Research shows that the average cost of a room service meal for one guest at a London hotel is £35.68, when taking into account service and delivery charges.
A basic room service meal, consisting of a club sandwich, chips and a soft drink already averages out to a staggering £27.90 for one person, but the addition of an average discretionary service charge of 12.5% plus a typical delivery charge of £4.30 rounds up the price even further.
A further price breakdown reveals that a club sandwich alone will cost guests £18.10 on average, with chips priced at £5.60 and a Coke costing £4.20.
When looking at specific hotels, the research reveals that a single club sandwich at The Savoy near Covent Garden will cost guests £27. Even Holiday Inn – typically a more affordable hotel – lists a club sandwich at £11.50, while their tray charge of £5 matches that of The Savoy, a five-star establishment.
While the average discretionary service charge across London hotels was found to be 12.5%, it rose as high as 15% at ME London, another five-star hotel near Covent Garden.
At Mandarin Oriental and The Dorchester a bottle of beer will cost customers as much as £9, though a stay at the four-star Grand Royale sees a more affordable price of £3.70 per bottle.
The most expensive wine can be found at The Dorchester, where £59 will be enough for guests to enjoy a bottle of red, while a glass will cost them £15.
Fabienne O’Neill, Co-founder of Cuckooz, who conducted the survey, said: “The problem is that hotel guests find themselves as somewhat of a captive audience, vulnerable to mark-ups.
“Even establishments that are generally seen as mid-range and more affordable, such as Holiday Inn, can seemingly charge whatever they like due to their London location.
“Of course, service charges are optional, but even if a guest refrains from including this cost, hotels effectively make up for this with pricey delivery charges.
These days, surely a worthy alternative is the option of staying in a serviced apartment with great amenities on your doorstep such as one of the independent restaurants we recommend in our local area guides, or apps like Deliveroo just a click away.”
London – Hotel Sample (average prices)
Bottle of Red Wine – £35.83
Glass of Red Wine – £9.93
Bottle of White Wine – £36.03
Glass of White Wine – £9.73
Beer (bottle) – £6.25
Soft drink (Coke) – £4.20
Chips/Fries – £5.60
Club Sandwich – £18.10
Service charges
Delivery/tray charge – £4.30
Discretionary service charge – 12.5%
Meal for one – average prices
Club Sandwich – £18.10
Chips / Fries – £5.60
Soft drink – £4.20
Service charge – £3.49
Delivery/tray charge – £4.30
Total – £35.68
