Whether it’s a personal choice or a religious preference, travelers are always looking to stay with a hotel that meets their own beliefs and way of life. For those that prefer not to eat pork or even dine in restaurants that serve it, there are many hotels that cater to their needs. While there are many hotels that offer pork-free or Halal items on the menu, these are just a handful of hotels around the world.
In the United States, there are many hotels, especially in the luxury sector, that will cater to the diets of any traveler, including travelers with Kosher and Halal preferences. Chefs can make special arrangements for how food is sourced and prepared, too. But, there are few, if any, completely pork-free or Halal properties. This level of service is possible at many high-end hotels around the world. With advance notice, many culinary teams can work wonders.
An alternative for many that prefer to eat healthier diets, especially if they prefer pork-free or Halal cuisine, is to eat vegetarian or vegan menus. This is much more common around the world, especially around the United States, where hotel restaurants often have lengthy vegetarian selections. Some properties go so far as designing the property with vegans in mind and avoiding the use of certain materials in the in-room design.
For those in search of a completely pork-free menu or entire property that respects the Halal diet, there are many. Here are just a few hotels around the world, although this is certainly not a comprehensive list, that offer a completely pork-free menu.
Bahrain
Al Areen Palace & Spa by Accor is a five-star resort in Manama that comes with a chic spa boasting a rain forest and ice igloo system. And its dining menu is entirely pork-free and Halal-focused. With 78 luxurious pool villas, guests here can have as much privacy as they like, too.
Egypt
Photo credit IHG Hotels & Resorts
Pork-free hotels in Egypt are the norm. Like most international brands, all InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) hotels in the country are pork-free. These include InterContinental Cairo Citystars and InterContinental Cairo Semiramis in the Egyptian capital as well as the Staybridge Suites Cairo Citystars and Holiday Inn Cairo Citystars. Similarly, 14 of Hilton’s hotels in the country, like the Conrad Cairo, are also pork-free.
Israel
Most hotels in Israel focus on Kosher standards for their cuisine, which includes not serving pork. Among these are The Vista at Hilton Tel Aviv, which has Kosher kitchens. This is one of many hotels along the waterfront that draws many visitors for its culinary standards.
Kuwait
All hotels are pork-free in the country including well-known properties like Crowne Plaza Kuwait Al Thuraya City and Holiday Inn Kuwait Salmiya.
Oman
photo credit: Grand Millennium Hotel Muscat
The Grand Millennium Hotel in Muscat offers a Halal menu as well as no alcoholic beverages. Its restaurant menus do not include pork. The Millennium Resort in nearby Salalah is another dry, pork-free hotel in the brand’s Omani portfolio.
Qatar
credit: Sharq Village & Spa, a Ritz-Carlton Hotel
Like Egypt, almost all hotels are pork-free including familiar brand name properties like Grand Hyatt Doha Hotel & Villas, Marriott Marquis City Center Doha Hotel, Millennium Plaza Doha, The Ritz- Carlton, Doha and W Doha Hotel and Residences. Like many other hotels in Qatar, Sharq Village & Spa, a Ritz-Carlton Hotel uses neither pork on the menu nor alcohol in any food preparation techniques either. Both Banana Island Resort Doha by Anantara and Wyndham Doha West Bay is similar, but also is entirely dry meaning that it does not serve alcohol at the hotel.
Saudi Arabia
photo credit Hilton Riyadh Hotel & Residences
Unsurprisingly, all hotels in the country are pork-free. Every brand, including American names, like the Hilton Riyadh Hotel & Residences, follows these guidelines.
Singapore
Blue Jasmine, a Thai restaurant at Park Hotel Ferrer Park in Singapore, has a no-pork, no-lard policy in its recipes.
Fairmont Singapore offers a Halal buffet at Asian Market Café for breakfast as well as on its room service. The restaurant is a Halal-certified dining room and draws numerous local and international diners as a result.
South Africa
photo credit: Hyatt Regency Cape Town
In the heart of bustling Cape Town, the Hyatt Regency Cape Town has a Halal-certified restaurant, 126 Cape Kitchen & Café, which serves a Malay and Indian-inspired menu. In addition, many in-room amenities cater to Muslim guests including a minibar stocked with Halal-certified items.
Thailand
At the relaxed and eco-conscious Ban Sainai Resort Ao Nang Krabi, guests will not find alcohol or pork on the menu. While the resort is not Halal, its restaurant is Halal-certified.
United Arab Emirates
Luxury Hotel in Dubai Jannah Palace
In the UAE, the Jannah Hotels and Resorts brand focuses on completely Halal menus for its hotels. Their properties include Jannah Place Dubai Marina and Jannah Marina Hotel Apartments in Dubai; Jannah Burj Al Sarab Hotel in Abu Dhabi; and Jannah Hotel Apartments and Villas in Ras Al Khaimah.
Copthorne Hotel Sharjah and Millennium Central Dubai Downtown are among others that avoid serving pork on the menu. Many other brands follow similar guidelines at least for some of their restaurants.
Crowne Plaza Dubai Marina and Hotel Indigo Down Town are two IHG brands that are pork-free. Wherever you travel, the definition of true hospitality means trying to serve as many needs as possible, and these hotels do just that for those with particular dietary requirements.
