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The hospitality industry is witnessing a major shift towards holistic wellness. There has been a process of branding and rebranding of the hotel product, focusing on the "health, spa and wellness" theme. As travellers change the way they approach health, the good-old mini bar in rooms is undergoing a trendy transformation. The traditional content of on-credit snacks, spirits and sodas are now joined by or replaced by wellness ingredients giving minibars a new shape.
Leveraging On Business Travellers
Most of the hotels primarily receive business travellers and have adopted new work cultures that involve breakfast meetings, overseas late-night conference calls and smart video-calling. Thus, they are picky about maintaining their health and fitness.
Thus, hotels have also changed their services accordingly, be it the dining menus, fitness centres or minibars. This segment of travellers prefers a healthy bite to beat midnight hunger pangs and steer clear of miniature spirits in the mini bar to stay fresh.
Revenue Generation
Minibars are good revenue generators and efficient branding tools, making its overhaul imperative. Hotels are now replacing regular miniature spirits with beer cans, wine and champagne. In addition to drinks, they are also including healthy snacks such as low-calorie fox nuts, granola bars etc.
Pritpal Singh, Director of restaurants and Bars, JW Marriott, Bengaluru, said “A glass of wine is more viable at the end of the day. A guest may want a bottle of champagne to celebrate in privacy. This change has bumped up our hotel’s revenue by 35% this year.”
Promotion of In-house Products
This wellness fever also allows hotels to promote and gain profits through sales of their in-house products.
Vinesh Gupta, General Manager, Den Bengaluru Hotels, stated that “Guests have complimentary beverage options in the room but they are paying to consume our indigenous coffee and placing orders for our in-house cookies.”
Luxury Hotels such as ITC, who are running many varied businesses in different segments, is stocking its own brand of gourmet cookies, digestive biscuits and luxury chocolates from its foods vertical.
Showcasing Brand Value
Consumers are becoming more conscious about their health and wellness even while travelling. Mindfulness has become the new luxury now. Thus, incorporation of wellness into hotel minibars are posing as a value-add for the guests.
Hotels are using this trend to showcase their brand value and philosophy to keep up with the changing times. For most of the hotels, it has become a fashion statement than a revenue generation segment.
