idea 1
This one of my favorite topic in housekeeping operation for a lot of confusion and problems are related to mini bar operation.

To name some:
Guest denials.
Late cahrges caused by RA / Checkers.
Guest quarel receptionist due to some items not consumrd.
Cause of long time to accomplish check out guest and a lot more.

My simple suggestion which is now on a trial basis is to sell the room at a higher rate and give the mini bar contents free. ( Choose the cheapest and favorite items). Mini Bar will have a corresponding hidden revenue wether consumed or not. It should not be replected to guest folio rather in the shadow polio. Then we will notice that that all related problems will become lesser to the minimum.

By the way, basis of revenue should be base on selling price. I was really suprised regarding the outcome of the profitability. Now F&B wants to get the mini bar operation for this will lower their beverage cost. Our GM did not agree, instead they were instructed to come up with their own strategy to improve their profitability.

Just to clarify, so that all you Operations guys don't start getting creative with revenue codings etc. The Uniform System of Accounts for the Hospitality Industry states on pages 56 and 67 that minibar revenue (food and beverage) should be a F&B revenue.

Who restocks the minibar depends on the hotel/resort operation. For me, from a internal control perspective it's better to have fewer colleagues having access to the minibar inventory items rather than +10 room attendents per day.

Therefore, dedicated F&B minibar colleagues are probably the best approach. The downside of that is that the guest room is entered at two different occassions, if occupied guest room can be somehow co-ordinated then this approach would be ideal.

I wonder when the day will come that all hoteliers will start to look at revenue generated as all going into one pocket.

Having concluded this then perhaps we can go about the business of hassling the guests ala minima whereby room attendents drop off fruit baskets and take care of mini bars to avoid unnecessary entry and disturbamce to guest

So be it then the revenue got allocated to rooms , how would this reflect F & B performance when it was never meant for F & B to generate ?.

cheers
Cumin

1. Nobody wants to allow different people to enter in to the room more than necessary. More than 1 you can have problem with security and responsibility -missing things for example.
2. Length of stay. If you have length of stay less than 2 days (city hotels, business hotels,...) means in practice that 40% guests leave hotel after 1 night. Checking minibars with checking Pay TV and with fast check out can be a big adventure. Some problems M E HK mentioned.
3. Category of hotel 3*, 4*, 5* is another issue. How many people can one afford for checking minibars? 4* hotel in EU or in Asia is not same looking from labor costs.
In my hotel we ask guest whathe/she had from minibar. We have 70/30 yes i have/denied to have. When I calculate costs is still +. Housekeeping take care for checking and refill. In minibars we have water, coke, beer, wine. Chocolates bars, peanuts,..we took it out. Consumption was so low and the main problem was changing goods because of expire date.
Whatever books say can be changed from every hotelier. Minibar revenue can go also to Housekeeping. Why not? But I don't believe this is the point.
I would finish with Group GM words - it is choice from every hotelier.