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AIBU?

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Original poster

Is this a free mini bar. Answers quick. I’m feeling thirsty

227 replies

Footgoose · 02/02/2022 17:28

Not well travelled but we have paid full price for a suit in a posh hotel in UK . There are single bottles of alcohol and soft drinks in the mini fridge. One of each ie one white wine one red wine one water one coke one beer and a packet of pretzels . No price list anywhere . I know I could ring reception but I’m a bit cringe about that. So Mumsnet…. Are these freebies? If not, can we plead ignorance if they charge us? If I believe what I’ve heard , it’s about a hundred pounds worth of goods and I shouldn’t even nudge them for fear of being debited a small fortune . Grin

OP posts:
Ipadannie · 02/02/2022 22:31

I've stayed in a Glasgow hotel where the drink in the room is free and there's also a residents lounge with free food and drink dependent on tariff. Help yourself bar too - fantastic!

BobISMyUncle · 02/02/2022 22:34

Sorry! Multitasking. Never a good thing, but I persist with trying!
Enjoy the minibar thing. I've only ever seen one. That's another story. I have terrible trouble with popcorn at a cinema. It starts off, absolutely fine. I am not allowed (!) to have popcorn at a cinema, ever again. Ha! He bloody thinks so! And Maltesers.

OpheliaTrousersnake · 02/02/2022 22:34

I'm going apologise for not reading properly @Footgoose, and wish you a happy birthday. What a fab hotel!

thenightsky · 02/02/2022 22:34

@SeeminglyOblivious

Also be careful just picking them up to check them out. Sometimes the fridge has technology that lets them know when something has been removed from its place and they will charge you for it

Yes...dh and I were charged for the entire contents of the chilled mini bar, about £85...because we nudged all of their wine over to cram our own bottles in that we'd brought from home 😂

Thankfully they did remove it from the bill but it was a faff when checking out, having to wait for them to go check then get the manager down to process the adjustment etc 🙄

This has happened to me too. Took everything out and put it on the side to fit my own wine in, then put all theirs back in the morning. Went to check out. £80 odd quid added to my bill Shock. I did get it taken off after someone went up to check the room fridge, but it was embarrassing hanging around waiting.
Socialcarenope · 02/02/2022 22:35

I've stayed in hotels where the mini bar is complimentary. It's always said that though in the welcome pack.

YetAnotherChanger · 02/02/2022 22:35

I’m another one who’s love to know the Glasgow hotel mentioned a few times, we stay in Glasgow every 6/8 weeks

GloriaSicTransitMundi · 02/02/2022 22:43

@Ipadannie

I've stayed in a Glasgow hotel where the drink in the room is free and there's also a residents lounge with free food and drink dependent on tariff. Help yourself bar too - fantastic!
Which hotel is this? Asking for a friend Grin
LetsGoParty · 02/02/2022 22:48

Wahoo! Happy birthday OP

Not sure why people would feel embarrassed about asking if it's free or not. If it's not clear then of course you should ask.

redastherose · 02/02/2022 22:50

Happy Birthday 🥳

MathsFiend · 02/02/2022 22:57

Glasgow hotel must be the Carlton George.

Original poster
Footgoose · 02/02/2022 23:00

Cheers Mumsnet. And thank you for the birthday wishes . Grin

Is this a free mini bar. Answers quick. I’m feeling thirsty
OP posts:
nettie434 · 02/02/2022 23:02

Happy birthday Footgoose. Cake Wine. Enjoy the mini bar!

My mini bar story is that I was rummaging around in the mini bar of a boutique hotel just out of interest as I was actually going out to dinner. As I took out a bottle of wine to read the label, there was an ominous clunk and too late I saw the notice that stated that removing the bottle from the rack meant you would be charged. I looked at the price list and turned white. I phoned reception and in a tremulous voice explained what had happened. Thank goodness the staff were lovely and told me that it would be fine.

Luckily I then went out and met a colleague in a pop up restaurant near the hotel where the price of wine was a lot more reasonable.

The good thing about the mini bar which I wish other hotels did was to put a small jug of milk in the mini bar. It was so much nicer than those little tubs of UHT milk for making tea or coffee.

Ipadannie · 02/02/2022 23:05

Absolutely @MathsFiend Smile

Iamthewombat · 02/02/2022 23:07

Report back on whether there is, in fact, life in Lincolnshire.

midlifecrash · 02/02/2022 23:09

Hooray an update! Now I can sleep. Happy Birthday

GloriaSicTransitMundi · 02/02/2022 23:16

@MathsFiend

Glasgow hotel must be the Carlton George.
Thanks @Ipadannie and @MathsFiend

just checked the Carlton George and they're also offering free taxis from the airport! Have bookmarked as there's talk of a family wedding up that way later this year.

And Happy Birthday @Footgoose - enjoy your mini bar!

2018SoFarSoGreat · 02/02/2022 23:19

Happy (HIC) birthday, @Footgoose

SheldonesqueTheBstard · 02/02/2022 23:35

🍷 happy birthday 🥳

Mamanyt · 03/02/2022 00:06

In the USA, every item in that mini bar fridge will be charged to the room, and at ridiculously high prices. I've seen a mini bottle of wine charged out at $10. Almost half the cost of a regular sized bottle of a less-expensive wine. And higher than a cheap one, for that matter. CALL RECEPTION! Those little guys can run you up in a hurry!

NoNever · 03/02/2022 00:30

@Footgoose

I asked, it’s a complimentary mini bar For my Birthday . To be fair , there was a little card wishing me a Happy Birthday from guest services but no where near the fridge Bless ‘em Grin.
Fabulous! Happy birthday Cake
WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 03/02/2022 01:32

Happy Birthday, OP - so glad you got your answer, and it was the one you wanted Grin

Page 6 and I can't believe no-one has said this yet. Check your booking/ the website you booked it through/ the hotel website in some cases. If there's a free mini bar then that's a feature they'd normally be trumpeting about.

I wouldn't wholeheartedly agree with this, though. They'd most probably advertise 'A complimentary glass of wine' or something, but nowhere is going to publicise the fact that they offer you a whole fridge full of free booze, even if they do once you've booked and arrived - no surer way to bring all of the undesirable boot-fillers out of the woodwork and swiftly get your hotel a very unadmirable reputation!

Meowwwwwww · 03/02/2022 02:31

@Giraffesandbottoms

Interesting thread; I would have assumed contents are free as it’s a nice hotel and no price list!
Sadly no. The poshest hotels have the most expensive minibars.
Meowwwwwww · 03/02/2022 02:32

But glad it worked out for you OP. What a nice surprise!

RedDots · 03/02/2022 02:35

@BarbaraofSeville it was Craig Johnston, South African footballer who played for Liverpool who invented the 'thing' that charges you if move things in the mini bar.

BlackberrySky · 03/02/2022 03:08

I used to work on the reception desk of a fairly posh hotel. OP, I am having a smile to myself that you were embarrassed to ask if the minibar was free. Let me tell you, some of the things people ask reception about are astounding; a simple question about the minibar would be welcome! No hotel receptionist would bat an eyelid.