When purchasing a tour online from My Hot Tour, which has more than 60 offices throughout the Russian Federation, customers pay attention to various factors, including food in hotels, the designation and decoding of which require special consideration. Also, tourist franchise "My burning tour" - offers mutually beneficial cooperation on different conditions.
After all, looking through the information on the Internet, travelers may encounter a lot of unfamiliar designations and panic a little - bb, nv, sc, ao, bb, meal, dbl, aip, fbt ... What does it all mean? In fact, everything is simple - this is the classification of hotels by type of food. And if you know what all these seemingly gibberish symbols mean, you can understand which hotel is better to stay in and why.
Abbreviations AL, DD, OB, FB, HB and others are often used in tourism.
What they mean, how they are deciphered, what is hidden under these letters - this is our article.
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Buffet
This is a kind of serving dishes associated with the principle of self-service. The place for its placement has several tables or showcases where dishes are taken out.
Each corner is associated with a certain type of food - from salads to desserts.
Guests of the hotel can approach an unlimited number of times with cutlery and treat themselves to any food in the desired quantity.
As for drinks, they are served in each institution in different ways. They can be served by waiters, or vending machines are used for bottling juices, water, wine, beer, carbonated drinks.
There is a bar nearby where you can order cocktails, aperitifs or bottled drinks. It all depends on the hotel itself, organization, level and more specific type of food.
A la Carte (A-la carte)
The literal translation of such a serving of food is “menu”. The choice can be made based on the menu, and the servants help and serve. Establishments charge or do not charge a separate fee.
Most often they are visited freely one or more times with an unlimited number of food orders. Be sure to book in advance with the hotel administration.
As a rule, large hotel complexes include several different examples of such establishments on a national basis. Italian, Japanese, Chinese, Mexican, Mediterranean cuisines are very popular.
During the meal, visitors are often accompanied by live music and surrounded by the interior of the respective state.
Hotel without meals (RO, RR, OB, AO)
RO(only room, or room only) - stay without eating.
Alternative designations are OB(only bed - only sleeping area) And AO(accommodation only - only accommodation).
Such a system is associated with hotel accommodation without food.
Take into account: the rooms of such hotels are often equipped with kitchens for possible personal cooking. And this type of accommodation will be a good solution for adherents of a particular place or diet.
The most popular abbreviation today is RO(RO).
Catered accommodation (BB, HB, HB+, FB, FB+, Al, AIP, UAI)
Nutrition BB(bed breakfast - bed and breakfast). BB nutrition - what does it mean?
Translation from English gives a clear idea of its purpose. Living in this way, you count on the morning meal.
Often it is organized on the principle of a buffet and filled in accordance with the hotel level of the location. So, the European BB will lose in terms of the abundance of dishes to the variant or Turkey.
Eating optimally business trips or for active tourists when it makes no sense to pay for basic meals, they simply - simply “burn out”. And possible lunch boxes will not appeal to everyone.
Nutrition HB(half board - half board). HB food - what is it?
In English, “half board”, translated as half the board - some tourists, without hesitation, are looking for a half board on the Internet - means the following: the presence of morning and afternoon (breakfast and lunch), or morning and evening (breakfast and dinner) meals with unlimited the number of approaches. Any non-alcoholic drinks are already included in the price, and alcohol is paid immediately or delivered to the room.
It is worth noting: this type of food is fraught with "owls" that they can miss the time of the morning meal, and is suitable for those who probably want to return to the hotel only in the evening. Dinner after a busy day will help restore strength.
Nutrition HB+(half board plus - half board plus). It is often asked, half board - what kind of food and what is the difference from half board plus? The main difference from the usual half board is the inclusion of local alcoholic drinks in the free service point.
Nutrition Facebook(full board - full board). Food is provided three times a day on a buffet basis. Alcohol is not given out freely. An exception is a glass of sparkling wine in hotel complexes deluxe class. Desired drinks come with a separate price during the evening meal.
Nutrition Facebook+ (full board plus - full board plus) close to the category FB (FB). The only thing is that this subtype allows the free use of alcohol produced in the country where the hotel is located.
Nutrition FBT(Full Board & therapy - full board and treatment). Power fbt used on medical resorts and indicates meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner, and additionally indicates that treatment is included in the price.
Nutrition AI(all inclusive - all inclusive). Food options are designated as follows, where the main thing is multiple meals - from three times to "infinity" per day of various configurations.
Any alcohol produced in the state of the hotel location is allowed without restrictions, and imported drinks are consumed freely in hotel complexes of a certain level.
Consider: such a system is certainly attractive, but it is better not to skip meals with it - then you will have to pay twice.
Nutrition AIP(all inclusive premium - "all inclusive premium"). This type is organized infrequently, it is close to AI, it is only richer in the assortment of alcoholic options.
