peter11

Perhaps I am just being cheap, but I am willing to spend good money for a nice room in a great city, but I am finding hotel room service prices insane. Yes, a room can easily be $600, $800, or even $1,200 per night but I choke when I see a $26 burger (plus tax, service, and delivery charge) on the room service menu.

Using room service is one of the great luxuries of staying in a nice hotel. I do understand that the cost structure of room service is different than a typical restaurant. However, I am wondering how other guests at hotels react to room service prices. As prices are raised do the number of orders go down significantly? For me they do. My limit for a burger is probably around $18. That is leaving me hungry in a lot of the better hotels these days.

Perhaps an index might be vaguely interesting?

Intercontinental Hong Kong USD$ 26 ++
Four Seasons Bora Bora USD $33 ++ (2700 xpf)
42 dollars at Grand Hyatt Kauai
38 dollars at Fairmont Orchid
London in NYC. 26.00
75 USD for a basic burger at the Burj al Arab

What's your limit and what do they charge at your favorite hotels?

BENLEE

Generally, all 5-star hotel in-room dinning prices are expensive, just like their restaurants. It's an industry practise. So whether I am willing to pay for it or not depends on the situation at that time. If I'm doing some work at the hotel or when just plain lazy / tired to go out, I'll just order room service. The time save and conveniece makes it worth it for me. Otherwise, I usually eat out.

luxury

I agree with the OP -- about $18 for a burger is my limit. What annoys me even more than the borderline extortionate prices is the hotel then charges a delivery fee and the mandatory 18% or so gratuity on the entire order, including the delivery fee.

RichardInSF

I think, like luxury, the extra charges almost bother me more than the menu price. I've seen hotels that add THREE extra charges, categorized as gratuity, service charge, and in-room dining fee! (Four, I guess, if there is tax)

In-room minibars where a service charge is added are also annoying -- shouldn't that be paid to me, as I'm the one doing the service?

peter11

When I am starving and its convenient I've paid those crazy prices too. So, I suppose $18 is not my limit. What I am saying is that when on vacation I like to enjoy room service. My enjoyment starts to be less when the price is too disproportionate to the value. So, up to $18 it's not an issue. Above $18 and I start to feel a bit annoyed.

philfna

42 dollars at Grand Hyatt Kauai
38 dollars at Fairmont Orchid

Both highway robbery.

instyleprincess

30 dollars is probably my limit! I'm not a huge room service person anyway

peter11

Hopefully those prices include tax, gratuity, and the delivery fee?

BENLEE

My limit would be USD50 for a burger. But I've actually seen somewhere a burger costing 60 bucks or more. Drinks not included.

obscure2k

Am currently at the London in NYC. Room Service burger is 26.00. OTOH, a bottle of Grey Goose Vodka is $300.00

MikeFromTokyo

How much I might actually be willing to pay for a hamburger from room service would vary from hotel to hotel. The cost of alternatives, how good I perceived the hotel`s food to be, the location of the hotel, among other things would be factors in my decision.

While I understand service charges, especially in countries where tipping is not customary, they bother me when I find them to be excessive.

A bit off topic, but one fee that really bothers me is a high "connection fee" for even a local telephone call. I don`t like being charged $5 for something that must cost the hotel next to nothing.

daniellam

I was at one of the luxury hotels in Paris and called room service to order something that wasn't on the menu (forgot exactly what I ordered, but it was a decent sized salad with lobster and thin slices of truffles) and the bill came to around EUR 36++

This seemed to be a better deal (and tasted better) than the items that were presented on the menu!

Also, when travelling in Asia (including India), I always try to order menu items that are "local specialities" (these tend to cost less [but a lot more than what it costs outside the hotel] than the "American food" counterparts such as "burgers" on the same menu) for room service.

vuittonsofstyle

I never eat burgers, but I guess you cannot compare one with another as surely the price depends upon the quality of the ingredients. A big mac's ingredients are reflected in its price whereas a hamburger at FS George V has foie gras and is made from the best freshly ground beef.

Club sandwiches could be seen as a more universal staple. In the case of George V, I think the standard club was 38 Euro, but if you want the lobster club then that is 68 Euro. But then, the service is so good.......

Ericka

Even a Ruby Tuesday "Triple Prime" is only $11.

Musken

If there is a shop nearby a luxury hotel it happens that we buy drinks and snack there instead of buying the expensive stuff from the minibar. We also do bring bottles of champagne (for me) and gin or whiskey (for my husband) from the tax free shop to take on holiday.

However, if we stay in a luxury hotel we try not to bother too much about the prices and eat what we like in hotel restaurant or room service. I would - to some extent - ruin my holiday experience if I would care too much about this. After all, we could have chosen a cheap hotel (with cheap food), but have chosen not too and the cost of food is small compared to the total spending in that hotel.

The hamburgers I have enjoyed at luxury hotels tend to be really good quality and among the cheapest items at the menu anyway.