Indulge in 24-hour in-room dining and extensive meal-delivery options at these retreats.
For many seasoned travelers, room service used to be a last resort when hunger set in. Maybe you were too tired to explore after a long day of sightseeing, or you just wanted a late-night snack. You didn’t have high expectations, and many options were limited and lackluster. But these days, as hotels keep coming up with innovative ways to beat the competition, room service options are getting an upgrade. Here’s a look at 12 hotels across the country where the room service is as sophisticated and creative as top-rated restaurants.
MGM National HarborOxon Hill, Maryland
James Beard Award-winning chef Marcus Samuelsson is debuting his first in-room dining program at the new MGM National Harbor hotel just miles from the nation’s capital. Order Sammy’s Chicken and Waffle, with pickles, chili sauce and barrel-aged maple syrup, or try Uncle T’s Grilled Salmon, with honey and a cauliflower puree to tickle your taste buds. And forget about a boring Cobb salad. Robb’s Cobb Salad includes mash potatoes, collards and gravy, as does the traditional grilled cheese sandwich. The Sam’s Grilled Cheese is on garlic toast and includes a sunny side up egg and Berbere cheese sauce. With food like that delivered to your room, why go out?
(Courtesy Shannon Finney, www.shannonfinneyphotography.com)
Waldorf Astoria OrlandoOrlando, Florida
There’s a lot more going on in Orlando than seeing Mickey Mouse. Guests at the Waldorf Astoria Orlando can enjoy the cuisine of the upscale Bull & Bear restaurant from the comfort of their suite. Feast on high-quality grade meats and other gourmet selections, prepared to perfection without leaving your room. It may be tough to decide between a 36-ounce, a 28-day, dry-aged Tomahawk rib-eye, a pan-roasted Dover sole or any number of decadent room service delights. You can choose an exclusive multicourse menu, treat yourself to homemade chocolates and handcrafted cocktails or even a wine pairing presentation.
(Courtesy Shannon Finney, www.shannonfinneyphotography.com)
Stowe Mountain Lodge, A Destination ResortStowe, Vermont
Stowe offers plenty of enticements for foodies. But you don’t have to wander around town for good eats thanks to the well-appointed kitchens in the suites at the Stowe Mountain Lodge. When you order room service, a chef comes to your room to prepare a tasting menu that includes five courses: a salad, two hot appetizers, an entree and a shared dessert. And with dishes such as pork belly, Caesar salad, papaya poached shrimp, roasted garlic and white wine roasted mussels and bourbon soufflé topped with vanilla butterscotch, you may be tempted to stay in your room.
(AP Photo/Toby Talbot, File)
AKA Beverly HillsBeverly Hills, California
It’s not surprising to find over-the-top luxury room service in this ZIP code. Master chef Wolfgang Puck of Spago restaurant fame is pulling out the stops with a new summer menu featuring entrees such as Steamed Atlantic Salmon, prepared with stir-fry bok choy and jasmine rice, Another option: a selection of pizzas from their wood-burning oven. After taking in Canon Drive and all its culture, shopping and people-watching, head back to AKA for a great meal, without having to worry about reservations or the crowds.
(AP Photo/Toby Talbot, File)
The Maritime HotelNew York City
Celebrity chef Mario Batali isn’t sitting on the sidelines watching the industry’s in-room dining renaissance. While not all the sophisticated dishes in the recently opened La Sirena restaurant are available, there’s plenty to keep you satisfied. For example, you won’t find flapjacks for breakfast, but rather amaretti mascarpone pancakes with maple syrup and whipped butter. Or go for homemade granola with goat milk yogurt. Standard burgers are passe. Instead, delight your taste buds with the Spaniard, a dry-aged sirloin hamburger, pan con tomato bun, manchego, jamon serrano and patatas bravas. The nautically themed hotel, with its signature porthole windows and hip atmosphere, up the cool factor with in-room cuisine.
(Getty Images/iStockphoto/loopdesign)
Getty Images/iStockphoto/loopdesign
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Sanctuary Camelback Mountain Resort & SpaScottsdale, Arizona
Renowned for its dining scene helmed by Food Network celebrity chef Beau MacMillan, the resort’s room service menu offers guests versatile dining choices. For breakfast, consider fueling up with sweet potato and duck confit hash, with asparagus, roasted mushrooms, caramelized basil butter and poached eggs. Other standout items include escargot potpie and lobster mac and cheese. Better yet, you can pair your meal with a top-tier bottle of wine on your private patio.
