mini bar

[aasta]

Hello!
We are thinking of putting a small refridgerator in two of our rooms and are wondering if we should stock it with a few items such as beer, extra wine as a mini bar of sorts (our guests recieve a complimentary welcoming bottle of wine) - since we are 1.5 km uphill from the village and closest store. Many of our guests come here without hiring a car as walkers. So we are wondering if any of you do this and what youwould suggestion/advise is...thanks, aasta

[CSE]

Things to consider:
The cost of purchase.
The cost of running.
The amount of time clean and complying with local food/beverage storage regulations.
The running around and storing the products you wish to give your guests.

You have to weigh up if all of this (maybe some other points too) adds up to the additional benefit that your guests receive.

[RichardHenshall]

And make sure the fridge is very quiet, if it's installed in a bedroom. I've been kept awake before now.

[French Cricket]

Richard took the words out of my mouth. We do have a small and totally silent (designed for hotel rooms) fridge in one room, but they're pretty expensive and run on a different technology to ordinary fridges. I think I'd find the normal type of fridge in a bedroom disruptive.

What about having an 'honesty bar' in a communal room somewhere instead of separate mini bars? Much easier to keep up with, and I think people like the idea of it too. You'll need to check up on your local licensing laws though, whatever you do - don't know what your red tape is like in Portugal but both mini bars and honesty bars would be impossible here as you'd need a full licence. (We have a 'restaurant licence' that allows us to sell wine and things with dinner, but getting a Licence 4 that would let us just sell alcohol without food would be nigh on impossible as they're restricted).

[kendalcottages]

What about having an 'honesty bar' in a communal room somewhere instead of separate mini bars?

Sounds like a better solution to me.

Unless you factor it into your costs by adding a little more to your rental price, then I don't think I'd include it for free.

I recently stayed in a hotel where the mini bar was free (which I thought was interesting as I'd never encountered that before) and it was stocked with water, Coke, Orangina, beer and more... but they did charge a big whack per night that, even if you were to drink the fridge dry every night, they were still making a comfortable profit.

[B&B netherlands]

i cannot sell alcohol to my guests as i have no license for that, but the minibars in both my guestrooms are very much appreciated. i stock it up with just water and for guests who want breakfast very early, i put in cold meats,cheese, butter, orangejuice, fresh homemade jams. homemade bread at their doorstep, when they get up! some guests stock their own food in them, when they stay more than one night.

i stopped providing softdrinks. my profit is very small and people never seem to understand that fully. they ask for more and more and more...

the type you should try to buy aasta are the 'absorption type' minibars. they use very little electricity and are super quiet. i was lucky! my local 'blokker' shop had a sales hit - only 50 euros each!

[Maurmc]

i stock it up with just water.... some guests stock their own food in them, when they stay more than one night.

I like this idea- it's simple, cost effective & provides a service for the guest.

[CSE]

Aasta has gone missing since they posted this question; out looking for a mini bar maybe?

[aasta]

Hello Everyone!!
ooops...just realized that I had not peeked into LMH for a while...lots of needy guests, leaky shower wall, and renovations to contend with....
thanks for your input.. ..considering the cost and possible noise factor, we´ve decided to put a larger fridge in the guest kitchen and leave it at that for now...

[aasta]

Hello Everyone!!
ooops...just realized that I had not peeked into LMH for a while ...lots of needy guests, leaky shower wall, and renovations to contend with....
thanks for your input.. ..considering the cost and possible noise factor, we´ve decided to put a larger fridge in the guest kitchen and leave it at that for now...

[RichardHenshall]

Just like the buses, wait for ages and then two come together.

[CSE]

Hello Everyone!!
….and renovations to contend with....

Just like the buses, wait for ages and then two come together.

Put the two together and what do you get?