Las Vegas tourist shocked by $31 bottle of water in hotel minibar
Minibar was ‘one of the Strip’s wilder adventures,’ says guest
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Your support makes all the difference.A Las Vegas visitor has shared his shock at perusing the contents of a hotel minibar in “Sin City”.
Australia-based Benedict Brook rifled through the minibar at the unnamed luxury hotel on Vegas’s famous strip, reporting back on everything from canned vibrators to a $31 bottle of water.
“In Las Vegas, the halcyon days of the minibar never ended,” wrote Mr Brook for News.com.au.
Of the one in his Nevada hotel room, he said: “it was one of the Strip’s wilder adventures”.
Price-checking several items, he was most shocked by a litre bottle of water costing $31 (£25), “which is enough to make you pass out”.
He compared it to litre water bottles he’d seen in local grocery stores, costing around $3 (£2.40).
Even more surprising was a mysterious pink-and-black soda can with the brand name “The Lovebox” printed on the front.
“For days I assumed it was a sickly sweet can of some flavored water – raspberry and guava perhaps,” wrote Mr Brook.
“And then I looked more closely. The can said it was ‘concentrated’, but it wasn’t a concentred drink, it was ‘concentrated love’.
He went on: “Within, the label explained, was: one ‘orgasmic, multi speed’ vibrator, two ‘premium’ condoms (none of those budget sheaths) and a personal lubricant.”
The Las Vegas holidaymaker also found himself staggered by the minibar list for beers, wines and champagne.
“The rip-off roll call went on,” wrote Mr Brook. “A small can of Bud Light beer: $17. Coke: $14. M&M’s: $21. Pringles: $21.
“A 375ml bottle of Chardonnay: $63 (in Australia, a standard size bottle of reasonable Chardy costs less than $20). The half-size Veuve was $92.”
He was horrified by a 200ml mini bottle of Patron tequila, which was priced at $75.
“Not that it was easy to find these prices,” claimed Mr Brook.
“There was no printed sign next to the fridge warning that your wallet was going to be emptied quicker than at the roulette wheel several storeys below. This information was instead buried on a page of the in-room television.”
Even more appalling, he alleged, was the hotel’s policy on bringing in your own beverages to store in the mini-fridge.
“Add a product from elsewhere and $50 will be added to your bill, so says a sticker on the front of the fridge,” he said.
It’s not the first time a traveller has publicly criticised US minibar prices: one Reddit user went viral earlier this month for sharing an image of an American hotel minibar which said anyone storing a personal item in there would “incur a $50 charge”.
“The refreshment center is on a sensor,” claimed the label on the mini-fridge.
“It’s a swanky Marriott hotel. I’m honestly too scared to even open up the fridge. I don’t want to risk the fee or having to dispute it,” wrote the original poster in the comments section.
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