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Some dishes just hit different when enjoyed in a hotel room, in a hotel robe. This is an ode to the in-room dining heroes that offer the ultimate comfort away from home
You’re a few days into your holiday—days that have been busy with sightseeing, ticking items off your bucket list and eating at the restaurants you booked months in advance. It’s been exhilarating and exciting— but also exhausting. Then, your travel companion turns to you and asks, somewhat sheepishly, “What if we just stay in and order room service tonight?”
Relief washes over you, like waves lapping on the shore at your resort’s private beach. A feeling of giddiness arises—akin to when your parents took you to Blockbuster on a Friday night as a kid (or let you take over Netflix, depending which generation you’re from), knowing what lies ahead is an evening of sitting in your pyjamas with pizza, movies and not a care in the world.
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There’s something about room service that evokes a feeling of comfort and familiarity—a welcome moment of nothing in the midst of everything you’re trying to pack into a few days. Because whether you’re in Paris, Tokyo or Los Angeles, there comes a time on every trip where you hit a wall and all you want, and need, is to get tucked into your big hotel bed and eat a club sandwich.
And although many hotels around the world are upping the ante when it comes to dining, with restaurants helmed by world-renowned chefs, there’s a kind of unexplainable and unconditional love many travellers share for a hotel’s least celebrated menu: the in-room dining menu. But this isn’t just a love letter to room service. It’s a look into the phenomenon of certain “hero” dishes that always manage to hit differently when eaten in the comfort of a hotel room.
The Club Sandwich
First up, the aforementioned club sandwich. This in-room dining staple has been a dependable friend to travellers all over the world for generations. In 1931, The Waldorf Astoria in New York moved into its Park Avenue address and among its luxurious offerings was an intriguing new feature: room service, where guests could order food to their rooms all day and night. On that very first room service menu was—you guessed it—the club sandwich.
The sandwich itself wasn’t new; it had been a stalwart on menus at gentlemen’s clubs and parlours throughout the US for decades. But its place on the Waldorf Astoria’s pioneering room service menu solidified its status as a hotel novelty. Now, it’s become something of a universal truth that a hotel bed is the best—and some would argue, the only—place to enjoy a club sandwich.
The quintessential hotel club sandwich must always be cut into triangles, and often held together by a cocktail toothpick and accompanied by a serve of crunchy French fries. They’re also great when enjoyed by the pool—and it’s worth noting that the poolside menu is another that holds a special place in travellers’ hearts. Few moments evoke that “I’m officially on holiday” feeling like enjoying a bite on a sunbed by the swimming pool, with your skin still slightly damp from taking a dip and the sun shining on your face.
This is a fond memory for many of us who grew up in Asia, spending family holidays in resort destinations such as Phuket, Koh Samui and Bali.
Nasi Goreng and Pad Thai
In this part of the world, we have our own set of beloved dishes that just hit differently when enjoyed at a hotel. Like nasi goreng—which somehow almost always looks the same no matter which hotel you’ve ordered it from.
The flavourful, brownhued rice always comes in a half-dome shape, topped with a picture-perfect fried egg, served with a handful of prawn crackers and skewers of chicken satay.
Pad Thai is another Southeast Asian holiday staple that remains undefeated in this part of the world, best when doused in lime and dried chilli, and enjoyed with a fresh coconut.
The Hotel Cheeseburger
In 2023, Hotels.com published its inaugural Room Service Report and found that globally, 43 per cent of hotels surveyed say that cheeseburgers were the most-ordered in-room dining option.
Unlike the club sandwich, this can be found almost anywhere at any time outside hotels—in fact, wherever you are, it’s guaranteed that there are countless better options when it comes to procuring a good, classic cheeseburger.
But there’s just something about the hotel variety that seems to have a hold on travellers. They’re messy, more often than not bordering on mediocre, and yet so damn good. The patty that always feels a little too big, the melted yellow (plastic) cheese and the perfectly toasted bun that tastes of a blend of butter and char are all the makings of a good time.
Bonus points if it’s served with those tiny jars of sauces that seem to only be available at hotels.
A good ol' spag bol
Another late-night room service go-to is pasta. Often, it’s a mix-and-match situation where you choose a pasta type—there’s always penne, spaghetti and one or two others—and a sauce.
I’m typically a carbonara girly, but I’m not oblivious to the unbridled joy of a hearty spaghetti Bolognese delivered to your room at some ungodly hour of the night. Similar to the hotel cheeseburger, it’s always a deliciously mediocre order that hits all the right spots—especially when it’s served with a couple of thin, perfectly toasted slices of garlic baguette.
Whatever your go-to order is, if there’s one thing we can all agree on it is that in-room dining is more than just a novelty dreamed up by the Waldorf Astoria over 90 years ago.
No matter how incredible a trip is, there’s a comfort to indulging in the foods we love in the privacy of our rooms that answers to a very human need for familiarity. It feels like a warm hug—sometimes even more so than the big, fluffy robe hanging in the wardrobe.
Coco Marett is a writer and editor who grew up between Hong Kong and Melbourne. She currently heads the travel section for Tatler Asia, and manages the Tatler Travel account on Instagram. She is known for her features on unique, under-the-radar properties and destinations. She's also known for her in-depth interviews that paint a refreshingly candid portrait of influential figures across various industries —from artists to political figures, CEOs to celebrity chefs. Follow her on Instagram @cocomarett
