December 4, 2009 1:36 am
I’m not talking about minibars that are jammed with overpriced, undersized hickory peanuts and watermelon spritzers. I’m talking about an empty mini fridge that you can stack with caffeine boosting morning starters and gut busting dinner leftovers.
It’s fun to go all MacGyver and use the sink as a cooler, but that loses its cool when you want to use the sink as a sink. That’s why hotels keep mini fridges on-hand for special requests. I discovered this little secret last year, and I travel a fair amount for work so I’ve tried it in many hotels since then — it held true for almost every one.
When you book the room, ask for a mini fridge (or add it to the notes if you book online). Chances are good they will have it in the room for you when you arrive. If you get to your room and there is no fridge there, call the front desk and kindly request one. Don’t mention you already asked for one unless they’re all out, then tell them you requested one when you booked the room, you’d like a discount and you’d like the next fridge that becomes available (when someone who has one checks out). With this approach, I’ve never waited more than a day for a fridge ; I’ve never been given the discount either.
Party On.
BrokenSecrets.com
Photo Credit: DewKnight (Creative Commons)
Posted by Chad Upton
Categories: Food and Drink, ProTips, Travel
Tags: brokensecret, fridge, hotel, mini, mini-fridge, minibar, secret, tip, Travel
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[…] If you’re specifically looking for a hotel, I like hotels.com. Every ten nights you stay, you get one free. It’s similar to having a hotel loyalty program but this gives you the freedom to stay at any brand of hotel. Another tool I like for hotel searching, is Map Channels. Just type in an address and it will plot nearby hotels with vacancy on a map — hover over the hotels to see the price. This really helps if you’re trying to get a hotel in a very specific part of a city or near an event or address. Also, be sure to read my previous post, “You Can Request a Mini Fridge in Your Hotel Room.” […]
By How to Get the Best Price When Shopping Online « Broken Secrets on February 26, 2010 at 12:48 am
I had no idea you could ask a hotel for a mini fridge. Great tip!
By Kenny on February 3, 2014 at 12:20 pm
Is there a mini fridge in the room I reserved for 6/20 to 6/24
By Colleen O'Connor on June 12, 2022 at 11:27 am
This new policy is utter nonsense. My wife and I just spent a vacation week in Virginia – 5 days. I was beyond angry to discover our room had no fridge, no microwave, or even housekeeping. (this housekeeping nonsense is a whole other story) Also, the hotel had NO air-conditioning! 90°+ outside, but no A/C! The rooms did, but not the rest of the hotel. These new austerity policies are going to hurt hotels much more than help them. I was a loyal, long-term customer of this particular hotel. I will never go back there.
By Dan on July 23, 2023 at 5:43 am
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By can you ask a hotel for a fridge on November 9, 2023 at 3:30 am