Phantom Minibar Charges
 

I know this has been spoken to many times, but here is almost concrete evidence that properties will add random minibar charges to guests' final bills to see if they notice. I recently held a reservation for one night at the Harbor Beach Marriott (yes, coming back to Marriott, though not as a primary chain, slowly but surely after a two year leave of absence) but was unable to honor the reservation even though it was past the cancellation deadline. I just received an email receipt from my "stay" (which did not post to my Marriott Rewards account) and sure enough there was a minibar charge on there. Certainly amazing how I can consume an item from the minibar when I am multiple States away, but alas, automated minibars/housekeeping always knows best right?

And I'd call that fraud on their part.....

+1
Do not let this pass. Call the manager

I am frequently a victim of the phantom minibar but cant really complain as I do tend to move the contents around sometimes to fit in a pint of milk - I hate UHT, but can't start the day, or function during it without my mug of tea and regular refills, I am such an addict I bring my own mug... So I suppose I deserve my phantom minibar, luckily its always taken off at the end of the day when I share my happy addiction with the FD...

I can't comment whether this is a frequent problem therefore because I may well be the cause due to my own activities, although these days some hotels leave an unused area of the minibar for personal use, thereby ensuring I don't need to move around the contents. Even so I still usually face the phantom minibar.

You should certainly take this up with management though, it smacks of fraud to me, I cant see how it could possibly be a mistake in an unoccupied room, that they know full well went untouched...

I dont believe there's a willfull effort behind adding these charges as I too have been hit with these throughout the years (yes even while on MI Company business I had them appear once or twice...yes it does leave a bad taste in your mouth doesn't it)

You can send a message to management by requesting a refrigerator in your room every stay. And tell 'em why.... it's because of the phantom minibar charges that come from moving minibar contents around.

We recently stayed at the JW Washington and the inroom safe was in a drawer underneath the minibar non-perishables that were on the cabinet. Everytime I pulled out the heavy drawer, the cabinet shook a bit and charged something almost each time! They credited them back, but how annoying.

Just have the mini-bar emptyed on arrival

I was somewhere recently (I dont think it was a MI flagged hotel) but they CHARGED like $50 to empty the mini-bar....I just sighed

I can't say I have the same faith but tend to view hotels with much the same jaundiced eye as Blockbuster which was caught adding late fees to most rentals knowing only a certain percentage of customers would argue to have them removed. A few dollars is only a few dollars but multiplied hundreds or thousands of transactions over a year and it quickly adds up to mega money.

I find Marriott overall no different than other hotel chains and only rarely see these charges appear on my bill but it does still happen and I am not so quick tto dismiss their appearance as some random error.

but in my case what purpose would it serve...the hotel which did it to me was MI Managed & Developed (it was before I retired)...so the money was going from the left pocket to the right pocket (plus knowing many of the GM's still out there does help with my beliefs)

Other issues to be aware of.. housekeeping may charge based on what is in your trash can without even checking the fridge. Once I bought a coke from the vending machine outside, and they charged me for it when I never opened the fridge.

The other time I got charged was when I was not a Platinum member but my colleague who was offered me a soft drink he got complimentary from the lounge, and just because I had it in my room (I didn't even open it because I ran out of time), they charged me for it. I let it slide for that situation because I realized that fine, I wasn't entitled to that drink for free anyway, but it just made me surprised that it even happened because it could have been a valid own personal purchase drink from outside.

wow...that's a new one on me, would absolutely cause all kinds of issues

Yes, I've had that happen also and so now I either try and purchase a very different size than whatever is in the mini-bar or take the empty with me to throw away off-site so there isn't any mistaking my imported refreshments for mini-bar items.

Many hotels will "fine" you for using the minibar for personal items. A common fee is $25 per day of personal storage in the fridge.