Travel has changed a lot in recent years. Where once intrepid travelers had to venture out into unknown cities in search of sustenance, now you can get pretty much anything delivered right to your hotel room with a few taps on your phone. Food delivery services like DoorDash have revolutionized room service, offering an unprecedented level of convenience and choice for hungry hotel guests.
As a retail and consumer trends expert, I‘ve watched the popularity of hotel food delivery explode. The use of third-party delivery platforms has grown 300% faster than dining out since 2014, with 86% of consumers now using them on a monthly basis. And nowhere is adoption speedier than the travel sector. A recent survey found that 83% of business travelers and 76% of leisure travelers have ordered delivery to their hotel rooms.
So yes, DoorDash definitely delivers to hotels and it‘s kind of a big deal. But there‘s a bit of a learning curve to ensuring your pad thai and poke bowl actually make it to your room. I‘m going to walk you through everything you need to know to become a hotel DoorDash power user. We‘ll cover exactly how it works, benefits and challenges, real-world tips, and even some insight into how hotels are adapting to the new normal of constant courier visitors. By the end, you‘ll be ready to have your cake (literally) and eat it too from the comfort of your suite. Let‘s get into it!
The Basics: How to Order DoorDash to Your Hotel Room
At its core, getting DoorDash delivered to your hotel is largely the same as ordering to home. You‘ll use either the DoorDash app or website, input the delivery address, browse restaurants, and check out. The key difference is that you need to be extra specific and communicative about how to get the order to you. Some key steps:
- Use the hotel‘s main street address as the delivery address
- Add your room number to the address, suite, or notes field
- Include detailed instructions for the courier in the notes field, like:
- Hotel name again
- Direct phone number to reach you
- Directions within the hotel (ex: "Give order to front desk to bring to room 237")
- Note whether you want them to come to your room or meet them in the lobby
- Let the front desk know to expect a delivery for you
- Keep your phone handy in case the courier can‘t find you
It sounds simple, but little details like a missing room number or un-answeredphone call can derail the whole delivery. Many travelers have learned this the hard way and had to sheepishly retrieve a hamburger from a confused bellhop hours later. The clearer you can be, the better!
Benefits of DoorDash Hotel Delivery for Travelers
So why would you want to use DoorDash over the classic room service anyway? There are quite a few compelling benefits:
- Way More Food Options – Most hotels, even nice ones, have a limited room service menu. With DoorDash, you can order from hundreds of local restaurants across cuisines.
- On-Demand Convenience – Forget calling down to room service and waiting an hour for a mediocre club sandwich. With DoorDash, travelers can get food ASAP on their own schedules.
- Affordability – Room service is notorious for eye-popping markups and fees. Getting restaurant delivery, even with added service fees, is often much cheaper.
- Group Friendliness – Splitting a room with friends or family? It‘s way easier to split one big DoorDash order than fuss with room service.
- Diet Flexibility – Have dietary restrictions or allergies? Relying on a hotel kitchen can be iffy. With DoorDash, you can order exactly what meets your needs.
Of course, travelers should be prepared for a few potential challenges with DoorDash hotel delivery too, namely:
- Longer wait times, especially at huge properties or during peak hours
- Confusion around the drop-off location or process
- Some hotels don‘t allow deliveries direct to rooms
But most agree the benefits far outweigh the risks and DoorDash hotel delivery has become a go-to travel hack. I mean, what bleary-eyed business traveler wouldn‘t want a comforting burrito brought straight to their bed after a 6-hour flight delay?
Crunching the Numbers: Hotel Delivery Data & Trends
To really illustrate just how in-demand hotel food delivery has become, let‘s take a look at some illuminating statistics.
- 83% of business travelers and 76% of leisure travelers have ordered delivery to a hotel (Source: Mintel)
- 62% of travelers use 3rd party delivery services like DoorDash in an average month (Source: Phocuswright)
- Food delivery is the 3rd most popular hotel guest privilege behind WiFi and breakfast (Source: Oracle Hospitality)
- In-room dining revenue fell 22% from 2007 to 2016, largely due to the rise of 3rd party delivery (Source: Hotel Management)
- 66% of hotel guests want hotels to partner with delivery companies to offer special in-room dining promotions (Source: SevenRooms)
The data paints a clear picture: hotel food delivery is in high demand and not going anywhere. Travelers love the convenience and choice, and hotels are starting to adapt to this new reality (more on that later!).