(Getty Images/iStockphoto/loopdesign)
Taj BostonBoston
This Boston hotel is renowned for its wood-burning fireplaces. To enhance the guest experience, the Taj Boston offers The Firewood Dining Menu, which includes a choice of wood for the fire — fragrant and slow-burning cherry, slow-burning oak to create a cozy and comforting ambiance or maple to encapsulate the essence of a New England winter. A fireplace butler comes to lay and set the fire. Complement the warm flames with a collection of fireside cocktails, from a bottle of Perrier-Jouet Champagne, a hot chocolate or a hot toddy featuring honey from the hotel’s rooftop hives. Craving more? Sample decadent desserts such as toasted s’mores or caramel chocolate bread pudding.
(Getty Images/iStockphoto/loopdesign)
W Washington D.C.Washington, District of Columbia
In-the-know travelers retreat to the Jon Burrows suite to order off the secret Elvis-themed menu. In 1970, Elvis flew to the district to request a meeting with President Nixon to ask to be designated as a “Federal Agent at Large.” He stayed at what was then the Hotel Washington in suite 506 under the name Jon Burrows. Today, the suite is one of the hotel’s most requested rooms. Guests staying in the suite can order hits such as “Love Me Tender” — grilled beef tenderloin, mashed potatoes and collard greens in a black truffle sauce — and “Big Hunk Of Love,” — a plate of buttermilk fried chicken, cornbread and corn on the cob.
(AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
AP Photo/Charles Dharapak
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The SurreyNew York City
You don’t have to be a foodie for the name Daniel Boulud to ring a bell. Boulud’s culinary empire, beginning with the world-famous Boulud represents the pinnacle of French fine dining. The Surrey has its very own Boulud eatery, Michelin-starred Cafe Boulud, on-site. But should you feel like staying in, fret not: Boulud has your room service needs covered, 24/7. Dying for some foie gras at 2 a.m.? Maybe a dry-aged strip? Crème brulee? No problem. You just have to pick up the phone to delight in his culinary creations.
(AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
Thompson ChicagoChicago
The Thompson Chicago is tossing aside tradition by offering round-the-clock meal-delivery service. You’ll have the luxury of getting goodies from Nico Osteria, helmed by James Beard-lauded chefs Paul Kahan and Erling Wu-Bower. No matter the hour, you can feast on the seafood-inspired Italian menu, filled with items prepared with ingredients sourced from local Midwestern farmers and the city’s Green City Market. What’s more, Thompson trained their in-room dining staff with restaurant service training, so expect first-rate service.
(AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
LaPlaya Beach & Golf Resort, A Noble House ResortNaples, Florida
When you’ve had your fill of sun and sand, golf on the Bob Cupp-designed course and get some pampering at SpaTerre, head for your suite. LaPlaya Beach & Golf Resort, A Noble House Resort touts its “Hi Honey … I’m Home” in-room amenity. What’s on the menu? Natural comb honey, honey and herb-cured salmon with chive butter black bread and fried capers, crunchy deviled eggs with honey braised crispy pork belly and crumbled beef jerky with honey and hot sauce on a crispy rice cake. If you have a sweet tooth, try the key lime coconut macaroons with lavender honey crystals.
(AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
Kimpton Donovan HotelWashington, District of Columbia
Sushi lovers take note: You don’t have to leave your room to enjoy signature Japanese dishes from Osaka-born executive chef Yo Matsuzaki and executive sushi chef Lin ZhenQun. Crowd-pleasing dishes include escolar crudo, hamachi maki and nigiri and sashimi platters. Matsuzaki trained to make sushi in Tokyo for three years. He uses only Shiragiku vinegar for his rice that adds better flavor and uses less pressure on the rice to keep air between the rice kernels, allowing them to be softer in texture. What’s more, his fish is sourced directly from Tokyo’s Tsukiji Market to ensure top-grade fish.
((Courtesy Kimpton Hotels))
