'Overly punishing' fee travellers need to watch out for in some hotel rooms
A traveller has shared their outrage after encountering an overly strict mini bar rule while holidaying in Vegas.
We all know that mini bars are expensive and should be avoided where possible.
Just last week, we shared a sneaky trick that we rely on sometimes to avoid high mini bar charges. But some hotels are cottoning on.
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In a photo shared to Reddit, this traveller showed off a sign on the minibar in their room which they say is "overly punishing".
The sign warns guests that if they remove anything from the minibar fridge - which is sensor-activated - they'll be charged $50.
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If guests need a fridge for personal reasons, like storing milk for babies or insulin for diabetics, they'll need to pay extra to get another one in their room.
People in the comments were equally outraged. "Tourism as a whole is declining [in Vegas] because it went from a somewhat affordable good time to a rip-off at every corner."
This mini bar is monitored with sensors. Reddit
One person said that when travelling, they prefer low-budget hotels to avoid all the upselling.
"I'd much rather pay a couple hundred less dollars for the cheaper room that is, from my experience, is the exact same or even a little better, and not have to worry about stupid stuff like paying to use the mini-fridge."
Another wrote that they were charged for simply picking up a can off the mini bar, which activated the sensor and added the cost to their room tab.
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American traveller, Alexia got a shock in her hotel in Las Vegas. TikTok
This isn't the first time a traveller to Vegas has been blindsided with a minibar charge. Earlier this year, a woman shared a TikTok explaining that she had been charged $58 USD for simply picking up an item and looking at it.
She explained she picked up a 'Lover's Kit' from the fridge, and it went straight on her bill, even though she put it back straight away.
"I took it out to be 'oh, what the heck is that'... fifty eight dollars!" she said.
However, she said she phoned reception, and it seemed it wasn't the first time a guest had been stung.
"The lady knew as soon as I called," she said.
You can ask for your minibar to be emptied before you arrive. Getty
There are a few ways to get around high minibar charges.
If you're in a hotel without sensors, you can always replace the items you drink or eat later on, when you've had a chance to duck out to the supermarket.
Another sneaky trick that some travellers do is to head to the hotel gym. There, you'll often find cold filtered water, or even small bottles of water for guests.
Some hotels even have extra freebies in the gym.
"One time I stayed at a pretty upscale hotel in Manhattan and not only did they have free aluminium bottles of water, they had some protein bars which I took as a snack," one traveller shared on Reddit.
Or, you could simply ask for your minibar to be emptied before you arrive.
This will help remove any temptation, and also can save you a lot of cash if you have curious kids who might get into it.
