Food is perhaps the most important criterion when choosing a hotel. First of all, you need to know the main abbreviations that indicate the types of food in world hotels.

• OB (OnlyBed), RO (RoomOnly) or AO (AccommodationOnly)- a system that does not include food at the hotel, only accommodation in the room.
• BB (Bed/Breakfast)- buffet meals, free tea, coffee and of course water.
• HB (Halfboard)- is half board, including breakfast and dinner. Coffee and tea are free during breakfast. For dinner and lunch, all drinks are paid.
• HB+ (HalfBoard Plus)- half board plus, includes breakfast and dinner. Meals also include local drinks, including alcoholic ones.
• HBS (HalfBoardSuperior)- higher level half board. Champagne is usually served upon check-in. The program includes breakfast, brunch, dinner in a restaurant (possibly a la carte, i.e. à la carte), late dinner. All drinks are free although they are limited.
• FB (Full Board)- full board: free breakfast, lunch and dinner (buffet). Drinks must be paid for.
• FB+ (Full Board Plus)- full board "plus", i.e. board plus drinks, alcoholic and non-alcoholic (most often beer, wine, etc.), for lunch and dinner.
• ALL, AI (ALL Inclusive)- the well-known "all inclusive". In the program of food breakfast, lunch, dinner - all in the form of a "buffet". You can order any local drinks free of charge at any time. In Turkish hotels, such a program also often includes a sauna and a Turkish bath.
• UAI, UALL (Ultra ALL Inclusive)- "ultra all inclusive". It differs from AI in that it includes all alcoholic drinks, as well as a number of additional services at the discretion of the hotel administration. It can be a bath, sauna, tennis, billiards, use of a mini-bar, additional meals, etc. Only the most luxurious hotels operate under this system. In addition to the traditional buffet, a restaurant service is often offered, where you are served by a waiter.

It is worth noting that each hotel has its own all-inclusive system, and during the tourist season it may change slightly. Most often there are time limits (from 7 am to 11 pm), at other times drinks and food are for an additional fee. Most often, this system is offered by high-level hotels.
In good hotels, you can also find such all-inclusive systems as Deluxe AI, Super AI, VIP AI, High Class AI, etc.
In addition to the basic types of food, many hotels provide additional services. For families, a special children's menu is often offered. In each 5 * and 4 * hotel it will be different, but the main food groups will be the same: dairy, vegetables, cereals, meat. It is often possible to have the chef prepare special meals for your child.

What to pay special attention to

Choosing the all-inclusive system for the first time, there may be some dangers. The availability and variety of dishes, the desire to try everything can lead to overeating, incompatibility of the foods eaten, indigestion, digestive disorders, which can overshadow the rest. Therefore, approach the choice of dishes very carefully.

• "continental": coffee, tea, juice, buns, butter, jam;
• "American" - a wider selection of dishes, which, in addition to buns, coffee and juice, also includes eggs (scrambled eggs), cheeses, sausages, ham, sausages, muffins;
• "buffet" - in addition to the above food, it includes a huge number of dishes for the morning diet. It can be various cereals, yogurts, pancakes, fruits, salads and much more - for every taste.

Dinner and lunch on the AI ​​system are most often a buffet, with a huge selection of different dishes. Among them are 3-4 types of meat, 5-10 types of salads, 4-5 types of side dishes, cuts, desserts, in some hotels food is prepared directly in front of the client.

Before choosing the right power system, it is worth considering a few key points.

1. Decide on your vacation plans. Will you spend all your time at the hotel, on the beach? Or do you want to visit the maximum excursions and cities? Do you drink alcoholic beverages? If yes, in what quantity? How much are you used to eating? After evaluating all these factors, you will be able to more deliberately choose a food system at the hotel.
2. Remember that you will never be able to drink and eat everything that the buffet offers you. First of all, you pay for comfort and the opportunity to escape from all the problems associated with cooking.
3. When choosing a hotel, do not be lazy to find reviews about it. In particular, about his cuisine and the quality of food. Reviews correspond to the real state of affairs by about 80%.
4. If you are going on vacation with your family, bring the issue of the food system to the general discussion. Will the diet you choose work for the rest of the family? For example, a woman adheres to proper nutrition, children can eat ice cream for a rather large amount on vacation, and a man wants to try alcoholic drinks from a bar, which can also turn into a decent bill. In this case, you should abandon the half board and choose the all-inclusive system - it will be more cost-effective.

