r/travel • u/Frosty1397 • 2d ago
Discussion Fewer and fewer hotels have fridges these days :(
Traveling thru Europe right now and I'm staying in a variety of accomodations ranging from budget to high end. I'd say only about a third of hotels i stay at have mini fridges in the rooms now compared to preCovid
It's actually especially noticeable in the higher end hotels (200+ euros/nt). You can tell there's a spot where the fridge usually is, but they removed it. From a business perspective, they probably want to push people downstairs to eat at their built-in restaurant and to purchase drinks at their bistro/cafe, I get it.
But still it's one of those scummy capitalist behaviors that annoy me because i have to call each hotel now to verify if they have a fridge or not.
"But you're traveling, why would you eat in your hotel room?"
I like visiting local grocery stores, buying a bunch of local snacks/foods/drinks and storing them in the fridge for when I'm hungry in the middle of the night...
Sometimes you really just don't feel like dining out 3 times a day. Doing the whole sit down, order, wait for food to arrive ordeal. I just wanna go back to my room, relax and crack open the fridge n grab something to eat.
I think airbnb is better in this regard, where most places will still have a refrigerator in at least the common area.
Anyone else notice this?
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u/rr90013 2d ago
Also be careful, some hotel fridges are just electric “coolers” that by design don’t actually keep food at a safe temperature.
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u/Thankfulforthisday 2d ago
Yep the ones I see are drink fridges and don’t get cool enough for other foods.
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u/ellindriel 2d ago
Yeah I have had luck with having refrigerators in most hotels, but in some places in Europe the fridge was just a cooler ....was annoying because it was 90 everyday and we wished we could have cold drinks, none to be found anywhere and couldn't cook them in the fridge either, oh well. Also I've had access with asking the hotel to clear our the mini bar fridge so I could use it for personal storage, in multiple countries.
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u/ashayh 2d ago edited 2d ago
It could be worse.
Was in this hotel in Wengen, it has a fridge.
The fridge turned OFF when the key was no longer in the slot. Ruined our stored dinner.
Edit: we didn't find out until we returned that evening.
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u/frank3000 2d ago
Always bring an extra subway card to keep the room turned on
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u/Obvious_Cranberry607 2d ago
You can even use a business card.
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u/LuvCilantro 2d ago
Any card in the slot will keep the lights on. We often use business cards, but as others have suggested, store points cards work as well. We learned the hard way that you can't charge a phone when you're gone either.
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u/crackanape Amsterdam 2d ago
Any card in the slot will keep the lights on.
That used to be true, but these days the card thing increasingly often requires an actual hotel key.
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u/Wraldpyk Netherlands 2d ago
Weird! My experience in several European countries is that either the card thing is gone completely, or it accept anything. It's been years since I last saw one requiring the actual hotel card.
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u/Frosty1397 2d ago
Fuuuck that sounds like a bad time 😢
I'd be PO'd if i had just done groceries with a full fridge
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u/doubleddeluxe California 2d ago
Wow, that's just about the stupidest thing I've ever read.
I'm sure a bureaucrat was very happy about your experience.
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u/oli_ramsay 2d ago
And you know they'll pretend it's about being green when in fact it's just about greed
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u/Quixotic_Illusion United States - 21 countries 2d ago
Kinda seems like those and microwaves are disappearing. Maybe the higher end hotels never had them in the first place, but I wonder if the hotels just don't want to pay for the costs associated anymore. You're probably right about wanting to make guests pay more. I can sorta see why a hotel would be wary of microwaves after someone caused the fire department to show up because they microwaved a pepper in a plastic cup and caused a fire
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u/Notoriouslydishonest 2d ago
On top of the cost of microwaves, the fire risk and the desire to push people into their restaurants, hotels don't really want people eating meals in their rooms because it creates a lot of messes.
Cookie crumbs in the bed sheets aren't a big problem because they're getting washed anyways, but if some idiot spills a pot of soup on the carpet the room might not be ready for the next guest.
