mini-bar

Meaning

A small refrigerator in a hotel room that is stocked with alcoholic drinks, soda, water, and snacks. Guests can consume these items during their stay, but they are usually charged at a very high price upon checkout.

Examples

• I took a bottle of water from the mini-bar without realizing how expensive it was.

  I took a bottle of water from the mini-bar without realizing how expensive it was.

• Most luxury hotel rooms come equipped with a fully stocked mini-bar.

  Most luxury hotel rooms come equipped with a fully stocked mini-bar.

• Can we use the mini-bar to store our own drinks?

  Can we use the mini-bar to store our own drinks?

• The front desk clerk asked if we had used anything from the mini-bar.

  The front desk clerk asked if we had used anything from the mini-bar.

• I avoid the mini-bar because a single soda costs five dollars.

  I avoid the mini-bar because a single soda costs five dollars.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ I bought some beers from the small bar in my room.

  ✓ I got some beers from the mini-bar in my room.

  While descriptive, 'small bar' is not the standard term. Native speakers always refer to this specific in-room fridge as a 'mini-bar' (or 'minibar').

• ✗ The mini-bar was free of charge for all the snacks.

  ✓ The snacks in the mini-bar were not free.

  Unless explicitly stated by the hotel (e.g., 'complimentary mini-bar'), items in a mini-bar almost always cost extra.

Related Expressions

Practice

• Be careful not to drink the water from the ___ unless you want to pay extra.

  💡 The small, stocked refrigerator in your hotel room.

  Show answer

  mini-bar

• Is there a ___ in the room where we can keep our leftovers cold?

  💡 In-room small fridge.

  Show answer

  mini-bar