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    An Ode to the Hotel Minibar (No Touching!)

    Published/Updated: Jul 18, 2025 · Sam Wright Fairbanks · Under a minute read

    Nick Harris / Flickr

    There are only so many five-dollar bags of chips and six-dollar cans of diet coke someone can consume before they ask, "What's the point of it all?"

    It may seem like common sense-and may be especially daunting to remember under the influence of illicit substances, cough-but it bears repeating. Do not, under any circumstances, touch the minibar. Don't even look at it. Nope, no, no, noooooo.

    Prices are regularly marked up by 100% to as much as 1,300% (yes, you read that right... one-thousand-three-hundred-per-cent) from what a normal person can find at the local store.

    Just how much more? Well here's an idea, according to data from Mint:

    mintminibarpricinginfographic-mh
    • Save

    Okay, confession time. I'm a heavy snacker. I've raided a few minibars in my day. I swiped a bag of M&Ms and a can of Sprite at a hotel in Milan; I went for a few of those fun-sized bags of peanuts in Greenwich, Connecticut.

    Before you judge, know I was young, naïve and hungry. And I ended up regretting it every time (usually when my parents found out). Cause these days, these things have sensors. Sensors!

    The best way to avoid the minibar is to stop by a convenience or grocery store on the way to the hotel (duh). Stock up on all the goodies.

    Cover all those snacking bases:

    • Save

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    Sam Wright Fairbanks

    Sam Wright Fairbanks

    Sam Wright Fairbanks is a fiction and editorial writer (MFA, Columbia University). He is an editorial assistant at Map Happy, and has also worked for the Reykjavík Grapevine.

    The good ol' days! I remember creeping as a former The good ol' days! I remember creeping as a former expat, and honestly, stumbling into the most random places as a traveler  😅 

It is not every day you stumble into someone else's living room for a private jazz concert, and if you happen to be down in Mexico City, check out @laa_esquina (send a DM!). 

Twice a month. It's the best kind of Saturday night, even if I can't stay up that late anymore!
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