What is the most lenient definition of a kosher hotel?

Keeping kosher is not particularly difficult in and of itself; what can make keeping kosher when traveling more difficult is the fact that the rest of the world does not do so.

In the most lenient interpretation, a hotel is considered to be a kosher hotel when, in terms of the food served, it adheres to the following 7 rules regarding kashrut:

1. Certain animals may not be eaten at all. This restriction includes the flesh, organs, eggs and milk of the forbidden animals.
2. Of animals that may be eaten, birds and mammals must be killed in accordance with Jewish law.
3. All blood must be drained from the meat or cooked out of it before it is eaten.
4. Certain parts of permitted animals may not be eaten.
5. Meat cannot be eaten with dairy. Fish, eggs, fruits, vegetables and grains can be eaten with either meat or dairy.
6. Utensils that have come into contact with meat may not be used with dairy, and vice versa. Utensils that have come into contact with non-kosher food may not be used with kosher food.
7. Grape products made by non-Jews may not be eaten.

Are there gradations or different degrees of kashrut?

Let's be very straightforward. It is by no means our intention to impose on you the way in which you live and practice Judaism. What we do aspire to is to inform you as fully as possible, so that you can make your choices in accordance with your own sense of right and wrong. The notion that human beings can exercise their own free will when making moral decisions is axiomatic to Judaism. All hotels we list as kosher hotels do serve kosher food, are used to cater to a Jewish clientele and will do their utmost best to accommodate your specific needs.

What you've read till now sounds easy enough, as gradually more hotels indicate on their menus which items are kosher, stock kosher meals or even offer separate kosher restaurants on their premises.

But actually the concept of a fully kosher hotel goes beyond the food we eat. The Israeli rabbinate has issued 168 guidelines of kashrut, from how to observe Shabbat to 30 rules for inspecting liver.

We can easily imagine that the large majority of our readers consider adhering to the ‘basic’ food directives to be 'kosher enough'. But, this isn't enough for a hotel to be considered a kosher hotel by strictly orthodox Jewish standards.

Therefore we explain what other considerations come into play when checking if a hotel is kosher and what aspects of kashrut and Shabbat one may need to pay particular attention to.

Even if you don't abide by the strictest interpretation of what it takes to be a truly kosher hotel read on, as this information may come in handy if you ever travel in company of more orthodox Jewish friends or have them as your guests (for a simcha for instance).

Travel can be challenging for Orthodox Jews. To comply with religious requirements, they must eat at kosher establishments, or pack kosher meals, and be within walking distances to a synagogue.

Fairmont Taghazout Bay, Aourir, Morocco

What is the strictest interpretation of what it takes to be considered a kosher hotel?

Prior to making a reservation in a hotel one wishes to be a 100% strictly kosher hotel, according to the most orthodox interpretation of kashrut, one must check a number of important things.

Food, cutlery and tableware, in a kosher hotel

To achieve the correct level it takes to be a kosher hotel the utensils must be ritually immersed in a mikve (a ritual bath); this is called 'toiveled'. When there are utensils in a hotel that aren't 'toiveled', this hotel is not abiding by the strictest laws regarding kashrut observance.

A second strict criterium is checking if the cooking is bishul yisrael, or that of a non-Jew. Bishul yisrael is a Hebrew term for one of the laws of kashrut in Judaism. The rule prohibits eating certain foods if they are cooked exclusively by non-Jews.

A third strict rule is if the greens are the special ‘gush katif’ (insect free) type or if the kosher hotel makes do with using regular vegetables that are washed and inspected by a mashgiach (a Jew who supervises the kashrut status of a kosher establishment).

Modesty (tzniut) in a kosher hotel

Another concern is obviously the level of tzniut (modesty). Some hotels are located on the shore and some have a pool in the center. When this pool is, as often is the case, before the eyes of all, this is an unacceptable situation to ultra-orthodox Jews.

The matter of the eruv

If the city you're residing in doesn't have an eruv (the eruv is a boundary that allows observant Jews to carry needed things in public on Shabbat) one cannot carry a room key, outside of the premises of the hotel and should leave it at the front desk. The hotel space is considered to be an extended home in which you're allowed to carry necessary items such as a key.

