to ignore hotel minibar and go to the shop down the road instead?

[bearhug]

or would that be a really cheapskate thing to do? I'm in a hotel in France for work. minibar prices are extortionate! and there isn't even a kettle in the room.

Will I be judged, walking through reception? If so, do I care much?

I thought everyone did this? Who cares what reception think!? We've asked for corkscrews, glasses and ice before and nobody's ever blinked an eye.

No kettle? If be checking out.

YANBU I also thought that the mini bar was just decoration you're in France cheap nice wine in the shops. Who cares what reception think. I a bit jealous.

We always do this. No one's ever commented. Except in countries (Spain and Germany and Portugal etc) where the mini bars are totally reasonably priced.

Go for it. You can always hide the booze in your bag I did.

There is no greater pleasure in life than drinking alone in a French hotel room after a prolonged and stressful period of work. Unless it's sitting in your pyjamas in bed in your little sleeper compartment on Platform 1 at Paddington, drinking a nice whisky and watching the late commuters rushing for their trains. (ah, nostalgia....sob!)

Everyone does it. Do it!!

Mini bars are just for real emergencies when there is no possible alternative and it therefore seems worth paying £££££ for a mouthful of booze and a handful of nuts!!

Go for it - it is fine

I go to Brussels frequently. Check in, up to room, back downstairs, around the corner to shop, back to hotel with plastic bag - mini milk (there is a kettle, sorry), naice biccies, bar of chocolate for handbag for tomorrow and a half bottle of wine with a screwtop.

Never an eyebrow raised.

More eyebrows get raised if you come in from dinner and ask (and pay for) a glass of wine at the bar to bring to bed. So, meh, I'll buy slightly more wine for slightly less money, and leave some in the bottle (possibly).

Cheers everyone ! Cheap wine from the shop it is!

I thought minibars were purely for decoration. I never touch them unless desperate for water after too much alcohol

yep done that my whole life (40 years so far)

in fact i have been known to empty the minibar to put my cans in overnight

Minibars are never used. Never. Except maybe a zombie Apocalypse. Then I might.

Oh I forgot to add the bottle of water I buy too - I am not a complete lush!1

We stayed at the hotel in the Shard for our anniversary. They scanned your case airport style when you checked in. We had 2 bottles of Champagne in ours. They never said a word.