes like the Austrian Snow Card Tirol, or the Italian SuperSkirama, Dolomiti SuperSki, and Aosta Valley passes cover collections of resorts clustered around particular locations. How much do multi-resort passes cost? A full Epic Pass for 2025/26 winter season costs US$1,075 (£794), for an adult, or US$548 (£400) for a children aged five to 12. You can also buy local versions of the pass for less. An adult Ikon Pass costs US$1,429 (£1,055), but young adults aged 13 to 22 only pay US$1,089 (£804), and kids aged five to 12 pay $439 (£324). You can buy an Ikon base pass, with unlimited access to slightly fewer resorts, for less. Indy Passes typically cost far less, but they're sold out for the forthcoming season. The Magic Pass costs CHF419 (£327) for the 2025/26 season. And are they worth the expense? If you live in the United States If you're a keen skier living in the US, then almost certainly yes. Standard lift-pass prices are astronomical in the United States (last winter, a single day at the high-end resort of Deer Valley would set you back US$279 (£206)) and if you're going on more than one ski trip a season, it's likely that a multi-resort pass will save you money. The multi-resort pass model works particularly well for people based in big, well-connected cities, who are taking multiple trips (often weekends) a winter to different ski areas. It also works well for East Coasters who might do regular day trips to a local mountain but want to do one big, week-long trip out west per winter. If you're a US-based skier whose likely to head to the same resort each weekend, or you're only going to take one week-long holiday each winter, it's worth checking out single ski area prices before you buy a multi-resort pass. If you live in Europe or beyond For most skiers based in Europe or the UK, Epic and Ikon passes probably aren't worth it. You could do a week in Chamonix and a week in Zermatt (both included on the Ikon pass) and you'd pay less for a six-day ski pass in each than you would an Ikon season pass. The exception to this rule is if you're planning on heading to the US or Canada multiple times in a single season – or if you're planning to go to the US once, and a European resort covered by one of the passes. Although most of the largest Swiss resorts are not included, the Magic Pass is a great option if you live in Switzerland, or near the Swiss border. For Australians who ski regularly at Hotham, Falls Creek or Perisher, and fancy a week-long jaunt to Whistler or somewhere in the States, the Epic pass is a great option. What are the downsides? Before you splash out on an Epic or Ikon Pass, it's worth looking at the 'blackout days'. Some resorts restrict multi-resort pass holders access during peak periods in order to prioritise those who've bought single passes. Both the Epic and Ikon passes have come in for criticism from certain corners of the ski industry, in part because of their success. Their sheer scale now means it can be hard for independent resorts to compete. The companies have also been accused of squashing the individual quirks of the resorts they buy up. Are there any additional perks? Ikon Pass holders can offer a partner service, run by a third party, but branded as Ikon Pass Travel. Kristin Rust, vice president of communications for Alterra Mountain Company explains: 'It's a travel agency in the States that are ski specialists – their claim to fame is that every single person on their staff has been to the resorts that they sell. So if you want to go to Chamonix, they can help you book your hotel, your flight and so on.' Ikon Pass holders also get discounts on gear from The North Face, Db luggage and a range of other brands, and complimentary bike park tickets in certain destinations for the summer. The Epic Pass also offers a range of ancillary benefits, including 20 per cent off food, lodging, equipment rentals, group lessons and even heli-skiing at select resorts. Epic Pass holders also get unlimited summer access to many Vail-owned resorts, including Crans-Montana in Switzerland, which is particularly well-known for its mountain bike trails. 'While winter is at the heart of what we do, summer in Switzerland offers its own kind of magic, with a full calendar of exciting events and activities,' explained Mike Goar, Vail Resorts chief operating officer for Switzerland.
Telegraph
10 hours ago
- Telegraph
Supersonic travel inevitable, maker of Concorde successor claims
The return of supersonic travel has become 'inevitable' after Donald Trump lifted a 52-year ban on such flights over US soil, according to the company building a successor to Concorde. Boom Supersonic, which has been developing an updated version of the Anglo-French aircraft for a decade, said the president had provided the final push needed to make the jet a reality. Blake Scholl, Boom's founder, said the lifting of the ban will open up a wider market for supersonic flights and help the sector reach critical mass and financial viability more quickly. Flight times between London and an inland US city such as Chicago could now be cut from 7 hours 20 minutes on a subsonic aircraft to just 4 hours 30 minutes on Boom's Overture jet. Mr Trump signed an executive order lifting the supersonic ban this month after a Boom test flight in January broke the sound barrier without the sonic boom reaching the ground. Mr Scholl said: 'It's just fantastic. I think at this point it makes the return of supersonic passenger flight inevitable.' He said he encountered 'a tremendous amount of excitement' on visiting the White House and Congress a day after announcing that so-called 'boomless cruise' had been achieved. 'It's been talked about in theory for a long time,' he said, 'but once a thing goes from theory to practise all of a sudden it gets people's attention.' A bipartisan bill was introduced in the House of Representatives and Senate, before Mr Trump's intervention rendered the legislative route unnecessary. Speaking about the move, the president expressed frustration with the pace of modern air travel, saying that the industry had 'gone backward' in the past 30 years. Describing Concorde as 'one of the most beautiful pieces of art,' he said the sonic boom was never a huge problem and that companies now had it 'pretty well figured out'. He said: 'The technology changes. So we're making it possible. We have regressed and now we are going to progress.' During its test flights, Boom ensured that sound waves were refracted away from the Earth by breaking the sound barrier at an altitude and speed dictated by atmospheric conditions. Mr Scholl said he expects to see supersonic private jets link American cities as Boom's airliners operate transatlantic routes while taking advantage of the rule change when crossing the US. He said: 'I think other people are going to build this product. It makes the market much larger and the use case much larger.' Canada retains a supersonic ban so a London-Chicago service would have to ignore the shortest route over Newfoundland and fly at Mach 1.7 to the US east coast and then drop its speed to Mach 1.3 to complete the journey. Mr Scholl said Mr Trump's landmark decision, under which the speed ban will be replaced with noise-based standards, should not be viewed as controversial. He said: 'It makes all the sense in the world. If there's no boom, that's not a hard decision.' He said that the 1973 law – introduced to spite Europe and the Soviet Union, which had pressed on with supersonic projects after the US withdrew – had stifled innovation and was 'the worst own goal in regulatory history'. Mr Scholl said the supersonic ban could even be blamed for what he called 'the gradual implosion of Boeing' as talented engineers deserted aerospace for the technology sector and companies such as Facebook, Amazon and Google. He said: 'If you go from the Wright brothers to the introduction of the Boeing 707, every generation of commercial aeroplanes was faster and better. 'But the modern day 787 is really the same product doing the same thing, just more efficient and more refined, but not any better at connecting the planet.'
