Everyone moans about it but no one wants to talk about it. Business Traveller investigates why hotel minibars are so expensive
From returning to the hotel room tired and thirsty after a hard day of meetings, to waking up dry-mouthed in the middle of the night, we have all wrestled with the minibar conundrum. In most four- or five-star hotels, that small fridge humming away in the background 24 hours a day is keeping cold a selection of refreshments notable only for their astonishing cost.
As the scans of (genuine) menus here show, there is no drink as expensive as one from a minibar. But a survey of 850 travellers across Europe conducted by
hotels.com last year found that despite this, almost half (46 per cent) of respondents took the plunge into the naughty box.
The research also found that 60 per cent avoided the minibar altogether by buying their own snacks and drinks to consume in the room, while almost a third (32 per cent) felt minibars did not offer what they wanted, with healthy snacks topping the wish list. A dream minibar for men included beer, nuts and massage oil (as well as water and healthy snacks). Women opted for chocolate, wine and books or magazines (as well as water and healthy snacks).
Some of those may raise a few eyebrows but what won’t register even a flicker of surprise is that 84 per cent of British people surveyed thought minibars were too expensive. But why is this? One can understand that hotels are businesses like any others and want to make money from their customers, but when you consider that hotel chains are reliant on repeat customers – otherwise known as business travellers – gouging them for a e7 500ml bottle of Perrier seems a little short-sighted.
So we asked a number of hoteliers why they did it (see panel, top of facing page). The majority we spoke to would answer only on condition of anonymity. We also solicited expert opinion from readers of our online forum at businesstraveller.com/discussion. In addition, we compared minibar prices around the world with those of supermarkets and pubs. The results may have you reaching for a stiff drink from the fridge…
Click to enlarge
Why do minibars cost so much
Because of the amount of theft that takes place from them. Guests empty the minibar, leave without settling that part of the bill and then dispute any subsequent charges the hotel makes. The hotel finds it difficult to prove and so refunds the money, then charges the rest of us to make up for the loss.
? Installing automated minibars that record all removals instantly is an expensive fixed cost, pushing up prices further.
? Not many people use minibars, which also increases the prices. As Cedric_Statherby puts it on our forum: “I suspect that it is much the same reason as why hotel phones are so expensive. The hotels have all the expense of equipping the rooms, filling the minibars and maintaining them, and the overheads of this make the unit cost per sale of merchandise very high. This sets up a vicious circle, as the high unit costs then means hardly anyone buys anything, which in turn means the fixed costs of fitting the fridges and maintaining the stock has to be borne on fewer and fewer sales.”
? The cost of restocking is comparatively high – usually it is done by a different member of staff from housekeeping, who keeps a daily record of removals to try to counter guests who deny having taken anything during their stay.
? Sheer profiteering on the part of some hotels. In the US some hotels charge a minibar restocking fee (on a daily basis)
What readers think
“I stayed last week at Holiday Inn, Zurich Messe and was in an executive room that included free soft drinks from the minibar – fantastic idea. The hotel builds it into its costs/room rate and everyone’s a winner.” (BABenji)
“Leave the fridge in the room and charge a fee for those who want to use it. I for one am quite happy to stock a hotel fridge with my own drinks and food for a nominal charge per night. Minibars are like in-seat phones on an aircraft – a nice touch but not used because of the cost.” (MartynSinclair)
“Hotels could add drinks to centrally located vending machines. Prices at the moment are set at a level comparable with drinks in an upscale bar rather than a shop. I would rather have an espresso machine. Thank you Novotel Birmingham, of all places, for providing one of these.” (MichelAngelo)
“I always insist that the hotel empties the minibar. It drives them mad but I have never been refused. I then put my own stuff in there – very useful when you have kids. One very painful experience in Hong Kong cost me £12 for a bottle of water left by the side of the bed (and clearly marked that I would be charged). The kids opened it because they were thirsty. So now I ask at check in!” (Binman62)
