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Old May 4, 2012 | 10:36 pm
  #1  
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Smile Bad Room Service Experience

Hello Followers

I just had the worst room service experience ever, cold food, waiter not smiling, waited 40 minutes for my food (order was not complete). I travel quite often and am sick and tired of the standard food and service provided by all hotels.

Imagine you had a chance to change the "room service menu" that most hotels offer (whilst staying realistic ...).

What type of room service food would you want to have? / What would "WOW you as an in-room diner?

Recall a recent example whereby a hotel in-room dinign experience exceeded your expectations!!!

I look forward to your stories.
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Old May 5, 2012 | 6:12 am
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Originally Posted by yallah
What would "WOW you as an in-room diner?
Your post reads like a marketing survey. However, I'll bite. You know what would wow me? Not being charged an inflated price+delivery fee+taxes+in room dining surchage+gratuity, which can turn eggs and bacon into $30 or more.
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Old May 5, 2012 | 6:33 am
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Thumbs down

I'll tell you for $100.
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Old May 5, 2012 | 7:03 am
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decent chefs hate room service. when the weather gets bad, half the hotel orders burgers or equal at 12:30.

particularly at conference hotels set up that breakfast bar, with eggs prepared to order, to avoid the 500 orders at 7am for breakfast. they hire freelance cooks fot the egg frying.

my complaint with room service is with the hotels that do not pick up the dirty dishes until the night shift. the halls stink of bacon and eggs.
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Old May 5, 2012 | 8:00 am
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I would make the menu prices not confiscatory.
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Old May 5, 2012 | 11:00 pm
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Never liked room service, such a lazy thing that has always been the fancy of over-excited teens. If someone want food they should move their fat behind and do it the proper way.
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Old May 6, 2012 | 7:16 am
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thanks much appreciated
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Old May 7, 2012 | 10:35 am
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I travel a lot and stayed in many places but not a bad experience yet.
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Old May 7, 2012 | 11:31 am
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Pricing would be the thing that stands out most to me. There is really no reason that the same pasta dish on room service should cost double what it does in the restaurant.

I like dining out, I normally do so. However if I am feeling under the weather, why on earth would I go and sit sneezing over everyone in the reastaurant? Or if I am working, it makes more sense to order food in, than to go out for an hour or more. People with young children find it useful, as do those who travel with pets (even service animals).

I'd like to see price points closer to delivery food prices - after all, it is pretty much the same thing, with an elevator replacing the car for delivery purposes. I don't mind a delivery charge, but doing things like delivery charge + 22% gratuity + convenience charge on top of already inflated prices, annoys me.

The one that REALLY bugs me tho, is hotels who have taken coffee / tea making facilities out of the room, and have you 'call down' for it.
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Old May 7, 2012 | 2:07 pm
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Originally Posted by lancebanyon
Your post reads like a marketing survey. However, I'll bite. You know what would wow me? Not being charged an inflated price+delivery fee+taxes+in room dining surchage+gratuity, which can turn eggs and bacon into $30 or more.
Quite a few luxury all-inclusive hotels in the Caribbean include in-room dining in the all-inclusive rate.

Last edited by am1996; May 8, 2012 at 12:27 pm
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Old May 7, 2012 | 10:06 pm
  #11  
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Price aside, most room service is blah. I order it maybe twice a year. When you figure, conservatively, it is going to be at least 15 minutes from the time the food leaves the kitchen until you start eating, not too much is going to hold up. Pancakes? Mushy. Waffles? Soggy. Omelet? Probably OK from the warmer. Hash Browns? Soggy. Hamburger? Getting cold, and the bun is soggy. Fries? Limper than you after the excitement of a room service dinner. Salad? Probably just fine. Same with cold sandwiches. They probably can also serve a decent piece of cake, if the restaurant has a decent piece of cake.
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Old May 8, 2012 | 9:31 am
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Originally Posted by Eastbay1K
Price aside, most room service is blah. I order it maybe twice a year. When you figure, conservatively, it is going to be at least 15 minutes from the time the food leaves the kitchen until you start eating, not too much is going to hold up. Pancakes? Mushy. Waffles? Soggy. Omelet? Probably OK from the warmer. Hash Browns? Soggy. Hamburger? Getting cold, and the bun is soggy. Fries? Limper than you after the excitement of a room service dinner. Salad? Probably just fine. Same with cold sandwiches. They probably can also serve a decent piece of cake, if the restaurant has a decent piece of cake.
Some of the best french fries I've had were room service! I loved the mini bottles of ketchup and mayo that came with them too - but the fries were really hot, fresh and delicious! I had to stop myself ordering seconds!!!
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Old May 8, 2012 | 3:38 pm
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I really don't expect to be "wowed" by room service. Like others, I'd like to see pricing on par with the hotel restaurant, minus the ridiculous gross-up for "delivery". Isn't that what I'm tipping for?

I want my food in a timely fashion and I want the order to be correct. That's really it. Oh, and hot (or cold), as appropriate. I don't have high expectations when I order, but I want a decent burger or club sandwich or pizza. And if the hotel can't do it right, then subcontract it out to a local sandwich/pizza joint that can. Or, better yet, give me a directory (like Seamless Web) where I can place orders from folks in the area who deliver to the hotel.

Last edited by dchristiva; May 15, 2012 at 1:30 pm
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Old May 15, 2012 | 1:13 pm
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I haven't had a bad room service experience, but I rarely order it (and when I have it's been at 5-star hotels). The exception is when I go on vacation, before I meet up with my tour group. I travel by myself, so I'd rather read a book in my room while I eat than sit by myself in a restaurant.

Pricing is my main deterrent to ordering it otherwise.
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Old May 16, 2012 | 4:48 am
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Hello Emma, thank you for your reply, I appreciate it.
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