What makes a minibar successful? Since the late 1980's when hair was big, Bon Jovi was "Livin' on a Prayer" and Nike launched it's infamous 'Just Do It' campaign, In-Room Plus was paving the way in the world of minibars. For almost 40 years, we've worked to invigorate minibars around the world. As we reflect on our decades of experience, there is no better time to share our top tips and tricks.  We’ve also linked to a few of our most popular and helpful blog posts where relevant throughout.  The Northport Hotel’s minibar set These...

Since 2015, National Packaging Design Day has been observed on May 7th. Package design nerds like us use this day to reflect upon the innovations and trends that drive the craft, especially when it comes to food packaging. Take a look at four food packaging design trends that have been all the rage:   Minimalism When it comes to food, sometimes the best strategy is to let the product do most of the talking. Minimalist food packaging with clean typography and vibrant product imagery or clear windows conveys a sense of no-nonsense utility and highlights...

Brands around the globe are hopping on the sustainability bandwagon, and for good reason. According to Expedia, 90% of travelers are seeking more eco-friendly travel options. Consumers consider environmental impact and supporting local economies, communities, and cultures as contributing factors to their choices, and 3rd party certification is the best way to signal to your guests that your property has taken all aspects of sustainability into consideration when it comes to its operations.  Following a certification process can help your hotel identify and implement ways to improve your impact across a wide range of sustainability criteria. They...

In an era where environmental consciousness is at the forefront of consumer expectations, it’s no secret that guests are increasingly prioritizing eco-friendly practices. Hotels must adapt for their bottom line and, most importantly, the planet. Your in-room minibar and amenities may seem like an inconsequential piece of the puzzle, but taking advantage of this visible touch point to put your best, sustainable foot forward for guests is a great place to start. From packaging to dietary values, food waste management to carbon emission offsets, how you source your amenity products makes an impact. This Earth Month, check out a few...

The mid- to late-aughts seemed, to the average observer, to be the dark age of the hotel minibar. But to In-Room Plus, who has been successfully slinging minibar snacks since 1988, we know better. With headlines like “Elegy for the Minibar” and “Hotels call time on the minibar” it’s no wonder they got a bad rap. Minibars had a reputation for being overpriced and underwhelming, but the desire for convenience and luxury never went away. It just had to be repackaged. We are happy to report that the minibar is alive and well. Things have...

Nestled against the backdrop of the Rocky Mountains, Denver is the perfect winter destination that blends urban allure with alpine charm. From world-class skiing to a vibrant arts scene, the Mile High City beckons winter enthusiasts and curious travelers alike. There is something for everyone! While many flock to the beaches this time of year, we are championing the snow-capped mountains and urban adventure to be had in Denver! This town thrives in the cold and snow. Pick and choose between outdoor ice skating, grabbing a cozy drink and leafing through some used books at...

In just a few short years, technological innovations have changed the way hospitality does business and more importantly, what guests expect from their stays. As we get ready to close the books on 2023, let’s take a look at some of the trends motivating travelers in 2024.   Personalization Predictive AI is increasingly being leveraged to anticipate your guests' needs, taking much of the guess-work out of what hoteliers used to have to do manually. Using data to personalize offerings to go beyond traditional hospitality services, like customized dietary-specific minibars or kid-friendly amenities, makes guests...

An ancient concept originating in India, Chakras are thought to be the “wheels” that move energy throughout your body that affects you physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Healthy habits like meditation and yoga are said to maintain these energetic centers, but sometimes the stressors of life can gum up the system. Here are a few snacks to reach for that can help align those chakras so you can skip the yoga class!   Crown Chakra Located at the top of your head, the crown chakra represents the spiritual connection to yourself. When it’s blocked, you may...

Lark Fine Foods is a 100% woman-owned and operated specialty food company and In-Room Plus is proud to offer these mouth watering cookies for your guests! They make a distinctive line of cookies and savory biscuits inspired by “grown-up” consumers with sophisticated tastes. Premium chocolate, fresh butter, savory spices, and hand-crafted confections are just a few of the distinctive artisan-made ingredients featured in these DELICIOUSLY DIFFERENT treats. Available in our Classic Jar, Medium Flint Jar, Tall Flint Jar, Boxes, and more!   Freestyle Snacks has reimagined olives as we knew them. They've created a product that...

For 10+ years, Cait Mulcahy has been an integral member of the In-Room Plus team. If you’ve ever called in to place an order or make a customer service inquiry, you’ve heard her friendly voice on the other end of the line. But Cait (aka Chloe) wears many important hats, from inputting and coordinating orders with the production team, to helping our clients add a new and exciting product, or even set-up full minibar programs. Sometimes you might even find her throwing on a (very fashionable) hairnet and lending a hand filling orders and so much...

