Tequila replaces insulin in hotel refrigerators
Just as in the airline industry, hotels are seeking new ways to generate income from captive audiences. But whereas airlines are now charging for things that were once free, like carry-on baggage and meals, many hotels are removing non-essential services and filling the void with profit-generating items.It took some sleuthing to find out that the minibar in our suite at the Mirage was made by a company called Bartech, which also provides minibars for the Bellagio and The Palms. There was no Bartech logo visible on the device, but there were six translations of "anything you remove will be automatically charged to your account."
This included a nip bottle of Patron for $23 and a can of Red Bull for $5.95. Not known for our wild living, we drove around the corner to a CVS and found the same items for $4 and $1.99, respectively.
Those prone to guilty introspection (we are, at least, prone to that) might say that the wages of laziness is 23 bucks for two margaritas' worth - tops - of tequila. So the very presence of an untouched minibar can be a testament to one's own restraint in the country's most decadent town.
But here's the rub: the only refrigeration available in our room was via the minibar, and we couldn't store our own water and snacks there. I called Hotel Services.
"Can I store my insulin in the minibar?" I said. This year I plan to learn bass guitar and to develop diabetes.
"No," the operator said. "Not even in the empty slots. But we can send up a refrigerator for you."
"Yes," I said. "Please do that." (I needed a place for my Red Bull and Patron.)
The lack of a refrigerator not only drives the guest out of the room to eat at hotel restaurants (or order room service) but it also chills the need for extra trash, thus fewer and smaller wastebaskets that fill faster and perpetuate the desire for housekeeping.
It's all a conspiracy.
Housekeeping brought up a dented refrigerator with a loud compressor, like the one I had in my dorm room. I tipped the housekeeping guy and asked if there would be a charge.
"Not yet," he said.
See also: Bartech, Form vs. function: Making minibars fit the decor of a guestroom is the goal of designers and manufacturers
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