Diet water, melted ice cream among strangest hotel room service requests
Posted June 6, 2023 2:31 pm.
Last Updated June 6, 2023 2:48 pm.
H2Oh-no.
Diet water, melted ice cream and blowfish rank among the top 10 most unusual room service requests, according to a new report.
Hotels.com published the list after surveying nearly 500 of its hotel partners around the world, including here in Canada.
Despite the popularity of food service apps, the report found that 75 per cent of the hotels say room service demand has stayed the same or increased over the past year.
The top 10 most unusual room service requests:
- Diet water
- Melted ice cream
- Blowfish
- Boiled bottled water
- A raw fish that the guest brought with them to cook
- Cockle popcorn
- No-egg-white omelet
- Rice bowl for dogs
- Bison
- Eggless eggs in hell (shakshuka)
The online survey was conducted from April 5 to April 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.
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 $1,600 USD price tag.
Canadian hotels mentioned for terrific hotel experiences
Canadian hotels, meanwhile, said champagne or sparkling wine is the most expensive item on their room service menus. The report found the most popular time for Canadian in-room diners is early in the day, between 7-10 a.m.
The report by Hotels.com also revealed that almost half of travellers tend to choose restaurant service over room service for celebrations like birthdays and anniversaries.
In terms of “out-of-the-ordinary room service experiences,” two Canadian hotels were mentioned. Montreal’s Hotel Monville was recognized as the first Canadian hotel 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 Picton, Ont. was noted strictly for its beautiful scenic atmosphere, with staff organizing “gourmet eats, cozy blankets and sparkling wine or champagne” upon arrival.
