Here's Why So Many Hotels No Longer Have Microwaves

In 2019, the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge published a post on its website entitled, "No microwaves in the cabins and hotel rooms. Why?" The Michigan-based property had several reasons: "This is for environmental purposes, energy consumption reasons, and health and smell reasons." The post added that "the Lodge is happy to provide a microwave for medical reasons on a case-by-case basis."

Some guests might expect this of a rural lodge in the Midwest, which is closer to the Canadian border than to any major U.S. city. The estate takes pride in its bucolic cabins and "dark sky" status, so the absence of a space-age cooking appliance might seem fitting. But Keweenaw is hardly alone: Hotels across the United States seem to have quietly removed microwaves from their rooms. While there's no exact statistic on how widespread this is, the Internet is drenched in travelers' commentary.

"I've been working in hospitality on and off as I've been going through school," wrote a Denver-based Redditor. "It's crazy, because no hotel I've worked at has microwaves in the rooms... I can't remember as a kid ever being in a hotel that doesn't have a microwave." On Quora, another user observed the same trend: "There is definitely a push to remove them lately, which I think is stupid."

In 2022, Arizona-based AZ Big Media published a post that listed several explanations for this policy, including customer demand, expense, power conservation, safety, and potential abuse. A missing microwave isn't exactly the most horrifying detail about hotel rooms, but for independent and budget-conscious travelers, it's quite the omission.

It's easy to forget how new microwave ovens are: The technology was prohibitively expensive until the 1970s, and as late as 1986, only a quarter of households had one. Even today, plenty of travelers may prefer to eat out or order in; sampling local eateries is one of the perks of travel, and there's at least one reason why getting room service should be a priority on your trip. This approach means there's no reason to cook, much less "nuke" a frozen burrito. Guests could spend days in a hotel room and never even notice the microwave at their disposal.

Then again, microwaves can be very handy, and their absence can feel like a betrayal. For frugal travelers, this magical oven provides independence and cost-cutting. Not everyone can afford a hotel suite with a kitchenette, but you can visit the supermarket and cook entire meals in a microwave, and for a fraction of the cost of a restaurant visit. Parents of picky eaters can often whip up familiar meal kits in a few minutes, instead of dragging their children to dining establishments with strange, expensive menus.

If your room doesn't have a microwave and you still need one, rest assured that a unit probably exists somewhere in the building. If the hotel serves breakfast, you'll often find a microwave in the dining room. The hotel's on-site restaurant or office may have one as well. This may feel unnatural, to heat up a styrofoam Cup O' Noodles or plate of Hot Pockets in the staff's break room, but well-run hotels will find a way to help you. In fact, a microwave is often one of those hotel freebies that you probably had no idea you could ask for — so if you really need one in your room, don't be afraid to contact the front desk.