Where Is The Most Expensive Room Service In America?

The fact that ordering room service will make for a costly meal is nothing new. But a less-known fact is just how much the average room service price can fluctuate depending on the location of the hotel. A report conducted by TripAdvisor reveals the most and least expensive cities for room service, and the results might surprise you.

New York City, often perceived to be one of the most expensive places in America for a night in a hotel, is actually not even in the top three when it comes to the average cost of room service. In fact, hotels in New York City had the lowest average price on one particular minibar item: peanuts. Though peanuts might not be the top item in mind for most hotel guests, if staying in New York, this might be the best choice. A closer look at the statistics reveals that if guests at a New York hotel are craving a club sandwich, they'll have to shell out an average of $21.75 — the second-highest price in America.

But while New York might be costly for some room service items, other cities keep a high price on all services. In TripAdvisor's report, the average cost of six room service items were considered: a club sandwich, a bottle of water, a miniature vodka bottle, peanuts, a can of soda, and dry-cleaning service of one shirt.

Topping the list is Honolulu, Hawaii, where the average price on almost all separate items, as well as the total average of $64.90, is the highest in the country. Las Vegas is ranked second, with an average price only marginally lower than in Honolulu: $64.42. In Las Vegas, the average price of a minibar vodka bottle, $19.33, is also noticeably the most expensive in the country.

So where can one find the most affordable room service? The answer to this question seems to be Denver. In Denver, the average total cost falls to $40.46, with the cheapest vodka of $7.50 and a water bottle for $3.60. Dallas is another of the more affordable destinations for room service, offering the cheapest average club sandwich in the U.S, for the price of $11.80.

The TripIndex™ room service report was conducted by comparing prices from the top 10 four-star hotels in a city. The average cost was then taken from three to five of these hotels between Jan. 21 and Feb, 5, 2013.