I personally only use mini bars to store cold drinks in. I mean the drinks I buy from cheap supermarkets round the corner.

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The best example I’ve found of this rip-off was in a hotel in Buenos Aires where the bottled water in the mini-bar was 18 times the price of the same brand in the shop on the corner. No prizes for guessing where I restocked the minibar from after a thirsty night…

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While I hate them I can’t argue with the pricing. Imagine if a supermarket had the option to open a mini-shop in every room in a hotel – their prices would increase since the person charging them the rent would want more because it would be in a prime position – as at the end of the day convince carries a price.

The only way people can make a stand is by not paying. Obviously enough people don’t mind or are too drunk to care about the inflated price so the hotels keep at it.

I’m sure a middle ground could be reached with a price a bit higher than markets but at a price where the hotels patrons don’t feel ripped off.

What I hate is when the mini-bar has sensors which mean you can’t put your own stuff in there as it will disturb the other stuff and cost you.

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I didn’t think *anyone* used those things. The prices are completely unrealistic. I got a can of cookies once (yes, a pull-top can of cookies) and not only were they horridly expensive, they tasted like cardboard. Never again.

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Yes, I’m with you 100% on the rip off minibars, the first thing I always do when I arrive at a hotel is check out the local supermarkets and shops and stock up. And the worst thing is that if you do actually raid the minibar in a moment of weakness, the snacks are often near their sell by date and a bit stale as everyone else has had the same idea and they’ve sat in there for months!

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And another thing i’ve just remembered, at my local curry house they charge more for a cola than a glass of wine, which is wrong! My partner and I both had colas and were charged over 5 pounds! I wouldn’t mind but they buy the cheap stuff and its always flat anyway!

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A tale of two hotels.

I just got back from Costa Rica to visit some new places and see some hotels. I stayed at two isolated hotels on the Pacific Coast so they had you by the short and curlies.

HOTEL 1: Four Seasons Resort, Peninsula Papagayo. What an eye-watering rip-off. Just to give you a sense of the scale of charges, a bottle of coke from minibar was $7. Breakfast (not included) is $63. Per person. I mean seriously. It’s one thing to charge lots for a lovely room in a beautiful setting. It’s another to then turn the screw once you arrive, it’s such a massive turn off. I would never send clients to this hotel for this reason.

HOTEL 2: Punta Islita, Nicoya Peninsula. A much happier experience at this beautiful hotel. Very remote. Gorgeous. I picked up the mini bar menu gingerly, expecting it to burn a hole in my hand. In fact, it was great. A beer was $2 or $3, a big double bottle of rum was $3. The result? I didn’t bother going to stock up the fridge from the local shops (not that there were any of those) but instead used my mini-bar as and when. More importantly, it left me feeling that the hotel treats customers with respect.

Surely if a hotel treats you reasonably with mini bar pricing (pricing of extras in general) then it not only increases the revenues but it also generates a huge amount of goodwill.

I bet there’s some complex equations for hotel mini-bars cost of maintenance, restocking, etc so it’s actually better for them to sell one bottle at silly price than 20 bottles at sensible. I also bet that equation takes no account of the goodwill/loyalty generated by not gouging your customers.

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We paid £4 for a bottle of water in Rome. I woke up with a thirst, and so had no choice but to pay the money. In future I will buy a bottle of water and take it back to the room!

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Pretty much the same as everyone else – hotel mini bars = rip off. I never purchase anything from them.

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I’m all for cheapness so you would never see me drinking out of a mini bar unless I had an expenses account. I’ve always had good luck. I’ve stayed at a few places that have provided water for free but it was always when booking an apartment. first thing I do when there is nor free water is take myself to a supermarket and stock up. If you cant be bothered… oh well! then you pay the price!

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@Samantha, heard of a tap??? It’s not like the water in Rome isn’t safe to drink.

I mean, maybe in a third-world country you’d have had no choice, but choosing to drink bottled water instead of out of the tap in a country where the water’s safe to drink is just that, your choice.

And a not very environmentally-friendly choice, either.

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I agree that hotel minibar prices are ridiculously inflated, but customers always have a choice to stock up from nearby groceries, except in very remote locations. In far-flung places where people get shafted with astronomical minibar prices because the nearest cantina is 100 miles away, the choice is not to come back to that place the next time you’re visiting.

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I think it’s disgusting to charge people extortionate prices for something that is so vital. I agree that mini bars are often over priced and exploit the clientelle, however I would like to say that not all hotels are principally occupied by profits. I work for a very reputable hotel in the centre of Paris who puts the customers needs first and foremost. I now find it cheaper to buy a bottle of water or can of coke cheaper from the hotel than the shop opposite!

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