While hotels strive to stand out by offering proprietary mini-bar selections, the trendsetters and top sellers are bottled water, comfort foods, and widely recognized products.

Danny Goldmann, director of operations, Omni Interlocken Resort, Broomfield, Colorado, says bottled water is the “absolute number-one seller” among mini-bar/in-room snack offerings. Beer, soda, juices, and candy bars remain staples because of selling power, Goldmann adds.

The 390-room property recently unveiled its version of Omni Hotels’ “Sensation Bars”—mini-bar offerings intended to provide fun, entertaining, and indulgent guestroom sensations. Boulder Potato Chips are an Omni Interlocken Resort exclusive, Goldmann notes. In addition to the trend of displaying nonperishable items in highly visible baskets, where guests are more apt to buy impulsively, Goldmann says refrigerated mini-bars with windows also are “more enticing” for guests, which translates into higher sales.

At the downtown Chicago James Hotel, F&B Director Robert Rizzuto reports that diet soda, cashews, large-size liquor bottles, bottled water, and local products are top sellers in their “Snack and Cocktail bar.” Because the 297-room property boasts a 2,000-square-foot gym, protein bars and vitamin water are popular post-workout selections, Rizzuto adds.

Steve Pinetti, senior VP, sales and marketing, San Francisco-based Kimpton Hotels, says their innovative “Organic Mini-Bars” have been warmly received, despite travelers’ widespread reluctance to try something new. “Guests aren’t prone to trying new things. No one wants to run into an issue on the road,” says Pinetti. “They tend to stay with proven foods.”

WELLNESS ON THE ROAD
Kimpton’s “Organic Mini-Bars” are an extension of company-wide eco-initiatives and eco-friendliness. Because these offerings include widely recognized names such as Kettle(R) Chips, LUNA Bars, and CLIF Bars, guests are more receptive to try them.

Currently, bottled water is their best seller, Pinetti points out.

“Volume of sales is up. The fact that it’s in a bottle makes the difference. Travelers are less finicky about what brand they buy,” Pinetti adds.

Azadeh Hawkins, director of marketing communications & brand management, Kor Hotel Group, Los Angeles, says they intended to relaunch their highly successful “Beauty Bar” with all organic products at the Viceroy Santa Monica in late June. In keeping with Kor Hotels’ innovative approach and philosophy to enhance guests’ experiences, offering products unavailable elsewhere has been “very successful,” says Hawkins. “We don't reinvent the wheel, but we try to make it our own. We look at what would interest guests to try out as well as possibly pick up as a gift."

The Davenport Hotel and Tower in Spokane, Washington, has discovered a turndown amenity guests simply can’t turn down. According to Stuart Dimmel, director of operations for the 602-room property, their nightly turndown treat is Bruttles—a piece of homemade soft peanut butter brittle. When a sample won’t suffice, guests can purchase a half-pound box from the minibar. And for guests with an insatiable sweet tooth, there’s Bruttles Downtown Candy Shoppe inside the hotel. Harry and David gourmet foods are another exclusive because the hotel likes to offer upscale mini-bar products with ties to the Great Northwest. But bottled water is the top seller, because it’s both convenient and competitively priced, Dimmel adds.

Susan Bard Hall is a frequent contributor to Hotel F&B.