The Motel HouseBar - where everybody knows your name
One of our motels operates traditional in-room mini bars and for our managers it takes up a lot of time and effort. We reckon that the time taken managing minibar stock and checking/restocking guest rooms can take an average of at least 30 minutes every day in an average size motel. The losses are not as much as you would think - in fact we come out very close to even.
I have heard that the average loss for the hotel industry is about 30%. A motel situation seems to be very different . Maybe it is the closer relationship we have with our guests, however mini bar stock losses seem to be reasonably negligible. In fact it is not uncommon that we have months that we sell more than we restock due to some over diligent guests overstating their consumption.
The killer for us is not only the time and management, but the additional step that is necessary at check-out by asking the perennial question: "Have you used the mini bar Sir?" Ascertaining if our guests have or haven't isn't necessarily the best note to complete a guest experience.
So far, we have resisted setting up in-room mini bars in the motel property that we operate ourselves.
Yesterday we received a new vending machine to replace our older model and we have been busy setting it up.
We intend to carry on vending all of our mini bar items....We have been doing this for the last 10-years using smart card technology, but this time we want to try something different and this new machine can accept coins and notes.
So how is it controlled I hear some of our more authoritarian readers ask?
Well, to conform with the Sale of Liquor Act, our motel needs a Liquor License and a Duty Manager on site. The control of the vending machine is by a PIN number that our guests will have printed on their room key tag that will give them access to the machine. The control of liquor supply is by us identifying those persons checking in and confirming that they are over the age of 18 etc...
Our guests will be able to dispense essential mini-bar items 24 hours a day. They can start off the day with a selection soft drinks and snacks, then move on later on in the day to various beers, RTDs and wine. Much later that evening they will be able to vend a 3-pack of condoms (not too sure what the other 2 are for). The next morning they can stagger over to the machine and dispense packets of Berocca and Panadol.
Sorted!
