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.
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.
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 5X | New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Valuable dining and food-related credits
- Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
- Multiple travel and purchase protections
- No foreign transaction fees
- Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
- Updated! $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- New! As an American Express® Gold Card Member, you can enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status. Enjoy benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
- Take advantage of a $100 credit towards eligible charges* at over 1,300 upscale hotels worldwide when you book The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App **. *Eligible charges vary by property. **The Hotel Collection requires a two-night minimum stay.
- Book your travel through the Amex Travel App with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.