Pay attention to the menu, as too exotic food can significantly spoil your vacation.

Thus, modern hotels offer different types of food for every tourist, even with a very demanding taste. Having paid a little attention to the choice, you will surely be able to find an option that suits you to the fullest.

We bring to your attention a summary table of decoding meals in hotels.

Most hotels have a catering system such as Buffet. This is a type of self-service in which dishes and products are put on a common table. Hotel guests, presenting a hotel card or giving a room number, put themselves food in the required quantities. Restaurants are much rarer. A la carte (A la carte) where service is provided by a waiter based on a fixed menu.

All types of meals in hotels

Ep, RO, BO, AO	without power
BB (Bed and Breakfast)	breakfast only
Continental Breakfast	light breakfast consisting of coffee or tea, juice, muffin, butter and jam
English breakfast	full breakfast, usually includes fruit juice, ham and eggs, toast, butter, jam, coffee and tea
American breakfast (american bulet)	analogue of a continental breakfast + various cuts (sausages, cheeses) and hot dishes (scrambled eggs, sausages)
HB (Half Board)	half board (2 meals a day, most often breakfast and dinner, less often - to choose from)
HB+ (Half board plus)	extended half board
FB (full board)	full board (3 meals a day)
FB+ (Full board plus)	extended full board (includes local drinks with meals)
Mini all inclusive	full board with local drinks not only with meals, but also in limited quantities during the day
AI, ALL INC (All inclusive)	"all inclusive" - ​​5 meals a day + local drinks (or 3 meals a day + drinks during the day)
Ultra all inc	food and drinks around the clock + foreign-made drinks, minibar (often includes an additional service - massage, tennis)
* all inc	all inclusive options

Deciphering the types of food

• Half board- This is two meals a day and in most cases it means a full breakfast and dinner.
• Full board- three meals a day, breakfast, lunch and dinner. It is worth remembering that drinks are served for a fee. Free drinks are served in the case of the type of meal "full board plus". (FB+)
• All inclusive- this is a type of food with breakfast, unlimited drinks, as well as some of the services offered by the hotel.
• Ultra all inclusive- this is an additional level of services in addition to meals, determined by the hotels themselves.

In sightseeing tours, when staying in hotels is temporary, the following types are used:

• Continental Breakfast. Continental breakfast. - light breakfast consisting of coffee or tea, juice, rolls, butter and jam;
• English breakfast. English breakfast- full breakfast, usually includes juice, scrambled eggs, toast, butter, jam and coffee (tea);
• american breakfast. american breakfast- similar to a continental breakfast, includes various cuts and hot dishes.

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.

In contact with

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 a bed) 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 so optimally on 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 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.

Its useful to note: 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 luxury hotel complexes. 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). Meals fbt is used at medical resorts and denotes 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:

Booking a tour to Egypt or Turkey almost never raises questions from tourists: all inclusive is a phrase familiar to everyone. But you can get confused if you see unfamiliar abbreviations next to the name of the hotel.

So that the rest is not overshadowed by unpleasant surprises, we advise you to always look at the breakdown of the type of food in hotels when choosing a tour.

A standard notation system has been adopted throughout the world. You may come across the following options:

• without food;
• breakfast only;
• breakfast + dinner;
• Three meals a day;
• all inclusive.

As well as many different variations of all these types of food in hotels. We have collected the abbreviations in a small cheat sheet to make it easy for you to navigate.

Only hotel accommodation: what are the designations?

