Placeholder Content Image

How a simple drink became the world’s most expensive minibar item

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The minibar is the classic staple of any hotel room. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">For many travellers, it’s the first part of their short-term accommodation that they want to investigate. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While most decide to opt out of indulging in any minibar treats, as some carry a price tag that could plunge you into bankruptcy, others find it the perfect opportunity to treat themselves. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While most average minibars carry a range of drinks and snacks you could find at most supermarkets, luxurious hotel minibars are far from ordinary.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Drake Hotel in Toronto has made headlines before for their quirky in-room charges such as $57 hemp candles, and an unusual $440 gold-plated pack for adult travellers. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Trump Tower hotels have famously boasted an extensive “water library” that gives guests a diamond-covered bottle of water for a hefty $43. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While these in-room purchases are certainly extravagant, a hotel in the Netherlands has claimed the crown for the most expensive minibar item. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Intercontinental Amsterdam includes a minibar service of a bottle of Louis XIII Grand Champagne Cognac, priced at 3500 euros or about $5,672AUD.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The luxurious bottle of alcohol has copped a 70 percent mark-up before making it into hotel fridges.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to stockists worldwide, even the word “complimentary” doesn’t increase minibar consumption, as many hotel guests carry a deep distrust of minibars, even when they’re free. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This fear of sneaky minibar fees was confirmed by a family staying in a Hilton hotel in Chicago, who were charged $76.50 for simply opening the fridge door. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">So next time you’re travelling and staying in a hotel, beware of the hidden fees of the tempting minibars, and treat the elusive snacking machines with suspicion. </span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image credits: Shutterstock</span></em></p>

Travel Trouble

Placeholder Content Image

5 things you should never ever do in a hotel room

<p>Your health and your wallet will thank you if you never do these things in a hotel room.</p> <p><strong>1. Steal the bathrobes</strong></p> <p>“Guests sometimes take home essential amenities that the hotel provides during their stay, like shampoo, lotion, and other vanity products,” says Ryazan Tristram, photographer and travel blogger for <u><a href="https://everythingzany.com/">everythingzany.com</a></u>. “However, people sometimes take home the bathrobes as well, which is a no-no.” You could be charged extra or fined for taking pricier items, including linens, artwork and electronics.</p> <p><strong>2. Cook anything without a proper kitchen area</strong></p> <p>“We always want to save money when we travel,” says Tristram. “Some guests will bring their portable cooking appliances with them during their stay, and this can cause a few problems, primarily if the hotel room doesn’t have any kitchenette area.” These cooking appliances can set off a hotel’s fire alarm system or cause an actual fire, so stick with no-cook meals if you want to save a few bucks on food.</p> <p><strong>3. Keep your bathroom door ajar when taking a shower</strong></p> <p>There’s nothing wrong with enjoying a steamy shower at a hotel, but beware what the vapour can do if released into your room. “A hotel’s hot showers can cause a lot of steam, and as a result, can trigger the hotel’s fire alarm system inside your bedroom if you leave the bathroom door open,” says Tristram.</p> <p><strong>4. Restock the minibar</strong></p> <p>There’s no crime in enjoying a drink from the hotel fridge. After all, that’s their purpose. “But if you plan on taking a bottle of whiskey out of there, just accept that you’ll still be paying for it,” says Sophia Borghese, a consultant for La Galerie Hotel in New Orleans. “Don’t try to fake the hotel staff out by replacing the liquor with a half-sipped bottle of Diet Coke. This happens more often than you might think, and those who do it still get charged for taking that [expensive little] bottle of spirits.”</p> <p><strong>5. Use the fire sprinkler as a coat hanger</strong></p> <p>Closets are great for hanging clothes. Fire sprinklers are not. Bob Tupper, author of <em><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Drinking-Culture-Tuppers-Exploring-Europe/dp/0990961001/?tag=reader0b-20">Drinking In the Culture: Tuppers’ Guide to Exploring Great Beers in Europe</a>, </em>says he saw people using the safety devices as coat hooks – a silly stunt that could not only set off a hotel’s fire alarm but also burst the pipes, causing water to flood into rooms.</p> <p><em>Source: <a href="https://www.rd.com/advice/travel/never-do-in-hotel-room/">RD.com</a></em></p> <p><em>Written by Noelia Trujillo. This article first appeared in <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/travel/tips/15-things-you-should-never-ever-do-hotel-room">Reader’s Digest</a>. For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, <a href="http://readersdigest.innovations.com.au/c/readersdigestemailsubscribe?utm_source=over60&amp;utm_medium=articles&amp;utm_campaign=RDSUB&amp;keycode=WRA93V">here’s our best subscription offer.</a></em></p>

Travel Trouble

Our Partners