When you’re “on the road” you end up living out of a suitcase a lot of the time. And it’s often far too easy to “take advantage” of the “extras” that many hotels offer.
Unless the “extras” are free you are going to be paying through the nose for the “convenience”.
Case in point – bottled water.
While some hotels will give you a complimentary bottle or two of mineral water in your room, many will charge you for it.
Unless the hotel is located in the middle of nowhere you can avoid paying over the odds to keep yourself hydrated. It’s not rocket science. Simply locate the nearest corner shop or supermarket and stock up on a few essentials.
You can also use it as an opportunity to grab a few snacks and those silly little things you forgot to pack.
However you need to be careful.
A lot of hotels use automated systems to keep track of what’s in their minibars and the guests’ consumption. So if you move anything in the minibar you can end up being charged for it.
Personally I don’t particularly like freezing cold water, so I’m happy to leave it outside the minibar fridge. If you really need to chill it you could always shove it in the ice bucket that is probably in your room.
Of course some hotels are a little bit more considerate and will leave a shelf in the minibar empty for guests to use – just check to see if they have.
While you can probably get mistaken charges removed from your bill with relative ease, having to discuss charges with hotel check out staff when you’re in a hurry is never much fun!