Grubhub and Hyatt want to replace old-school cart-and-silver-platter room service with souvlaki from around the corner, according to the Chicago Tribune.
The Chicago-based companies have partnered on a new program at three Hyatt Centric hotels — in Miami Beach, Fla.; Long Beach, Calif.; and Park City, Utah.
The 90-day pilot, which began Monday, allows hotel guests to order from eight selected restaurants in each market.
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Guests staying at the three hotels can use their in-room phones to ask for recommendations and place orders from a limited menu — and have it billed to their rooms.
Diners can still independently order online or through the Grubhub app, though it wouldn't be billed to the room.
Jonathan Frolich, a vice president of global brands at Hyatt, said Hyatt Centric’s target customers wanted a less formal approach to room service than the traditional trolley with the white tablecloth.
"They wanted a lot of different options, variety and flexibility, and a taste of what was around … the destination," he said.
The Miami Beach Hyatt, for instance, offers burgers from Cheeseburger Baby, Mediterranean from Eat Greek Souvlaki and Latin-American cuisine from Tap Tap, among other options.
The two companies hope to expand the feature to other Centric-branded hotels, including in Chicago, suburban Houston and San Francisco.
Grubhub takeout orders from all hotels grew 125 percent from 2011 to mid-2014, spokeswoman Sandra Glading said. The hotel partnership is Grubhub's first. Glading said the deal with Hyatt is perfect for travelers who want local flavor and convenience.
"Sometimes you just need to take a breath" when traveling, she said. "If you can take a breath and have some really great local food at the same time, bonus.