Hotel operators have been urged to include healthier options in their mini-bars after research revealed nearly a third of British guests did not like what they were being offered when staying in hotels.
A survey of 850 European hotel guests, by Hotels.com, revealed that Brits spent an average of £15.44 on minibar treats every time they went away last year – a fall of nearly £2 on the 2007 figure of £17.29.
The study revealed that 32% of Brits felt that minibars didn’t offer what they really wanted, with healthy snacks and drinks topping the wish-list for both sexes.
The majority (84%) of the Brits surveyed felt that hotel minibars are too expensive, and are so keen to cut costs that one in ten admit to ’minibar meddling’ by replacing what they’ve used with cheaper alternatives bought from a local shop.
Six in ten avoided the minibar altogether by buying snacks and drinks from outside the hotel to consume in their room.
Alison Couper, director of communications at Hotels.com, said: “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.”
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By Daniel Thomas
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