photo credit: Hotels.com
Study also reveals hotels are expanding in-room offerings to include private concerts and $300 ice cream sundaes
DALLAS, June 7, 2023 — Today Hotels.com® reveals its inaugural Room Service Report which finds that demand for the popular amenity is on the rise according to 45% of U.S. hotels1. The report surveyed hotel partners around the world to reveal what’s “in” when dining in from the trendiest to the most eccentric orders, as well as hotels with over-the-top room service options like a $1600 burger and a $300 ice cream sundae. Top findings from the study include:
The weird side of room service
• Hotels revealed their most unusual guest requests, including “diet” water, melted ice cream, blowfish and a raw fish caught by a traveler who wanted it cooked to order.
• Top properties are pushing the boundaries of room service to go beyond food, offering in-room concerts and even a personal Lego® butler.
Burgers in bed
• Burgers are the most popular room service order not just in the U.S. (49% of U.S. responses) but also globally, beating out pizza, club sandwiches, tacos and fries.
• While diners indulge in sushi rolls and lobster tails at restaurants, 43% of U.S. hotels surveyed say guests prefer more casual cuisine behind closed doors, ala burgers in bed.
Reveling in room service
• Over a quarter (27%) of U.S. hotels said their guests will go all-out while ordering in, spending on average more than $100 for room service.
• Hotels said steak and champagne are the most expensive items on their room service menus.
The 10 most unusual room service requests:
1. Diet water
2. Melted ice cream
3. Blowfish
4. Boiled bottled water
5. A cooked fish that the guest brought with them
6. Cockle popcorn
7. No-egg-white omelet
8. Rice bowl for a dog
9. Bison
10. Eggless eggs in hell (shakshuka)
Top properties on the Hotels.com app with out-of-the-ordinary room service experiences:
• The Milestone Hotel in London, U.K. – Treat yourself to a world-class musical performance with an in-room concert from the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Suites from $1,500 per night and orchestra quoted on an individual basis.
• Post Oak Hotel in Houston, U.S. – Why not get a taste of the ultimate hotel burger: The Post Oak Hotel serves “The Black Gold Burger,” which has 16 ounces of Wagyu beef, seared foie gras, and black truffle in a caviar-infused black and 24K gold brioche bun. It will only set you back a whopping $1,600! Rooms from $540 per night.
• Ashford Castle in Co. Mayo, Ireland – Room service isn’t just for grown-ups at Ashford Castle. Travelers can request a Lego butler and pick from a selection of sets, to be delivered on a silver tray to your room. Rooms from $856 per night with a €40 local currency fee for the Lego butler.
• Park Lane New York in New York City, U.S. – What’s better than on-demand caviar on Billionaire’s Row in the city? Dial “5” to make a request on the hotel’s Caviar Hotline. Rooms from $373 per night, and caviar pricing varies.
• InterContinental Bora Bora Resort and Thalasso Spa in Bora Bora, French Polynesia – Here, it’s not just about what is being delivered to your door … it’s about how it’s being delivered. You can request an exquisite meal for two to be delivered to the deck of your overwater villa in a traditional outrigger canoe. Villas from $1,424 per night.
• The Plaza Hotel in New York City, U.S. – This hotel is home to one of the most famous room service orders: the Home Alone sundae, featuring 16 scoops of ice cream and layers of toppings for $300. Rooms from $761 per night.
• Four Seasons in Chicago, U.S. – Here, the Ice Cream Man makes in-room ice cream delivery dreams possible for the young and young-at-heart. Rooms from $570 per night.
• Kylin Villa Resort Jeju, South Korea – A room service experience where the camera eats first: This resort sets room service orders on a picturesque floating display in villas with private pools. Rooms from $170 per night.
• DogHouse Columbus Hotel in Columbus, U.S. – This dual-purpose brewery and hotel feature in-room beer taps and a mini fridge in the bathroom stocked with “shower beer.” Rooms from $190 per night.
1 Methodology: This survey was conducted online from April 5-23, 2023, among 473 hotels in the U.S., U.K., France, Canada, Mexico, South Korea, Japan, Norway, Sweden and Denmark, amongst hotels currently offering in-room dining.
