With the announcement last week that the New York Hilton Midtown was ending room service, the second major hotel to do so, many thought fondly of their favorite $18 cheeseburger served luke-warm on a silver platter. I on the other hand gave the Hilton a round of applause and would tell other hotels to follow their lead!!
Don't get me wrong, there are those times where I am so tired that I just want to eat a meal in my room and relax with the tv, but I just never understood room service. The food was the exact same food that you can get in the restaurant, but they usually mark it up and then add a few service charges and automatic gratuities on top of things. So that $19 cheeseburger, maybe a few drinks or sides and the extra fees could bring that up beyond $30! For the hotels, it's an even bigger loss from their end. They have to keep the food warm and arriving in a timely manor. The staffing has to be adjusted to allow for enough runners to meet the demand, but if no one is ordering...they are just sitting around.
But it seems like in this case Hilton has the right idea. Instead of offering a loss product they will have more grab-and-go options in the hotel lobby that will allow people to get to their rooms and on with dinner even faster than before. But beyond that, as the article above mentions, hotels should work with local restaurants to provide delivery options to order in so patrons can still get their fix in their room. I'm guessing that many delivery based local restaurants would be glad to partner with a hotel on a project like this. Emerging brands that are big on targeting young travelers could even integrate tech elements, such as online ordering through in-room televisions or through the hotels website when it pops up on wifi to get the younger crowd involved.
As hotels continue to streamline their operations and maximize their products and take away losses in their portfolio room service is something they should look at as an opportunity to get rid of an expensive product that most people don't use. It would save them time, staff and most importantly money. The opportunity to partner with local business and expose travelers to some local cuisine is also something that can't be overlooked. So...to the New York Hilton Midtown, I say cheers and bring on the grab and go or the delivery food!
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Noooo! I love my room service ;)
ReplyDeleteThink of the business traveler who's been in fifteen cities in the last two months.
My comfort food is to curl up on the bed and eat chicken fingers and a cosmo. Think of it this way--it feels good to eat something in a more "normal" situation. Like vegging out watching TV.