Diet water, melted ice cream, blowfish among top 10 most unusual room service requests: Report

Despite the popularity of food service apps, 75 per cent of hotels surveyed said that room service demand has stayed the same or increased over the past year. The top key findings include:

The weird side of room service

According to Hotels.com, burgers are the most popular room service order not just in the U.S. but also globally, beating out pizza, club sandwiches, tacos and fries.

• Hotels revealed their most unusual guest requests including "diet" water, melted ice cream, blowfish and a raw fish caught by a traveller who wanted it cooked to order.

• Top properties are pushing the boundaries of room service to go beyond food, offering in-room concerts, breakfasts delivered by canoe and even robot-operated room service.

Burgers in bed

• Globally, burgers are the most popular item (40 per cent) and are most likely to stay on the menu year-round, ranging from the most classic staple all the way up to a 24K gold brioche bun burger with a $1600 USD price tag.

• Food orders are also evolving year over year with vegetarian and vegan requests increasingly more popular than keto, dairy-free or gluten-free orders at 42 per cent and 33 per cent respectively, for travellers who prefer to opt for a mouth-watering non-beef patty alternative.

To dine in or out

• Almost half of travellers tend to choose restaurant service over room service for celebrations like birthdays and anniversaries and tend to order fancier dishes when dining out.

• The report found the most popular time for Canadian in-room diners is bright and early, between 7-10 a.m. for breakfast, though when asked about hotel etiquette, hotels prefer guests not answer the door for room service while naked.

• Over half of respondents (52 per cent) plan to keep offerings the same or expand room service menus and hours in the next year to meet the growing demand.

Revelling in room service

• Hotels revealed a third of their guests (30 per cent) will go all-out while ordering in, spending on average, over $100 on a single room service order.

• More than half (54 per cent) of hotels said guests travelling for business tend to order more room service compared to leisure travellers.

• Canadian hotels said champagne or sparkling wine is the most expensive item on their room service menus.

"Room service holds a special place in the hearts of hotel guests," says Melanie Fish, spokesperson for Hotels.com. "Whether it's a treat-yourself moment or a must-have after a long day of sightseeing. A tip for Hotels.com gold and silver rewards members – you can find VIP properties where food and beverage credit is always on the menu in the app."

Notes to the Editor:

The top 10 most unusual room service requests:

1. Diet water

2. Melted ice cream

3. Blowfish

4. Boiled bottled water

5. A raw fish that the guest brought with them to cook

6. Cockle popcorn

7. No-egg-white omelet

8. Rice bowl for dogs

9. Bison

10. Eggless eggs in hell (shakshuka)

Top hotels on the Hotels.com app with out-of-the-ordinary room service experiences:

• The Milestone Hotel in London, U.K. – It's not just burgers you can order to your room. For a completely personal and unique experience, treat yourself to an in-room concert from the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Suites from $1,500 per night and orchestra quoted on an individual basis.

• Hotel Monville in Montreal, Canada – This modern hotel is the first of its kind in Canada to offer robot-operated room service. Completely contact free, guests can expect a smartphone notification when their meals have been delivered to your door. Rooms from $297 per night.

• Merrill House in Prince Edward County, Canada– Dreaming of a picnic in the English countryside? This Prince Edward County hotel arranges it all, from the gourmet eats, cozy blanket and sparkling wine or champagne, to make your afternoon even more memorable. Rooms available from $495 nightly.

• 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! Let the drooling commence. Rooms from $719 per night.

• Ashford Castle in Co. Mayo, Ireland – Room service isn't just for grown-ups at Ashford Castle. Guests can request a Lego butler where younger travellers can pick from a selection of sets, and the butler will deliver it on a silver tray to your room. Rooms from $1,172 per night with a €40 local currency fee for the Lego butler.

• Park Lane New York in New York City, U.S. – What's better than on-demand caviar on Billionaire's Row in the city? Dial "5" to make a request on the hotel's Caviar Hotline. Rooms from $508 per night, and caviar pricing varies.

• InterContinental Bora Bora Resort and Thalasso Spa in Bora Bora, French Polynesia – Here, it's not just about what is being delivered to your door … it's about how it's being delivered. You can request an exquisite meal for two to be delivered to the deck of your overwater villa in a traditional outrigger canoe. Villas from $1,914 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 a whopping 16 scoops of ice cream and layers of toppings for $300. Rooms from $1,097 per night.

• DogHouse Columbus Hotel in Columbus, U.S. – This dual-purpose brewery and hotel features in-room beer taps and a mini fridge in the bathroom stocked with "shower beer." Rooms from $259 per night.

Methodology: This survey was conducted online from April 5-23, 2023, among 473 hotels in the U.S., U.K., France, Canada, Mexico, South Korea, Japan, Norway, Sweden and Denmark, amongst hotels currently offering in-room dining.