Nutrition UAI(ultra all inclusive, UALL - ultra all inclusive). Here the principle of unlimited consumption of food every day in restaurants and bars is triggered, snacks are supposed to be between main meals. Visitors have the right to freely consume foreign-made alcohol, and the quality of products is higher than in other systems. Most often, this VIP option is practiced in hotels in Turkey and Egypt.
Choosing the type of food, therefore, should be guided by the frequency and amount of time spent away from the hotel. This will determine the optimal food consumption system for you!
Watch the video explaining the types of food in hotels:
RO stands for "room only". The decoding is exhaustive: you book only a room, meals are not included in the price. This type of food is common in hotels, hostels and villas. This option is ideal for those who do not want to be tied to the breakfast-lunch-dinner schedule. You can plan your day on the trip as you like, without fear of missing an already paid meal. And cook food in the kitchen or taste all the delights local cuisine in restaurants and cafes.
BB
BB (aka “bed & breakfast” - bed and breakfast) is the most frequent type of food in hotels. Breakfast will be included in the room rate. There are two common formats - "buffet" and continental breakfast.
- "Buffet" - an extensive buffet line with snacks, hot dishes, fruits and desserts. Unlimited number of approaches and servings of any size.
- Continental breakfast - a la carte. Most often consists of scrambled eggs, bacon or sausages, vegetables, toast, croissant and coffee.
BB is ideal for those who are not in the mood in the morning: you don’t have to bother with cooking or choosing a cafe, everything is served and cleaned, you just have to eat well (almost like a grandmother).
HB
Under the abbreviation HB (aka “half board”) hides half board - a type of food that includes breakfast and dinner. Breakfasts usually include drinks (tea, coffee, juice, water), but dinners do not. Drinks will cost several times more than exactly the same in the store. However, this type of food is very convenient for families with children and people on a diet. You won’t have to worry about the morning and evening meal - everything will be strictly on time, and you can have lunch while walking in the city.
The abbreviation FB (Full Board) denotes three meals a day - breakfast, lunch and dinner. This type of food is suitable for those who need a measured spa holiday without unnecessary movement. Like HB, Full Board drinks are only included with breakfast. For lunch and dinner, they can be served for a fee.
HB+ and FB+
In some hotels there is a variation of half board HB + and full board FB +. These meal types include free drinks at all meals. The range and quantity per guest depend on the hotel.
AI
Those who have booked a hotel in Turkey at least once are familiar with the AI (All inclusive, or “all inclusive”) system. All inclusive includes three meals a day, drinks and even local alcohol. This type of food is offered in resort hotels that resemble a city within a city. They have their own infrastructure: swimming pools, a beach, restaurants, bars and cafes on the territory, fitness clubs, shops and much more - in a word, there is everything to “seal” enough and once again not to leave the hotel. This type of food is suitable for chronically tired travelers who want to arrange a celebration of laziness, as well as families with children, so that little travelers can have something to eat at any time.
UAI
UAI (Ultra All inclusive) is an advanced AI. In addition to three meals a day and local drinks, you can also taste imported drinks, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic.
Call signs received. We are calm for you, now you will definitely not fail the turnout and choose a hotel with the right type of food. Dream, book, relax.
This meat has an elastic structure, so it can be fried several times in a row.
Instead of trout and other local fish, shark meat is served.
It is boiled in salt water to bring down the taste. Forgery is almost impossible to detect.
We don't throw away 50 - 60 kg of meat left over from yesterday's buffet. This is wastefulness.
We wash the sauce from the meat, and the next day we cook it with a new sauce.
Pike perch and squid in the kitchen are canned foods.
These are canned food pre-soaked in beer.
Dishes with potatoes dominate the menu, as they are very high-calorie and keep a feeling of satiety for a long time.
In the kitchen where I work, three people are busy all day peeling potatoes. I add potatoes to at least 3 meals a day.
There is no waste left in the meat department, all pieces of the carcass are used.
Usually veal brisket, brisket and a lot of things that you don’t like are put in cutlets, so try not to eat cutlets in hotels, but choose only whole pieces of meat. I repeat: cutlets are better not to eat.
Take your time to devour snacks on a Turkish night.
Let's figure it out. It takes 2 hours to cook 1 kg of “Turkish raw meatballs”. Depending on the number of guests, it is necessary to cook at least 20 kg of meatballs. All ingredients are mixed in a large cauldron. To do this, the younger ones in the kitchen put plastic bags on their feet and climb into this same cauldron. The consistency is excellent, the taste - I do not know, because I have not tried it. But guests love it.
Do not eat salads with mayonnaise.
