Asian hotels improve room service to cater to a variety of luxury needs
Room service is a dying art in the US, but Asian hotels are keeping it alive. Gillian Rhys picks the most innovative ideas from the region
Despite some hotels in the US giving room service the chop, it seems that in Asia, rumours of its death have been greatly exaggerated. While the industry claims it's tricky for hotels to make money from it - a concept that is hard to understand, given the hefty prices charged - in Asia room service seems to be flourishing.
Most five-star hotel chains in Asia offer extensive menus for room service, or the more elegantly termed "in-room dining". The best include local cuisine alongside international crowd pleasers. Vegetarian and children's menus are commonplace in top hotels.
Hotels are also striving to stand out through quirky means. Some are using hi-tech ordering systems, such as at The Peninsula Hong Kong, where guests make food and drink requests using a tablet.
Others have gone lo-tech: the Four Seasons Tented Camp in Chiang Rai, Thailand, delivers meals on a motorised tuk-tuk with picnic baskets.
Guests returning to their rooms at the Hangzhou Four Seasons at the end of an evening will find a Movie Menu propped up on their pillow. The film-friendly choices verge on the sophisticated: mini wagyu burgers, dark and white chocolate profiteroles and a trio of ice creams, and, of course, buttered popcorn.
The Four Seasons group also offers a select express menu that is delivered within 15 minutes, while The Peninsula hotels have healthy options with their Naturally Peninsula dishes.