Weird and wacky finds from the hotel minibar

by Scott Carmichael on

I’m of the opinion that there are two kinds of hotel guest – one that is so scared of the hotel minibar that they’ll refuse to be handed the key, and one that makes it one of the first things they check out in their room.

I’m one of the latter – and find that the contents of the minibar says a lot about the quality of the hotel chain. A low end hotel chain may offer nothing more than a couple of bottles of water and some full size cans of soda. High end hotels may have as much as $2000 of items behind the door (their prices, not retail prices).

I’ve collected some of the weirdest things I’ve come across in the hotel minibar. And before you ask – yes, I too hate the automated minibar where a mere touch of the door makes a computer think you robbed the place.
W Hotel, Times Square New York

Many hotels know that their guests might/will get a bit frisky when they enter the room, and most of them understand that their guests don’t always carry “protection”. For that reason, the minibar may be where you’ll often find an assortment of intimacy products. The W Hotel at Times Square takes adult fun a little further with their “sex in the sheets” product. Sure, it isn’t really a minibar item, but it certainly is worth mentioning in this lineup.

For $18, someone will come up to your room with ice cream, a bunch of toppings and plastic sheets. I’ll leave it up to you to decide what these are for. Add $20 and you get a disposable camera. Kinky!

Edgewater Hotel, Seattle

The Edgewater is one of my personal favorites in Seattle. The whole place just feels more like home than most hotels, down to the contents of their minibar. Sure, they have the regular overpriced booze and soda, but they are also the only hotel I know of that will gladly sell you a teddy bear or rubber duck. Sure, some people may claim they want it for their kid back home, but I’m sure there are guests that gladly spend the $40 to have a companion to keep them company in their bed.

Hotel Rivington, New York

The hotel on Rivington is one of those hotels that tells a lot about itself just by looking at the minibar. This thing has it all – from full size bottles of Champagne to six (yes, six) different “intimacy products”. They also have T-Shirts, full bottles of Patron and $6 gummi bears. You can instantly tell this is an expensive minibar, because they don’t stock any regular soda, but they do have 8 different flavors of juice.

With the amazing view from their rooms, and the Tempur-Pedic bed, it is no surprise that they keep these items in the minibar, it is a very romantic hotel.

Marylebone: decent digs in Westminster

by Tom Johansmeyer on

There are plenty of luxury hotel alternative in London, and they’re more than happy to let you spend as much as you’d like. Finding a hotel that’s a bit more affordable but still in an interesting part of town, though, can be a challenge. When I set foot in the Marylebone Hotel in Westminster, I realized that comfort did not have to destroy my budget. While it’s not a luxury establishment, the hotel does play on the upscale side of average and has all the on-site necessities that separate it from the city’s proletarian options.

Tucked away on Welbeck St. – near but not choked by Westminster‘s busier roads – the Marylebone provides easy access to public transportation and local attractions. The Thames River is a short hike away, but it is walkable for the typical city-dweller. Oxford Circus is nearby, as well, with plenty of shopping available (it feels a bit like Manhattan’s Broadway between W 69th St and W 85th St, though a little busier).

The property itself shows a surprising sense of design for a British property (sorry, guys, but its true), eschewing the traditional trappings for a sleek, modern feel. The rooms are quite large, with a desk/work area that is far enough from the bed to help you separate relaxation from any professional demands you may experience while on the road. Americans should remember that this is a European hotel: the lights won’t work until you “plug” your room key in by the door.

Speaking of plugs, perhaps the most impressive detail nailed by the Marylebone is electrical. Sockets are available for UK, U.S. and European plugs. So, if you forget your adapter (which happens to everyone from time to time), you’ll have no reason to lose your cool.

The only major problem I found with the Marylebone was dining. If you are hungry after 11:30 PM, look elsewhere. What was initially described to me by the front desk as a “limited bar menu” turned out to be a ham sandwich when I called room service. At this hour, the bar is open, but it doesn’t serve food either (aside, I imagine, from the ham/bread combo). You’ll have to walk a few blocks to find food late at night – it’s just the nature of the neighborhood.

