Why don't hotels have vending machines anymore?

cowman

cowman

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I haven't been to a hotel in the past 2 years that had a simple coin/cash/card operated vending machine and it's driving me nuts. See, I'm a coke addict... the soda kind not the other kind as far as you know. Sometimes I just need a caffeinated beverage to fall asleep. Yeah I know, but... an addition is an addiction. Anyway where was I? Oh yeah... I used to be able to slip out of the room, walk down the hall and somewhere on the floor or at least the ground floor there was the soda machine. Quick and easy. Now where are they? I can't find them anywhere. They all have these stupid mini store things with grossly overpriced beverages....ok fine convenience fee I'll suck it up. Oh but we're not done! Then I have to track down the desk ape....wherever they are to hand them money for this beverage. Highly temped to just leave cash on the desk and walk away but don't know how that would go down. So search all over.... and then have to interact with another human in a state of sleepiness, withdrawals, and questionable dress.

Give me my coke machine back you bastiches!!
 
I’ve been known to do just that... take what I want and leave the cash behind the counter with a note.

Sucks, though, that the vending machines have disappeared. Having one closer than the front desk was handy.
 
Stay somewhere that they dont leave the light on for you?? The hotels I've stayed at all had them.
 
I stay in way too many hotels a week and those are a thing of the past in all the new properties being built now.

I personally like the "markets" better...a bit more offerings and while I typically carry cash, rarely would I have the one dollar bills needed for the vending machines and they don't take $100's!

...but yeah, having to deal with a human sucks...but that is usually balanced out with the ability to get an ice cream!
 
A bit off topic, but it reminds me of the good old days in the BOQ when the vending machines dispensed you a nice cold Bud or Miller for $0.50.
 
I hadn't noticed them being gone until you mentioned it. You hardly find them anywhere now. Of course, convenience stores have popped up on every street corner, so that explains a big part of it I guess.
 
Gerhardt said:
I hadn't noticed them being gone until you mentioned it. You hardly find them anywhere now. Of course, convenience stores have popped up on every street corner, so that explains a big part of it I guess.
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That's so true, it's rare to stay in a hotel that isn't within walking distance to a decent restaurant and convenience store.
 
Every hotel I've been to in the last year had vending machines sprinkled about the property. Just about all of them in my town have restaurants right next door. In fact I don't think I've ever seen a hotel that didn't have a restaurant right next door.
 
Just stayed in a Hilton Garden, and the only thing you could get out of a machine is ice.
 
I suspect the hotels discovered that they were giving money away to the vending machine operators, when they already had a front desk clerk on the clock to sell the same item.
 
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Why sell you a Coke for a dollar I they can sell it for 3.
 
Brad Z said:
... when they already had a front desk clerk on the clerk ...
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I saw that movie in a cheap motel once.

Which reminds me, you don't see french tickler vending machines anymore either.
 
They can't charge $4.75 for a coke if you are just putting money in a machine.
 
Swing by Target on the way to the hotel. Pick up a 6 pack of 20oz bottles for $3.00 or so.
 
Most of the hotels I stay at (Hilton/Marriott properties) have a small "market" or "pantry" located right next to the check-in desk in the Lobby. Usually just a little alcove big enough for two people to stand in. You can usually pay cash or have it charged to your room, and they have some refrigerated items like ice cream or orange juice, as well as aspirin/Tylenol/etc.
 
I stay at Best Westerns a lot of the time for work, and all of them have vending machines. It's when you step up that little bit to Holiday Inn-level that they only have the overpriced markets.

I often look to see the proximity of the hotel I'm staying at to either a convenience or grocery store when I'm booking.
 
Bill Jennings said:
A bit off topic, but it reminds me of the good old days in the BOQ when the vending machines dispensed you a nice cold Bud or Miller for $0.50.
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Don’t forget the cancer stick machine with the horizontal pull action!
 
