From its entry into the Australian market, Deliveroo has harboured lofty ambitions to revolutionise a food delivery system that for decades has been largely limited to pizza. We look at that now and wonder why, as today, virtually nothing food or beverage-related is beyond the reach of our front doors at home.
But why should that stop at people’s residences? Cities all over the world are loaded with hotels and guests who may not feel like dressing up to visit a restaurant. And while room service from a hotel’s own kitchen has always been available, the variety of dining options available has exploded thanks to the modern-day sharing economy and an army of entrepreneurs looking to put their spare time to profitable use.
Deliveroo for Business Country Manager, Levi Aron, said the company’s business offerings have reinvented the way businesses interact with food at work.
“Deliveroo for Business first trialled its hotel room service in Australia in partnership with Meriton Apartment hotels. Following its success, our hotel room service capabilities were rolled out around the globe.
“This has created an entirely new room service experience for customers – offering them a huge selection of cuisines and restaurants, at more convenient times. At the same time, hotels no longer need to operate room service in-house, which tends to be very expensive for them.”
It’s one thing for a hotel guest to simply order food through the Deliveroo app however it isn’t quite as simple as then waiting for the knock on the door. Many hotels restrict floor access to key holders, meaning a guest would need to visit the lobby to collect their order. Hotels partnering with Deliveroo however can share in the service and the rewards by contributing to a positive guest experience. Partner hotels can take delivery of a guest order themselves and deliver it personally on their own service trays, with house cutlery, crockery and all accompaniments. Hotels can even cover the upfront cost and onward charge it to a guest via their final bill, with or without a service fee of their own.
Hotels are embracing the concept, says Aron.
“Offering food and beverage can be a pain point for many hotels as many in-house restaurants run at a loss, or do not offer enough variety or extended trading hours for guests.”
Currently, Deliveroo for Business has Meriton Suites, Quest Apartments, Adina Apartment Hotel, Travelodge Hotel, Vibe Hotel and Punthill Hotels among its client base, with discussions underway with others.
“There is a huge opportunity to keep growing this service by partnering with more hotel chains and ensuring that hotel guests across Australia have access to a wider range of fantastic restaurants and food when they want to order room service to their hotel rooms,” Aron added.
The only question left is ‘What time would you like your breakfast?’