Your travel4seniors.com editor always is aware of those little fridges in hotel rooms. We stay away from them, because just opening the small door could result in a charge on your bill. Just recently, when we checked into our hotel room, there was no minibar.

However, arranged along the top of the dresser was an inviting array of packaged candy, along with bottles of soda, beer, wine and liquor. My first thought was that the hotel had placed them there as complimentary freebees. Fortunately, before I touched any of the goodies, I noticed a little sign. With my reading glasses, I saw it was a price list. Sodas and candy were $5 each, with the liquor starting at $10 and going much higher. 

It can happen to you. After a long flight, you’ve just checked in to your hotel room. It’s very late, and before going to bed, and you’d like a soda. You’re too tired to walk back down the hall to get one from the machine, so you open the cute little glass-front cooler in your room.

While you’re getting the cola, you take out a bag of cookies, too. Nice little snack before beddy-bye. Right? Of course, if you’re willing to pay 10 bucks for it. If you had bought them from the hallway snack and soda dispenser or downstairs hotel gift shop, the total would have been $5. The same two items purchased in a grocery store would have cost a grand total of $3.25.

You may have booked the room at a discount price through the internet or special hotel ad, but whatever savings you may have made could be eaten away by being clueless about minibar maxi charges.

When checking into your hotel room, be aware of such expensive amenities as the minibar, phone call charges and other add-ons that can make your check-out experiences an unexpected pocketbook shock.