CHICAGO - More than 70 percent of travelers say they never use hotel mini-bars according to a survey conducted jointly by GO Airport Express, and The GO Group, LLC, an international ground transportation service provider.
GO Airport Express, which offers a shuttle service to and from O'Hare (ORD) and Midway (MDW) airports, is a member of The GO Group.
Just fewer than four percent said they always raid the mini-fridges, while 20 percent said they do so sometimes or occasionally.
Several of the more than 733 survey respondents had comments, noting they think the food and beverage offerings are too expensive, or they use the mini-fridges to store their snacks bought elsewhere.
Of those who did purchase from the hotel mini-bars, men were more likely to purchase alcoholic beverages, at 27 percent, compared with 14 percent of women. Women bought more bottled water (47 percent) compared with men (35 percent). Women also purchase healthier snacks such as nuts and granola bars, than men, at 14 percent and seven percent respectively.
"Today's travelers are more savvy, health and budget conscious," says John McCarthy, president of GO Airport Express. "Successful hotels are starting to respond by catering to the changing preferences of their guests."
One of the oldest companies in Chicago, GO Airport Express traces its founding to 1853 and the Parmelee Transportation Company, which provided a carriage service between Chicago's railroad stations and the downtown hotels. The GO Group, LLC is a one-stop source for door-to-door airport shuttle services. Its members transport some 13 million passengers to and from more than 60 airports in the United States, Mexico, Canada and Europe annually.
