Buy online and have it shipped to your hotel. Even with the FedEx fee, it'll be cheaper than 44% service charge.

If I am extremely tired... say coming in from a long meeting where the last thing I want to do is sit in a restaurant and worse, have to mingle with coworkers, I would pay the room's rate to get room service.

Aaahh privacy.

That's great.....and if you were paying out of your own pocket?

While I do believe that a 44% mark-up in fees and gratuity is outrageous, I generally don't mind paying a little extra to make my stay more enjoyable. Sure, you could bring your own wine from home, but then what'll you do about a corkscrew, glasses, ice bucket, etc?? If what you're after is to have a nice, romantic setting waiting for you when you arrive, SPLURGE! Who knows - the concierge may spice up your room knowing that you're trying to plan a romantic eve with your man. Sometimes, it's not about the cost. ;)

I usually hate room service, as the room stinks of food afterwards, but last time I was in DTW, I ordered and it was $30 for a simple dinner :eek:

Oh you mean if I don't want to deal with the wife while on vacation? Well in that case, I have a bigger problem than the room service rates. :p

Room service is a RIP off period.

I was staying at the Westin St. Francis for vincom a few months ago, and was looking at the prices. The chocolate chip cookies were $10. Plus I think about 35% in fees, and $5 delivery charge. The net is that things cost at least 3x what they would normally. The mini-bar was similar, $5 for a candy bar plus a 30% restocking fee, I mean, ...! (and the damn thing was automatic, so if you touched anything you got charged for it...)

Even more ridiculous, they have a card detailing the phone charges. They showed an example 6 minute call to japan costing approximately $90.

I know they're trying to nail the corporoate people who don't care about money, but if I was running a business and got charges like that, I'd probably ban the hotel from the travel policy.

Asked them about having it delivered to the hotel - they still charge the fees. How they figure the price to calculate the fees from I'm still not sure!

Yes. But often they have to set up the table in the room and there is some "sevice" involved.