HotelChatter

Those pricey bagels the NYT mentions come from Loews Regency Hotel on Park Avenue ($28), and Norma’s at Le Parker Meridien ($23)—but to be fair both come loaded with smoked salmon, the Regency’s bagel is from H & H, and Parker’s also includes three kinds of caviar.

But even your humble bagel with cream cheese can be pricey. The one pictured above was from the MOZen Bistro at Mandarin Oriental Las Vegas ($12), and we once ordered a bagel with cream cheese and coffee at The Waldorf Astoria that added up to about $30. For the kind of bagel you can get for a buck fifty from any street cart on any corner of New York.

Part of the mark-up is of course the delivery charge (around $3) and 20% service charge—this before you even think about a tip—but should we really have to pay extra cash on top of these fees for the convenience of a little morning pastry?

Some hotels are much more reasonable when it comes to the bagel: The Hard Rock Orlando charges $5 for its basic bagel with cream cheese (the smoked salmon version is $15); Hyatts tend to charge around $4, and Hotel 71 in Chicago charges just $3. Now that’s more like it.

OK, we’ve had our grumble—it’s over to you. What outrageous prices have you seen—and paid—for a bagel from a hotel’s restaurant or room service? And what do you think is a fair price, factoring in the convenience of having your bagel brought to your room?

Hold forth in the comments below.