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A hangry guest hankering for a late dinner at a luxury hotel whipped up a discussion about the absurd state of the hospitality industry after receiving a “horrific” room service meal delivered in cheap takeout containers — with a hefty price tag and mandatory tip to boot.
“This is what $110 in ‘room service’ … looks like,” one frequent traveler fumed on Reddit, posting from their quarters at the JW Marriott in Indianapolis.
An accompanying photo shows two mediocre-looking burgers and fries in biodegradable takeout containers, along with two cans of beer.
The uninspired spread rests on a coffee table, along with an array of tiny condiment packets, looking more like a cheap UberEats delivery than a five star spread.
“Hotels really need to either bring room service back or stop calling delivery room service,” Redditor @JakeRM1 roared, noting that a 22% tip and $5 delivery charge had already been added. “It’s deceptive, and for what is supposed to be a premium brand, horrific.”
The P.O.’d poster attracted the attention of View From The Wing, a popular industry blog, where travel expert Gary Leff discussed the decline of an amenity that used to be standard at higher-end hostelries.
“Proper room service is dying and that’s horrible,” Leff said. “Hotels have been cutting back on amenities across the board, including basics like housekeeping, so it doesn’t surprise at all the room service gets degraded or eliminated.”
“But then what’s the difference between a hotel and an Airbnb, besides cleaning fees?” he mused.
Other frequent travelers were quick to jump into the fray, with many expressing their own frustrations about the trend away from luxury amenities in recent years.
“Not surprised, the room service at JW Marriott in Vegas was just as bad,” one Redditor responded to the original poster on the Marriott subreddit. “I’ve gotten better food at a school cafeteria, but they’re still making profits so why would they change it!”
“I’ve experienced this ‘room service’ in every Marriott property I’ve stayed in since COVID and now flat out refuse to order room service at any of their properties,” another complained.
“My favorite are the properties who have signs saying they’ve removed the single use plastic toiletries for environmental purposes, but then show up at your door with room service packed in a plethora of single use plastic. I absolutely concur that this practice of take out disguised as room service needs to end,” they continued.
“This is some hospital to go order bulls–t,” an onlooker piled on.
The displeased diner later updated the discussion, saying a manager had showed “empathy” after hearing his complaint — offering a 50% discount on the obscenely expensive takeout order.
The peeved patty eater also delivered his final review of the meal, saying that the food “sucked,” that the burgers, ordered medium, were delivered well done, and the fries were soggy. Both orders were reportedly missing items requested.
Another bizarre room service episode went viral earlier after two guests at The Plaza hotel in NYC ordered a special “Home Alone”-themed ice cream sundae — only to be horrified by the $500 bill.
Amira Harvey, an LA-based musician and content creator, and influencer Jenna Sinatra reported being able to barely make a dent in the 16-scoop tower, served with a host of fixings and sauces.
“I haven’t even seen the movie,” Sinatra admitted to her followers.
