7 hotels with awesome (and free) minibars
Hotel minibars have a reputation for charging an arm, a leg and your firstborn for a bag of M&M's or a tiny can of Pringles. While the ease and accessibility of a midnight snack are tempting, the bill at checkout can trigger sticker shock.
Now, hotels across the globe are starting to include the perk of a free minibar.
So, set aside your fear of wildly expensive Cokes and candy, and pop open the fridge. At these seven hotels around the world, you can go to town on the minibar without having any regrets.
Regent Phu Quoc — Phu Quoc, Vietnam
The brand-new Regent Phu Quoc on Phu Quoc's Long Beach is a glamorous ode to water, offering everything from numerous pools to koi ponds to La Vie-stocked "refreshment galleries." The range of beverages available at this IHG-affiliated resort is generous, with Mexican Coke, Sprite, Coke Zero and Japanese cult favorite Pocari Sweat just some of the options you'll find in suites and villas. In-room minibars also carry blood orange- and lemon-flavored San Pellegrino, plus a number of Belgian beers (think: Stella Artois and Belgo) and Vietnam-made Le Fruit in flavors like orange nectar and coconut water with lime.
While the complimentary drinks are on point, the snacks are even better. The locally made, bean-to-bar Marou coconut milk, and ginger and lime chocolates are a must, as is the bag of salted egg fish skin. Guests will also find a sleeve of La Mere Poulard shortbread cookies (a nod to Vietnam's French colonial past), as well as several nut and fruit options, including walnut halves, dried mango, whole almonds and dried papaya.
Related: Glamorous yet intimate: The new Regent Phu Quoc in Vietnam
Royal Champagne Hotel & Spa — Champillon, France
Views of some of the world's most prized grapes surround France's chic Royal Champagne Hotel & Spa. Although a complimentary bottle of bubbly is only given to those staying in the Marie-Louise and Josephine suites, guests have access to a variety of other free options. Break open the Evian or Badoit (a French mineral water brand), or sip on Double Dutch-branded double lemon tonic mixer or cucumber and watermelon mixer. Sodas like Coke, Coke Zero and Orangina are available as well.
Keeping with the ode to Champagne, each room comes stocked with pink biscuits, the region's beloved cookie that pairs perfectly with Champagne. These come from a local bakery called Patrick Baillet in nearby Ay-Champagne. The pastry chef at Royal Champagne also bakes dark and milk chocolate cookies and dulce de leche chocolate cookies, all of which are stamped with the hotel's logo, daily.
Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort — Wailea, Hawaii
At the Hyatt-affiliated Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort in Hawaii, the beachfront is pristine, the pineapples ripe and the minibar on theme (and complimentary, as is standard at the Andaz brand). Travelers staying in the property's guest rooms and suites can rip open two bags of Maui Style chips and wash them down with a Maui Brewing Company root beer. The resort also provides two bags of local macadamia nut and chocolate chip Cook Kwee's Maui Cookies and an island-made Aloha Maid juice.
The selection for the resort's villas is more expansive but a bit less local. In these accommodations, you'll find three bags of coffee toffee, Maui rainbow and Maui kettle popcorn from Maui Gourmet Popcorn, as well as everyone's favorite flavors of Kettle Brand popcorn: white cheddar, honey dijon and sour cream and onion. Additionally, the minibar is stocked with soft drinks like Sprite and Coke, plus bubbly beverages from Seagram.
Related: Beautiful but cold: Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort in Hawaii
Capella Bangkok — Bangkok
Opened in October 2020, Capella Bangkok sits on the banks of Bangkok's Chao Phraya river and combines Japanese architecture with Thai touches for an artfully curated city experience. While the hotel's minibar selection is small, it does the trick with favorites like Coke, Coke Zero and Sprite. Other options like Lily Fresh orange juice, Fanta Strawberry, Acqua Panna, San Pellegrino and Schweppes tonic water are also available, should you crave something light and refreshing on one of Bangkok's hot days.
With additional locations in Hanoi, Vietnam, and Singapore, the Capella brand is all about local cultural immersion, and the minibars at each property reflect that. Every day, rooms at the Bangkok location are restocked with jars of freshly baked, buttery cashew nut cookies (which are known as Singapore cookies in Thailand), plus shortbread cookies made with pineapple jam.
Post Ranch Inn — Big Sur, California
A rustic retreat perched above the Pacific Ocean on Big Sur's coastline, Post Ranch Inn's views are as expansive as its minibar selection. It offers a stellar and long list of treats, including California-centric cheeses that pair with a 375-milliliter bottle of Coastal Cuvee pinot noir or an Ernest Vineyards chardonnay. For beer lovers, you'll find Scrimshaw Pilsner beer, which goes perfectly with the roasted mixed nuts and Kettle Brand chips.
There are also various healthy options, such as iced Moroccan mint tea from Honest Tea and juices in Anjou pear and honey crisp apple flavors, plus Serenity Bars and a dark chocolate and peanut butter Seedbar from Elemental Superfood. Guests with dietary restrictions will have options, too, like gluten-free chocolate chip cookies and Taika macadamia and oat milk lattes.
The Upper House — Hong Kong
The sleek and sexy Upper House hotel in Hong Kong offers rooms and suites equipped with its version of minibars called "maxi bars," which are stocked with all kinds of snacks. In addition to finding two varieties of Blue Diamond almonds, guests can enjoy peanut and regular M&M's and Jealous Sweets' vegan and sugar-free gummies.
After a long day of hiking The Peak trail or feasting on dim sum, guests can quench their thirst with one of The Upper House's provided beverages. Choose between all the Coke products, ranging from Coca-Cola Plus to Coke Zero, or grab a Just Picked coconut water, an O Muse Aristocratic sparkling water or one of the other alcoholic and nonalcoholic options.
Matakauri Lodge — Queenstown, New Zealand
Set against snow-dusted peaks and the icy waters of Lake Wakatipu, Matakauri Lodge has it all, including a complimentary minibar. Inside, you'll find New Zealand sparkling and spring water, Benjer apple juice and Bundaberg ginger beer. The property also carries classic sodas like Coke, with sugar-free options available.
This minibar balances salty and sweet in the best way. First, there are Kiwi-made Proper Crisps in a sea salt flavor and Sweet As Popcorn's sweet and salty concoction. Additionally, guests can choose between Whittaker's sante dark or milk chocolate bars or munch on the daily replenished jar of roasted almonds. The lodge's fresh homemade chocolate chip cookies are the minibar's piece de resistance.
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