The New Hotel Essential: Convenient Take-Out Food Services

Hotels are increasingly investing in solutions to meet a simple yet popular demand from travelers: convenient access to take-out food. This trend, accelerated by the pandemic, has become a staple in the hospitality industry as many hotels outside the luxury segment no longer offer traditional room service. Instead, hotels are partnering with mobile dining apps or developing their own to facilitate food delivery to guests’ rooms, lobbies, or even poolside.

Evolving Room Service:

Modern room service has evolved into a more flexible and user-friendly system. Hotels are now creating partnerships with food delivery apps or offering their own platforms to help guests order take-out from both on-site and nearby restaurants. For instance, the Palazzo at the Venetian Resort in Las Vegas has even introduced a dedicated lane for food-delivery drivers, ensuring quick and efficient service.

Innovative Adaptations:

One new hotel chain is adapting its room designs to accommodate the rise in take-out dining. These adaptations include larger trash cans to manage takeout waste effectively. Rick Huffman, CEO of HCW Development, which owns 15 hotels including the Caesars Republic in Scottsdale, Arizona, emphasized the inevitability of these changes. The 265-room Caesars Republic, the first non-casino hotel under the Caesars Entertainment brand in the U.S., offers room service through the Caesars Eats app. This app allows guests to order food from on-site restaurants like Luna by Giada De Laurentiis or nearby eateries after hours.

Guest Preferences:

Guests, like 30-year-old sales manager Tara Little, appreciate the convenience of in-room dining. Tara often orders via Uber Eats, preferring the comfort of eating in her room after a long day. This trend is supported by hotel brands like Hilton, which has partnered with Grubhub to provide delivery options at its Homewood Suites properties. The initiative has been well-received, with over 100,000 orders placed, indicating a significant demand for this service.

Enhanced Guest Experience:

Hilton has tailored its offerings to enhance the guest experience. At Homewood Suites, promotional materials for the Grubhub service are prominently displayed on room keys, in elevators, and through QR codes in rooms. Adam Crocini, Hilton’s senior vice president and global head of food and beverage, highlights that these efforts aim to simplify the dining experience for guests unfamiliar with the area or those preferring to dine in.

Tailored Amenities:

Hilton’s new Tempo brand reflects the importance of takeout trends in its room designs, featuring glass-fronted mini-fridges to remind guests of their leftovers and larger trash cans for takeout containers. While higher-end brands like Conrad or Waldorf Astoria focus on curated dining experiences, mid-range and budget hotels increasingly cater to the convenience of take-out.

Broader Industry Impact:

The partnership trend extends beyond Hilton. Grubhub has also formed alliances with Choice Hotels and Sonesta, accelerating its presence in the hospitality market. Resorts World Las Vegas exemplifies this shift, using the Grubhub app to offer room service from over 40 restaurants on its premises, allowing guests to mix and match orders. This service extends to poolside delivery, enhancing the convenience factor for guests.

Cinthia Pedroza, executive director of food and beverage for Resorts World, notes that breakfast and late-night orders are particularly popular, with guests frequently ordering Starbucks or pizza from Mulberry Street Pizza. For families traveling with children, the flexibility to order familiar favorites like Chipotle bowls can be a significant advantage, as noted by Grubhub’s vice president of campus and hospitality, Rob DelaCruz.

Conclusion:

The integration of easy take-out options has become a critical component of the modern hotel experience, addressing the evolving needs and preferences of travelers. By embracing technology and innovative service models, hotels are enhancing guest satisfaction and adapting to the new landscape of hospitality.