With the amount of inflation we’ve seen to luxury hotel rates in recent years, it can sometimes be hard to make sense of hotel pricing. However, I’d argue the greatest mystery in hotel pricing isn’t anything related to a room rate, but instead, the cost of a certain ice cream sundae that can be ordered via room service. I apologize in advance if I’m the only person who finds this interesting…
The world’s most indulgent room service dessert
The Plaza Hotel New York was featured in Home Alone, and there’s a scene where Kevin orders an ice cream sundae through room service, and it’s prepared for him tableside… well, bedside.
Given that some people choose to stay at the Plaza Hotel due to the Home Alone connection, the hotel lets guests order the iconic ice cream sundae via room service.
Specifically, the Home Alone Sundae includes 16 scoops of ice cream, three toppings (whipped cream, maraschino cherries, and m&m’s), and three sauces (chocolate, caramel, and raspberry).
The cost for the sundae is $350, and that’s before the 22% service charge, 8.875% sales tax, and $12 delivery charge. So when all is said and done, this sundae will cost you $470.06, and that assumes you don’t add any extra tip (not that you should, but…).
I guess I saw this on social media a few days ago, and thanks to the algorithmic world we live in, half of what I see on social media now is people ordering the Home Alone Sundae at the Plaza Hotel…
How can anyone make sense of the price, though?
I’m probably putting more thought into this than I should, but am I the only one who is scratching my head about the ice cream sundae cost?
So for $24, you can get an ice cream sundae with three scoops, three toppings, and one sauce. Meanwhile for $350, you can get an ice cream sundae with 16 scoops, three toppings, and three sauces.
So you’re getting 5.33x as much ice cream, while you’re paying 14.6x as much. So they’re charging you nearly three times as much per scoop. Typically if you place a larger order you get some sort of a volume discount, or at a minimum, you don’t pay a premium.
I’d be tempted to stay here and order six ice cream sundaes, but ask if they could put them all in one bowl. 😉 Honestly, the margins here must be amazing. What is the cost of these ingredients, really? $10 at most?
I suspect the simple answer with the pricing is that they charge that much because they can, and not because it has any basis in reality. For that matter, I can’t help but wonder if the insane pricing is almost designed for the benefit of the person buying the sundae.
- I imagine that just about everyone ordering this sundae films the whole thing, and puts it on social media, or something
- If you’re going to post on social media about an ice cream sundae, you’re going to get more views if it’s a $500 sundae than a $100 sundae
- Maybe the argument is that the Plaza Hotel is actually doing guests a favor, because it allows them to get more clout on social media, so think of it as a $300+ social media “tax”
As I see it, this basically boils down to “pay $500 for an ice cream sundae so that you can brag that you paid $500 for an ice cream sundae.” Which, in 2026, seems rather on point, I suppose…
Bottom line
The Plaza Hotel New York has a special Home Alone Sundae on its room service menu, with 16 scoops of ice cream, three toppings, and three sauces. While this is a cute concept, the pricing is kind of wild. While a three-scoop sundae will cost you $24, a 16-scoop sundae will cost you $350, and that’s before the delivery charge, service charge, and taxes, which drive the cost up to $470.
What do you make of the Home Alone Sundae, and in particular, the pricing?
