#WhyHotelsNeedIce: The Importance of Ice in the Hospitality Industry
When you check into a hotel, one of the first things you may notice is the sign pointing you towards the ice machine. Have you ever wondered why ice is such a necessity at hotels? 🧊 Let’s dive into the reasons why hotels place such a high importance on providing their guests with access to ice.
### **1. Cooling Beverages**
When you’re on vacation or staying at a hotel for a business trip, you may want to enjoy a cold beverage in your room. Ice is essential for keeping drinks like water, soda, or cocktails nice and cold. The last thing you want is a warm drink on a hot day!
### **2. Medical Emergencies**
Ice can also be crucial in case of a medical emergency. If a guest suffers an injury and needs to ice a sprained ankle or reduce swelling, having easy access to ice can make a big difference in their comfort and recovery.
### **3. Room Service and Dining**
Many hotels offer room service or have on-site dining options where guests can order meals to their room. Ice is often needed to keep food and beverages at the right temperature during transport to the guest’s room.
### **4. Aesthetic Appeal**
In-room ice buckets and ice machines add a touch of luxury and convenience to a hotel room. Even if you don’t personally use the ice during your stay, having it readily available enhances the overall experience and satisfaction of the guests.
### **5. Cleaning and Maintenance**
Hotels use ice for more than just guest amenities. Ice machines often play a crucial role in hotel maintenance, cleaning, and food service operations. Ice can be used for tasks such as cooling equipment, cleaning appliances, or even melting snow and ice in outdoor areas.
### **6. Business and Events**
For hotels hosting conferences, meetings, or special events, ice becomes even more important. From refreshing beverages for attendees to food displays or cocktail receptions, ice is a key element in creating a memorable and successful event experience.
### **7. Guest Satisfaction**
Ultimately, providing ice for guests is all about ensuring a high level of guest satisfaction. Hotels go above and beyond to anticipate and meet their guests’ needs, and having ice available is just one way to enhance the overall guest experience.
In conclusion, ice is a fundamental element in the hospitality industry, playing a crucial role in guest comfort, convenience, and satisfaction. So the next time you’re at a hotel and wonder why ice is such a necessity, remember all the ways in which it contributes to a positive and enjoyable stay. #IceAtHotels #HospitalityIndustry
Remember, Whether you’re enjoying a cold drink in your room, using ice for a medical emergency, or enhancing an event with refreshing beverages, ice is truly an essential component of the hotel experience. Ice may seem like a small detail, but it can make a big difference in ensuring that guests have a comfortable and memorable stay. #HotelIce #GuestExperience
Once one has the organs, the donor needs to be placed in a bathtub full of ice.
Retired airline dude. I traveled for over 30 years almost every week to some hotel or another. The ice machine was crucial to have cold ice water or maybe a drink now and then and to fill my ice container for my cooler I carried with me. I used one of those old fashioned rubber ice bags that were practically indestructable. ALSO, it was important to me to NOT be too near the ice machine as they are loud af and had a lot of traffic to and from them. So, ideally, be on the same floor as the ice machine but way down the hall from it. I kept notes and knew where all the hotels I stayed at ice machines were.
Lotta organs being removed in these joints
I want cold beverages and I pack them in. Not paying $4 fora bottle of warm water.
You have never made a hotel room igloo before?
For cold drinks? I have ice at home, why would I not need it at a hotel? I’m American, I realize some people from other countries are not big on ice.
If you have to buy warm beer then thank God the motel has an ice machine.
I try to eat as many ice chips as possible while traveling. Am I the only one?
Let’s see…
Adding to my travel cooler, icing down some beer, icing down some white wine, whiskey on the rocks, making whiskey sours using field-expedient cocktail shakers…
Ice is used for many things. You can bring your own booze and make cocktails, ice water, sodas, and for anything that needs ice.
A) Lots of people bring beverages into their hotel rooms; whether there’s a fridge or not, many beverages still need ice in the glass.
2) Many people who travel need ice to soothe sore muscles from walking, running, and fighting their way through airports, highway rest areas, and tourist flea markets full of turquois and conch shell jewelry.
d) You know what a fresh kidney is worth on the open market these days? Especially after Covid!?
