The No. 1 Trick For Ordering Better Chicken Wings From Hotel Room Service

If you're a frequent traveler, then there's no doubt you've come to expect the luxurious room service treatment. There's just something special about those silver-domed platters brought to you in bed that makes all the other stresses of travel fade away.

Room service's luxurious origins lie with one of the most famously indulgent hospitality establishments in the world — the Waldorf Astoria. Tailwind points out that the Waldorf Astoria was well known for its fine dining and lodgings, but offering meals delivered directly to its rooms also helped it cater to politicians and celebrities who preferred dining in solitude.

According to Phocuswright, more than two-thirds of travelers still make use of room service whenever they travel. MarketWatch claims that new food and grocery delivery apps may encroach on this territory, but for now, the hotel room service is alive and kicking.

That doesn't mean that short-staffed hotels aren't finding ways to cut back on their in-house dining experiences though. One area that may suffer is the room service, so if you catch yourself craving some late-night wings, it's best to know this simple trick.

Not all travelers are going to choose room service for their chicken wing cravings. Most cities have great wing options at their myriad sports bars and taverns. In fact, no one could blame you for traveling far and wide just to experience some of the best wings in the U.S. Unfortunately, many of us are slaves to our cravings, and might not always want to leave our room at the end of a long day.

That's where room service comes in. Mental Floss claims that not all hotel wings are created equal, however. It's a toss-up whether or not the wings they have on hand are fresh, frozen cooked, or frozen raw.

Cook the Story says that many prepackaged and frozen wings will have ice residue clinging to them, and will definitely take some time to thaw slightly before being cooked. If those wings are frozen raw though, and the cook working the late shift isn't paying attention, you may end up with partially or unevenly cooked wings being brought to your hotel door.

Mental Floss says that's why you should always order wings "extra crispy." That way, no matter what state your wings start in they'll definitely be cooked through completely.

There are plenty of items to order from room service, but not all of them are going to be equally good. Mental Floss adds that not all foods travel well (even if it's just up a few floors), and those fancy silver lids can also trap heat and steam that can ruin certain foods. Reader's Digest points out that waffles are a great example of a food that doesn't hold up well under the lid's steam trap. Instead of being springy and crisp, it's more likely that you'll be eating a soggy, cakey mess instead.

Another great tip to make the most of room service is to ask for any sauces or dressings on the side. This obviously helps alleviate the chef's error of dousing food in a sauce, but it also ensures that your food isn't going to be sopping up all of that sauce during a long elevator ride. Instead, it's best to just keep it simple and go with a classic like a club sandwich that will likely already be on most menus anyway.