The Big Question: Will hotel minibars soon be a thing of the past?

Love it or hate it, the traditional hotel minibar amenity is becoming harder to find. On a recent visit to Hawaii, holed up in bed at a five-star resort with the flu, I craved a cold can of Sprite. In the bar fridge, I found nothing. The resort no longer offers in-room drinks and snacks for sale.

"Hotel minibars are an amenity that is not as trendy now," says Stephanie Leger, chief excellence officer of First Rate Hospitality, a training and evaluation service for top hotels. "Minibar attendant positions are being eliminated at more hotels as executives look more closely at their labour costs."

Don't be surprised to find empty bar fridges in hotels of all star ratings. At hotels still offering minibar services, there's an opportunity to stand out from competitors by offering complimentary refreshments, locally sourced boutique brands or selections customised for each guest. As one example, everything in the minibar fridge and pantry at Regent Phu Quoc, a luxury beach resort in Vietnam, is free of charge.

"Some luxury hotels are using it as an opportunity to further customise a guest's stay by reaching out to the guest in pre-arrival communications and asking about their preferences to better stock the mini-fridge," says Leger. "Depending on the hotel, this might be offered as a complimentary service or included in a resort fee."

Ben Creek, director of food and beverage for Accor Pacific says the accommodation group is taking a flexible approach across its brands. "For our luxury hotels, we see minibar as an essential amenity," he says. "For other brands, we have a more flexible approach as some guests prefer a more customisable experience and order on request."

At Wythe Hotel in the trendy Williamsburg neighbourhood of Brooklyn, the minibar is seen as too good of an opportunity to not engage. "As a food-and-beverage-focused hotel, we can introduce our guests to products we love, offerings from our neighbours, and all the cool stories behind each brand," says Peter Lawrence, owner of Wythe Hotel.

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Alongside local beverage brands and craveable snacks including Hal's potato chips, Raaka chocolates and Bon Bon Swedish candy, Wythe Hotel guests will even find a custom deck of playing cards.

Leger says the current state of the hotel minibar has also led to opportunities for creative businesses to step into the space. RoomBox is one example in the Miami/Fort Lauderdale area. The service enables guests to pre-select snacks, groceries, and other items to be ready at their hotel when they arrive, a tempting convenience indeed.