Rooms and F&B
Hotel minibar
A hotel minibar is a small fridge in the guest room stocked with drinks and snacks that guests pay for separately, usually added to the bill at check-out.
1 min read · Updated: September 28, 2026
The minibar is one of the oldest sources of ancillary revenue, but it is also one of the most disputed items at check-out: guests forget what they took, or an item was missing before they arrived. Checking and restocking every minibar takes housekeeping time, which is why many UK hotels now leave the fridge empty or offer drinks on request.
How it works in practice
Example: a 100-room hotel in Glasgow with fully stocked minibars. A room attendant checks each fridge, lists what was used and passes it to reception, and stores restocks the items. With water at £3 and beer at £6, revenue per room is small while the cost of checking and resolving disputes is high.
Minibar models:
- fully stocked, checked by housekeeping,
- empty fridge, drinks ordered by guests,
- restocked on request with immediate payment.
How technology helps
With hotelspot the minibar can run as its own point of sale in the G-commerce Manager: guests see what is available in the guest app, order a refill and pay online, without calling reception.
Frequently asked questions
- Is the hotel minibar free?
- Usually not. Items are charged separately unless the hotel clearly states the minibar is included in the rate.
- How are minibar charges added?
- Traditionally housekeeping checks the minibar and reception adds items to the bill at check-out. When ordered in an app, guests pay straight away.
