Erroneous charges, reused bottles and expired drinks: TPG readers share their minibar horror stories
We don't know about you, but hotel minibars are almost always a bad experience for us. Why? Automatic sensors erroneously charging us, the fear of temptation, leftover food from previous guests — you name it, we've experienced it. We wanted to know if everyone else was suffering too, so we asked TPG Lounge readers for some of their worst minibar experiences. Here are a few of the best. (Some responses have been lightly edited for style and clarity).
Suspect beverages (and leftovers)
"A few years ago I made a last minute trip to Seattle for New Years. I arrived at the hotel a few hours before midnight and wanted to get the party started so we raided the mini bar. Cracked the first ten-dollar beer and took a refreshing swing of water. Tried the next one. Water. And the next one ... you know where this was going. The hotel didn’t charge me for any of them and I was grossed out that I was drinking from used bottles but I can laugh about it now." — Zachary S.
"Was at a mom and pop place and checked out the mini bar fridge. The little bottles of vodka and clear rum had been opened and refilled with water(?) complete with floaty stuff inside." — Kim B.
"Opened a beer in a 5 star hotel ... luckily poured into a glass ... looked like spit and water." — Jean R.
"At the Conrad St. James there was someone else’s half eaten salad in the fridge still when we checked in." — Michelle E.
Automatic charges
"A co-worker told me that she asked the hotel to remove all of the minibar items from the room, as she didn’t want to worry about what her underage son might take. She said the hotel charged her for removing the items." — Heidi H.
"Stayed at the Cosmo in Vegas, my husband knows I like sparking water and went to a nearby CVS to buy some, unknowingly he removed all the bottles in the mini fridge and put them in the cabinet not knowing they had sensors to determine if they were used. I came back to the room and he was so proud that he did that for me. I laughed and said thanks those are the most expensive bottles of water I have ever had. He looked at me confused, I pulled up the online guest and showed he they had charged us for everything he had removed. A long conversation with the front desk fixed it but I still laugh about it. I have a great husband." — Anthony B.
"Bellagio. Items not in the minibar but on a large tiered tray on a counter top. One item would consistently fall, then the others would cascade. Billed $50+ for this. Stood in ridiculous checkout line to get it corrected, only to have it return on CC a few days later. Send message to hotel through website, no response. Contacted Amex to dispute. Got credit within days. It never went through dispute process, so I wonder if Amex simply wrote it off. Have not been back to Bellagio and have minimized my spend at MGM resorts with similar snack and minibar setups." — Susan L.
"I got charged for a $200 bottle of Chandon in NYC once. They reversed it but they insisted it was missing at checkout." — Grant K.
Expired drinks
"After a long day, I succumbed to the lure of a mini bar Coke. Flat. Nasty taste. No wonder — the expiration date was nine months earlier. I took the bottle with me to checkout and it was removed from the bill. But I can’t figure out how it got missed for so long." — Bernard W.
User Error
"I came out of the bathroom at a Towneplace Suites in NOLA to see my wife drinking a $5 bottle of Smartwater. She apparently didn’t read the little tag on the lid you had to remove when you unscrew the cap and thought it was complimentary." — Jason M.
"When I was a kid, I went with my dad on a business trip to DC. All I saw were jellybeans sitting in the room. I didn’t have a clue what a minibar was. Needless to say, my dad wasn’t very happy when he came back to me devouring them." — Dominic C.
"Hired a band to play our wedding and put them up at the St. Regis in DC. Most of the band members were friends but I didn't know the bass player. Needless to say, he helped himself to the minibar. Not just one item ... ALL of it!" — John Y.
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Feature photo by Darren Murph / The Points Guy
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There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
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- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.
Rewards Rate
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Intro Offer
You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
$325Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.Excellent to Good
Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.