Minibar101

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...

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...

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,...

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’s hard to believe 2018 has come and (nearly!) gone. We’ve certainly stayed busy as we celebrated quite the milestone year with our friends and customers, celebrating our 30th Anniversary. Along the way, we’ve regularly shared blog posts highlighting favorite products, destinations, clients, employees, industry news and trends. And of our dozens of posts, here are the 6 In-Room Plus articles you loved most this year. 6. Thinking Outside the Minibar: Barton & Gray Mariners Club Thinking Outside the Minibar is a blog series we began to show off some of the many ways our...

What makes a minibar successful?For the past three decades, we’ve worked to invigorate minibars around the world, and share our unparalleled industry expertise with our valued clients. As we kick off a quarter-long celebration of our 30th Anniversary (#IRPTurns30), there’s no better time to return to our roots and share a tip for each year we’ve been in business. We’ve also linked to a few of our most popular and helpful blog posts where relevant throughout. These are designed to be quick tweaks that can have a big impact. How many of these boxes does...

Minibar mixed drinks are convenient, but they aren’t always exactly craft cocktails. If you’re tired of the same old plain vodka and soda routine, our Cocktail Kit can help you elevate your drinks to bartender-quality libations in a few simple steps. Best of all, because you don’t have to leave your hotel room, pants are optional!The Cocktail Kit contains:True Lemon flavor packetTrue Lime flavor packetRegular liquid sugarMint flavored liquid sugar2 mini bottles of bittersA booklet containing 7 craft-quality recipes you can make using only these ingredients + your minibar liquors.Our resident bartender, William, demonstrates how to whip...

Traveling can make skin stressed, dirty and dehydrated. A few hours in a crowded airplane or car is enough to make anyone long for the clean comforts of the spa. Plus once you arrive, summer sun, sweat, bug spray and sunscreen can leave you feeling sticky. Imagine returning to your room after a long flight or a day exploring the city. You left most of your own skincare products (those too big to pass through TSA checks or too fragile to be tossed into a carry-on) at home. But you’re in luck! Right there in...

While we all love to savor snacks from a hotel minibar, you might assume that if you’ve seen one minibar, you’ve seen them all. Not so! In fact, we’re so impressed with the on-brand touches and innovative ideas many of our clients have designed into their hospitality programs, we can’t keep the fun to ourselves. We’re launching a new blog series today: thinking outside the minibar. In each installment, we’ll highlight the creativity of one of our amazing In-Room Plus clients, and ask them to provide practical tips and spark inspiration.   Image source: www.bartonandgray.com...

Let’s face it: New Year’s resolutions usually aren’t worth the shiny new gym membership cards they’re printed on. That’s because big changes often require a major investment—the kind we tend to burn out on a few short weeks after swearing to do better this year. Great news: we’ve rounded up these seven easy, affordable (or even free!), totally doable tweaks to make to your in-room program. These simple improvements can yield significant positive impact for your business while also delighting guests. Commit a little time to each, and your program will be in great shape...

No one likes to feel nickel-and-dimed, especially when they’re already paying beaucoup bucks to stay in their suite. Hotels are notorious for hiking prices on their minibar offerings, and as a result, most people have the perception that the minibar is there to rip them off. Sure, tracking inventory, staffing minibar attendants, and products mysteriously disappearing means time and money, but offering items reasonably priced or complimentary will garner great TripAdvisor reviews and leave your guests feeling warm and fuzzy.Here are some hotels who make the case for lower-priced minibars:   The KimberlyThe Kimberly Hotel,...

It’s no secret that modern in-room minibar product offerings extend well beyond the items inside the refrigerated unit itself. Many hotels focus on making their minibar amenity programs a very significant component of guest travel experience, as evidenced by the recent Vogue article “Minibar Mania” which gives a descriptive summary of some of the most delectable and desirable in-room minibar offerings across the globe. In addition to boosting TripAdvisor reviews, minibar offerings can earn your hotel property some serious coolness points–especially if you toss in a few off-the-wall items to get your guests attention and...

Is that tap water in the minibar vodka bottle? Are those cocktail napkins crammed into the pretzel tin? If you’ve experienced minibar theft or product tampering, you know exactly how frustrating it can be. One of the most commonly targeted hotel amenities for theft is the minibar. This is why we’ve polled some of our experienced hotel partners on their tips and tricks for minibar theft prevention.   Here are some successful ways to keep your in-room theft low, your minibar revenue high, and your food and beverage products safe for future guests:   Eyes...

According to a TripAdvisor survey, 50 percent of travelers say that convenience is their number one motivation for purchasing snacks from the minibar. But what about the other 50 percent of travelers? Well after nearly 30 years in the minibar business, we know them pretty well.   Here are 5 tips for creating an in-room minibar program that will captivate your guests:   Know Your Peeps It’s likely that a young newlywed couple won’t want the same minibar products as a solo business professional traveling for a conference. To know your guests is to know...

From revenue to reviews, there's a lot to learn from the winners of the recently announced Gourmet Traveler Magazine 2017 Hotel Awards– namely the 2017 Best Hotel Minibar winner, COMO The Treasury hotel in Western Australia.Here are our 3 key takeaways from the land down under to help you get up over your apprehension as you develop and perfect your in-room amenity program:   #1. Merchandise Your Minibar Mix Presentation of your in-room amenity selection to guests is equal parts art and science, and the COMO hotel seems to have perfected this ratio with their...