The end of an era: Why I won't be sorry to see room service go
Room service has been dying for the past few years. Even since the largest hotel in New York City, the Hilton Midtown, announced that it was replacing room service with grab and go options, we've seen more and more hotels decide to start abandoning it too.
Though room service is having a renaissance at some top-tier luxury hotels and resorts, it's on its way out at most other properties. In fact, the coronavirus could be the nail in the coffin for breakfast in bed or those late-night munchies. As hotels look to cut costs and promote safety, room service might be gone forever.
And personally, I won't miss it — and here's why.
For more travel tips and news, sign up for our daily newsletter.
[table-of-contents /]
Room service is overpriced
Aside from the fact that the room service prices are typically exorbitant (who wants a club sandwich for $40?), there's often a delivery fee, in addition to a service charge. Sometimes, there's even a minimum amount of food that you need to order as well. And lastly, there's the confusing question of whether you should tip in addition to the service fee.
All in, this makes most room service extremely expensive. But even with all the surcharges, the hotel likely isn't making much money, if at all, from your in-room breakfast or dinner.
The cost to operate room service dining is sky-high. You need to have a delivery staffer available round-the-clock, which can get quite costly in major cities. Additionally, hotels need to keep trays and delivery carts clean and available. In some cases, the kitchen staff needs to cover longer shifts or the hotel needs to keep the in-house restaurant open longer.
In my mind, offering room service is lose-lose for the guest and the hotel. It's overpriced for guests and costs the hotel a ton to offer.
Related: 9 hotels with room service worth staying in bed for
It takes longer than expected
Sometimes I need to order room service. Perhaps I landed late and want something to eat or I'm doing a crazy 36-hour round-the-world trip and want to maximize my sleep. Either way, my orders always seem like they take longer than the estimates.
I'll admit it — I can get hangry, so it's possible that it's my body eagerly awaiting its nourishment. But the truth is, there's no worse feeling waiting around for a room service order. Plus, unless you're staying at a hotel equipped with bedside-iPads, there's likely no way for you to check the status of your order.
Though some hotels, notably the Four Seasons chain, offer a 15- or 20-minute delivery guarantee, the options are mostly limited to cold foods and snacks.
Food quality suffers
This one's simple. The quality of your food delivered 15 (or more) minutes after it's prepared isn't going to taste the same as if you just had it delivered to your table at a restaurant. Likewise, things shift and spill during transport, so the presentation suffers as well.
To me, room service often fails to deliver on my expectations, especially for the price. If I'm paying $30 for a hamburger, I'd hope that it's quite tasty. When it's delivered and it's overcooked or the bun tastes soggy, I always think to myself that I should've just gone to the hotel restaurant. (That's why I do that most of the time.)
The alternatives are much, much better
Just as the coronavirus was coming stateside, I was starting to experiment with a new type of room service: ordering food from local restaurants through apps like GrubHub and Uber Eats directly to my hotel. And now that I've been having food delivered to my NYC apartment while quarantining at home, I'm getting more and more comfortable with doing the same for upcoming hotel stays.
For one, the food selection is typically much more expansive on the delivery apps. You can choose the cuisine from an assortment of local restaurants that deliver. The prices are not only much lower, but they're also better disclosed. Additionally, I can track where my food is and when it's coming, and I can place the order on my way to the hotel or while I'm out exploring the city.
True, food delivery suffers from the same quality constraints as room service, but at least I'm not paying an arm and a leg for my meal. Plus, I make sure to use a credit card that offers food delivery savings as well.
This strategy isn't perfect though. If I'm at a secluded resort or traveling internationally, it's harder to find restaurants that'll deliver or offer English menus. In those cases, room service will have to suffice.
Related: 8 easy strategies to save money on food delivery and takeout
Bottom line
The coronavirus could spell the end of room service. And I won't miss it.
It's often overpriced and takes forever. Furthermore, the food quality isn't great. As travel begins to restart, I'm going to be ordering much more food through delivery apps as opposed to room service.
After all, GrubHub or Uber Eats might just become the only option.
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 3X | Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Delta SkyClub access when flying Delta
- Annual companion ticket for travel on Delta (upon renewal)
- Ability to earn MQDs through spending
- Various statement credits for eligible purchases
Cons
- Steep annual fee of $650
- Other Delta cobranded cards offer superior earning categories
- Earn 100,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $6,000 or more in purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership and an additional 25,000 bonus miles after you make an additional $3,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 6 months, starting from the date that your account is opened. Offer Ends 04/01/2026.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members receive 15 Visits per Medallion® Year to the Delta Sky Club® when flying Delta and can unlock an unlimited number of Visits after spending $75,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Plus, you’ll receive four One-Time Guest Passes each Medallion Year so you can share the experience with family and friends when traveling Delta together.
- Enjoy complimentary access to The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. and select international locations (as set forth on the Centurion Lounge Website), Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. (see the Centurion Lounge Website for more information on Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge availability), and Escape Lounges when flying on a Delta flight booked with the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card. § To access Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 90 minutes of their departing flight (including layovers). To access The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 3 hours of their departing flight. Effective July 8, 2026, during a layover, Card Members must arrive within 5 hours of the connecting flight.
- Receive $2,500 Medallion® Qualification Dollars with MQD Headstart each Medallion Qualification Year and earn $1 MQD for each $10 in purchases on your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card with MQD Boost to get closer to Status next Medallion Year.
- Enjoy a Companion Certificate on a Delta First, Delta Comfort, or Delta Main round-trip flight to select destinations each year after renewal of your Card. The Companion Certificate requires payment of government-imposed taxes and fees of between $22 and $250 (for itineraries with up to four flight segments). Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. Delta Basic experiences are not eligible for this benefit.
- $240 Resy Credit: When you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card for eligible purchases with U.S. Resy restaurants, you can earn up to $20 each month in statement credits. Enrollment required.
- $120 Rideshare Credit: Earn up to $10 back in statement credits each month after you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card to pay for U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers. Enrollment required.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
- With your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, receive upgrade priority over others with the same Medallion tier, product and fare experience purchased, and Million Miler milestone when you fly with Delta.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees. Enjoy international travel without additional fees on purchases made abroad.
- $650 Annual Fee.
- Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees