Hotel 'Room Service' Demand Increases... Seeking Healthy Meals and Unique Experiences

Hotels.com Survey of Partners in 10 Countries

Preference for Vegan, Vegetarian, and Eco-Friendly Diets
Instagram-Friendly Programs Favored

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, as the trend of enjoying private relaxation during business trips or travels has spread, the demand for room service to enjoy food in hotel rooms has also increased. The consumption tendency focused on 'healthy leisure' for enjoyable health management and the desire for special experiences are also reflected in room service trends.

According to the travel industry on the 10th, a recent survey conducted by the global accommodation booking platform 'Hotels.com' targeting 473 hotels offering room service in 10 countries including South Korea, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Canada, Mexico, Japan, Norway, Sweden, and Denmark found that 75% of partners responded that "demand for room service is stable or increasing."

Narrowing the scope to domestic hotel partners of Hotels.com who participated in the survey, 63% of the responding hotels stated that "room service demand has been steady or increased over the past year." Additionally, 24% of respondents said they "plan to expand room service menus next year."

According to the report containing the survey results, in line with the healthy leisure craze, demand for healthy food in room service has increased. Based on domestic hotels, 29% reported an increase in orders for 'vegan and vegetarian' dishes from guests over the past year. Furthermore, the trend of pursuing healthy and eco-friendly diets has increased by about 75% globally, not just in South Korea.

The 'Instagrammable' concept, meaning worthy of posting on Instagram, is also being reflected in room service. Recently, some domestic hotels have introduced room service options that provide food on terraces or by swimming pools. Hotels worldwide are going beyond simply offering room service food by providing unique experiences such as 'in-room' concerts, champagne bubble baths, and personal LEGO butler experience programs, showcasing distinctive room service offerings.

Meanwhile, it was found that customers on business trips use room service more frequently than leisure travelers. This survey item was particularly notable in the United Kingdom, where 88% of UK hotel respondents said, "Business travelers are the most frequent users of room service." In contrast, in South Korea, the main customer group for room service was 'leisure travelers (84%),' showing a contrast. Among leisure travelers using domestic hotels, 'couple travelers' accounted for the highest proportion at 63%, while 'family travelers' and 'solo travelers' each accounted for 18%.