Shabbat elevators in a kosher hotel

A Shabbat elevator is an elevator which works in a special mode, operating fully automatically, to satisfy the Jewish law requiring Jews to abstain from operating electrical switches on Shabbat.

According to the strict interpretation of the laws regarding Shabbat, it is not acceptable to have a non-Jewish person operating the elevator manually, as it would be a non-Jew doing a prohibited act specifically for a Jew.

To comply with requirements a number of kosher hotels have Shabbat elevators. These are programmed, before Shabbat, to stop at every floor automatically on Shabbat, so that riders don’t have to press any buttons, nor ask a non-Jewish person to do this expressly for them.

 

Some very practical questions regarding a stay in a kosher hotel

You have chosen a kosher hotel for its many amenities. such as it's free Continental Breakfast. This breakfast menu included cereals, pancakes, waffles, muffins, pre-cut fruits and vegetables, hardboiled eggs, as well as hot coffee and juices.

Can you eat anything (that doesn't go counter to the basic kashrut laws) offered on the Continental Breakfast menu?

Prepared foods

Prepared foods (e.g. pancakes, waffles, or bakery items) may not be eaten due to the ingredients and preparation utensils used; however, fresh whole fruit or any sealed item bearing a reliable kosher symbol may be eaten.

Cutlery

Plastic cutlery may be available upon request to cut your produce. Pre-cut fruits or vegetables should be avoided, since they most probably have been cut with a knife that was used for non-kosher food.

Eggs

Cooked eggs, even in their shells (hard/medium/soft boiled), are forbidden due to Bishul Akum. Bishul Akum (cooking of a non-Jew) is a rabbinic restriction that forbids a Jew from eating many foods that a non-Jew cooked.

The reason for this restriction is to prevent intermarriage and to avoid eating non-kosher ingredients mixed in.

Coffee and tea

Unflavored coffee is acceptable, as is milk, for those who drink milk that is not Chalav Yisrael. Chalav Yisrael, also pronounced cholov Yisroel, refers to kosher milk whose milking was observed by an observant Jew.

Hot water from an urn may be used, if you wish to make tea (or another warm drink)

Waffles

Waffle mixes, even with a reliable certification, may not be used because the griddle on the hotel's buffet may have been used with other mixes and thus rendered non-kosher.

What specific issues may arise for a shomer Shabbat person at a kosher hotel?

It is best to check with the hotel prior to a Shabbat stay, in order to assess whether or not you'll encounter any of the issues described below.

This will allow you to take them into account. Upon arriving at a kosher hotel, you could meet with personnel to discuss your special needs, if the hotel is not a strictly kosher establishment in its entirety. Normally the staff should be more than willing to cooperate and familiar with your needs.

Doors, sensors & warning devices in a kosher hotel

There are many hotels around the world with magnetic card locks to rooms without the option of a manual key bypass. In a lot of hotels, electricity and climate control will also turn off and on when one leaves and enters a room. There are hotels with an electric main entrance without a manual alternative. One may not spend Shabbat in such hotels unless special arrangements have been made to accommodate Shabbat.

One must ascertain if one may receive a key instead of an electronic lock before booking a Shabbat.

We've encountered some hotels where (part of) the rooms on the first floor are equipped with regular locks (whilst the rooms on other floors have electronic locks), in order to accommodate religious Jews and make it easy for them to reach their rooms by using the stairs on Shabbat.

Housekeeping

Housekeeping can be asked not to turn on or off the lights in your hotel room on Shabbat and to leave the lights as they find them upon entering the room. An alternative is putting out the “Do Not Disturb” sign, so that the staff doesn't enter your room on Shabbat. IMAGE

Airconditioning and/or heating

Many guests tend to leave the heating and air conditioners running while they are away from their rooms. Hence, plenty of hotels are installing energy-efficient thermostats. When these sense that a room is not occupied, the thermostat adjusts the climate to an energy-efficient setting. When the guest re-enters his room, the thermostat resets automatically to the original setting. Such a sensor may also turn lights on or off.

If this is unacceptable to you on Shabbat, ask the staff if the sensors can be disabled prior to Shabbat. Also check if opening your balcony door turns off the air-conditioning. Should this be the case, refrain from doing so.