Are you planning early departures or late returns to your hotel, or do you want to sample the local cuisine? Then your choice - a room without food - this is the cheapest option in the hotel.

If you saw such letter abbreviations in the hotel description, meals are not included in the price of accommodation:

• OR (RO)

From English, all these designations can be translated as: "only a room" or "price per room."

You can order food separately or cook it yourself in the shared kitchen or in your room. If the hotel has such an opportunity, it is indicated in the description additionally and is indicated by the abbreviation SC (self catering).

Deciphering food designations in hotels with breakfast

The mysterious letters BB mean bed (eng. bed) and breakfast (eng. breakfast).

If you are not going to be in the hotel all day or you are staying for one night, BB is the perfect choice. This is one of the most common categories in European cities where tourists come for excursions or walks. The cost of breakfast is included in the price of the room.

Breakfasts can be different:

Breakfast name	Letter designation	What does breakfast include
English (aka American) breakfast	EB /AB \u003d english (american) breakfast	Fried bacon or sausage, a dish of eggs (most often it is scrambled eggs, but sometimes scrambled eggs), hot drinks (tea, coffee). Additional ingredients vary by region (e.g. toast), but eggs and bacon are always present in an English breakfast.
Continental breakfast	CB = continental breakfast	Croissants or mini-buns, butter, jams and any additions to them, yogurt, a few pieces of cheese and sausages, hot drinks. The most common option in budget European hotels.
Buffet	BBF = buffet breakfast	Many different dishes are displayed side by side, you go to the table and put your favorite food on your plate. Usually the choice of food is quite large: fruits, muesli, buns, cheese, sausage, boiled eggs, various drinks, etc.

What is a boarding house meal?

The slightly old-fashioned word board (English board) in the hotel business means meals two or three times a day. It is easy to guess that the first, truncated, option is half board, the second is full.

This type of food has its own designations and classifications:

Dining at all-inclusive hotels

A favorite type of food in hotels for many tourists - after all, you don’t have to worry about finding food and drinks for the whole vacation. The price includes three standard meals, a variety of snacks, barbecue, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.

Deciphering the designation of food in the all-inclusive system is very simple:

• ALL, Al, AL- all inclusive. This is everything listed above: three meals a day, snacks, alcohol, drinks, etc.
• UAI, UAL- ultra all inclusive - an expanded selection of alcoholic drinks and dishes.
• ALL De Luxe/ High Class/Royal Class/Superior- VIP service: in addition to full all inclusive meals, these packages include various services that are provided only by top-class hotels. It can be chocolate, ice cream, fruits and drinks in the room, free alcohol in the minibar, etc.
• Mini all inclusive- and this, on the contrary, is a truncated version. Something between full board and all inclusive, while the number of drinks is limited.

Other categories of food in hotels

Some types of food serving are not so common, but they are also worth knowing about:

• brunch dinner+ (breakfast that turns into lunch) - often practiced in hotels in ski resorts. Late breakfast includes drinks in addition to food. And in some regions they also offer local low-alcohol drinks (wine or beer).
• A-la-carte- à la carte service in the hotel restaurant. Sometimes the room price may include several free visits to the restaurant, sometimes all dishes are paid.

How to choose the right type of food in a hotel?

So, you have decided on your vacation plans. How to choose the right service so as not to overpay, but also not spend a lot of time looking for food?

We have developed a small table for you with rest parameters and suitable food options. Check it out to make your vacation as comfortable as possible:

Vacation plans	No power	Breakfasts	Half board or full board	All inclusive
Watch your figure or stick to a diet	+	+
Do you want to go on many excursions or walk around the city	+	+	+
Want to get to know the local cuisine	+	+
You have no food or budget restrictions			+	+
You don't like local food			+	+
You don't want to worry about finding food and spending money at a restaurant			+	+

Also keep in mind some important points:

