Certain unsociable timings and destinations not withstanding, I’ve always worn as a badge of honour not eating in the hotel. Yes you could argue it’s a known quantity but with precious few perks these days I find a meal out in a local establishment a far more satisfactory experience than what is often a soulless amount of mastication in an equally soulless hotel eatery. The added bonus is of course that partaking an ale or 7 is completely off the radar of the company should anything transpire the next day and better yet, if crew misbehave on a layover you were never there!
To me it’s free money to be used and abused, and if you do it properly....you can check out of the hotel in 5 seconds.