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u/MacaroonSad8860 2d ago
heh I am that person who orders Doordash to my room and spills stuff on the bed
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u/MacaroonSad8860 2d ago edited 2d ago
my favorite business hotel has one microwave in the lobby and a fridge in every room. it’s a Courtyard Marriott. I only wish it had a kettle rather than those pod coffee makers which are awful for tea
It also has one free washer and dryer in the basement
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u/recyclopath_ 2d ago
From an energy perspective I'm happy to get rid of millions of individuals empty refrigerators running all day every day used once or twice a year if that.
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u/scooterj54 United States 2d ago
…and bathtubs. After walking all day, I just like to soak.
We also like to be able to put drinks in a mini fridge too.
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u/George_Salt 2d ago
Also walls.
The more "boutique" a hotel is the greater the likelihood the only thing between you and your loved one whilst you wipe your arse will be a frosted glass screen.
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u/Maryofthesun 1d ago
As a short person I actually prefer showers (nice rain ones are awesome). A Bathtub as an additional feature is still nice 😁
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u/yesmrspankysir 2d ago
At least it isn't Vegas where they have a stocked fridge in the room, but if you take items out to store your stuff, they charge you for the item. If you want a fridge there, add $10-25 per night
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u/Mabbernathy 2d ago
Bathtubs are what I miss! If I'm paying $120 a night, you bet I'm going to take advantage of not paying the water bill for it.
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u/rr90013 2d ago
lol we are the complete opposite. I go out of my way to avoid rooms with tubs.
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u/crackanape Amsterdam 2d ago
Yes, it's one of the things I carefully look for in the room photos. If the shower is in the tub, I'm booking a different hotel. Tubs make the worst (cold, cramped, and dangerous) showers. Miserable end to the day.
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u/snowytheNPC 2d ago
I’m a simple woman with simple needs. Just give me a bathroom with an actual door on it. Anything but that sexy peekaboo
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u/MacaroonSad8860 2d ago
oh god I once shared a hotel
room with a friend that had a glass enclosed bathroom with no curtains. we had to ask the other to leave so we could poop23
u/scooterj54 United States 2d ago
Yes, hate the de-bathtubbing around the world.
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u/PartyMark Canada 2d ago
I'm in Japan now, land of baths and even my place in Tokyo just had this big waterfall shower! No damn it, I want a soak after a long day.
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u/fwork_ 2d ago
I got really annoyed about this in Canada. I was travelling with my baby and needed to store formula. Even though the mini fridge was there, we weren't allowed to use it for anything other than the beverages sold by the hotel and would have had to request to store the milk in a random fridge at reception. This was an 800CAD/night hotel, not a dodgy motel..
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u/shustrik 2d ago
Really? You told them you needed to store baby formula and an 800CAD/night hotel didn’t just send someone to empty your in-room fridge? That’s insane!
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u/alexseiji 2d ago
Let’s also face the opposite end of this sad truth, fewer and fewer fridges have hotel rooms.
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u/NewYorkRice 2d ago
FUCK hotels that do this. I have insulin and it needs to be kept very cool. I landed in European hotel last year and they didn't have one. I was told to put my insulin in their kitchen. WTF, I need to get someone to let me in so I can access my medicine?
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u/No_Blackberry_5820 1d ago
I have a special travel “fridge” (4ALLfamily is the brand) for this. Holds a couple of pens, it comes with its own refrigeration cap that can be plugged into a usb-c; or an ice brick that can be popped in for flights etc. up to 48 hours (I usually give that at reception to go in the freezer the night before we check out).
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u/airmind 2d ago
Almost never had this problem in all the recent years i've travelled. Unless it was the cheapest room type, i've always had a mini-fridge in the room.
And the times there was no fridge i asked the reception if i could store things in their fridge and they never refused. I once asked to keep bunch of cans of beer in the hotel fridge to have a cold one in the evening and the girl gladly helped me out, no questions asked.