It would be naive to believe that in a hotel where food is prepared for 2,000 people, everything is happening properly in terms of sanitary and hygienic standards. It is foolish to exacerbate the situation by choosing salads prepared with mayonnaise, which promotes the growth of bacteria.
And now for the sweet...
The stale cakes that remain from yesterday are collected from the windows together, kneaded again, decorated with pralines, chocolate drops, fruit, whipped cream and sent back to the buffet.
Still, costs are inevitable.
In order to deceive customers, we prepare decorations from watermelons and pumpkins in abundance. According to my calculations, there are 50 decorations for 20 dishes. First, you need to saturate the eyes, and then the stomach. We know a lot about this.
Choose dishes prepared by chefs in front of you, accompanied by a gastronomic presentation.
I know I have to line up. I know it's not the tastiest thing on offer. However, the most hygienic thing you will find in a hotel.
Even worse than with food, the situation is with drinks.
As you know, the all-inclusive system most often includes local drinks, and imported alcohol is poured for a fee. In practice, even if the tourist pays, the first 1-2 glasses are imported. Then the person loses his vigilance, and he is topped up with low-quality local alcohol.
It is also not known what kind of water is used to dilute breakfast juices, how often the tanks in which drinks are placed on the buffet are washed. And finally, from what water ice is frozen.
In conclusion, do not eat small cakes that are usually prepared for birthdays. Why - I won’t tell, because I might get in trouble ...
Especially if you are leaving for distant overseas countries, where you don’t really want to eat at local eateries. Any trip, business, tourist or recreational, implies the choice of a comfortable hotel. So that you don’t have a question about HB power supply - what it is, we suggest that you deal with the system in more detail.
All famous and not so famous hotels have special designations for rooms and meals. You are going to rest in an unfamiliar country, choose a hotel by the stars and then stumble upon a strange abbreviation near the "Food" column: HB. the question is asked by thousands of tourists choosing a tour for the first time.
Types of food
Most often they are indicated in English (international) language or in an abbreviated version. All hotels adjust to generally accepted standards, so memorize the abbreviations in advance, and you can navigate them like an avid traveler, and what does HB, BB food mean, you will tell beginners who want to go to one or another hotel.
BB, or Bed & Breakfast
In fact, it translates as "bed and breakfast." It is understood that you will only be provided with the morning meal, which was originally included in the price of the tour. For the rest, you have to pay extra at the restaurant. As a rule, a buffet is offered. This implies that you yourself come to a large set table on which dishes are laid out and lay them in the quantity you need.
The type of food, which implies only a morning meal and an overnight stay, is most often found in European small hotels and small resort towns, as well as in those places where the main emphasis is on sightseeing tourism. This is convenient if the excursion program is scheduled for the whole day, that is, you leave the hotel early and return only late in the evening.
What is offered for breakfast
Meals at the HB hotel are more complete, but if you want to save money, consider the BB menu in more detail. These are a variety of sandwiches, stewed and fried vegetables, snacks on tartlets and unleavened bread, canapé sandwiches, fried pieces of meat or chicken wings, various salads and desserts. Also tea, water or coffee are free drinks. Alcohol, cocktails and juices will have to be bought with your own money. NV nutrition - what is it? You will read about this further.
HB (Half Board), FB and AL
If you don't like the idea of just one breakfast and want to eat twice a day, then you should stick with a system called HB Meals. "What is this?" - you ask. The abbreviation translates as "half board". You eat twice for free. Most often, this includes only breakfast and dinner. Other hotels may offer breakfast and lunch, although this is not particularly encouraged. Hotels in the United Arab Emirates offer to replace dinner with lunch.
Drinks are offered free of charge only in the morning hours. Usually it is coffee, tea and water. You will have to pay for drinks at lunch or dinner. If you left a bottle of alcohol unfinished, it is served the next day at the evening meal. What else is convenient when choosing an HB system? You don't have to pay every time for drinks. It's simple - you tell the waiter the room number, and the bill is provided after check-out from the hotel.
Who likes HB? Most often, this type of food is found in 3 * or 4 * hotels. It is ideal for travelers who come to relax for a short time, and will also appeal to those who prefer to go to a restaurant for lunch. If you spend all day on the beach and enjoy sunbathing, choose an HB hotel. At lunch you can have a bite to eat on the beach, and at noon you don’t feel like eating much. A light salad in the afternoon or snacks, a glass of local beer will help save money and keep your figure, because usually more hearty and hearty dishes are served for lunch.
FB, AL are Full Board and What does HB power and BB mean, we have already figured it out. Full Board - this is which includes a full three meals a day (breakfast, lunch and dinner). Beverages served for lunch or evening dinner are not included in the price.