If you stay at a good hotel, they have Coke, water and even wine in the fridge in your room. Granted, it's $20/pop (see what I did there? :D ) but at least they have some! :)
 
Have seen both. Don’t really care much either way EXCEPT if you stay at a place that doesn’t really man the front desk 24/7.
 
I usually stay at the Motel 6 because pets stay free and I always have my dog with me. They've got vending machines.
 
I once stayed at a boutique hotel in Denver that had sexy undergarments for sale in the closet.
 
alfadog said:
I once stayed at a boutique hotel in Denver that had sexy undergarments for sale in the closet.
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In Japan they just call those "Love Hotels"

And they'd have those products for sale in a vending machine. Japan still loves vending machines.
 
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chartbundle said:
In Japan they just call those outright "Love Hotels"
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No, this wasn't a love hotel. This is just a quirky hotel. They gave you a goldfish bowl at the front desk when you checked in. With goldfish in it, of course. But it was quite a nice hotel in fact.

Regarding a love hotel, some years back I went to upstate New York with my then-young son to look at an Alfa Romeo. On the spur of the moment, decided to see The Falls. Niagara Falls. Drove over to the Canada side and wanted to spend the night but the only reasonably priced hotel we could find was a seedy honeymoon hotel. It had a pink heart-shaped bathtub right next to the bed!
 
I don't even remember the last time when I bought something out of a vending machine. I will say I wasn't very old at the time.

Okay I do remember. "Gardettos. You are just wasting your fifty cents for those gurd durn little packets." That was twenty years ago.
 
chartbundle said:
In Japan they just call those "Love Hotels"

And they'd have those products for sale in a vending machine. Japan still loves vending machines.
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It's been a long time since I visited Japan - but I remember vending machines Everywhere - even street corners and bus stops. Some even sold beer.

Dave
 
I don't recall them being gone, but I haven't looked. Higher profit margin if they make you buy them in the hotel store. All that said, every time I've looked for one, I've found it.
 
alfadog said:
I once stayed at a boutique hotel in Denver that had sexy undergarments for sale in the closet.
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Yeah but did they have a selection in multiple sizes? That’s how you know they’re serious. LOL.
 
denverpilot said:
Yeah but did they have a selection in multiple sizes? That’s how you know they’re serious. LOL.
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“Excuse me, Miss, do these come in other sizes?”

“If you have to ask... you don’t want the other sizes.”
 
cowman said:
I haven't been to a hotel in the past 2 years that had a simple coin/cash/card operated vending machine and it's driving me nuts. See, I'm a coke addict... the soda kind not the other kind as far as you know. Sometimes I just need a caffeinated beverage to fall asleep. Yeah I know, but... an addition is an addiction. Anyway where was I? Oh yeah... I used to be able to slip out of the room, walk down the hall and somewhere on the floor or at least the ground floor there was the soda machine. Quick and easy. Now where are they? I can't find them anywhere. They all have these stupid mini store things with grossly overpriced beverages....ok fine convenience fee I'll suck it up. Oh but we're not done! Then I have to track down the desk ape....wherever they are to hand them money for this beverage. Highly temped to just leave cash on the desk and walk away but don't know how that would go down. So search all over.... and then have to interact with another human in a state of sleepiness, withdrawals, and questionable dress.

Give me my coke machine back you bastiches!!
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Stay in cheaper hotels, they still have vending machines. I was in a Quality Inn in Bainbridge, GA last week, and they had a soda machine.
 
Apparently you were born in the wrong era.

automat-1.jpg
 
asicer said:
Apparently you were born in the wrong era.

automat-1.jpg
Click to expand...

The Automat. That was such a treat for me when, on rare occasions, my mother took me there. I grew up in NYC. I was just telling my son about these recently.
 
Bill Jennings said:
A bit off topic, but it reminds me of the good old days in the BOQ when the vending machines dispensed you a nice cold Bud or Miller for $0.50.
Click to expand...

One of our local excavators had a shop “Pepsi “ machine that gave you your choice of soda...as long as it was Coors...
 
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