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The end of an era: Why I won't be sorry to see room service go

June 07, 2020
5 min read
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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.

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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.

$27 breakfast at the Andaz Wall Street (Photo by Eric Rosen/The Points Guy)

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

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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.

Overcooked salmon at the Grand Hyatt SFO (Photo by Zach Griff/The Points Guy)

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.

Sometimes I don't like to leave my room, like at the Park Hyatt St. Kitts (Photo by Zach Griff/The Points Guy)

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.

Featured image by Alberto Riva

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TPG Editor‘s Rating
Card Rating is based on the opinion of TPG‘s editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.
3 / 5
Go to review

Rewards Rate

6X6x Marriott Bonvoy Points on each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy® program.
4X4x points for purchases made at restaurants worldwide, at U.S. gas stations, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and on U.S. purchases for shipping.
2X2x points on all other eligible purchases.
  • Intro Offer
    Limited Time Offer: Earn 125,000 Bonus Marriott Bonvoy Points after you use your new Card to make $5,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of Card Membership. Offer ends 5/3/23.

    Earn 125,000 points
    75,000 points
  • Annual Fee

    $125
  • Recommended Credit
    Credit ranges are a variation of FICO© Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.

    670-850
    Excellent/Good

Why We Chose It

The Marriott Bonvoy Business Amex is a stacked card with a rewards rate that will help you earn bonus points on everyday and business-related purchases. You'll earn 15 elite night credits each calendar year, and receive automatic Gold elite status. Finally, the free night award certificate with a redemption level of 35,000 points or less can get you hundreds of dollars in potential value each year.

Pros

  • 6 points per dollar on eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program
  • 4 points per dollar at restaurants worldwide, U.S. gas stations, wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and U.S. shipping
  • 2 points per dollar on all other eligible purchases
  • Earn a free-night award each card renewal month (up to 35,000 points)
  • Receive 15 elite night credits to jump-start status
  • Transfer Marriott points to 40+ airlines

Cons

  • Airline points transfer ratios are poor
  • Must spend $60,000 in a year for second free-night award
  • Limited Time Offer: Earn 125,000 Bonus Marriott Bonvoy Points after you use your new Card to make $5,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of Card Membership. Offer ends 5/3/23.
  • Receive a 7% discount off standard rates for reservations of standard guest rooms at hotels that participate in the Marriott Bonvoy program when you book directly. Terms and Conditions Apply.
  • 6x Marriott Bonvoy Points on each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy® program.
  • 4x points for purchases made at restaurants worldwide, at U.S. gas stations, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and on U.S. purchases for shipping.
  • 2x points on all other eligible purchases.
  • Receive 1 Free Night Award every year after your Card renewal month. Plus, earn an additional Free Night Award after you spend $60K in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Awards can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 35,000 Marriott Bonvoy® points) at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. Certain hotels have resort fees.
  • Enjoy Complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite Status with your Card.
  • Terms apply.