The exchange rate has made London a decent deal for the first time in years, but the city’s hardly cheap. If you pull together decent deal on British Airways (which are available) and stay at the Marylebone instead of an up-market chain, your travel dollars are likely to go a lot farther.

Disclosure: Visit Britain paid for this trip. But, as you can see over my late-night room service debacle, my soul is not for sale, even for the price of a midnight meal.

Hotel du Vin smokin’ consistency

by Tom Johansmeyer on

I had a great cigar-smoking at the Bothy at the Hotel du Vin in smoke-phobic Glasgow. Well, the Hotel du Vin in Cambridge, England, I was pleased to learn, offers the same environment! Behind the hotel is a small, covered, and heated outdoor smoking lounge where guests are invited to light up and relax. Its name, the “Cigar Shack,” is only half accurate – fortunately, it’s the first half.

The Hotel du Vin (and Mal Maison) properties in Great Britain pride themselves on offering a unique guest experience rather than the homogeneity of the major chains. This is particularly true at the Cambridge hotel, where room numbers are eschewed in favor of names (I spent the evening in the Taylor’s Port room, which is appropriate, given how much I enjoy the drink).

At reception, I was told about the outdoor smoking space and proceeded to it immediately after dropping my bags in Taylor’s Port. Though it’s not a carbon copy of the Glasgow Bothy, the Cigar Shack’s similarities are striking. The covered space is of roughly the same design, though it is a bit smaller. Also, like its Scottish cousin, the smoking lounge offers a fireplace and ample seating. Cuban cigars are available for purchase (in case you forgot to bring your own stash).

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Outside the Cigar Shack, there is a large patio with four tables that seat four people – and a bench that handles two comfortably. The lucky rooms are Graham Beck, Concha y Toro and tk-Zapata, which open directly into the this outdoor space. Sure, you have to sacrifice a bit of privacy, but I’m a sucker for access to outside, probably because I live in a city that charges a premium for it. It can’t be too bad, as I smoked several cigars in a row (during which I saw people enter these rooms), and nobody complained.

If you’re a smoker, this is the best alternative to being able to light up in your room. In fact, I find it preferable. It’s a great environment, with covered, climate controlled areas, an dprovides a bit of a social scene.

As always, non-smokers are welcome, too!

Disclosure: Visit Britain paid for this trip, and British Airways picked up the flights. There are many other reasons to stay at this hotel, but I’m sure the other writers on the press trip will cover them. I’m unashamedly a cigar guy.

Ten things that can (and will) spoil your vacation

by Scott Carmichael on

Vacation is meant to be a fun time – a chance to get away from it all and enjoy yourself. But things happen in life that can really mess up those plans.

In this gallery, we’ve collected ten of the worst things that can happen on a trip that will really screw up your vacation.

If you are lucky, you’ll only run into one of them, but the really unlucky traveler may be thrown a combination of problems, turning a fun vacation into a horror vacation from hell.

Check out our lineup of ten things that can spoil your vacation here.

Stay in a Choice Hotel this summer and get a $50 gift card

by Grant Martin on

Got plenty of business travel this summer? A family reunion that’s taking you across the country for two weeks in August? Have to book a hundred rooms for a graduation? This summer is great time to book hotel rooms among the Choice Hotels. They’re currently running a promotion where after three separate stays you’ll earn enough points to redeem a $50 cash card.

Choice Hotels are traditionally budget to moderate priced properties, so you don’t have to worry about breaking the bank when you reserve a room. Among the candidate properties are Comfort Inns, Comfort Suites, Cambria Suites, Sleep Inn, Qualty Inns, Clarions and those in the Ascend Collection, so you have plenty of flexibilty in your choices as well.

You can check out the properties and join Choice Priveleges, at choicehotels.com, where you’ll automatically start earning points towards your gift cards.