So you think your request for hotel room service might be a conversation stopper or a little odd? Then see how your requests match up to the frankly eye-opening ones that Hotels.com has recorded in its annual review.
Revealing “Innsights”
Hotels.com has unveiled its annual Hotel Room Innsights Report*, uncovering surprising services and stories from more than 400 partner hotels worldwide. This year's report reveals the astonishing items left behind by guests, wildest room service orders, hidden hotel perks and 'out of this world' services accommodating travelers today.
Melanie Fish, vice president of Global Public Relations at Hotels.com, said: "At Hotels.com we know hotels inside and out – it's in our name. By asking hotels to reveal the secrets behind their most memorable stays, we discovered that these "innsights" have actually inspired services available to guests today."
“From guitar concierges to pet healers, hotels are catering to travelers' unique demands, which may well become the norm.”
Room Service And Beyond
Gone are the days of ordering a classic club sandwich to the room. Hotels.com’s Innsights reveal the most peculiar room service orders and services. The most head-scratching requests include:
- An Evian-filled bathtub so a child can bathe in the purest water
- Customized allergen menu for their pet
- Burnt toast
- A caviar hot dog
- Fresh goat milk
- 4lbs of bananas
- A high five from a team member to ensure their room service request was read
Hotels are adapting to these increasingly odd room service requests. For example, W Osaka has installed a 'Whatever/Whenever' button for guests to order anything, anytime.
At the Hospes Maricel & Spa, Palma de Mallorca, guests can order Beauty Room Service, including facials and high-tech beauty treatments.
Lost And Found
The report shows the most common forgotten items are dirty laundry, device chargers and makeup and toiletries, but this year's Innsights reveal a new list of forgotten items not for the faint-hearted.
The priciest: Hotel staff found a Rolex, Birkin bag, and a $6 million watch.
Pet peeves: A chick and pet lizard were found (and returned) after their owner checked out.
Essentials only: Guests forgot two full-leg casts and 10% of hotels reported that guests left behind their dentures.
Other unusual items to be left behind included a rice cooker, a car tire, a blender and construction pipes.
However, hotels are adapting to help forgetful guests. Leave your toiletries at home at the Viceroy Riviera Maya, which has a soap concierge. The Kimpton Vero Beach Hotel allows travelers to browse and borrow accessories like sunglasses and handbags from retailer Anthropologie through its "Forgot it? We've got it!" program.
Despite efforts like 'lost and found' boxes, some hotel staff have gone to the extreme to reunite guests with their possessions.
One hotel hero drove 100 miles to return a passport, another ran several blocks to deliver items before a cruise ship departed, and another took a shopping trip to replace a lost teddy bear for a young traveler and included a book detailing the bear's adventures.
Hotel Perks
Hotels.com has also peeked behind the front desk at the extraordinary hotel perks you never knew existed and how to make the most of your stay.
Stroll through a 400-year-old Japanese garden at Hotel New Otani Tokyo The Main.
The Four Seasons Hotel Austin provides an in-room guitar concierge for guests who want to strum on a premium guitar.
The Sentinel Hotel in Portland offers Very Important Pets services, including access to top groomers and a pet acupuncturist for stressed pets.
Take a private guided tour of the British Museum at The Montague on the Gardens in London.
Or savour a personalized wine-tasting experience in the cellar of Villa Gallici Hôtel & Spa.
Andy Probert is an independent PR writer and journalist who writes about travel experiences, airlines, airports, new tech and business. His work has appeared on the BBC, in The Daily Mail, the Daily Telegraph, The Sun, Daily Mirror, as well as many newspapers/magazines globally.