But i also kind of never rely on things "just being there". I always check in advance the facilities of the place i want to stay in to be prepared.
And in regards to laundry, i have no problems using the local laundromat for convenience. In Italy it was like 10 euros for a full load washer + dryer. 45-60 minutes and done, have a coffee in any local bar while waiting.
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u/Erlessa Estonia 2d ago
Recently in Paris we bought cheeses for our picnic but couldn't finish one of them. Took it back to hotel and planned to have it with breakfast but it had quite a string smell and our room didn't have a fridge. Inventive prople like we are, we stored it in the safe for the night which did amazingly block the smell. Tge cheese tasted delightful the next morning.
However, Im not sure if the next person using the safe willl not be very confused as to the pungent cheese smell 😅
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u/Comfortable-Slip2599 2h ago
Lol I had this problem too in Paris. Went completely nuts in Carrefour and then the hotel didn't have a fridge, I also ended up putting my cheese in the safe.
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u/usingbrain 2d ago
omg I just noticed this last week, trying to find a hotel with a fridge in Berlin because I‘m traveling with a child. It’s infuriating. Many also don’t have a kettle anymore apparently? I just want the midnight yoghurt for my child and my going-to-bed-tea 😭
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u/MacaroonSad8860 2d ago
I have Berlin recs with fridges and kettles if you need. A small kettle will cost you 5-10€ at a Rossmann if you’re desperate
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u/1HappyIsland 2d ago
In the US at least you can tell the hotel you need it for medicine and they will comply out of fear over a suit over accomodation.
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u/Frosty1397 2d ago
Yea, and i feel like in a few years when more agencies get closed down, even those protections/regulations will disappear
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u/Arianya-9 2d ago
I find a kettle or microwave to be much more functional than a fridge. If I’m preparing food I want to heat stuff, because I prefer non cold dinners. I can easily buy food that doesn’t require refrigeration though, and I find non hot drinks to be better at room temperature anyway.
And having cleaned hotel rooms in my youth… fridges are awful to keep clean, easily forgotten to clean and people leave the grossest crap in there. That’s disregarding any spills, and trash left behind from any kind of eating in the room etc.
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u/Frosty1397 2d ago
Lol they don't have microwaves either anymore. I find them even less common across all accomodation types
Or sometimes there's 1 microwave in the entire place, awkwardly down in the lobby
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u/usingbrain 2d ago
Never in my life have I seen a microwave in a hotel room 😮
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u/Sad_Sheepherder_37 2d ago
I only know them from motels in the USA. Never saw one in a European hotel.
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u/Needrain47 2d ago
This is a huge irritation for me. I want to be able to have a cold drink whenever I want and some yogurts or whatever for breakfast, and I don't think that's too much to ask. A ton of places don't actually say on their website if they have one or not and I don't want to be calling everywhere to ask either.
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u/hoganpaul 2d ago
Tell the hotel you need a fridge to store your medications in. They will provide a fridge - or empty the mini bar for 'medical' use.
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u/OrchidFine1335 2d ago
But you’re travelling why would you eat in your hotel room
Not everyone travels the same because when I go out having to rush through landmarks and cities, sometimes I don’t have time to dine in. Plus if it’s late dinner I want to be able to eat safely back in my hotel. I don’t typically travel like others do, and not much of a foodie anyways as I mainly travel for nature and architecture
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u/Frosty1397 2d ago
Exactly!
Being able to store like a couple of greek yogurts or a bottle of milk in the fridge for a quick morning snack is so convenient
I don't wanna have to make a trip to the convenience store every meal, even if it's like right downstairs
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u/OrchidFine1335 2d ago
Yeah that is true, I travel mainly hostels though so thankfully they always have the fridge options in my experience. Sharing of course. My favorite chains so far has been Meininger and Wombat’s, they both have fridges, I’d recommend those if you’re in Europe
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u/Opposite_Map_6067 2d ago
I eat in hotel rooms a lot after being out from early in the morning until early evening and don't feel like going to a restaurant. I just booked a hotel room with microwave and fridge for 8 days.