Mini-bar refrigerator

One must of course ensure that a light in the refrigerator does not turn on when opening the refrigerator door. If it does, unscrew the bulb before Shabbat or tape down the light switch.

Some hotels use electronic sensors in their mini-bars. These confirm a sale at the time of purchase and automatically post charges to your account. In that case, since you would be directly initiating the purchase, as well as the electronic recording, no product may be removed from this type of mini-bar during Shabbat.

A hot meal on shabbat

It is a mitzvah to eat hot food on Shabbat, especially for the daytime meal. If the hotel is amenable, one may use a hotplate in the room and place cooked food on it before Shabbat.

Many hotels offer morning coffee to their guests. If the hotel caters to non-Jewish clientele, then we may assume that the coffee is prepared for them and nothing is added for Jews who comprise the minority of the guests. In this case, one may partake of the coffee even on Shabbat.

In any case, it is forbidden to eat food that was cooked during Shabbat. A hotel, or its kosher restaurant, would not be certified as kosher if they cooked on Shabbat. Thus, for a kosher Shabbat, all of the food is cooked before Shabbat and reheated in ovens set to go off with timers. This is all perfectly acceptable in Jewish law. Please note that even if many of the kitchen and wait staff are non-Jews, it is prohibited to them to do any forbidden act, like cooking, on Shabbat. This would render the food non-kosher for any abiding Jew.

Motion-sensitive devices and/or operated by an electric eye

Hallway and room lights may be motion-sensitive and turn on when a guest enters the room. As a workaround, before Shabbat, one can request the staff to leave his hallway lights on continuously over Shabbat.

Furthermore, hotels may be equipped with sinks and toilets that are controlled by an electric eye. This may especially be the case in public areas such as the lobby. In that case, one should avoid these areas.

General atmosphere

There are many kosher hotels that do not maintain a true Shabbat atmosphere and may host events on Shabbat. When these take place in the main areas of the hotel, they leave guests with no way to avoid them. That is not really in the spirit of Shabbat.

Staying in a kosher hotel.... what about visiting places of interest?

There’s also the broader issue of traveling as a Jew in largely Christian countries, where many of the historic sights are churches.
While some people may consider visiting these points of interest to be religiously problematic and thus choose to take a pass on them, others are unable to resist the allure of such notable places, and content themselves by taking extra care not to bow their heads near the numerous crosses.

You need not be daunted though, or feel as though you must compromise your religious values, in order to visit beautiful, historic countries such as Italy or Spain. There are solutions to the challenges you’ll face. You just need to put in the time and effort to research how best to manage them.

Neman, Rome, Italy

Kosher hotels during Passover

For months before Passover, you might be bombarded with ads in Jewish publications promising you the “Best Passover Ever”.

There are many reasons to stay at a kosher hotel during Passover. From simply not wishing to undergo the cleaning and cooking that preparing for Passover entails, to your house not being large enough to contain the extended family for the holiday. Even if it's only because you wish to escape daily life and stay at a (upscale) hotel, we get you.

A Passover vacation program is not like any other regular kosher vacation. Kosher vacations during the year require kosher food, synagogue with a Torah and other services depending on the crowd. Passover is unique and different for what is not served at the luscious buffets and tea rooms: chametz.

According to Jewish law, chametz is defined as food products made from wheat, barley, rye, oats or spelt that come into contact with water and are allowed to ferment and rise.

It is strictly forbidden to consume, use or possess any chametz during the holiday of Pesach. There are other food restrictions depending on personal customs and the programs need to take these into account.

For koshering a hotel for Passover, sometimes a group of mashgichim (Jews who supervise the kashrut status of a kosher establishment) travel to the hotel for a week before the opening to kosher it. They often also prepare a freezer full of food (sealed under lock and key) to be used by the kosher hotel during Passover.

Trump Hotel, Miami, Florida, US

However, in most instances, the hotel is koshered several days before Passover. Sometimes a kosher hotel has other functions scheduled during that period which provides the kosher agency with an extra challenge.
For a kitchen to be really koshered for Passover, all the surfaces of the tables, ovens, stovetop, refrigerators, freezers, deep fryers, braziers, skillets, sinks, storage areas, pots, pans, and kettles need to be cleaned spotlessly.

