According to The Wall Street Journal, a 40 percent drop in overall in-room beverage and food sales between 2007 and 2016 has prompted the hotel industry to start upping their game in the room service department. Far from the stereotypical cold fries and soggy salads, modern upscale hotels are breathing new life into this part of their business by scrapping their traditional kitchens in favor of delivery options from popular on-premises restaurants. The Beekman hotel in Manhattan, for instance, allows guests to order many room service items directly from the menu of Tom Colicchio's Temple Court restaurant downstairs.
Some hotels have taken options one step further by offering guests the ability to purchase from local eateries and have it delivered to their rooms by a third party. With many companies emerging to fill this need, hotels have found that it is cheaper and easier, in the long run, to simply outsource this part of their guests' experience and let them eat whatever they want.