6 situations in which it is actually worth ordering room service

Whether you’re traveling for business or taking a much-needed vacation, hotel stays can go from standard to special when you take advantage of the little amenities. On-site spas, top-notch gyms, and first-class valet parking make a trip even more appealing, but arguably the most commonly used and widely available hotel “extra” is room service.

It’s a very upscale feeling to have a quality meal delivered to your hotel room door while wearing a fluffy robe and slippers, but the cost of this luxury can quickly spiral out of control.

Yes, room service is expensive. But under certain circumstances, this convenient model of food service can justify its high price. We spoke to a group of travel experts and hospitality professionals, and according to them, room service can be “worth it” under the following conditions.

If you are traveling for business and need to use your hotel room as a base for meeting appointments, wandering the streets of an unfamiliar city to find a good meal may not seem like a wise use of time. According to Brittany BettsTravel expert and marketing director of FloridaPanhandle.com, the convenience factor of room service is of great monetary value in such situations. “If I’m busy getting ready for an event or working from a hotel room and don’t have enough time to leave the hotel, I feel like the time saved outweighs a more expensive room service meal,” Betts said.

To make her point, Betts offers an example that breaks down the cost of room service: “Let’s say you work in a hotel room and you’re paid $40 an hour. It might take two hours to find a suitable place to have lunch, eat, pay, and get back to your hotel room. That’s already $80 wasted on an out-of-home lunch. Room service can save you that (time), and you can get more done and be more productive.”

Wake-up calls from a hotel reception desk (or an automated service) can be a useful safeguard against hitting the snooze button on your iPhone alarm. But when you’re desperate to get a few more minutes of sleep, it’s surprisingly easy to ignore a ringing phone. That’s why Christine Courtneyan expert in experiential marketingturns to room service as a fail-safe alternative.

“Order a pot of hot coffee that room service will deliver to you at the time you need to get up,” Courtney recommends. She likes this option because “they don’t stop knocking until you open the door. You have to get out of bed to open the door,” and after you’ve “got a cup,” it’s much easier to “quickly get in the shower and make sure you’re never late for your venue.”

A trip to a new place or a particularly interesting city often involves a lot of walking, a lot of dedicated exploring and many exciting (but exhausting) activities. After a particularly exhausting day of travel Lindsay Myersa travel expert and television host who shares her travel and lifestyle tips on NBC’s “Access Hollywood” urges you to take a break and enjoy the ease and convenience of a room service meal.

“RRoom service is great; you don’t have to get ready, you don’t have to drive or take an Uber, and you don’t have to communicate with anyone except to call – and in some hotels you don’t even have to! There are room service options where you can fill out a form and leave it at the door or order through the TV (or use a QR code). It’s great for releasing your energy!” Myers explained.

If you have reserved a premium hotel room for a special occasion and your room has a beautiful view from a window or terrace, you may want to consider eating your meal right there and fully enjoying the scenic view.

“Room service in the hotel is worth it when you can enjoy a wonderful and exquisite view from your room/balcony,” emphasizes Daniel DebattistaExecutive Chef of the Phoenicia Malta Hotel. Debattista cited the Phoenicia Malta as an example, saying that the hotel’s rooms offer views of “the UNESCO World Heritage city of Valletta, as well as the 16th-century bastion walls built by the Knights of St. John, which are located on the grounds themselves.”

Lola Mendeza seasoned travel writer, believes that rooms surrounded by one-of-a-kind landmarks and with unique amenities provide the ideal setting for memorable meals. “If the in-room dining is truly exceptional, I think it’s worth enjoying at least one meal in the privacy of your own room,” she said. “At the Brando in French Polynesia, for example, I had an outdoor seating area overlooking the beach. I loved having breakfast there—it was a peaceful way to start the day. A floating breakfast is also something you should try at least once if your room has a private plunge pool. At the St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort, I was served a floating breakfast in a heart-shaped wicker basket. There’s something decadent about eating a stack of pancakes while sitting in the pool,” Méndez said.

Hotel restaurants may once have been considered mediocre dining establishments catering only to tourists in a hurry rather than local foodies, but the past few decades have shown that you can now find exceptional restaurants run by top chefs in hotels all over the world.

Cameron Sperancesenior hotel reporter for The Points Guy, notes that hotels with highly regarded on-site restaurants are also reliable bets for room service, as the food “usually comes from the same kitchen. For example, during a recent stay at the Rosewood Washington DC, everyone was talking about the five egg white frittata at (the hotel’s) Wolfgang Puck restaurant. I didn’t have time to go to the restaurant one morning, but the same frittata was on the room service menu. It was delicious.”

The stress that comes with traveling with dietary restrictions should never be underestimated. And if you are visiting a country where your native language is not widely understood, communicating your needs clearly can be a challenge. In such situations Colt Agar, The director of marketing and SEO at Red Stag Fulfillment, who travels frequently for business, says room service provides a welcome level of security.

“BWhile some restaurants cater to allergies and intolerances, others have little to no safe options, especially if they cannot guarantee allergen-free cuisine where cross-contamination is easy to occur,” he said. “And if you are in an area where a different language is spoken, it can be difficult to translate the menu and communicate effectively with service staff about your dietary needs. On the other hand, most hotels are used to dealing with diverse international guests and can easily accommodate allergies.”