Bottled Water

[Generic]

I have bottled water at 2 for $1 in the room, with 4 bottles there, on the honour system. It's not something that I really like, our tap water is likely cleaner than most bottled water, but people want it. It's a royal hassle for me, having to lug it from the store, etc.
I was thinking of putting up the price to $1 each, in hopes of cutting down on the amount of water we go through and the recycling it entails. (Bottled water is really bad for the environment.) So, here is my question... do I leave it at 4 bottles or move down to 2? Or do I offer only 1 large bottle at maybe $2? What do you think?

 

[gillumhouse]

Right now I am glad I HAVE bottled water. At 2 AM Saturday we had a main line break at an extremely bad location for it to happen. Saturday we were on a Conserve Water order. Yesterday it was upgraded to Emergency Conservation order. They do not expect it to be fixed before Tuesday or Wednesday - I have guests coming in Tuesday. Both are repeats and have been given a heads-up.

 

[Aussie Innkeeper]

I find charging for bottled water is so 'hotel'. If it's such a hassle, don't offer it at all, or raise your rates, offer it for free and be done with it.

 

[TheBeachHouse]

I always resent it when the big hotels charge for water. So, a perception heads up.
But if you want to cut down usage, I think only putting two bottles instead of 4 would be a good start.
We put two and it is very rare to have anyone ask for more.

 

[Generic]

I find charging for bottled water is so 'hotel'. If it's such a hassle, don't offer it at all, or raise your rates, offer it for free and be done with it..

That would use MORE, not less. I can't carry the water anymore, so Specific has to do it. But I'm already at the top of the rates locally. It's there as a convenience to guests. The water is perfectly drinkable and we have glasses for water in the rooms. But there is always a constituent who wants to waste money buying the stuff.
I use bottled water only in third world countries, otherwise, I'm at the tap.

 

[Generic]

Right now I am glad I HAVE bottled water. At 2 AM Saturday we had a main line break at an extremely bad location for it to happen. Saturday we were on a Conserve Water order. Yesterday it was upgraded to Emergency Conservation order. They do not expect it to be fixed before Tuesday or Wednesday - I have guests coming in Tuesday. Both are repeats and have been given a heads-up..

We always keep some for emergencies.

 

[Morticia]

We don't have any. Hate the waste. Lots of guests bring their own water bottles. They can refill them with our filtered water tap.

 

[Generic]

We don't have any. Hate the waste. Lots of guests bring their own water bottles. They can refill them with our filtered water tap..

I wonder, what if I put something like https://www.amazon.com/Estilo-Glass-Bottles-Stainless-Cap-Case/dp/B0170GQXCU in the rooms. It's glass, so they are less likely to take it. I can put one or two per room filled with our lovely water. And there is no real waste to it.
Of course considering that I pay 10c a bottle of bottled water, there goes a small stream of revenue. But on the other hand, for each bottle or bottled water, society wastes about a third of a bottle, only one in five bottles actually get recycled and that doesn't even count all the gasoline and diesel fuel used to get it to and from the market.

 

[Arks]

As you said, some want it. So let those few pay for it. $1 each rather than 2 for a dollar, or whatever seems right.
I'd guess that some who drink bottled water do it because they don't know the quality of your local tap water. Put up a simple sign saying the tap water is wonderful and bottled water is not a "green" alternative, so you're only offering bottled water as a service for those few people who really want it.
Or something like that.

 

[Hillbilly]

Is it needed for the guest to enjoy their stay? If its something you could cut out and the guests would never know? From what im getting from what you are saying is that its a really pain to offer this. If thats not the issue than have a mini fridge in the common area and offer it for free. Charging for bottled water seems kinda hotelish and tacky to me. A case of water is $3. If your not getting people lol about it behind your back than keep doing it and make some $. But I do not see the need to have it in the rooms if its hard for you to stock them.

 

[Silverspoon]

We put two bottles (complimentary) in each room with this note:
We are fortunate to have excellent quality tap water with no need for chlorine or other added chemicals. Nonetheless, we are pleased to provide two initial bottles of spring water as an extra courtesy to our traveling guests who prefer bottled water. Please either refill the bottles with tap water to take on your adventures or set the empties aside so that we can recycle the plastic. Enjoy!
It eliminated requests for additional water, does not burden us with buying more than we need, and makes the point about quality of water and waste . Feel free to borrow it if you think it would work for you.