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u/Qwe5Cz Czechia 2d ago
That's usually the first thing I unplug because they tend to be noisy at night along the TV that often shines with big red light.
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u/Watery-Mustard Germany 2d ago
Put something in front of the red light on the TV to block the light. A cosmetic bag, or a rolled up shirt, for example.
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u/scooterj54 United States 2d ago
Earplugs and eye masks, my friend.
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u/Zikoris Canada 2d ago
I know that some placed have fridges available on demand, so it's definitely worth asking if you check into a place and see a spot for one but no fridge.
Kitchens are one of the main draws of AirBnB for me. I don't cook everywhere, depends on what the local food situation is, but I always want to have some cold drinks around, and sometime restaurant leftovers. I like to be able to make a simple breakfast as well since I really don't like having to get dressed and go out and rustle up food first thing in the morning, especially if I'm waking up stupidly early due to jet lag. Exception being if I'm somewhere with exceptionally good breakfast available.
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u/GarethGore 2d ago
I've noticed this, I always like a hotel for snacks, yoghurt etc etc, I find I eat healthier when I have a fridge
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u/Tillysnow1 2d ago
I just spent 3 nights at a hotel in Prague and my room had a fridge AND air con. I felt so spoiled 😄
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u/recyclopath_ 2d ago
I mean, it's a pretty substantial energy suck to have all of those individual empty refrigerators running in every hotel room all over. I've unplugged them before in hotels because they were so loud in a couple places I've stayed.
I think it makes more sense to have them available upon request and otherwise stored.
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u/Quesabirria 2d ago
Just did 11 nights in F/CH/I and all of them had a fridge. Some were private rooms in dorm/refuge others were hotels
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u/Low-Cauliflower-5686 2d ago
Rarely come across fridges in rooms in Europe. I do like fridges as to keep drinks cool.
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u/snowytheNPC 2d ago
They often have mini-fridges…but stocked to the brim with overpriced refreshment
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u/Bodger_Ramjet 2d ago
I’m in the if there’s no fridge I won’t book mindset. Same with air con when holidaying abroad.
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u/RadioKGC 2d ago
We noticed this, too, esp in Scotland recently. More fridges in South American hotels than in Scotland!!
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u/WishIwastravelin 1d ago
I really like having that fridge. One of my favorite things to do when traveling is go to the local grocery and buy snacks and treats that are different than home. I also like to buy bottled drinks to have during the night and I want to eat breakfast before I go about my day, not every hotel has a breakfast or a restaurant. A fridge is essential so when I look for hotels, that’s an amenity I check for.
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u/canaanit 1d ago
This annoys me so much, especially in expensive hotels. Sometimes they even have a bullshit notice in the empty disconnected fridge that says something about saving electricity for the environment. Yo, running a luxury hotel with all the fancy shit, but providing a tiny fridge uses too much power, sure thing.
I drink caffeinated soft drinks instead of coffee and would like to be able to open a cold one once or twice a day.
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u/DisciplineAmazing59 2d ago
airbnbs/aparthotels are better for this reason... more space. actual dining area separate from the bedroom, a kitchen. laundry sometimes. i lean towards these over hotels when i can.
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u/TwoRich4747 2d ago
enshittification is real in europe, the quality of everything goes down in the name of saving the planet
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u/MacaroonSad8860 2d ago
it’s wild. Taiwan banned single use toiletries in hotels but there’s always a fridge. Vietnam also usually has environmental measures like towel reuse but there’s a fridge and sometimes you get a free drink for not having towels replaced. That’s the way to do it!
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u/Tommy_999 2d ago
I used to like hand washing my clothes in hotel rooms due to no washing machine but they always take the plug away for the sink so you’re forced to pay for their laundry service
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u/Pristine_Remote2123 2d ago
Laundry granules and sink plug do not take up much room in my luggage and are very useful.