Many hotels use a variety of methods to track, stock, and/or exchange out their minibar inventory. This solution can help lead to increased guest satisfaction; being able to manage inventory levels, control labor costs and adjust minibar offerings to maximize sales. Making sure your guests are only offered the best and freshest products stocked with each stay. Why color code your minibar you ask? When a hotel room gets turned over for the next guest; the minibar gets cleaned, dusted and checked to see if there are any items that need to be restocked or replaced. Imagine the ease of checking each...

We are helping to improve and reduce the carbon footprint and take care of our planet as much as possible. Many hotels have great initiatives set up to help reduce plastic waste. Our goal is to help hotels in their environmental initiatives by curating beautiful eco-friendly minibar offerings! By going plastic-free in your minibar we are removing the plastic heat shrink seal and adding a custom printed label seal to match your hotel’s brand guidelines. This acts as a tamper-evident seal...because we know how important it is! Our dedicated In-Room Plus team is always looking to provide alternatives that reduce...

Happy International Women's History Month! We are so proud to recently receive our OFFICIAL WBENC CERTIFICATION! With the help from Avendra, Aramark and Certify My Company (another women owned company) we say thank you! Embarking on the certification process wasn't a small endeavor and was a major time investment—but it was well worth the hours and effort put into it to receive this certification for In-Room Plus! Being a female-owned business owner is about more than just ownership. It's putting your best foot forward and getting the job done just as well, if not better, than anyone else! We support hard-working women everywhere....

We've all heard the saying when one door closes, another opens. That's exactly how In-Room Plus was born. The experience Wanda Jones, one of the original partners and first generation owners of In-Room Plus (along with Mike Amrose), had when she was fired from a gourmet food company in the early 1980s. She had helped take the company public in a wildly successful way to later be fired for cost cutting measures. Well, not only did Wanda lose her job, that gourmet food company went out of business shortly after her departure. Believe it or not, that's not...

The NEW Veggie Snack Mix is available in our Large Silver Pouch. Your guests will love the taste of these colorful sweet potatoes, squash, taro, carrot, green bean, and purple sweet potato veggie chips as a healthy alternative! Add some variety to your snacking options, RXBAR® Plant comes with an entirely new taste and texture in comparison to our classic RXBAR®. With the addition od oats, each bar features a soft, delicious texture combined with irresistible flavor to mix up your minibar offerings.   Offer your guests a more natural way to dream, recover, and...

As hospitality takes on a new normal of heightened safety and sanitation protocols, providing a personalized and comfortable experience is what builds long-lasting relationships with loyal travelers. We’ve provided some options for continuing those thoughtful amenity programs that provide positive and memorable experiences to delight your returning guests!  No minibar? No problem! Minibar offerings are meant to be easy access for any craving, and by putting them on the in-room menu, guests will still have the option to indulge in delicious snacks with contactless service. Our products are always safely prepared, packaged, and sealed, so offering this...

Like fingerprints or snowflakes, no two properties or in-room programs are exactly alike. From cozy boutique hotels to mega-resorts boasting more than 1,000 rooms, In-Room Plus helps each and everyone create a unique set-up just right for their brand and guests. From grab-and-gos to minibars to kid’s clubs, here are 9 of the many tailored ways we scale to serve In-Room Plus clients of every size and stripe. We hope they inspire you to refresh and innovate your own in-room program in new and exciting ways! 6+ ROOMS The 1770 House Restaurant & Inn in...

We’re proud to supply delicious snacks and helpful travel products to a range of top hotel properties, but did you know we also serve a wide range of other businesses and even individuals? In our blog series Thinking Outside the Minibar, we highlight one of our amazing In-Room Plus clients who has worked with In-Room Plus to add a creative touch to their business or event that steps beyond a standard minibar. Today, we are thrilled to highlight the wedding of Jacci & Steve! Months before Jacci and Steve’s September wedding in East Brunswick, New...

As a new decade dawns on the hospitality industry, the five trends we’re seeing this year aren’t so much new as evolved. Sustainability Sustainability isn’t just a hospitality trend, it’s one of the most important and discussed issues around the globe. As such, sustainability is no longer an afterthought or add-on, but a must-have core component for all successful brands that guests increasingly demand. Thankfully, more vendors offer a more affordable and comprehensive range of eco-friendly options, like In-Room Plus’s plastic-free line, making it easier for hotels to truly go green.   Health and Wellness...