• ⭐ If comfort is above all for you, and the travel budget is unlimited, choose high-class all-inclusive programs - you will always have fresh fruits and drinks for every taste. This is especially important in exotic countries - there is always a risk that the local cuisine will not be to your taste, and luxury hotels will serve food according to your wishes.
• ⭐ If you do not drink alcohol or have food restrictions, do not overpay for all inclusive - choose breakfast or half board, and the rest of the time cook yourself or test the local cuisine.
• ⭐ Do not overestimate your strength - if the vacation consists of active walks, and you come to the hotel only late in the evening, do not overpay for dinner. It is better to choose hotels that have their own restaurant or the ability to order food for a fee.
• ⭐ Do you like to sleep longer? Ask until what time breakfast is served. Usually they last from 7 to 10 am (sometimes up to 11). If you are not ready to sacrifice sleep for breakfast, choose other types of food or eat breakfast outside the hotel.
• ⭐ When choosing all inclusive, remember not only the advantages of this system in the form of comfort, but also the disadvantages: high cost and the risk of gaining extra pounds.
• ⭐ Half board or full board is a great choice for those who are not ready to overpay for "all inclusive": you will definitely not go hungry and save money.
• ⭐ In some countries, for example, in the UAE, visiting restaurants will cost much more than eating at a hotel. So choose HB, FB or all inclusive.

In order not to make a mistake in choosing, look at our instructions when choosing a tour. We wish you only comfortable and pleasant trips!

Meals at the resorts - BB, HB, FB, All Inclusive

"Healthy eating" is an important (and for many, the most important) component of a successful holiday. Alas, there are no standards that allow you to be sure that in the chosen hotel they will feed "to satiety", tasty and varied, does not exist. Of course, any tourist today is aware that the majority of Turkish hotels leave having noticeably recovered, but the French are unlikely to provide you with such an opportunity. Although, in any case, the choice of dishes in a 5 * hotel will obviously be higher than in a 3 * one.

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Most often, the types of food in hotels are indicated by Latin letters (BB, HB, FB) - such abbreviations can be found both in the tour description and in the catalog where the hotels themselves are presented.

Ep, RO, BO, AO, OB (only bed)- without food
BB (bed and breakfast)- breakfast only (buffet)
Continental Breakfast - light breakfast consisting of coffee or tea, juice, rolls, butter and jam
English breakfast - full breakfast, usually includes fruit juice, ham and eggs, toast, butter, jam, coffee and tea
American breakfast (american bulet) - an analogue of a continental breakfast + various cuts (sausages, cheeses) and hot dishes (scrambled eggs, sausages)
HB (halfboard)- half board, breakfast and dinner (buffet), free tea, coffee, water for breakfast
HB+ (halfboard plus)- extended half board, breakfast and dinner (buffet). Alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks of local production
FB (full board)) - breakfast, lunch, dinner (buffet)
FB+ (full board plus)- full board, breakfast, lunch, dinner (buffet), as well as drinks during meals
Mini all inclusive- full board with local drinks, not only with meals, but also in limited quantities during the day
AI (all inclusive)- all inclusive, breakfast, lunch, dinner (buffet), alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks of local production. Also extra food
UAI (ultra All Inclusive)- meals throughout the day with a wide selection of dishes, including imported spirits.
A la carte– a menu in which each dish is indicated with a price

Meals BB (Bed&Breakfast)

BB means that the hotel only serves breakfast. Usually, this option is offered for sightseeing tours or business trips. Continental breakfast (usually this is what is served in 2 * -3 * hotels) is most often not rich in some thinly sliced ​​\u200b\u200bsausage and cheese, a bagel with jam, a small package of yogurt, coffee. If this is a "buffet" (known throughout the world as a "buffet"), then vegetable and fruit salads, several types of pastries, boiled eggs are added to them. In high-level hotels, you can already count on hot sausages and scrambled eggs. Mandatory for breakfast and juice, which is usually poured from the machine, but almost certainly it turns out to be a highly diluted concentrate.