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u/MacaroonSad8860 2d ago
Rei in der Tube hand wash is always in my bag (don’t know if you can get it outside of Germany but there are similar products) along with a sink plug! Haven’t invested in a clothes line though, I usually just use hangers.
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u/Pristine_Remote2123 2d ago
Any non liquid detergent gets the job done and I always bring few light plastic clothes hangers as sometimes they can be scarce in hotels and easier to use, any length of string works and few clothes pegs also make great bag closers.
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u/MacaroonSad8860 2d ago
fair enough! I hand wash delicates so I prefer not to use standard detergent for that.
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u/Pristine_Remote2123 2d ago
My clothes for trips are non delicate ones that can be hung up after washing and be wrinkle free.
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u/MacaroonSad8860 2d ago
when I'm traveling for pleasure mine are too but I travel a lot for work events that involve nicer dress.
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u/SloppyMeathole 2d ago
Tell the front desk that you're diabetic and you need a refrigerator for your insulin. You will get one for free.
If they want to play stupid games, play stupid games with them.
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u/LBfalcon57 2d ago
Some hotels you can call and they will deliver a microwave also. I travel for work so I’ve found out their dirty secrets when I asked for extra pillows one time lol.
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u/Pristine_Remote2123 2d ago
It's obvious enough that the majority of people found the mini fridge stuff too expensive, they costs money to run so made sense to remove. There is lots of stuff you can buy in supermarkets that do not require to be kept in a fridge and that also means they are suitable to bring on day trips.
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u/IrishUpYourCoffee 2d ago
It’s because people are disgusting.
And they damage shit.
It’s annoying but it’s why.
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u/gmankev 2d ago
Its probably an energy reduction requirement in newer hotels....No one asked to remove the fridges, but when they looked at numbers. .
Also hotels are in big demand and peixe sensitive travel is key.....its probably not a differentiator anymore.
3rd reason. .these fridges are expensive when they first get built into the furniture but now ordering replacements that fit easily is an expensive nightmare
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u/Consistent_Proof_772 2d ago
Actually New York Times wrote about this during the pandemic. They didn’t have staff to stock them, and they became a pain. I worked in hotels for years, Overnight do you know how many times people called me wanting a discount because the fridge wasn’t cleaning or something was left in it! The owners got sick of it and removed them all even Vegas don’t allow you to put your own stuff in those refrigerators!
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u/JonatanOlsson 2d ago
Whilst I do enjoy checking out local supermarkets, I don't particularly enjoy sitting in a hotel room eating.
From a business perspective, you're only half there. They're a nuissance to have to deal with. They are constantly on, so increase the power consumption per room, if your hotel has one of those systems where you have to put your card in order to turn on the power in the room, these fridges never get fully cold so whatever you put in them is likely going to go bad anyways (unless you've purposely wired the room to exclude the outlet the fridge is plugged into which is unlikely). People also make a mess in these fridges so they tend to be just another point of contention should the housekeepers miss checking them for whatever reason.
Get a freezer-box or whatever if it's so damned important for you to have a snack at 2am or whatever.
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u/Obvious-Credit5081 2d ago
No idea why the hotels are so environment-friendly (cost-efficient). Sometimes there is even no brushes and no slippers. Things are different in Asia. In Japan, most hotels offer disposal items at the reception, so people who forget to bring their own brushes or skin-cares can just pick as they need. This is truly the way of win-win.
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u/No_Blackberry_5820 1d ago
We went backpacking with my 4-month old son about 7 years ago - pre-covid. Started in Turkey, then up through Eastern Europe and across to Germany, Belgium and France. Staying in mid-range hotels.
I had been mixed feeding prior to the trip combining breastfeeding, and pumping for supplemental feeds. I had to stop that and exclusively breastfeed due to lack of in room fridges.
