There’s nothing us Brits like better than indulging in a bit of luxury when we travel places. So much so that recent research from Hotel.com found that, as a nation, we spend a whopping £526m every year on mini-bar items alone.
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The study found that 58 per cent of hotel guests feel tempted to buy goods late at night when the urge for a midnight snack proves too strong.
However, with the recent economic downturn, an increasing number of Brits (84 per cent) feel that mini-bar prices are too high with 60 per cent admitting to avoiding minibars altogether by buying snacks and drinks from outside the hotel to consume in their rooms.
What the research also revealed was that cash conscious travellers are resorting to sneakier methods of supplying themselves with treats. One in ten admitted to ‘minibar meddling’ – cheating the system by replacing what they’ve used from the minibar with cheaper alternatives bought from a local shop.
While the honest among us spend an average of £15 on minibars each time we stay at a hotel, this is nothing compared to the Irish who fritter away an average of £22. At the other end of the scale are the French and Norwegian, spending under just £10 and £12 respectively.
Many hotels have now started to spice up the contents of their minibars, supplying travellers with more quirky and extravagant minibar offerings .For example, those staying at the five-star Dylan Hotel in Dublin will find a Kama Sutra Kit in their mini bar which includes a feather, a frilly pink blindfold and a range of scented oils. The three-star Catalina Hotel in Miami offers a ‘pimp my fridge’ service where guests can order a number of personalised mini bars including the ‘Get In On Minibar’ which includes a Barry White CD for setting the mood, edible body paint, champagne and whipped cream.
When focusing on gender, Hotel.com’s research found that the item men would most like to see in a minibar is bottled water with healthy snacks and beer closely following. Women’s top items were bottled water, healthy snacks and chocolate.
Alison Couper, Director of Communications for Hotels.com, says: "British travellers are clearly unable to resist the temptations of the hotel minibar; however, our research shows they are becoming incredibly savvy in terms of how they spend their holiday money. Sites like ours are currently offering a further 50 per cent off thousands of hotels around the world so there has never been a better time to make your money go further."
Fiona Haran