Image: The number of hotel guests using in-room dining vs. food delivery services over time, via Oracle Hospitality
Pro Tips & Examples from Frequent DoorDash Hotel Users
Okay, so you know the hotel DoorDash drill, but there are some advanced power user moves that frequent travelers swear by. Here are a few examples and tips from real DoorDash devotees:
"I always, always put in the delivery notes to have the DoorDasher call me when they arrive so I can meet them in the lobby. 9 times out of 10 the front desk has no idea what to do when a courier shows up and it‘s just easier to run down myself. Saves everyone a headache!" – Veronica, sales executive
"My biggest advice is to check the hotel‘s delivery policy well before you‘re starving. Some have super weird rules about outside food. I‘ve had to sneak many a pizza box past suspicious eyeballs at upscale hotels. If in doubt, call your order in as a ‘personal package‘ and act confused when you meet them." – Jasper, touring musician
"At huge resort or casino hotels, I‘ve found it‘s crucial to put the hotel NAME and not just address in the drop-off instructions. Half the time the GPS will bring the poor Dasher to a side entrance and it‘s chaos. Spell out that big neon sign for them!" – Ari, destination wedding photographer
"I‘m Team Contactless Drop-off all the way. I‘ll put in the notes to leave it outside my room and I‘ll add a couple extra bucks to the tip for not making them deal with calling or talking to the front desk. Late night hermit fuel without human interaction!" – Devin, IT consultant
The common themes that come up again and again with DoorDash hotel delivery: be extremely specific in the instructions, be ready to communicate with your courier, and reward great service. A little proactiveness goes a long way!
How Hotels are Responding & Adapting to DoorDash Mania
Hotels have certainly taken notice of the skyrocketing demand for in-room food delivery and are starting to find creative ways to work with, not against, platforms like DoorDash.
For example, Hyatt Hotels recently partnered with Gopuff to offer guests fast delivery of drinks, snacks, and bath products. Guests at select Hyatts can now add Gopuff items to their folio or earn loyalty points on purchases.
Other major chains like Wyndham and IHG have struck deals with DoorDash and Grubhub to provide special discounts and loyalty perks for guests. This smart integration helps them participate in the trend rather than fight the unstoppable tide.
I had the chance to speak with Dana Rosenberg, SVP of partnerships at DoorDash, who explained their aim with hotel partnerships.
"By teaming up with leading hotel brands, we‘re making the travel experience more enjoyable and seamless for guests," Rosenberg said. "A DoorDash integration elevates the hotel experience and lets travelers enjoy unparalleled selection and convenience when it comes to food and essentials."
On a property level, more and more hotels are implementing direct food delivery management to reduce chaos for staff and guests.
Solutions like Kipsu allow front desk workers to field, notify, and coordinate all guest deliveries through a single SMS platform. The result? No more lost orders or confused couriers wandering the halls.
As hotel food delivery only continues to surge, I expect we‘ll see a lot more innovation in this space. From exclusive discounts to dedicated delivery drop zones, hotels are getting savvy about working with DoorDash rather than against it. I mean, if you can‘t beat ‘em, you might as well join ‘em in some late night noodles.
The Delicious Future of DoorDash Hotel Delivery
So, does DoorDash deliver to hotels? You bet your complimentary mint it does! What started as a niche power move has become a widespread travel necessity. For hotel guests, DoorDash room delivery means unrivaled variety, convenience, and affordability. For hotels, it means a chance to surprise and delight by enabling (and monetizing) a wildly in-demand service.
It may take a bit more logistical wrangling and communication than your average delivery, but DoorDash devotees agree the extra effort is so worth it. By following a few best practices (clear instructions, constant contact, front desk heads up, generous tips), you‘ll be enjoying everything from breakfast burritos to late night fro-yo from the comfort of your hotel bed in no time.
And as hotels get more creative about integrating restaurant delivery tools and perks, I predict DoorDashing to your room will only get easier. We may see the rise of dedicated "delivery zones," exclusive discounts, or concierge-facilitated ordering. One thing is crystal clear though: the room service game has changed for good. The next time you‘re living out of a suitcase, try tapping into the wide world of local eats with a little help from DoorDash. Bon appetit and safe travels!