It is important to note that in a hotel of any level, breakfast is included in the price of accommodation and it is impossible to refuse it. Usually breakfast is served no later than 7 am, but if a tourist leaves for the airport or on an excursion earlier, then the porter must be informed about this - he will be served breakfast early (albeit without a hot dish) or they will give him a lunch package.

Power HB (Half-Board)

HB - half board, that is, breakfast and dinner, the most popular type of food in almost all resorts, with the exception of Turkey, which loves to "include everything." Breakfast in this case is usually a traditional buffet, dinner can be both a buffet and a salad bar with some selection of hot dishes according to the menu. Any drinks in this case are paid (this also applies to plain water, if it is brought not in a jug, but in glass bottles) and are not cheap. True, if you order a bottle of wine at dinner and it is not drunk entirely, then it is left for the next days. You do not need to pay for drinks every time, you just need to give the room number to the waiter, and upon departure, the receptionist will issue an invoice for all days (which is recommended to check carefully!).

Power FB (Full Board)

FB is full board (three meals a day). Lunch, like dinner, in this case can be both buffet and à la carte, but in any case, drinks during the day and in the evening are again paid separately. If you have the opportunity to choose between "half board" and "boarding", tourists usually choose the first, because in Spain, Greece or Cyprus it is not a problem to find a good tavern near the hotel even in high season. Unfortunately, not all hotels can replace a hotel lunch with dinner or vice versa, although UAE hotels provide such a service.

System AL (All Inclusive)

All Inclusive "all inclusive" - ​​the most common in Turkish resorts, in other countries it is much less common. In inexpensive hotels 2 * -3 * it assumes the usual three meals a day with a standard selection of dishes and 1-2 bars that "dispense" tea and coffee, mineral water, cola and local alcoholic drinks during the day for free.

The set of local liquor is the same everywhere: grape vodka rakia (in Turkish "crayfish"), which is drunk diluted with water, as a result of which it acquires a milky color, local cognac (konjak), a drink under the strange name VoTka, dry red wine in principle, not bad, but without "frills" and, of course, national pride beer "Efes". Of course, in these hotels you can also order imported alcohol but for an additional fee.

All other types of All Inclusive, offered by Turkish hotels called "Ultra", "Maximum", "Imperial", etc., represent almost round-the-clock food (and drinking, including imported alcohol). Tourists who find themselves in a Turkish "club" hotel can visit two consecutive breakfasts, lunch, "tea" afternoon tea, dinner and "late soup" after the disco during the day, and enjoy sandwiches, pizza, ice cream and sweets in between.

The variety and choice of dishes here often exceed reasonable limits, the quality is excellent, especially since in the best hotels many dishes are prepared right in front of you. If you wish, you can book a table in advance and spend the evening not at a common "buffet" table, but in an Italian or Japanese restaurant located on site. As for imported alcohol, usually its choice is limited to several varieties of whiskey, martini, gin. However, often in such a hotel they warn that several types of elite alcohol (expensive cognacs, wines) are offered for an additional fee.

By the way, often in all-inclusive hotels they ask you to name the room number and sign on the receipt even when ordering "free" alcohol. You should not be afraid of this, it is simply one of the forms of control over the work of waiters.

In sightseeing tours, when staying in hotels is temporary, the following types are used:

- Continental Breakfast(Continental breakfast) - light breakfast consisting of coffee or tea, juice, bun, butter and jam;
- English breakfast- full breakfast, usually includes juice, scrambled eggs, toast, butter, jam and coffee (tea);
- American breakfast- similar to a continental breakfast, includes various cuts and hot dishes.
- "Buffet"- This is an organized free breakfast of many hotels in the world. It is included in the price of the room that you occupy in the hotel.
it can be a fenced part of the restaurant, a special room. There is a table in the middle of the hall, which can be located along the wall of this room. Various foods are laid out on it: fruits, and cottage cheese, and juices, and gastronomic snacks, and hot dishes under a lid in special bowls, and packaged products in foil (butter, pastes, jam, honey). And on a separate table or on the same table - dishes and cutlery.

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