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

[Footgoose]

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 .

Woohoo! Happy belated birthday!

Oh hooray!

I'm so pleased for you, OP!

@TonTonMacoute

AFAIK there's no such thing as a free hotel minibar.

I always take my own wine.

Oh, I dunno. It’s not that uncommon overseas (she says in a hotel with free minibar and currently knocking back the Diet Coke )

Did we establish which hotel this was? Is the Lincolnshire Life a clue?

Happy birthday - drink that free mini bar dry x

This has brought back memories of the toblerone in a mini bar in a hotel in Reading. Was stupidly priced, but once I knew it was there....well, I ate it! We were there for two nights. Cue part of the next day finding a replacement for the toblerone. That size proved a bit of a trial, but I was vair reluctant to pay the inflated price. Would have better if I hadn't fallen for the temptation.

DH and I stayed at a posh hotel a few years back and the minibar was all free. I think I did see something on the website about it before we booked so we weren't just chancing it. Also we had similar at a hotel in London before then so some minibars are definitely complimentary.

Haha I wish
When checking out they will ask if you consumed anything. If you lie they still have your credit card to charge you later on.

Try and let us know 🙃☺️

Brilliant, happy birthday op

@LoisLane66

Anyone who thinks hotel mini bars are free, needs their head testing. Reception KNOW when you open the fridge and when you remove an item and you WILL BE CHARGED automatically.

hilarious

whens your next head testing appt

Happy B-day!

@Bellie710

We stay at a hotel in Glasgow quite often and you get decanters of Gin, Vodka and Whisky, 2 mini bottles of red and white wine and a load of mixers and it is all free.

What Hotel is this please?

They are never free. In fact, they are usually expensive

@LoisLane66

Anyone who thinks hotel mini bars are free, needs their head testing. Reception KNOW when you open the fridge and when you remove an item and you WILL BE CHARGED automatically.

You can't be charged for just moving something in a hotel. Not unless you lob the telly out of the window.

@2018SoFarSoGreat

some posters are being so snippy to OP, who has said she is not well traveled. Not really necessary or helpful.

OP, do just call down and tell them that you can't find the pricelist for the mini bar.

As to 'smuggling' wine in, it is perfectly okay to bring whatever you wish to hotels. There is no need to hide it, nor feel like a smuggler. They only provide the over priced mini bar items for those who either need more than they brought, or were silly (and thirsty) enough not to bring their own.

Have a lovely time.

Ha! I stayed in a famous Edinburgh Hotel many years ago. I was attending a Ball there, and I booked a room too. The wine price list was ridiculous so I smuggled in a bottle of fizz. The Manager caught me (I think it was down the front of my dress, doh) & 'impounded' it until I left quoting: 'only Hotel beverages in licensed premises' or somesuch. Mind, I wasn't discreetly quaffing it in my room, I was taking it down to the Ballroom tbf. I made him open the safe & give it back to me next day. I was 19 though :)

ahh, nice outcome - hope you enjoyed OP!

Good job you asked, I would definitely have assumed that needed paying for and not touched it! Happy birthday!

Very unlikely that they will be free, and if it is a posh hotel that means everything in the mini bar will be ridiculously overpriced because it it catering to a customer base that won't be bothered if they are charged RIP off prices.

The best mini fridge we got had two bottles of wine, a half bottle of vodka and 6 bottles of beer as well as lots of different sweets. I was nervous about touching anything but asked at reception who said it was free. The best thing was it got restocked every day! I'll just add we didn't empty the alcohol on a daily basis!

I'm surprised with covid they have put stuff in the fridge. What will they do, wipe down each bottle in case you touched them?

@Mollymoostoo.

It may surprise you to learn that just about everything you buy to consume could have been touched by another person somewhere along the way.

If you buy your groceries online, it was picked by a person, if you shop on the supermarket, the check out person touches it when they scan it, if you buy from a small shop, vending machine or takeaway food place it will have been handled when stocking took place.

It's extremely unlikely that covid could be transmitted like this and if you're that vulnerable or concerned, you're unlikely to be staying in a hotel anyway.

There's no such thing as a free lunch!

Except when it’s a free minibar, experienced by the OP and by many other posters on the thread?

I agree with sunsetsupernova.
In addition, I will mention that using identical replacements to avoid paying the huge mini bar prices does not work. In some hotels the room staff record all the specific batch codes on the bottles in the fridge so that if you drank them thay would know and you would be charged for them. It seemed mean, but it is a big income for some chains, and you are paying for the convenience and chilling of the item.

Anything consumable that is free usually has a 'with complements' card with it. You can ask for the fridge to be emptied so you can use it for your own choice of stuff.

@Bellie710
Which hotel is this? I want to visit Scotland soon, and that sounds like a brilliant place to stay!