one thing about Andaz The hotels you can always count on are a great selection of local snacks and drinks stocked in the minibar.
Visitors can choose from locally produced New York macaroons at Andaz . 5th AvenueEnjambre bars are full of fiber in Andaz Mayakoba Riviera Maya Resort in MexicoMaui fries at Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort in Hawaii and fries and garlic peanuts at Andaz Bali.
Traditionally, every destination is filled with mouthwatering delicacies that you might not find at home. Better yet, snacks and non-alcoholic beverages have been free at Andaz properties around the world — until now, it’s just appeared.
Those free, well-loved gifts may be a thing of the past at certain Andaz locations like Andaz Scottsdale Resort & Bungalowswhere nothing but water seems to be free, according to a Posted in FlyerTalk first reported by Viewed From the Wings.
While Diet Cokes used to be free at this popular Scottsdale, Arizona hotel, they now cost $4 a can. The previously free bag of Boulder Canyon chips now costs a whopping $8 a bag.
This is the opposite of homepage of the official Andaz websitecurrently reading, “Our complimentary mini-bar invites guests to enjoy local food and non-alcoholic beverages.”
“We’re currently working on refreshing the Andaz minibar experience to better suit the needs of today’s travelers,” Hyatt said in a statement to VFTW. “During this temporary period, properties may determine which minibar options are available free of charge.”
TPG has reached out to Hyatt for further clarification and they declined to comment.
Hyatt’s appearance on the complimentary in-room minibar contrasts with the overt marketing language on the brand’s website but matches many of the hotel’s individual amenities listings.
Sign up for our daily newsletter
A quick search on the Andaz Scottsdale website reveals a “minibar” as an amenity. However, at other hotels, including Andaz 5th Avenue, in-room amenities include a “mini-fridge with complimentary snacks and non-alcoholic beverages.”
Other individual hotel sites have minibars or refrigerators denoted by “free selection of snacks and beverages,” potentially leaving open the possibility of a standard where only certain items are free. , such as the expected water bottle.
Who is ‘Today’s Traveler’?
What is most curious about this change is Hyatt’s view that the company is making adjustments to “better fit the needs of today’s travelers.” It goes without saying that tourists today don’t want to pay for things that were once free, especially trivial items like a bag of chips and soft drinks.
More and more hotels are shifting costs to guests or cutting back on unprofitable hotel amenities and services at the expense of guest experience — and today’s travelers want a good experience. better, not worse.
Housekeeping, for example, has been most hotly debated as hotels phased out daily service around the world, with many staying in place with those coronavirus-era recovery measures in place. Cut down on daily house cleaning allowing hotels to spend less on labor. The addition of a mini fridge isn’t necessarily profitable, with the exception of alcohol, which also fits with that “if it doesn’t make money for us, why provide it?” school of thought.
This particular example is further proof that even luxury hotels are not immune.
Earlier this year at the New York University hotel conference, Hyatt CEO Mark Hoplamazian said:“My point is that we need to listen and understand what really matters most to us [our customers] because some of our luxury travelers don’t want daily housekeeping.” He continued, “So we have to be mindful of that level of conscious decision-making about practicing empathy, listening carefully, and applying choice when asked.”
However, who exactly is asking for these changes? It’s hard to believe that even the wealthiest, most luxurious travelers want less than they’ve had before, especially when they’re the group of patrons who receive the most. After all, they’re the travelers who choose accommodations that offer everything from turndown service to fresh towels on request, sometimes free chips, in their expensive rooms. surname.
What do hotels think customers really want these days? It seems that they really don’t know and make these changes assuming that tourists have evolved into human beings. would like less and would like pay more than get old. Today’s visitors are being Okay less and be forced to pay more – so let’s not pretend.
bottom line
While it seems likely that individual Andaz properties will now have the opportunity to charge guests for what was previously free in the minibar, it is disappointing that Hyatt is giving them this option again. Sure, they’ll make a few dollars off a can of Coke and a can of Pringles, but what’s the price for brand loyalty and the overall experience?
Really, the bigger question is when will it all stop – or will it stop? Soon, what will even be left to return or charge for? Bed sheet? Pillow? The bed itself? And how long will loyal travelers endure it?
