Service update – the future of in-room dining

Most guests are no longer willing to splurge on a Cobb salad delivered to their room in the middle of the night. At least, that's how it appears. Last June, the New York Hilton Midtown made the controversial move of abolishing room service, with other operators following suit.

Citing decreasing revenue as the primary reason for the discontinuation, the largest hotel in the city has removed the white gloves and stripped down its original offering to a 24-hour mini-market in the lobby's Herb 'n' Kitchen restaurant. Clientele can now use the self-service option for instant gratification at all hours of the day, without having to pay mark-up prices for the privilege.

The Midtown's decision has left onlookers wondering if sector-wide elimination of in-room dining is nigh. But, for Michael Levie, founding partner of citizenM, the announcement came as no surprise. Levie, COO of what he calls a "new breed" of hotels in Amsterdam, London and Glasgow, believes the mindset of an average guest has simply changed over the years. In 2014, people have different needs, and he's not convinced all operators are reacting fast enough to accommodate them.

"People always think you get ripped off with room service. But, with large companies on the verge of cancelling it because it's not profitable, this indicates the volume of use and the service they offer don't necessarily match," he says. "Travellers today try to align the hotel with their personal lifestyle, which is not something a traditional hotel is necessarily in tune with."

Levie reckons it is time for operators to get smart about their offerings and unite their services with the needs of the guest. If they do choose to remove in-room dining to reduce operation costs, it must be replaced with something more relevant.

"If your promise to your guest is very luxurious in nature and then, all of a sudden, at your convenience, you cut something out that is part of their expectation, you need to come up with a very good substitute," he says.

Table for one

Understanding why a consumer might order in-room dining in the first place is not a bad place to start when a hotelier is placing a question mark next to the future of the service. Levie appreciates that, for guests travelling alone, in-room dining can be an attractive option. But, he thinks there are better alternatives that involve actually leaving the bedroom.

A devotee of the 24/7 mini-market the Midtown now presents, citizenM has never offered room service. Levie believes the grab-and-go concept for "on-the-move" travellers is potentially a good replacement, but wants his hotels to represent something a little more insightful.

citizenM places prime importance on their guests feeling at home, and has what Levie refers to as a "multi-suites concept." The hotels have hybrid areas designed to mimic comfortable trendy living rooms where people can eat, relax, work or meet others. There's no wait for food, and no one has to feel uncomfortable about dining alone.

"If we have restaurants where we need to talk to ourselves while it takes two hours to get served then, yeah, give me room service," says Levie. "But if you come down and you end up in an aspirational environment where there is the hustle and bustle, and you can also eat, why would I sit by myself and eat from a tray in the room?"

The chain aligns itself with supplying "affordable luxury" to its clientele. But, Levie is certain luxury no longer means what it used to for the traditional guest. He believes recognising that shift is fundamental to meeting and overcoming a customer's expectations when it comes to a hotel's amenities. It's all well to offer high tea with butler service to a minority, but not if it's at the majority's expense.

"I think luxury used to be the crystal chandelier and the white gloves, but if I open my laptop today and I do not have instant high-speed free Wi-Fi, I get frustrated," he says. "In 2014 life is hectic, and we want to be who we want to be. I think experience and time have become important elements of how we make decisions, and that is the new luxury for me."

Traditional values

But, for Chris Cowdray, CEO of the Dorchester Collection, eliminating in-room dining at one of his properties in Europe or the US would be unthinkable. He places more importance on old-school values than an offering's economic potential.

"It is all part of the experience of staying in a luxury hotel. Guests just see it all as absolutely essential," he says. "People love having breakfast in the morning. If you're staying in a luxury suite in Paris, you're looking out towards the Eiffel Tower and the sun's shining through your window, who wants to get up and go to a hotel dining room for breakfast? I certainly don't."

But Cowdray, who has three decades of hospitality expertise, knows that just because his guests expect the service and the group makes significant revenue from the option, that doesn't mean the portfolio can afford to scrimp on the details. The emphasis remains on providing quality service with enthusiastic staff and excellent food.

At the group's properties such as The Dorchester UK or Hotel Bel-Air, patrons can order room service from award-winning restaurants like Wolfgang Puck, China Tang or Alain Ducasse, and enjoy a superior culinary experience in the comfort of their suite. But, the affair doesn't have to be absolutely prescribed to what's on the menu. Cowdray says the group is always pushing the boundaries to create new experiences.

"Whatever we can do, if a guest at our hotel wants something, we will try, if at all possible, to be able to deliver that," he says. "So, if you've got a balcony, it's a beautiful summer's evening and you want to have a little BBQ out there, we'd do that for you."

Because people stay in his hotels for a variety of different experiences, the properties' staff will try their best to fulfil a guest's desires and provide a personalised service.

"If they want a harpist to come in while they're sitting on the balcony having their room service, we'll arrange that for them," he says.

A unique service

Other groups are also capitalising on the idea of offering something truly memorable. At the Four Seasons Hotel Singapore, for instance, guests can use room service to order a bath butler. The steward will bring a choice of soaks with a snack to match. If a bergamot and palmarosa bath with iced peppermint tea is desired, it can be arranged. Or, if that's not to the client's fancy, a lychee milk and rose petal tub with a serving of chocolate-coated strawberries is a sweet alternative.

And, hotels such as the Harbor Beach Marriott Resort & Spa are even luring their high-end clients with bedside cocktail preparation for a Gatsby-esque experience.

While an imaginative touch is clearly advantageous to room service success, both executives think operators would do well to focus on technology also. Levie wants his Wi-Fi, and Dorchester Collection has taken note.

Cowdray stresses a need for his group to be seen as innovative and not to alienate its increasingly tech-savvy visitors, so the portfolio has replaced traditional paper menus with iPads in some of its properties. Guests can order in-room dining directly from the device that shows high resolution images of the food and beverages on offer.

"The iPad's proving very effective because people can see the dishes. And they don't have to worry about talking to someone on the phone. They know exactly when it's going to be delivered, and we deliver according to that promise," says Cowdray.

And, so far, the group has received little complaint from the guests using the platforms to select their club sandwiches or croissants and coffee. It seems the average visitor is more than comfortable with the technology.

"Even my 87-year-old mother has an iPad," says Cowdray. "Today, the older generation are very familiar with them."

Times are changing, and it is clear hoteliers must take an increasingly pragmatic approach to in-room dining. Whether it is stripping down the service or finding ever-imaginative ways of delivering the privilege, it must always exceed the customer's expectations.

"I think, in the lifestyle hotels, you will see a change very rapidly," says Levie. "The guests might not want room service anymore, but they will look for substitutes, and something that is still inspiring."

"Room service in luxury hotels will always be there. And, like with anything that has a high cost-base, you have to find creative ways of being able to deliver it. That is what being in business is all about," says Cowdray. "But I hope they always keep tomato soup on the menu."