nosh nook #138 - wednesday, september 23, 2009
parowpyro Wednesday, September 23, 2009 at 3:30PM do mini-bar snack sales reflect economic times? (link)
09.22.09 - usa today - by barbara de lollis
attention world traveler! you need to stop being a friggin frugal fanny! when you're in your hotel room alone at one in the morning, you should be going to town on that mini-bar, busting open that tiny thing of $5 cocktail peanuts & washing it down with a $7 nip of captain morgans. you shouldn't be tentative. it's ok to eat from the mini-bar. you're either on vacation or on the company dime, so take the plunge. indulge yourself for once. if you have more than a one night stay, there'll be more waiting for you the next evening. live a little.
you should probably also take advantage of your complimentary copy of usa today sitting outside your door in the morn. there's some crack journalism in there & it's totally geared toward you, the hotel goer. if you choose not to read your usa today, you'll miss out on great articles like this one about the effect the recession is having on hotel mini-bar sales. it's an article made JUST FOR YOU, world traveler. apparently you world travelers have "changed your late-night mini-bar habits" as of late. since the economy tanked, you've been going for the "not-so-healthy comfort food snacks." you're choosing comfort over health. i'd say "screw it" to my health too, since when you're not there, the maid's using your toothbrush to clean between her toes anyhow.
barbara de lollis sat down with gerard widder, the GM of the westin ny to get the scoop on this mini-bar mini-drama & widder spoke of the irony in what you, the dear hotel guest, are taking out of the mini-bar. he noted that "the westin chain's main marketing message...focuses around helping guests maintain their healthy lifestyle...even the westin mini-bar reflects the healthy theme, with jet-lag herbal tea bags, trail mix and special herbal sleep sprays." since you people have decided to opt for the less healthy fare, the westin is adding more of them to the mini-bar. way to go, hotel dweller. you've managed to make the westin's healthy marketing mission less healthy. talk about power to the people!