"All inclusive" has the same principle of nutrition as the full board. That is, breakfast, lunch and dinner are provided free of charge from the hotel. In addition to them, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks are served, mainly from a local producer. It is known what HB, BB and AL meals mean, and you can choose your place of residence. But there is another category, more elite - UAL.
UAL or Ultra All Inclusive
It translates as "ultra all inclusive". It also includes breakfast, lunch and dinner. Locally produced alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks are also served with imported ones. Various free services may be provided at the discretion of the administration.
English and continental breakfast
After we figured out what BB, HB, AL and UAL nutrition means, let's move on to traditional breakfasts. In some hotels, the tourist may be offered English, American or continental.
1. English breakfast. Made in the ancient traditions of England. A full set of dishes includes juice (orange or any other fruit), scrambled eggs with ham slices (in some hotels an omelet is used instead), fragrant toasts fried until crispy. They put butter and fruit jam. From drinks, of course, tea or coffee.
2. Continental breakfast. More simple and modest than English. Serve a bun with butter or jam for coffee, juice or tea.
3. They bring to the table different kinds sausages and cheeses (cuts), hot dogs, as well as scrambled eggs, coffee, tea, water or juice.
The difference in vouchers with different types of food is very large and sometimes scares away the thrifty tourist. Depending on the country, the cost also changes: as a rule, all inclusive tours cost 20-30% more.
But, let's say, a week-long all-inclusive tour to Cuba will cost 59,500 rubles, while the option with breakfast only costs 56,000 rubles. In this case, the difference is small, and it is obvious that it is better to pay an extra 3.5 thousand rubles than to try to live on them all week. All the same, it will not work, since Cuba is a rather expensive country.
In the case of Italy, the situation is different: a week-long tour to Rimini with breakfast will cost 19,400 rubles per person, and the all-inclusive system will cost 36,800 rubles. The difference of 17,400 rubles is quite noticeable, and is it worth it in this case to overpay if you plan to get acquainted with the culture of Italy, and not sit around the clock in a hotel waiting for dinner?
On this difference, you can eat on your own.
Students have little money, so we stayed in a hostel in Rimini, where breakfast was served in the morning. For lunch, we always went to a nearby cafe - there a pizza with prosciutto and arugula cost only 2 euros, plus a cola for 1 euro. Quite a democratic lunch, which we sometimes alternated with burgers for 2-3 euros, - says Anna.
Many tourists, in an effort to save money, purchase tours with all-inclusive meals. But in fact, such vouchers are not always profitable for tourists. The thing is that tour operators lay the cost of food with a decent margin.
The difference between a tour with meals and without meals sometimes ranges from 300 to 700 euros
Alena Koryakina, Head of Rambler/Travel Service
In addition, by paying for meals in full, you will be tied to the time, as breakfast, lunch and dinner at the hotel are "on schedule".
Active travelers who like to go on many different excursions often leave their hotel early in the morning before breakfast is served and return late in the evening after dinner hours have already passed. Often meals are included in full-day excursions. We always warn our clients about this so that they do not pay twice, - says Alena Koryakina.
So, for example, Anna recalls how many breakfasts and dinners she "lost" in Turkey.
I went on field trips almost every other day. Departure was early in the morning each time, and it was possible to take a lunch box with you instead of the breakfast at the hotel. But it literally included a bun, cheese with sausage and vegetables. Certainly not comparable to the buffet I paid for. Sometimes dinner was also lost when we returned late from an excursion, and we had to eat in a restaurant. In Alanya, where we lived, there were no problems with this - at least Italian cuisine or Japanese, at least Turkish, - says Anna.
Going to Spain, it is better to choose a tour with breakfast only - it will cost 45,000 rubles per person, and with all-inclusive meals - 68,200 rubles per person. The average check per person in a restaurant is 20-25 euros. For the entire duration of the trip (8 days / 7 nights), at the current rate, food outside the hotel will cost 15,000 - 20,000 rubles per person. At the same time, the traveler will not adhere to the schedule of lunch and dinner at the hotel and will be able to freely plan his time. In Spain, it is much better to move from city to city and try new dishes every time. The total amount will be about the same, but the impressions will be much more.
In Thailand, it is more profitable to take only "breakfasts". In this country, you can order a 2-3 course lunch and a soft drink in a cafe for 7-10 euros. Therefore, if you are flying for 8 days, then the difference between "full board" and "breakfast only" tour should not exceed 7000 rubles, and it is usually much more.
So, if you are going to Europe, remember the numerous cafes and restaurants that are located outside the hotel and will help diversify your vacation for any taste and budget. But on a beach vacation, take care of your meals in advance - it’s better to get an all inclusive, so as not to look for a quality, and sometimes almost the only place for dinner among the endless sunbeds with tourists.
