Holds hands up, I have taken food from the dining room, but not for ourselves, but for cats, I came across mum cat who had not long had kittens on our hols last year, hiding in the bushes our waiter always gave me serviettes to wrap food in for them, my son used to go mad at me but I could not ignore these poor little mites. I have also seen people make butties, obviously for there dinner, some people have completely gone over the top, but then I wouldn't say nothing about it, people must think I'm a nutcase, cutting up and chopping food to put in a serviette and take it out with me, lol.

Interesting replies, the point about people feeling unwell I can go along as i think most hotels would supply food if asked also the AI maybe but I feel as Digby does and the point of if they sneak it the know they are doing wrong. Having been in bussiness and know how the margins are so small now it really is the last straw that breaks the camels back.

While one can understand folk taking a little food from an AI buffet to provide for another guest who's room-bound due to sickness, I have to say that I think it's wrong for people to blatantly steal food from hotel dining rooms simply to feed local animals. I've seen people taking food for cats, dogs, and stealing fruit to feed wild monkeys.
One idiot I once saw stealing a plateful of chips and pizza - on which they fed the monkeys! - this can damage the health of the animals.
Stealing hotel food to feed all wild or semi-wild animals is pretty thoughtless. In many countries where folk go on holiday these days, rabies is quite common. Do these people who like to "feed the poor animals" consider that one day they might be responsible for a rabid animal, used being fed, entering hotel grounds and biting a child?

Oh the shame yes it was me I did it I took a banana from the breakfast to eat later when I was out a walk, please forgive me

Actually I will do it again if there are no shops close by, sorry

The hotel we stay at in Torremolinos has a sign saying please don't take food out of the dining hall but if you would like to take a piece of fruit please leave
50c, which we do but many take but don't leave the money!

All of my holidays in Italy, the hotels have never had any problem with guest taking food out of the restuarant, one hotel encouraged it

You were more than welcome to take your food outside and sit in the sun if you wanted, some holiday makers even sat outside the front of the hotel

I have even done it my self, if you have holidayed in italy, the food here is mnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn lovely, I would have my breakfast, but alos make up 2 rolls with cold meat, and have them later as a snack, and usualy at the pool

Salami, cold cured ham, cheese, pork

I think there is a difference between "sneaking" out food and being discreet about it. I certainly don't want to stuff myself at breakfast and then go diving, but I did want a snack and banana for lunch. it was the first AI I have been to as I usually go on dive liveaboards.

I am planning a return trip and will do the same next time. I don't however think it is OK to remove food to feed to animals, fish or cats.

think it's quite sad that you actually watch what others are doing at breakfast!I have a very light breakfast so yes I make up a sandwich for later on,when you see the waste that is left on tables as you leaving a dining room.What is worse? I don't waste anything just have a coffee and a piece of toast,cant face anything else so feel I am within my rights to take a little with me.
Jeanie

im guilty we had paid`all inclusive for the three of us,my son refused to get up for his breakfast.Before i had shut the door behind me my son would say bring me some food back please mom.I used to do him 2 bacon and egg rolls some fruit and a drink,i did get a few glares but i wasnt bothered

we have also been AI, and i have wrapped a bit off food in a napkin for my daughter who has stayed in the room, and didnt want to get up for breakfast, i have paid for her, so see nothing wrong in taking a few bits..

i have also seen a big family, take plastic tuppaware boxes into the food hall, and fill them........

Guilty as charged. But - it was in our hotel in Ostend where we were AI and we had trips for 2 out of the 3 days we were there (5 day trip but 2 days travel on coach). As we were departing at 9am for the 2 trips we never bothered with breakfast, we just did with a coffee in our room with a mug shot for brekkie. On the last day we had to board the coach at 9am so we went down the first time for breakfast. We made 2 ham rolls and took a boiled egg each for our lunch. As we'd missed 2 paid for breakfasts we didn't feel too bad making a small packed lunch up.

We are going again in Feb and will prob do the same again.

Glynis HT Admin wrote:

We are going again in Feb and will prob do the same again.

Good on you Glynis, Hope the pc dining room police don't see you

I think if you are on a half board basis it should be accepted that breakfast and dinner are provided,if a guest is unwell or unable to get to the dining room it should be okay to take food to them,if somebody wants all meals provided then they should pay for all inclusive. In the hotels that we have been to we have asked to take food from the buffet when any of us have been unwell,we have never been refused and usually a tray has been given to make it easier.

