Martini Trolleys, Guitar Deliveries, Caviar Carts: 14 Hotels Turning Room Service Into the Ultimate Friends’ Night In
Bid adieu to that boring ol’ room service club sandwich. Today’s luxury and chic boutique hotels are serving Home Alone style sundae kits. Yes, the exact nostalgic, over-the-top ice cream situation Kevin McCallister built in his bathrobe, can be brought right to your room, alongside caviar carts and martini trolleys. We’re talking on-call mixology masters, bath butlers, and some hotels even send up sunrise breakfast baskets or deliver a guitar to your door so someone can play campfire songs from the comfort of your bed. These setups are made for the travel moments when you’d rather stay in, slip into matching robes, and turn the evening into a grown-up sleepover with champagne, face masks, and a movie playing in the background.
And after a day of touring a new town with friends, sometimes the dreamiest plan is no plan at all. Just everyone piled into the room, relaxing, catching up and letting room service do the entertaining. Bookmark this guide for a vacation with friends hat involves caviar, champagne, celebrity-level skincare and maybe a visit from Santa.
By Pallavi Mehra
Live out your Kevin McCallister dreams at The Plaza in New York City. If you’ve ever wanted to recreate the most iconic scenes from Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, this is your chance. Start with an exciting four-hour private limousine ride around New York City to visit the film’s famous locations like Rockefeller Center and the Empire State Building. Once you’re back in your room, call for the legendary, over-the-top Home Alone-inspired ice cream sundae. Two scoops? Please. This is 16 whole scoops of pure indulgence delivered right to your bed, because you’re not driving! Ahh, the life.
Wake up to the cutest delivery imaginable! Guests at Eastwind Hotel can text the Breakfast Basket Butler to order a homemade, bespoke breakfast. The adorable breakfast basket consists of locally made pastries, eggs, fresh fruit, and yogurt, all delivered in a quaint, woven, picnic-ready basket. It even features a vintage-inspired Stanley tumbler of hot coffee. It’s completely contact-free, utterly cozy, and, yes, super Instagrammable.
Trade your phone for a Stratocaster! This 37,000-acre luxury dude ranch offers an exclusive, in-room guitar delivery offering, featuring Fender’s latest acoustic and electric models. They bring the whole kit: amps, accessories, and an iPad loaded with the Fender Play app. It’s perfect for music lovers who want to tune out the daily grind and reconnect with their passion (or discover a new one) while encompassed by surreal Montana wilderness.
Experience a new level of chic self-care at this 35-room boutique property. Las Alcobas offers a complimentary Bath Butler Service as part of its room service offerings. Guests select one of three indulgent bath treatments, and a bath butler arrives to draw and customize the perfect, luxurious soak. The spa-inspired marble bathrooms are already equipped with eight-jet showers and Bulgari products, making this the most luxurious way to unwind. Can it get any better?!
Getting ready for a walk down the red carpet or just a glamorous date night? The Ritz-Carlton's Spa Director Leslie Arevalo crafted an in-room Sanctuary Services menu, featuring an actual Beauty Fridge stocked with an entire multi-step skincare routine. This is serious stuff: think chilled cryotherapy globes, recovery balms, face masks, high-end serums, and even charged crystals. Guests can mix and match to craft a solid night of rest or an overnight glow-up, and you can even take some of the goodies home with you!
Turn your holiday getaway into a heartwarming family tradition! Each December, The St. Regis Atlanta transforms into an awe-inspiring festive wonderland. Oh and there’s more, families (or friends) can actually book an in-room visit from Santa Claus himself. He stops by with milk and cookies, reads The Night Before Christmas, and personally tucks little ones into bed. It’s the kind of magical, wholesome experience that guarantees a return trip year after year.
Forget tiny min-bar bottles. The historic Lafayette Hotel went all out with their renovation, including an expansive DIY bartender mini bar. While they skip traditional room service, guests will find an exclusive list of rare single-barrel rums, tequilas, and mezcals curated by tiki cocktail king, Paul McGee. You can mix up your own craft Negroni or Old Fashioned by following the step-by-step recipes on the bar placemats, and you can even order special ice from the front desk! As if the not-so-mini, in-room mini bar isn’t enough, there’s also a fun and eccentric snack collection, like the famously textural Korean Turtle Chips.
Cue the silk patterned pajamas, dim lights, and a very chic, very cozy DIY bar night in.
This is how you do luxury on a fun girls' trip! Island Creek Oysters and Lark Hotel’s AWOL Provincetown teamed up to offer a Caviar Turn Down Service. Available to all guests, this package lets you choose from Italian White Sturgeon, Fishery White Sturgeon, or Italian Siberian Caviar (30g or 100g). It’s served with Spanish potato chips and crème fraîche (the perfect companion to your caviar bump!), with an optional Italian prosecco upgrade for the full, fancy fête.
We can’t forget your four-legged travel companions! The Peninsula Beverly Hills offers bespoke dining for all guests, including a curated menu for the Pampered Puppy. Pooches can indulge in beautifully crafted menu items such as a 100% natural Beef Burger, Steak & Eggs, Arroz Con Pollo, or Blue Atlantic Ocean Salmon. Because if you’re getting indulgent room service, your pooch definitely should, too.
This is the ultimate in-the-know offering for a fun, spontaneous vacation with friends. The Kimpton Canary Hotel has a “secret menu” combo you can order via room service: their legendary, indulgent Banana Milkshake (a thick blend of cinnamon-sugar bananas and vanilla ice cream) paired with a side of crispy French Fries and a bottle of bubbles. It’s the perfect high-low pairing for the American Riviera, enjoyed from the comfort of your plush robe.
This Relais & Châteaux property gem believes every morning should feel like a tiny celebration. Book one of the dreamy all-suite casitas and forget about placing an order because breakfast basically manifests itself. Fresh-squeezed orange juice and your newspaper of choice show up at your door like you’re starring in the bougiest girls’ trip ever. It’s the kind of small-but-obsess-worthy gesture that turns a simple morning into a group tradition: sipping OJ in robes, passing around the paper and easing into the kind of phones-down morning Nancy Meyers would absolutely storyboard.
Prepare for a Roman feast that redefines morning indulgence. The Rome Cavalieri offers the magnificent Imperial Breakfast, a fifteen-course progression of culinary perfection. Guests can enjoy artisanal pastries and fresh fruits, followed by lip-smacking spoon canapés with quail eggs, black truffles, and pineapple carpaccio. All of this can be enjoyed from your bed, or your balcony, with a glass of champagne and panoramic vistas of the Eternal City!
Got a sweet tooth? Granger Hotel, San Diego’s stylish boutique property, has partnered with the local institution Extraordinary Desserts. Guests can scan an in-room QR code to order jaw-droppingly beautiful cakes (like the famed Dulce de Leche Cake), curated savory boards, and champagne, all delivered right to their room. It’s the perfect dessert-forward room service experience for birthdays, anniversaries, or just a spontaneous late-night craving!
Shaken or stirred? Request a visit from their mobile Martini Cart and unwind in one of the most exclusive bars in the city, your room or suite. A personal mixologist comes straight to you to craft the perfect drink tableside, making it the ideal party starter. Did we mention that the ‘tinis are some of the best we’ve ever had? No big deal.
