Hotels. We’ve all been in them.
And some are better than others, that is for sure.
For me, the “hotel” is a pretty big piece of the pie when it comes to traveling. First, it has to be extremely clean. Second, It has to be nice in appearance. If my “home base” isn’t primo when I travel, all bets are off.
Most of the nice hotels offer room service. This really isn’t on my radar at all. I don’t mind walking about a city, looking for a convenient store or restaurant to find what it is I need.
But some people are all about the room service and use it frequently.
A recent study has proven this fact.
Hotels.com recently revealed its annual “Room Service Report.” It found that demand for the popular amenity is on the rise according to 45% of U.S. Hotels.
The report surveyed hotel partners around the world. And those folks revealed what’s “in” when dining in from the trendiest to the most eccentric orders. They also took a look at some of the hotel’s “over-the-top” room service options, like a $1600 burger and a $300 ice cream sundae.
So what did they find?
People are crazy. That’s what they found.
Some of the “requests from guests” included “diet” water, melted ice cream, and blowfish. One guest asked that the kitchen cook a raw fish caught by a fellow traveler. Cooked to order, at that.
Another thing they found is that hamburgers are the most popular item for room service in any hotel. Not only in the United States, but globally. Burgers beat out pizza, club sandwiches, tacos, and french fries.
In fact, they said about 49% of room service orders are for burgers.
I’m rather fond of them myself.
They also reported that over a quarter (27%) of the guests will go all-out while ordering in, spending, on average more than $100 for room service. Lots and lots of hamburgers, apparently.
I can only remember ordering room service once. And I asked for something, not on the menu. I had already walked the neighborhood looking for a store but could not find a single one. The thing I asked for?
Six to eight apples.
They came knocking and brought the apples. Much to my dismay, they were Granny Smiths. I’d rather eat whole lemons than Granny Smiths. But lemons were not available.
Anyway, back to the rest of America.
The ten most unusual room service requests:
1. Diet water
2. Melted ice cream
3. Blowfish
4. Boiled bottled water
5. A cooked fish that the guest brought with them
6. Cockle popcorn
7. No-egg-white omelet
8. Rice bowl for a dog
9. Bison
10. Eggless eggs in hell (shakshuka)
Here, I was stumped by number six. I was guessing that a cockle is a mollusk, as we know from the old, old song.
Crying, Cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh
Alive, alive, oh
Alive, alive, oh
Crying, Cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh
But cockle popcorn? Well, it is basically deep-fried cockles. They “pop” when they hit the hot oil.
As for the rest of the things on the list? Here is my take on things:
All water is diet.
Wait for your ice cream to melt on its own.
Don’t eat blowfish in your hotel room or otherwise.
If you need boiled bottled water, your germaphobia needs attention.
Catching fresh fish? Try a seafood restaurant instead.
Crying, Cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh…
That would be an egg yolk omelet
Rice bowls for dogs. They’d probably rather have steak.
Bison what? Like the whole animal?
If you are eating Eggless Eggs in Hell, I feel sorry for you. Tofu truly is hell.
And if you want over the top? Here are a few hotels for you.
– The Milestone Hotel in London, U.K. – Treat yourself to a world-class musical performance with an in-room concert from the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Suites from $1,500 per night, and orchestra quoted on an individual basis.
– Post Oak Hotel in Houston, U.S. – Why not get a taste of the ultimate hotel burger: The Post Oak Hotel serves “The Black Gold Burger,” which has 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 from $540 per night.
– The Plaza Hotel in New York City, U.S. – This hotel is home to one of the most famous room service orders: the Home Alone sundae, featuring 16 scoops of ice cream and layers of toppings for $300. Rooms from $761 per night.
– Four Seasons in Chicago, U.S. – Here, the Ice Cream Man makes in-room ice cream delivery dreams possible for the young and young-at-heart. Rooms from $570 per night.
So. There you have it.
Sleep tight, my friends.
Best advice when traveling? Don’t let the bed bugs bite.
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“People don’t take trips, trips take people”
— John Steinbeck
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“Climb the mountain so you can see the world, not so the world can see you.
— David McCullough
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“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.”
— Marcel Proust
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Stay and stay well. Call the service for your burger too.
