Yeah, hotels tend not to like that because you can use the same approach to take what you want, then just before you go, replace the items you consumed with identical ones from the local 7-11 at a fraction of the cost.

Or after the second delivery "forget" the order !

Oh, by the way, the St. Regis I spoke of? The booze (except for beer) was not actually in the mini bar. It was in full sized bottles and was sitting on the desk in the room. They charge a fee to remove the booze from the room.

The usd50 or so fee relates to minibar fees , not consumption fees. RESTOCK fees are often a fixed per day fee, often usd15++ at my 5star hotels. REALLY annoying/unfair if just want 1x usd10 cola/perrier etc.
Thus emptying minibar costs hotel + you two restocking fees...just about bearable/ok if on a 5nighter, too much if a 1night stay
Plus most hotels t+c's state only f+b purchased on property can be consumed in property, so will not want to forgo drinks income on your stay.

For better or worse, this is indeed how things work in a lot of hotels in Africa :eek:

You know, the idea of being dinged (hypothetically) for having gone out to McDonalds' and bringing back some McNuggets is absurd to the point of farce.

On the Bonvoy tv loop in Marriott properties, the girl keeps asking for more ice ... I didn't see anything about a charge for it :)

If this from your actual experience? I ask because there are two things wrong with your post:

1. I've never had a problem doing this or having charges wiped from my bill
2. If I were going to go to the 7-11 to buy identical booze for half the price, then why in the world would I go to all the trouble of taking from the minibar and replacing? Because it's easier to go to the 7-11 at the end of my stay rather than at the beginning?

Anyway, whether hotels like it or not, it's a very simple solution that works just fine, and is generally drama-free.

I have eaten a $6 Snickers from the mini-bar at midnight, and replaced it with a $0.90 one from 7-11 the next morning....

Bill them $50 for restocking then...

This works 100% of the time. In many countries/states its required of them to remove it as well if you ask for similar considerations or children having access.

Although I suppose technically they could still try to charge a fee for this. Or just bring a padlock to the room :). Especially when they see you sipping a cocktail at the bar that evening!

Seriously, the easiest way to do this, without needing to lie or waste a lot of time is just remove stuff, put it back before you leave and stop once at the desk to remove any charges. You can't be charged for removing stuff (if you put it back), but not consuming it.

The W Atlanta downtown had a few different bottles of booze placed in the room. And a minibar. The two comped water bottles there also were clearly labeled as so.