A large New York hotel is doing away with room service. Guests at the Hilton Midtown will no longer be able to order room service starting in August.
According to Crain's, guests at the Hilton will have to go down to the lobby to grab a bite or drink at the self-service cafeteria, Herb n' Kitchen, which just opened.
According to a hotel spokesperson, the 50-year-old hotel which charges more than $200 a night decided to get rid of room service as a reflection of the changing "needs, wants and lifestyle" of customers.
In other words, people weren't ordering room service. In 2012, the service only represented 1.2 percent of the hotel's total revenue which was a decrease from 1.3 percent in 2011. Many blame high room service prices on the decrease.
A plate of three scrambled eggs will cost $22.50 on the Hilton Midtown's room service menu and a Cobb salad goes for $24.75.
In addition to this, guests who order room service are also hit with a five percent service charge and an in-room dining fee of $5.50 per person.
According to NBC, Henry Harteveldt, a travel industry analyst believes that room service has particularly become useless in cities where there is 24-hour dining and take-out services.
He believes that the lobby cafe will help the Hilton "win back some of the business it may be losing to outside establishments."
The Hilton may also be saving money on room service as 50 staff members are expected to lose their jobs. Harteveldt also warned that doing away with room service can hurt the hotel.
"It will be tough for the Hilton to call itself 'full service' without room service, even though it offers many other amenities," Harteveldt told NBC.
"If room service is a requirement to earn a four star rating from independent organizations like AAA, Hilton's move may put [that] rating in jeopardy, unless the hotel can obtain an exemption."
Some aren't too happy with the change. Author Michael Henry, 78, told The New York Times that he enjoys his morning coffee right when he steps out of the shower.
"I think it's dehumanizing the service. It's what I call catering to the lowest common denominator," he said.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
