At my recent stay in Paris, I spotted this note in a Hilton room:

"Dear Guest,
If a product is taken out of the minibar and you decide that you not want the product, please put it back within 20 seconds, otherwise a charge will be raised on your bill.

Our minibar system is equipped with sensors and items will be billed automatically when taken out, therefore please do not use it as a storage space for your own products.

Thank you."

Sensors? What kind of sensors would that be? Weight sensors? Laser beam room detectors?

Anybody out there who knows, how this new (at least to me) minibar technology works?

I've seen these before, and my understanding is that they're weight sensored.

The Bartech Company have information on the newest technology in minibar fridging including "the minibar can remain locked for certain categories of guests, such as cash paying guests, tour groups and aircrew. Staff will also no longer have access to the minibar when the room is vacant. "

For the liquor, last time I looked, they used microswitches actuated by a spring loaded metal plate. When a bottle is placed in the slot it forces the plate back, thus making (or breaking depending how it's wired up) a connection in the switch. Removing the bottle allows the plate to spring up, reversing the process. A data logger watches for these events.

I did experiment a few years ago with fooling them. It's quite easy if you have a steady hand. Needless to say, I put everything back to normal so as to pay what was due, once I'd proven the point

I think you are correct.
I like to cool my own wine in the minibar.... moving some tins, bottles. At Sheraton Lisbon the (weight) sensor triggered a charge with time, article etc. I could see the charge on the TV ... After I explained, they credited the amount.

This is actually standard practice in Las Vegas, among other places. Once got charged after simply ruffling past the chip bags and not really moving anything (hair trigger). My impression was that this was done with light sensors, but I could be wrong.

Don't know about the technology but do know that I was charged for a couple of items at The Wynn in LAS which I never used. I complained and they removed items from bill. Check your bills very carefully.

A classic problem is emptying out the minifridge so you can put your own items in, and getting a monster bill for the entire contents of the fridge. That's why there's the warning.

You need to be careful doing this. I messed up once in Peru and a boulder came tumbling out the closet, arrows were shot from the TV and I got attacked by pygmie headhunting cleaning staff. Too much stress for a bud.

At the Sheraton Heathrow, all the objects in the minibar have a small, self-adhesive 'dot' on them. I'm guessing it's RFID?

Is this the "latest"?

I've seen these mini-bars for years now.......


BTW, if you want to use the fridge for your own items and want to avoid any unpleasantries at check-out, call room service and have them remove all the items. Never had a problem.

The stickers are probably to identify them as hotel property if a staffer is found with one.

My first career was as a hotel manager, and I'm surprised that these things are still kicking around. When first introduced they were a disaster - expensive to buy and install and a mountain of paperwork in rebates. Guests pulling things out and putting them back while deciding what to have. Of course it all comes to a head at the worst possible time - with checkout lines snaking through the lobby.

I'm sure hotel managers still curse the fool whoever invented a minibar. Probably the most labour intensive and error prone operation in a hotel.

I've actually seen cases where a guest would drink a beer, full the bottle with water, recap it and put it back. It could be a month and 15-20 turnovers of the room before some poor sap reaches for his Molson's and thinks he's grabbed an American brew by mistake.

I've seen this for years...doesn't seem to be anything new.

Insofar as keeping your own items int he minibar though, I have seen at a number of places that guests are not allowed to store their own items in there and if a guest needs refrigeration they can request one from housekeeping for $xx/day.

Yeah, this sh*t has been a thorn in my side for years. If you check into a hotel for a week why would you want a big selection lousy liquors and overpriced artificial "juices"? How many people do gin on a Monday, beer on Tuesday, rum on a Wednesday... Most of us would surely prefer to just stock up with our favourite tipple and a few healthy snacks. But the rigmarole to the hotel to empty it!!!

I'm amazed to hear that hotel management hate it as much. Here's a competitive advantage: supply the fridge, then offer to stock it with THE GUEST'S choice of drinks (even at your hideously inflated prices). At some resorts I've had something like that. Makes sense when you have a longish stay.

It also galls me that the design is in direct conflict with human behaviour: 99% of people faced with choosing an item from an overpriced and underwhelming selection of drinks and snacks will instinctively handle the merchandise while making their choice. Then... ooops, I've triggered a charge on my bill... and a whole palaver to get it reversed.

FYI, the term "minibar" is somewhat archaic.

"Would you like a key to the refreshment center?" is the current query from check-in staff.