Yrurtj

Why don't four- and five-star hotels regularly offer kitchen(ettes) for small rooms, communal at the minimum that can be booked by appointment? By 4-5 stars, I mean brands like Four Seasons, Shangri-La, Hilton's Waldorf Astoria, Marriott's JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton. It's obvious that many guests (staying in rooms with only 1 bed) desire to cook and prepare some of their meals.

I know that some properties' larger suites or villas contain kitchens, but guests in rooms with 1 bed also desire them and are still paying a lot. I'm not asking about extended stay hotels that have kitchens, as they may not exist in resort locations.

NOTE: This is a speculative answer as I do not own or manage a hotel but I have several friend who do.

It is mostly likely because people who afford luxury hotels also want the luxury of having meals cooked for them and can afford it too. So they eat in restaurants and many of those same luxury hotels offer high-end restaurant in order to capitalize on the buying power of they guests.

One can imagine that some people might prefer to have their own kitchen but luxury hotels usually do not offer that service because the demand is probably rather limited. Kitchens are convenient to lower the cost of meals yet consume a lot of time. Time to cook, locate and buy food in an unknown location. This might be fun for some type of travellers but I expect that most will prefer to spend time abroad enjoying the sights, working for business trips and even trying out local dishes where they are staying.

You mention resort locations specifically and those are usually places with multiple restaurants, meal plans and all-inclusive which says that those type of locations cater more to people who would rather avoid cooking or even the effort to choose where to eat. Granted, this is not everyone but one would guess it to be the majority.

Another point in your guesting is for single-bed rooms but it is my opinion that the market for lodging having a kitchen is greater for larger rooms, particularly families. When you have small children and a number of them, there is greater need for a kitchen. Kids my be picky eaters and have a different meal schedule than adults. A meal at a restaurant sometimes can be stressful on parents when they deal with various, need, demands, not to mention the lack of children's prices and portions in some establishments.

Where we do regularly see kitchens in high-end accommodations is in remote areas. This is for people resting and escaping from it all. In this case, there is not much sense to maintain a staffed restaurant on site but they often take orders and deliver groceries for the guests (or their cook) to cook. I have seen tours where they pick guests up from the airport, take them grocery shopping and drop them off at the remote lodging right after.