This Hotel Charges You to Put Drinks in the Fridge

This is the third installment of our continuing feature, Terms of Surrender, which shines a light on a sometimes dark place: a company website’s terms and conditions.

You may want to consider packing a cooler if you plan to stay at this Las Vegas hotel — or else be prepared to pay a hefty daily fee to keep your own drinks cool in your room.

The Aria Resort and Casino states in its terms and conditions that its hotel room “refreshment centers,” i.e., minibars, are “not intended for storage of personal items.”

It’s not made clear in the terms and conditions that “not intended” entails a fee for hotel guests who store their own drinks in the minibar but that’s exactly what it means, according to an Associated Press story published this week.

“Aria … charges a $25 a day ‘personal use fee’ if a guest puts their own soda or bottled water in the minibar,” writes AP Business Writer Scott Mayerowitz. “A guest in need of a mini refrigerator can have one delivered to their room — for an extra $35 a night.”

Hotels are notorious for hiding fees from consumers. Our advice with this one: Pack the cooler. We didn’t see anything in the terms and conditions against bringing one.

If you spot a befuddling terms and conditions policy during your travels online, tell us and we’ll consider featuring it next time.