 

[user 26]

Oh my, I'm afraid those glass bottles would go walking.
The only thing guests took (or tried to) were my giant coffee mugs. (except, of course, for the silly person who loaded her suitcase with our t.p. and the one who took all my personal care items from my bathroom)
I had a water cooler in the two common areas. Dispensed hot and cold water. Guests filled up their own bottles with it.
The first bottle was spring water as it came from a spring. I would rinse out that huge bottle as needed and refill with my own tap water which was wonderful. I never corrected guests who told me they loved having our fresh spring water and could tell by the taste it was special.
Plastic waste is a real problem.

 

[gillumhouse]

I put bottles of water in the mini-fridge in the upstairs hall - 2 bottles per room usually. Like with the fruit basket, some take it and some don't. We have excellent water (usually), but if they want water during the night (I find I sometimes wake up needing water in the night), I prefer them to have the bottles. Yes, a few take it "for the road" but I only buy it when it is on sale for less than $3 for a case of 24 so it is cheaper than the fruit I put in the rooms.
Yes, hauling it upstairs is interesting - I lift it one step at a time and have done it that way for years as Himself could not go up the stairs for the last 4 or 5 years without carrying anything other than himself.

 

[GoodScout]

Our tap water is great. We also have a water bubbler (cooler?) they can fill or draw from if they want.

 

[Jcam]

We sell bottled water - but its mainly a for the road item ie they buy it as they walk out the door to drink in the car - we have world famous water here and I get it out the tap

 

[Generic]

Oh my, I'm afraid those glass bottles would go walking.
The only thing guests took (or tried to) were my giant coffee mugs. (except, of course, for the silly person who loaded her suitcase with our t.p. and the one who took all my personal care items from my bathroom)
I had a water cooler in the two common areas. Dispensed hot and cold water. Guests filled up their own bottles with it.
The first bottle was spring water as it came from a spring. I would rinse out that huge bottle as needed and refill with my own tap water which was wonderful. I never corrected guests who told me they loved having our fresh spring water and could tell by the taste it was special.
Plastic waste is a real problem..

Really? You think people would steal a heavy glass bottle like that? I understand if it was plastic, but it's glass, breakable. Maybe if I put a sign on it, that if you like it, you are welcome to take it home for $20, charged directly to your card.
Our city water isn't even chlorinated, it's ozonated. It's actually what Dasani bottles (though they put it through an extra filter.) I always have hot water, but really no where to keep one of those giant ones and even if I did, I wouldn't be able to lift the giant plastic bottle to put it in place.

 

[user 26]

Generic, sorry maybe it's the cynic in me coming through. I'm thinking one would get put in the suitcase or tote bag. Because aren't they going to want water for the trip home or to the next spot? Isn't that the point? I didn't have many multi nighters.
As for changing out the giant water bottles, I've been hefting those around for years in different offices. Hardest was the flipover to put the opening of the bottle on top of the dispenser. Those bottles come in different sizes and I didn't fill it to the top.
Just a suggestion.

 

[OnTheShore]

You could do away with the bottles in the rooms, since you already have drinking glasses, but still have bottled water available "to go" for sale for anyone who asks for it (the key being that they would have to ask for it, it's not just available for them to take).
Alternatively, maybe you could sell empty-refillable bottles, for those who forgot to bring their own....

 

[Generic]

Generic, sorry maybe it's the cynic in me coming through. I'm thinking one would get put in the suitcase or tote bag. Because aren't they going to want water for the trip home or to the next spot? Isn't that the point? I didn't have many multi nighters.
As for changing out the giant water bottles, I've been hefting those around for years in different offices. Hardest was the flipover to put the opening of the bottle on top of the dispenser. Those bottles come in different sizes and I didn't fill it to the top.
Just a suggestion..

I'm no longer supposed to lift anything over 10KG after my surgery last year.
Maybe they will steal them, but it's worth a try. I would think that the nature of glass would make it something that they wouldn't take.

 

[TheBeachHouse]

You could do away with the bottles in the rooms, since you already have drinking glasses, but still have bottled water available "to go" for sale for anyone who asks for it (the key being that they would have to ask for it, it's not just available for them to take).
Alternatively, maybe you could sell empty-refillable bottles, for those who forgot to bring their own.....

We have a large water dispenser in the breakfast room. Maybe that is enough. Of course it's tap water, but you don't have to tell them that.