New Option for Shabbos in Boston

Kosher Today is reporting that a new Courtyard by Marriot hotel has opened in Brookline a heavily Jewish suburb of Boston. The new hotel features key locks on some rooms and assistance in procuring kosher food from local establishments. The Courtyard joins the Holiday Inn Brookline as full service hotels with key lock rooms in the area. Both hotels are a short walk from the Young Israel of Brookline and a reasonable walk from the Bostoner Rebbe's Shul.

Borsht Belt Redux?

If you thought the heyday of the kosher Catskill Hotels ended 25 years ago, guess again. Vacationers looking for a little kosher rest and relaxation in the country this summer will have the pick of three resorts. The erstwhile Homowack in Spring Glenn remains open year-round, while the Glatt Boys return to Kutsher's again this summer. They are joined by the Hudson Valley Resort, which will have a kosher program all summer run by Jerry Berkowitz (formerly of the Homowack) as well as the Swan Lake Resort. Time will tell if the saturation point has been reached or the market is larger than many thought.

Where to Stay for Shabbos in LA

Travelers to the Los Angeles area who need hotel accommodations over Shabbos have the Crowne Plaza Beverly Hills. The AAA 3 diamond hotel, located in the heart of the Pico-Robertson neighborhood, has key locks on many rooms and has refrigerators available. The hotel is also located around the corner from the Young Israel of Century City as well as within easy walking distance of many kosher restaurants. In fact the Young Israel was once located in the hotel! Across the street from the Crowne Plaza is a Residence Inn this hotel has electronic locks, so it may not be your best choice for stays over Shabbos.

Convenient Travel Meals

Two products now on the market make travel to out of the way destinations a little easier for the kosher traveler. My Own Meals are prepackaged meals that do not require refrigeration and can even be eaten as. La Briute meals are similar except they come with a self-heating mechanism that produces piping hot meals in minutes. Everything you need comes in the box. The self-heating mechanism is similar to that used by the US troops in Iraq to heat their MRE's.

Welcome!

Welcome to the Kosher Traveler. The purpose of this blog is to provide information for the kosher traveler. The type of information I would like to make available is advice for specific destinations, primarily within the US and Canada. I also intend to provide the most comprehensive collection of links to information for the kosher traveler available anywhere. If you have any comments, suggestions or links, please send me an e-mail. I try to limit content on this blog to things that meet my kashrus standards - they may or may not meet yours - so please consult your Rav if you have any questions about a product or hechsher. Also keep in mind that some sites are updated more often than others, so it pays to call ahead. Thanks for stopping by, I hope you will find this blog a worthwhile place to visit often - please tell a friend about our existence!