2019 may be nearly over, but our trusty and time-tested blog tips will last far after the glittering ball drops over Times Square. We’ve gathered a countdown of the top 7 posts we published this year, along with three of our all-time greatest traffic grabbers. Brand and content managers, take note: Our readers most loved getting up-close looks at our custom-branded collaborations with top hotels, diving into top industry trends and tips, and learning to think outside the minibar to expand their ideas of how in-room hospitality can serve and delight guests. This year, seasonal,...

These properties (which we’re proud to call In-Room Plus clients) make for wonderful getaways any time of year, but beware, at Halloween time, you may have to share your delicious in-room snacks with an uninvited, plus-one! The Hay-Adams Hotel, Washington D.C. This stately, beautiful hotel is perhaps D.C.’s most famous – and infamous. Located on the former site of the homes of both former U.S. Secretary of State John Hay, and Henry Adams (related to both Presidents John and John Quincy Adams), the hotel opened in 1928 and played hosts to presidents, celebrities, and the...

Rumor has it that a reporter once called Mark Twain to confirm if he had died. Though historians dispute the exact wording, the great humorist was reported to quip something along the lines of, “The report of my death has been greatly exaggerated.” Today, rumors of another death run rampant: that of the minibar. Once a staple of seemingly every room, operational frustrations, dwindling profits and the rise of nearby convenience stores and on-property shops led some hotel chains to scale back their in-room hospitality programs or remove them entirely. In other words, the original iteration...

Fall is in the air. The neighborhood pool may be closed for the season, but that doesn’t mean rest and adventure need to be packed away until Spring. Fall is the perfect time for a quick weekend getaway – a few days to relax, recharge and watch nature put on its breathtaking variety show of colorful foliage. We consulted the fall foliage predictor at SmokyMountains.com to help you know exactly when to plan a visit to these four amazing properties we’re proud to call our clients. We’ve even suggested a snack for each, to help you...

Even if you already provide your guests a convenient, branded in-room program where they can fuel up, snack and indulge (and maybe even stock up on supplies), you may be surprised to learn that you’re probably not optimizing sales. That’s because of a famous marketing principle called the “Rule of 7”; it states that potential customers need to be exposed to your offer at least seven times before they are likely to notice it or begin to take action. Obviously, seven neon in-room arrows pointing to the minibar aren’t exactly the subtle, upscale experience you’re...

An undeniable shift is happening in and around the hospitality landscape: sobriety is on the rise. People choose to be sober for lots of reasons: pregnancy, alcoholism recovery, fitness, contraindications with other health conditions or medication, or sheerly because they’ve grown weary of alcohol-soaked culture.  This isn’t a passing fad. As America’s focus on health and wellness grows and sobriety becomes increasingly mainstream (bolstered by sober celebrities like Bradley Cooper, Kendrick Lamar, Jennifer Lopez, Blake Lively, Jada Pinkett Smith, Jennifer Hudson and more), so do the numbers. According to a report by Bon Appétit, the...

It probably comes as no surprise to hear that we love minibars. Traditional, innovative, themed--we like ‘em all. That said, we also tremendously enjoy working with companies who imagine new and creative ways to share our products with their valued customers. Our blog series Thinking Outside the Minibar recognizes some of these incredible In-Room Plus clients, highlighting their great ideas and refreshing approaches to hospitality and customer loyalty programs. Alder & Tweed is a boutique wholesale furniture company headquartered in California. We asked the company’s owner Leslie Humphrey to share her insights into how Alder...

In theory, luxuries and conveniences can be harder to come by on an island, surrounded in all directions by the seemingly endless sea. But luxury properties, even those in far-flung tropical destinations, are famous for expertly catering to their guests every need and want. How do they do it? With a little help from their friends like us, who help supply their in-room hospitality programs with products that arrive fresh, custom-branded and on-time. Now that it’s officially summer, we’re kicking up our feet and daydreaming at our desks about island hopping to these three exotic...

While we’re proud to serve a range of top hotel properties, we supply snacks to a plethora of clients in far-reaching industries and verticals. We’re so impressed with the unique, personal touch some of our clients built into their hospitality or client-appreciation programs, we launched a new blog series last summer called Thinking Outside the Minibar. In each installment, one of our amazing In-Room Plus clients shares practical tips and inspiration on how to bring a creative touch that steps beyond a standard minibar set-up. Towne BMW is a dealership located in Williamsville, New York,...

Whether it’s a medical necessity, a religious adherence, or a personal lifestyle choice, dietary restrictions can make menus and minibar choices feel slim or even totally off-limits. But we believe everyone should enjoy the right to select the perfect snack for them! That’s why we offer a wide selection of products, so even those with dietary restrictions can indulge and enjoy. Here’s an example of three dietary restrictions for which we offer a broad range of tasty products:   Vegan Keeping your diet plant-based shouldn’t mean it can’t also be tasty and fun. Sure, we...