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.
Sign up for the free daily TPG newsletter for more travel tips!
Feature photo by Darren Murph / The Points Guy
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 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. |
| 5X | New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Valuable dining and food-related credits
- Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
- Multiple travel and purchase protections
- No foreign transaction fees
- Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)
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 $8,000 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.
- New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
- Updated! $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- New! As an American Express® Gold Card Member, you can enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status. Enjoy benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
- Take advantage of a $100 credit towards eligible charges* at over 1,300 upscale hotels worldwide when you book The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App **. *Eligible charges vary by property. **The Hotel Collection requires a two-night minimum stay.
- Book your travel through the Amex Travel App with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.