Pesach Travel? Here’s How to Keep It Kosher in Hotels & Airbnbs

Kashering an Airbnb or Hotel Kitchen

Staying somewhere with a kitchen? The kashering process is similar to your own home—but don’t forget to ask the host or hotel for permission before you start boiling water or cranking the oven.

You’ll want to complete all kashering before the zman achilas chometz (the cutoff time for eating chometz) on Erev Pesach. If you’re arriving during Chol HaMoed or after Yom Tov begins, kashering becomes halachically trickier, so it’s best to consult a rabbi before attempting anything at that stage.

If kashering isn’t feasible, pack your own kosher-for-Pesach utensils, cookware, and disposables to avoid using any equipment in the rental.

Bedikas Chometz on the Road

In Hotels: Even if you didn’t bring chometz into your room, Star-K recommends performing a bedikas chometz (chometz search) without a bracha. If there’s a minibar in the room, ask the front desk to remove its contents or confirm you won’t be charged for what’s inside. You don’t want to assume ownership of chometz over Yom Tov.

In Airbnbs or Rentals: Your arrival time determines what kind of bedika is needed:

• Before or on the night of the 14th of Nissan: Do a full bedika with a bracha.
• On the day of the 14th or during Chol HaMoed: Bedika is done, but without a bracha.
• After chometz is already assur (forbidden): Before entering, have in mind not to acquire any chometz in the space. If you find chometz, cover it if the owner is non-Jewish. If the owner is Jewish, reach out to a rav for guidance.

Hotel Amenities: What’s Kosher?

• Ice Machines: You can use ice from the hotel’s ice machine, but skip the in-room ice bucket.
• Coffee Makers: In-room machines may have been used with non-kosher or chometz products, so avoid them. Bring your own travel-approved kosher-for-Pesach coffee setup if needed.

Kiddush in Hotels on Yom Tov

Some hotels will host a public Kiddush before the main Yom Tov meal. To properly fulfill Kiddush b’makom seudah (Kiddush in the place of a meal), you typically need to eat a kezayis of mezonos.

That’s where it can get complicated—many Pesach programs or Kiddush tables may only offer cakes made from potato starch or nut flours, which are often Shehakol, not Mezonos. If no mezonos is available or if you’re not eating gebrokts, there’s another solution: drink a revi’is (3.8 oz) of wine or grape juice. Each individual needs to drink this amount, and the person making Kiddush should ideally drink at least 5.7 oz to fulfill both Kiddush and seudah requirements.