Hotel mini-bars with a difference

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 15/08/2015 (3885 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Considering the crazy high prices that many hotels slap onto their mini-bars, it’s no surprise that most guests tend to avoid them. And in response, three big chains — Hilton, Marriott and Hyatt — have cleaned out the mini-fridges and called it quits; their rooms in hotels around the world no longer have them. But let’s not throw out the Baby Ruth with the Fiji water! Plenty of hotels still provide in-room snacks, drinks and treats, and we promise — some are worth the splurge. Here are six mini-bar features we’ve seen that we can totally get behind.

Local goods

Seeing the same can of Coke and the same Hershey’s bar time and time again can be a snooze. That’s why we salute the mini-bars that bring in local foods. The Wythe Hotel firmly declares its Brooklyn pride with a bin of Mast Brothers chocolates and North Fork chips. This proves a hotel can earn coolness points with just its snack drawer.

Treats for pets

The first rule in snacking: All snacks taste better when shared with a friend — especially your best friend, aka your dog. At The Benjamin in Manhattan, pets aren’t just welcome, they’re treated like any other guest and are given their own provisions. The hotel’s goodDOG program includes pet treats in the mini-bars of all guests with pooches, a detail that’s sure to leave a lot of tails wagging.

Saucy additions

Why let the mini-bar sundries end with edibles when there are so many other treats hotels can offer? A few bold hotels, like the Delano Hotel in Miami and Gild Hall in New York City, have caught on and offer mini-bar amenities for seduction: condoms, lubricant and towelettes. In our opinion, it makes perfect sense to park these next to the champagne.

Free goodies

Say goodbye to overpriced snacks — some hotels actually offer mini-bars stocked with gratis goodies! While this is particularly common at all-inclusive resorts, like Jamaica’s Secrets Wild Orchid, some boutique properties have the same friendly approach; one of our faves is Hotel Topazz in Vienna.

Signature snacks

A range of snacks is always welcome, but something a little out of the ordinary can be particularly enticing. Manhattan’s Algonquin Hotel’s mini-bar include three types of Grey Goose and a cocktail shaker. And Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago is perfect for dealing with the morning hangover, offering no less than four different kinds of water.

Street-priced snacks

Virgin Hotels made headline news with their mini-bar announcement: All their goodies would be “street-priced.” Seeing cans of Red Bull and M&Ms at the same price as the corner store is the next best thing to free: Good-bye sticker shock and hello snack attacks!

— 2015 Oyster.com