Inn Fridge

Okay, we don't have fridges in the rooms. We may have room in some of them for a fridge. I was wondering if anyone offered a package where you stocked the fridge as an extra?
Here's what I was thinking... we don't supply extras, just breakfast. So I was thinking what if we made the fridge in the room available, but also offered an extra package where it was supplied with 6 soft drinks, 6 bottles of water, some fresh fruit and a snack (maybe some hummus, pretzel chips to dip in the hummus and maybe some chips. Or maybe something home made and some carrot sticks? Just thinking...
And I offered the stocked fridge option as an add-on package. Do you think people would buy that? Do you think it's just silly and extra work for nothing? I'm just trying to figure out a way to make the fridge actually pay for itself rather than just sit there doing NOTHING for me.

I have a small mini bar fridge in each of our rooms. I only stock bottled water--two bottles and replenish every morning. When I do go into the fridges I find that my guests have stocked it themselves with beer, wine, snacks, etc. About 80% of the time when I say something about the fridges at check in time, people respond favourably. Older people may need to refridgerate their medication and everyone loves it for keeping their drinks cold. I don't make any money off of them, obviously, but I think people appreciate this extra feature in their room.

I have an offer to stock the fridge in my reservation confirmation e-mail. Nobody has ever asked for it. Maybe nobody has ever read the e-mail

If the fridge is going to be in the room anyway, ie - you are not moving the fridge in and out - why not give it a try.
Kind of like offering a cheese tray.
But don't have the 'honor system' bottled water sitting around.

My first thought is that many of our guests will get the things THEY want and it may not be a value for them to purchase a mixed bag of stuff. We are value-added, so a lot of that stuff is free. However, one of our partner inns has always had an honor bar with a wide variety of items that people just write on a sheet they have on a clipboard thingy. I don't think folks buy tons of stuff, but I think it's great for that last minute late night "I didn't want dessert but those oreos sure look good" feeling. It includes cold beverages in a fridge. Far as I know, they haven't had any trouble with it. They just go and check the sheet, add it to their tab, and put a new sheet out.

We have one small fridge in the front hall, that is shared by two guest rooms, and one in the cottage for those guests. Our guests love the convenience of having a place for their own drinks and snacks and the fact that the refrigerator is shared has never been an issue. By having it in a common area instead of in the rooms we have eliminated the noise-at-night issue and cut back on our own expense. Our guests bring whatever they want to store in refrigerator or purchase the items nearby.
I think you can offer the package, but I would be surprised if it carries the cost of the refrigerators. But for some people, it might be the perk that puts your place on the top of their list of places to stay.

We have fridges in all the guest rooms and it's an expected amenity. You might be able to sell a cheese tray, but folks going to an urban area like where you're located probably prefer to pick up their own goodies. They might go for a late check in snack tray.

Jon Sable said:

And I offered the stocked fridge option as an add-on package. Do you think people would buy that? Do you think it's just silly and extra work for nothing?

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Yes.

The stuff I offer for free goes stale before eaten. I can't imagine many people opting in for this. And I am not in a city, if I were in the city I think it has less a chance of being something worth your time.
Our guests are not the same. Many of our guests are on a road trip and WOULD use a fridge in their room for their own half eaten food.
Your guests are trying to save money or spend money? There is a huge difference. If I were on a romantic getaway and there was a bottle of wine and some cheese, then perhaps I would say "oh nice" but if I were there to visit your city, or visit our mountains, then not so much. I want to eat out and snack out.
6 of one half dozen of the other.

I look back on the extended trips I have taken and when I was offered a variety of foods/drink AFTER the fact, meaning I was there and saw it, in the lobby fridge or room, not knowing about it ahead of time.
Ahead of time is too easy to say "we don't need it" in person, in your face makes it more readily grabbable!
If I were there and I saw, and I quote A Starbucks Frap in the fridge, I would buy it.
Cheese, food items like that, nope.
See now that I am hungry my answer is changing...that is the lesson here today. I buy things at the grocery store I would not buy when I am not hungry.

Look at it this way - What does it cost you to try it? You do NOT live in the boonies where a trip to the store means a half day of driving to and from. A last minute opt-in for the package would not be more of a hassle than putting the fridge in the room. Make it the kind of things you would usually have in-house anyway. I would add a few of your world-famous baked items to make the cost worth messing with AND make it something special (too inexpensive and it has no meaning). If it does not fly? So what - you tried it, you have a fridge that is doing nothing now (for revenue) so no harm, no foul.
Mine gets used (it is in the hall) for "doggie bags" & guest stuff as I only stock it with water. Most do not abuse - just the occasional clean it out for me. I buy the water when it is on sale @ an average of 13-15 cents per bottle.
I misread the original. I thought you HAD the fridge already. To go out and BUY one for this? NO. Mine was a gift from a wonderful guest when she left. It has been used mostly by guests staying more than 2 nights - meaning a week or 2 - for their food they were cooking in the nuker (also a gift from that lovely lady) to save money.