I would not be using that ice in a drink. Ew. At most I’d put it into a travel cooler.
They still exist because of the star ratings that are applied inconsistently, globally around the world. I’m not talking about a 4 star yelp review, rather the rating systems developed by independent organizations like Forbes / Mobil, AAA, etc.
These agencies still use pretty archaic rating systems that include assessing the amenities provided by the hotels. And it is archaic – like color TV for example. One of the amenities that is assessed is having access to an ice maker, an ice bucket in room, etc.
So having one may be the difference between qualifying as three star or four star. Hence, the ice bucket and ice machine are still around.
To quickly chill a bottle of wine or liquor? Unless that’s just me? Also it’s nice to have a glass of ice cold water instead of barely cold sink water.
Drinks..
Cool the body off after a night of giggityÂ
The history of this is interesting. So the point of a tourist hotel was the amenities. Anyone can find just a bed. You go to a hotel to have a king for a day treatment.
So when a lot of bedrooms in the US didn’t have TVs, hotel rooms did. Even earlier, with running water, same thing, hotel rooms adopted them well before the average home did.
Well, before even that, **ice** was such an amenity. One of the most luxurious things a Southern plantation owner could offer their guests during the dog days of summer was an iced beverage.
And before the average home had ice, hotels did. The ice machine just evolved from this early staple.
It takes a lot of ice to fill up a bathtub.
Keep the bodies cold.
A standard request is to be away from the ice machine and/or elevator. I always request to be near both. I like cold drinks/water and not having to walk for 5 minutes to get downstairs
Being a kid in the sixties, my sisters and I would always run first to the ice machines. Not even sure we used it, but we just liked filling the bucket.
Just to put it in my cup to keep my drink cold.
I get ice because I like cold drinks, and oftentimes my soda is room temperature.
So you can cool your feet off in the machine
So you can chill out
When a hotel room doesn’t have a mini fridge the ice comes in handy to keep drinks cold.
I also use it to refill my cooler every evening.
Someone never partied at the Hotel Motel Holiday Inn
If I’m traveling for a special occasion, we usually drink in the room and pregame.
Cold water beside the bed.
Bottle of wine that needs to be chilled; put the bottle in the ice with a bit of water and it’s cold in ten minutes.
Scotch on the rocks.
Small travel cooler with food. Replace the ice at night and then again in the morning.
Literally ice sore muscles. If you are travelling you are more active or sitting long hours in the car which both are bad for aches and pains. Ice helps a lot.
I travel a lot for work. Honestly, I don’t get ice too much because its usually either busted or on another floor. But when those stars align, I feel like a king with my bucket of ice. Even just really cold water is wonderful after a day of traveling.
I like cold drinks. Not a fan of lukewarm water, which is what comes out of the tap. Ice makes the water nice and cold. Since I like a glass of water next to the bed, I always get ice from the machine so I can have my water cold.
This is the best question I’ve ever seen in this sub!
All I know is that when I was a kid, I really liked getting ice in hotels. I don’t think there was a need for it.
If you are traveling with a cooler many times you get the ice from the machine. Also ice in rooms melts fast in the ice container so the next day it’s all liquid
but I will say that now that I quit drinking three years ago. I’ve gone on countless business strips and never use the ice machine. I really do think it’s a drinking thing.
Former maintenance guy at a hotel here
No fucking idea. The machines were constantly breaking down and I swear they just kept them around to justify having a full engineering staff. Don’t think I ever saw anyone use any of them.
Most people at hotels are there because of business, relationship problems, homelessness, party event. So everybody pregame in their hotel room and even if you’re staying in it’s still nice to have a cocktail when you’re in a strange room.
Beverages, such as having cold water available.
Many automobile travelers have a cooler that may have drinks or perishable goods, in which case being able to top off with ice is very useful (instead of paying a few bucks at a gas station on the way out)
There use to be no mini fridges so people needed it to keep stuff cold and replace cooler as a lot of people did road trips.