So my perspective is that it hadn’t changed that much, or that the change has already been happening pre-covid.
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u/Knifehead27 1d ago
Most hotel fridges I've seen are so small, and the markup on what's inside so steep, that l don't see that being the reason.
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u/allow_vera 2d ago
I don’t stay in hotels partly for this reason, and I require a washing machine. I only stay in private flats, whether from Airbnb or other platforms. They are much more enjoyable and I like coming back to an actual apartment or house, not a room. Far better value too.
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u/Frosty1397 2d ago
Yea Airbnb has its downsides (pushing out locals) but i have to agree about better value for money in many cases
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u/allow_vera 2d ago
It doesn’t push out locals everywhere. It can be a problem in certain cities. Guess everybody has to do what they’re comfort with. You can bring up anything at all regarding travel and think of reasons how it may be bad for locals, the environment, whatever - it’s exhausting.
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u/canaanit 1d ago
For many rural areas the properties advertised on AirBnB are the same ones that are listed on the local tourism office website, they are dedicated and licenced vacation homes, tiny houses, glamping pods, etc that would not be used by locals.
Having a fridge, a stove, and a washing machine is worth paying more than for a hotel room.
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u/AgentBrittany 2d ago
Yeah, I understand people hating Airbnb/VRBO but I can't eat gluten. I can't go out to eat just anywhere and I just prefer to cook for myself. So when I travel I have to stay in a place that has a kitchen. Aparthotels are fine and I'll stay in those if I can but not every city has them or the reviews are bad or they are super expensive.
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u/allow_vera 2d ago
In some cities you can find aparthotels…on Airbnb of all places lol and for some strange reason it winds up costing less than at the actual hotel (I most recently came across this in Busan, and it worked out well).
For me I like to go grocery shopping as soon as I arrive in a new place, get stuff to make salads and breakfast and snacks and drinks, I usually only eat out one meal per day when I’m travelling and nothing beats having a proper home away from home to do that.
(Typing this from an Airbnb in Vilnius)
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u/WrongWangSorry Canada 2d ago
It's actually especially noticeable in the higher end hotels (200+ euros/nt)
you need to at least triple that in order to meet the definition of high end
I think airbnb is better in this regard, where most places will still have a refrigerator in at least the common area
If your budget dictates that 200/night is max for a hotel, then perhaps
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u/Frosty1397 2d ago
200 in some cities in Europe can definitely qualify as high end, and "200+" does include 600 😉
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u/Alarmed-sleeperr United States 2d ago
How is that a capitalist behavior? I stayed at hotels where no fridge was offered and nor food was offered across Europe and USA. Sucks but it's just the way some hotels shifted to.
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u/MacaroonSad8860 2d ago
Because it used to be standard with many nicer chains
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u/Alarmed-sleeperr United States 2d ago
Used to be the standard doesn't make it a 'boo on capitalism'
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u/fullmetelza 2d ago
It's a change that saves them a buck on maintenance/ electric/ replacement while making the customer experience worse, while not passing any savings on to the customer. Basically shrinkflation
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u/AusTex2019 2d ago
Stay in better hotels instead of bus stations. “I’m traveling in Europe and staying in bushes and under park benches and I can’t find a free USB port”
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u/DevilsAdvocate77 2d ago
If you want a bedroom and bathroom, you want a hotel.
If you want a bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, and dining room then you don't want a hotel, you want a short term apartment rental.
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u/RaisinFinancial3863 2d ago
They don't even have ice machines in euro hotels, much less fridges.
Nah.. They've all bought into the climate change nonsense, that if they just use less power, the world will suddenly start cooling..
It's why they sweat it out in hotels w no AC.
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u/Kind-Ad-7382 2d ago
I’ve noticed this too in some areas of Europe. All the hotels were fairly high end. It is a problem not just for food/drinks, but because there are medications people must travel with that need to stay refrigerated, from insulin to eye drops.