Silverspoon said:

We have one small fridge in the front hall, that is shared by two guest rooms, and one in the cottage for those guests. Our guests love the convenience of having a place for their own drinks and snacks and the fact that the refrigerator is shared has never been an issue. By having it in a common area instead of in the rooms we have eliminated the noise-at-night issue and cut back on our own expense. Our guests bring whatever they want to store in refrigerator or purchase the items nearby.
I think you can offer the package, but I would be surprised if it carries the cost of the refrigerators. But for some people, it might be the perk that puts your place on the top of their list of places to stay..

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That is what we do as well. In fact, to help get past the one fridge concept we applied the, "If you can't hide it, show it.", theory of carpentry. We gave out fridge a name (Rusty) bought a new one when Rusty died and called him Rusty Jr. Now people send him magnets from all over the world. He is filled with perks.

happykeeper said:

Silverspoon said:

We have one small fridge in the front hall, that is shared by two guest rooms, and one in the cottage for those guests. Our guests love the convenience of having a place for their own drinks and snacks and the fact that the refrigerator is shared has never been an issue. By having it in a common area instead of in the rooms we have eliminated the noise-at-night issue and cut back on our own expense. Our guests bring whatever they want to store in refrigerator or purchase the items nearby.
I think you can offer the package, but I would be surprised if it carries the cost of the refrigerators. But for some people, it might be the perk that puts your place on the top of their list of places to stay..

Click to expand...

That is what we do as well. In fact, to help get past the one fridge concept we applied the, "If you can't hide it, show it.", theory of carpentry. We gave out fridge a name (Rusty) bought a new one when Rusty died and called him Rusty Jr. Now people send him magnets from all over the world. He is filled with perks.
.

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gee I wondered about that ... a cute curious story why not share somewhere ... maybe in a blog post

Over the years we found that in room fridges were just to noisy. A lot of people were turning it off and somethime it created small flood. We have 1 small fridge in common coffee/tea room for 4 bedrooms. It is used less than 30% of the time. You are in a large city -I think just like our guests most of yours would prefer to get their own snacks and drinks. Most of the time our little fridge is housing the leftovers.
Different story in our apartments but the apartments are self catering - we do not stock them and have no requests to since supermarket is 5 minutes away.

April said:

Over the years we found that in room fridges were just to noisy. A lot of people were turning it off and somethime it created small flood. We have 1 small fridge in common coffee/tea room for 4 bedrooms. It is used less than 30% of the time. You are in a large city -I think just like our guests most of yours would prefer to get their own snacks and drinks. Most of the time our little fridge is housing the leftovers.
Different story in our apartments but the apartments are self catering - we do not stock them and have no requests to since supermarket is 5 minutes away..

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I usually unplug a fridge in our hotel room. I can't stand to hear the compressor running off and on all night.

Joey Bloggs said:

I look back on the extended trips I have taken and when I was offered a variety of foods/drink AFTER the fact, meaning I was there and saw it, in the lobby fridge or room, not knowing about it ahead of time.
Ahead of time is too easy to say "we don't need it" in person, in your face makes it more readily grabbable!
If I were there and I saw, and I quote A Starbucks Frap in the fridge, I would buy it.
Cheese, food items like that, nope.
See now that I am hungry my answer is changing...that is the lesson here today. I buy things at the grocery store I would not buy when I am not hungry..

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I glossed over the salient point here earlier. That is a very strong marketing truth. Perhaps the answer is to have something ready to go that folks will impulse buy and take to their fridge/room. So noted.

When we travel, we bring wine or beer. We need either a refrigerator or access to ice. As innkeepers, we prefer a refrigerator in each room to a messy ice machine or buying bags of ice each day.

TheBeachHouse said:

When we travel, we bring wine or beer. We need either a refrigerator or access to ice. As innkeepers, we prefer a refrigerator in each room to a messy ice machine or buying bags of ice each day..

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That's my reminder to get that ice maker hooked for the new season. Mahalo!

We have a fridge in our Breakfast porch area stocked with complimentary water,coffee, tea bags, 4 kinds of soda, fresh cookies, snacks like small bags of pretzel, granola bars and biscotti individually wrapped.Guests love it and don't take advantage of it at all. Also we do offer add on packages of cheese , crackers, grapes ,nuts etc., that goes over well.

I reserve the right to change my answer:
UNLESS you are a b&B in Colorado or Washington State, THEN I highly recommend a mini bar FULL OF GOODIES AND SNACK FOODS and charge em danno!
and
a pizza delivery # where you get a % off the top of all pizza charges.
Edited to add: for those who have no idea what I am talking about, that is fine.