New York’s Biggest Hotel Hilton Midtown Gets Rid of Room Service
Has room service become outdated in a city where delivery proves an all night option for hungry hotel guests? The New York Hilton Midtown, Manhattan’s biggest hotel, seems to think so and may pave the way for similar establishments to follow in its decision to get rid of room service as of August 2013.
What will the hotel do to make up for this new lack in service? Herb n’ Kitchen, the pun of an eatery that will function like a cafeteria, is set to satisfy the culinary needs of the New York Hilton Midtown’s guests.
However, some loyal hotel patrons are disappointed with the new option. Many guests at the hotel expect room service upon arrival, especially after a red eye flight or a long day of business meetings. And ordering delivery food to your hotel may feel a bit too strange for people not quite used to New York City living.
Furthermore, the change may cut up to 55 hotel employees, the justification for which lies in the cost of room service to begin with. In other words, hiring staff to keep the service going may outweigh the financial benefit reaped by the hotel.
This is hard to believe when the Hilton Midtown’s menu includes items like scrambled eggs for $22.50 plus an extra $5.50 surcharge for every guest ordering from the menu to their rooms. Having that kind of spending temptation removed from the hotel could prove as a relief to some customers who have a propensity to indulge on trips out of town. But surely the new Herb n’ Kitchen will offer similarly pricey options for those guests who enjoy a good meal splurge.
The decision to eliminate room service from the Hilton Midtown, located between West 53rd and 54th Streets on the heavily-trafficked 6th Avenue, could come from the decreased demand for this luxury opportunity. PKF Hospitality Research, as reported by USA Today, found that room service went from 1.3% of hotel revenue to 1.2% between 2011 and 2012.
Though 28 bucks for scrambled eggs (remember the surcharge) may seem like enough of a reason to say good riddance to the large hotel’s room service, for some, the thrill of getting breakfast delivered straight to your bed gives the hotel stay its very raison d’être. Perhaps the Hilton Midtown will change this tradition for good.
