tammy35

On the Hyatt Regency Maui website it says the rooms come with a mini bar. Is that a mini refrigerator?

freewoman

It usually means a mini refrigerator stocked with drinks. Be careful though because they are usually pretty expensive out of there. They add what you use from there on your room bill. When I use anything from there, I replace it and it's much cheaper that way.

stevecat

Watch out, some of them are networked and have sensors that automatically charge for the item once you pull it half-way out.

Patrick

freewoman, I'm really intriqued by your comment. Are you saying if you take a mini bag of nuts or chips from the mini bar you go out somewhere and find the exact same size and brand packet to replace it with? And if you took a tiny bottle of vodka or scotch you somehow go to a liquor store and find the exact same size and brand to put in its place? Sounds like a near impossibility to me, or certainly easier to just buy what you want somewhere else to begin with! Or am I not understanding what you're saying?

OliveOyl

You painted a funny picture Patrick! She has to be fast too, because the bars are restocked by mid-day.

Mini bars are as they are describing here, tammy, and the items are expensive. I generally avoid them like the plague.

Meesthare

I was a bit puzzled some weeks ago when we stayed at a Marriott near Buffalo, and there was a sign on the minibar fridge advising us not to put any of our own supplies in there to keep them refrigerated, since we "might be charged a fee" when we removed them.

Dan

You "might be charged" because of the sensors involved in the newer models. They automatically bill you when you take something. No longer does a person have to "inventory" the thing daily!

This happened to me in New York. I moved things around to see exactly what was in there and ended up with a $10 charge! They removed it, but I was surprised to say the least.

howitzer

im aware of hotels that stock your mini bar to your preferences; low-fat, nonalcoholic, dark chocolate as opposed to milk, etc.
im aware of guests who drink the little smirnoffs and replace them with water.
im aware it is customary to let any woman you are "entertaining" in your room to raid the mini bar.
sensors be damned!

pspercy

On Maui you can buy the miniatures (airplane size bottles of liquor) many places at $1 or $2 prices so no need to raid the high priced hotel mini bar ! Come in handy for the flight home too !

Meesthare

Thanks for the explanation, Dan. I figured it must be something like that, but it seemed like an awfully sci-fi hypothesis. Glad to know my mind is still working within normal limits!

LilMsFoodie

My favorite Minibar moment: the $45 4oz. jar of macadamias.... I was ravenous, room service was closed and they were stale! I laugh thinking about it now.

Another money raiser is the $5 bottle of Evian sitting on the bathroom counter.

JohnD

Reply to Freewoman and Meesthare: If you want to store your own things in the mini fridge ask the hotel (front desk) to empty it for you-so you do not get charged.