A New Way Compare Hotels: The Club Sandwich Comparison

One of our favorite parts of travel? Food. We love trying local dishes and delicacies, ordering the freshest and newest dishes available to tempt our palate. But sometimes, an old standby will have to do. Which explains our fascination with Hotels.com‘s new Club Sandwich Index, which measures the expense of the ten most popular U.S. cities by the cost of a club sandwich.

It comes as no shock that the most expensive club sandwich can be found in New York City for an average price of nearly $17. (That’s good, compared to Paris, where that price jumps to $33.)

Why choose the club sandwich? The classic chicken, bacon, egg, lettuce and mayo sandwich is a standard lunch available in hotels worldwide. The CSI average price has been calculated by taking the real prices paid by guests for a club sandwich within 1,000 five, four and three-star hotels located in popular travel destinations across 26 countries, with 10 U.S. cities measured.This standard lunch fare is known for its popularity among hotel restaurants worldwide where it has been a staple since the 1800s. Although the exact origin of the club sandwich has not been proven, popular myths point it to an exclusive – wait for it – gambling club in Saratoga Springs, New York, where it became popular before spreading to the rest of the world.

Within the U.S., it is no surprise that New York City is home to the most expensive club sandwich prices due to the city’s reputation for an expensive cost of living. Although affordable lunch can be found in San Diego, visitors can assume while traveling in the U.S. that lunch will set them back around an average of $12 – $14. An interesting regional difference travelers should note is that many restaurants in New Orleans do not serve club sandwiches, but rather the Big Easy favorite, Po’ Boy, which can consist of a variety of seafood or meats and condiments served on French bread.

In London, the top overseas destination for Americans according to the HPI, a club costs an average of $19, making the city ninth on the CSI. The least expensive cities for a club sandwich from all 30 global cities surveyed are New Delhi, India, and Mexico City, Mexico, with the average price coming in at just $10.

Here’s what we want to know: how much would you pay for a hotel sandwich?

[Flickr via avlxyz]