United States
What’s in when dining in: Hotels.com has surveyed hundreds of hotels to report on global room service trends.
Burger buffs: Burgers are the most ordered item on the room service menu, beating the classic club sandwich.
Suites that sing: In-room concerts, floating breakfasts and 24K gold brioche bun burgers are just some of the most unusual room service options.
Picking up the tab: Hotels.com is going to cover up to £100 of the room service bill for 100 lucky travellers.
Today Hotels.com® reveals its inaugural Room Service Report which finds that demand for the popular amenity is on the rise globally according to almost 40% of hotels1. The authority on all things in-room dining also reveals a third (30%) of travellers spend at least £100 on their room service bill per night.
It’s out with the old and in with the … weird
The Room Service Report found diet water, melted ice cream, and rice bowls for dogs, as just some of the more unusual room service requests hotels have had. The unexpected room service options don’t stop there, with hotels across the world upping their game, offering more unusual room service than ever, with in-room concerts, breakfasts delivered by canoe and even a personal Lego® butler on offer. The perfect somewhere is all about the weird and the wonderful.
Burgers in bed
Hotels.com found that globally, burgers are the most popular item (40%), beating the classic club sandwich, pizza and even chips. For Brits, it’s all about burgers in bed, with the most popular time for room service being between 7-8.p.m.2
Behind closed doors.
While it’s all about escargot and oysters in public, burgers and chips rule in the room, with 75% of hotels saying that people order fancier food in the hotel restaurant. British food orders are also evolving year on year, with more than 55% of hotels seeing an increase in vegan orders over the past year, more so than vegetarian or dairy-free dishes.
How to get free room service
Hotels.com is encouraging travellers to make the most of room service during their next stay and will be giving 100 guests up to £100 to spend on their unusual requests, just enter at Hotels.com/roomservice.3
“Room service holds a special place in the hearts of hotel guests,” said Melanie Fish, spokesperson for Hotels.com. “Whether it’s a treat-yourself moment or must-have after a long day of sightseeing, there’s a certain satisfaction in having someone else foot the bill. That’s why we’re covering up to £10,000 in room service bills this summer, so guests can go all-in on their favourite in-room experience. And a tip for Hotels.com gold and silver rewards members – you can find VIP properties where food and beverage credit is always on the menu in the app.”
Top 10 wacky room service orders:
- Diet water
- Melted ice cream
- Blowfish
- Boiled bottled water
- A cooked fish that the guest brought with them
- Cockle popcorn
- No egg white omelette
- Rice bowl for dogs
- Bison (large bovine animals)
- Eggless eggs in hell (shakshuka)
The top hotels with out-of-the-ordinary room service:
From in-room concerts to Lego® butlers, hotels around the world are upping their room service offering to accommodate almost any request. Try out any of the below hotels for a one-of-a-kind experience:
The Milestone Hotel, London, United Kingdom – It’s not just burgers and chips you can order to your room: for a unique experience, you can treat yourself to a private in-room concert from the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra while having your room service meal. Suites on Hotels.com from £1,165 per night and orchestra quoted on an individual basis.
InterContinental Bora Bora Resort and Thalasso Spa, 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 on Hotels.com from £1,400 per night.
Post Oak Hotel, Houston, United States – In celebration of the most ordered room service item — the mighty burger, why not try out the ultimate hotel burger. The Post Oak Hotel serves a “The Black Gold Burger,” which includes 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 on Hotels.com from £507 per night.
Ashford Castle, Co. Mayo, Ireland – Room service isn’t just for grown-ups at Ashford Castle. Guests can request a Lego butler, where younger travellers can pick from a selection of sets, and the butler will bring it on a silver tray up to your room. Rooms on Hotels.com from £706 per night with a €40 fee for the Lego® butler.
The Plaza Hotel, New York, United States – this hotel is home to one of the most famous room service orders: the Home Alone sundae featuring a whooping 16-scoops of ice cream and layers of toppings for $300. Rooms from £789 per night.