when i have stayed on an AI basis, mainly in spain, the hotel has always had something in the rules -that booklet you get on check in-that food cannot be taken from the restaurant. they also state that they will provide a packed lunch on request. the HTOP and SERHS chains even say that it is not allowed to take the free ice cream out of the restaurant/snack bar.
i think that taking food from the restaurant under these circumstances is wrong, and is actually theft.
the hotel provides 3 meals and snacks at certain times of the day, and that is what you are entitled to participate in. if you don't want to get up for breakfast and you miss it, then you can go for a snack later; that is why they provide snacks throughout the day! you are not entitled to take something from the restaurant just because your partner doesn't want to get up, or you might eat it later when you are hungry. if you choose to go on a trip that starts before breakfast, or go to a restaurant outside the hotel at night for a change that is your prerogative, but it does not entitle you to a refund or to take food from the restaurant at another time because you chose to miss what the hotel provided at a time that was specified.
if you are sick, then speaking to the restaurant manager will allow exceptions to be made.
AI hotels also provide a swimming pool, sometimes gym equipment, televisions, free films during the day, even a free bus sometimes to take you to other resorts or to the beach; has anyone ever gone to reception and asked for a discount or refused to pay the full bill because they did not use these facilities which are also part of the AI package.
the real reason most people book AI is that all their drinks are also included; i normally "get my moneys worth" in soft drinks, as i don't drink alcohol during the day.
how many of those that are quite happy to steal food have gone up to the bar and asked for a bottle of brandy and some cokes to take out with them as they are going out for the day. they would not dream of doing that, so why is it acceptable to steal food.

I think we have all witnessed people at breakfast wrapping the bread rolls and croissants in the serviettes to eat later in the day. i would never dream of doing this , also i would not ask for a packed lunch if staying AI and going out for the day for two reasons, 1 i have to carry them with me and secondly the food would be spoilt with the heat , thats my choice i know .

Lindy,we've had packed lunches that were very good,whilst in Tenerife we were given a packed lunch which consisted of a tin of pate,bread rolls,jam, and fruit juice,there were 7 of us and we were given a carrier bag full of fruit,I always take a cool bag with me as I like to take cold drinks to the beach if there is no beach bar at the hotel.

But Jim - our hotel, although AI was only really BB & Evening Meal (due to trips) with a free bar from 8.30, so there wasn't any packed lunches or other snacks available.

All I can say is my conscience is clear, I didn't eat lots of the other breakfast things available for 2 out of the 3 mornings, cereal, toast, croissants, cheeses, yogurts, fresh fruit etc all we made up was 2 ham rolls and 1 boiled egg, as we had a long journey ahead of us. Apart from that, the hotel catered for National Holidays and the next coach would arrive 6pm that evening so most of the rolls, ham etc would probably have had to be thrown out anyway.

I think it is all a matter of degree. Whilst I can understand Jim's analogy of you wouldn't go up and ask for a bottle of scotch from behind the bar because you happened to be going out that evening, surely the AI/breakfast breads etc that are being discussed here would be thrown away. I can't see many decent hotels reproducing stale bread for lunch/dinner, plus if they are putting it out surely they are anticipating it being eaten at that point.

If there is a sign up saying dont take food out of the room I guess thats different and would abide by it, there is a hygiene issue that old food that people take and then don't eat could end up being disgarded around the hotel grounds and in the rooms and encourage vermin etc

Most Brits I have observed abroad seem to take quite a modest amount at breakfast time compared to some other nationalities that just pile their plates high and then leave all the food to waste. Surely it's just a kind of non-wasteful way of dealing with food that is available anyway and would otherwise be chucked out. I can understand why your conscience is clear Glynis

glynis,
i believe you have stayed in the HTOP hotels, and they do specify that nothing should be taken from the dining room.

i have no problem myself with people taking the food, but i do think that some people do go overboard with what they take, including large amounts of fruit. regardless of what people think, everything left over from one meal is not thrown out, but what can be recycled will be. look at the salad selection to see the creative use of left overs, and the ham rissoles that appear regularly on the main meal options. i have seen myself how the current financial situation is affecting spain -it is worse than the uk -and hotels are cutting back on all costs, both food/drink and staff, so a clamp down on people stealing seems a distinct possibility.
personally, i would rather buy something out that i wanted to eat than nick a couple of rolls.beside anything else, the food safety aspect needs to be considered and i am almost certain that this is an excellent way to contact spanish tummy.
when i did my food hygiene certificate years ago, it was impressed on us that any food on a buffet should be binned after being out for 4 hours; and that is in this country, not abroad where the temperature is normally a lot higher.
i therefore tend to be careful what i eat from any buffet.
all i was saying was that although you have paid for AI (i think if you are on HB it is even worse to do) you do not have an entitlement to take food if the hotel specifies that you are not allowed to remove food from the restaurant.
i know that both HTOP and SERHS whose hotels i use most on AI do also say that people abusing the AI facilities can have them withdrawn, with no refunds. now most people assume that it means that people who abuse the "free" drinks will lose the AI, but it could also be used against people who abuse the food rules.
how likely that would be i don't know, but it could make it a very expensive ham roll.