Many utensils need to be segregated for 24 hours prior to kosherizing. An outside cleaning service is brought in to clean to the mashgiach’s satisfaction. This alone can take several days and can be quite overwhelming, even for experienced mashgichim.

The kitchen of a kosher hotel is blowtorched for Passover, but there's more.

Mashgichim, trained in the use of blow torches, begin to work. All the surfaces of an item require kosherizing and are heated to the correct temperature. The kosher hotel usually warns the local fire department in advance in order to avoid the triggering of fire alarms to cause them to react. Grills and skillets are koshered with a glowing layer of hot coals.<br/r> Glassware is be soaked in water for 24 hours, the water emptied and replaced. This process must be repeated twice more.
Wooden surfaces such as butcher blocks must be sanded down.
The dishwashers must be stripped down, meticulously cleaned and then the internal thermostat must be overridden (often with the assistance of a technician) so the cycle can be run with boiling water.

Giardino del Mellograni, Venice, Italy

How high is the quality of kashrut you expect of a kosher hotel?

As you probably know there are (at least) two 'levels' of kashrut: standard and mehadrin kashrut.
Standard kashrut goes according to the rules of halakha (the Jewish law), whereas mehadrin kashrut takes into consideration the strict opinions, beyond what is required by halakha.

The difference between standard and mehadrin kashrut is expressed mostly in the level of supervision: for standard kashrut occasional supervision suitable in accordance to the rules of halakha is sufficient; in the case of mehadrin kashrut, supervision is closer and stricter, thereby reducing mishaps that are liable to occur.

A restaurant of a kosher hotel involves different types of cooking supervision. Which is more complex, as supervision must be over all types of food the restaurant purchases from suppliers. These suppliers might change sometimes. Cooking is also often done by people who are not very well-versed in halakha. There is more room for unknowingly committing mistakes.
Some hotels that offer kosher food are unable to bear the cost of employing a full-time mashgiach. In this case, the Rabbinate maintains basic supervision and relies on trust of the restaurant owner and employees, adhering to the prescribed kashrut procedures. The mashgiach comes occasionally and checks that the prescribed procedures are maintained. In contrast, mehadrin supervision is on-hand, ensuring an even higher level of kashrut.

If it's important to you that a kosher hotel you consider staying at lives up to the level of mehadrin kashrut, please check this before booking your stay there.

All year-round kosher hotel

There are a few all year-round kosher hotels (beyond those in Israel) which might be a great option for you. Such as 'My Kosher Hotel in Alba, Italy (in the Italian Dolomites, in the northern Italian region Trentino - Alto Adige/Südtirol). It offers you 7 types of rooms or suites to choose from and is surrounded by beautiful nature.

My Kosher Hotel is the first and only Italian hotel (4 stars) with a full Kosher Mehadrin certification. Just see for yourself how beautiful this place is and the many facilities it offers for a truly kosher holiday.

My Kosher Hotel, Alba, Italy

Another beautiful year-round kosher hotel is The Normandie Hotel in Bournemouth, United Kingdom. This kosher hotel is set in two acres of private grounds with beautiful direct sea views. It has been extensively refurbished in 2020 to the highest standards of luxury. It offers 2 types of rooms and its amenities include:

• a snooker room
• a table tennis room
• a fine lounge with panoramic view
• a children’s playroom
• a cinema
• an outdoor heated swimming pool complex
• a children’s playground

Normandie Hotel, Bournemouth, United Kingdom

Washing your own dishes.... or looking for kosher hotel that's just right for you and your loved ones?

For many Orthodox Jewish travelers, pots, pans, frozen meats and cheeses are automatic suitcase stuffers for every trip. Living a life of Torah and mitzvot gives one much meaning and pleasure and anything good in life comes with tradeoffs. Still, it’s hard for many Jewish travelers to conceive of a vacation that includes washing dishes. And that is exactly why this website was created: we're seeking to facilitate the Kosher travel lifestyle. So that no longer will going on vacation have to be synonymous with "difficult to keep the Halachot" or is exploring the world something you cannot partake in as an observant Jew.
Just check the many, and continually growing, kosher hotel listings on this website and have a safe and fun filled trip.