In October 1991, they introduced the global hotel market to the first open-display automatic minibar concept. Today, Bartech offers a wide selection of customizable automatic minibars that are designed to maximize revenue and save hoteliers time and money through increased efficiency.
Bartech automatic minibars are currently installed in 53 countries around the world in properties of all sizes, ranging from a 17-room hotel in Japan to the 6,500-room CityCenter Las Vegas complex.
“Bartech’s hallmarks are technological innovation and forward-thinking design, but what we ultimately sell is customer satisfaction,” said Bartech President Mario Agrario. “We listen to our hotel clients to gain a better understanding of their unique needs and the changing needs of the industry as a whole, helping them provide the best hospitality experience to their guests. Bartech has done this for 20 years now, and we will continue to make minibar operations easier, more efficient and highly profitable for our clients around the world.”
Since Bartech’s first client, Hilton Basel in Switzerland, converted to automatic minibars, leading hotels around the globe have been able to reduce their staffing requirements, while taking in additional revenue and eliminating product loss commonly seen with honor bars and manual minibars. Hoteliers invariably report enhanced product consistency and greater resource efficiency after installing Bartech’s automatic minibars.
Moreover, Bartech is industry-renowned for its flexible and bespoke design offerings, as the Las Vegas-based vendor is the only minibar provider to offer fully customizable design. In addition, Bartech offers a choice of five methods of server communication for its automatic minibars: a standalone proprietary ZigBee wireless network, WiFi, coax cable, twisted pair and Ethernet communication. Bartech is the only automatic minibar provider to offer reliable means of item detection via three different types of sensor technologies—infrared, magnetic and micro-switch—ensuring that all inventory is accounted for regardless of size, weight or type of packaging.
Despite its position atop the minibar market, Bartech is not content to rest on its laurels. The company has recently added several futuristic offerings to its line of automated minibars, including the eCube, the eDrawer and the groundbreaking Flat Fridge. The sleek eCube is compact enough to fit into a small space and is meant to showcase, cool and control up to nine small specialty beverage bottles. The eDrawer was developed at the request of a hotel client that had needed a modular, furniture-based drawer system that would blend seamlessly into the room design. And the uniquely designed Flat Fridge features a thin, minimalist aesthetic accented with an elegant double glass door, available either as stand-alone or wall-mounted units.
Even as the minibars themselves have changed considerably over the past two decades, the items inside them remain largely similar to the products found in 1991 minibars, Agrario says. “Guests’ tastes in hotel design evolve, but their tastes in snacks really have remained constant,” he says. “Guests like to see items they know and have in their own homes, making their stays more comfortable. The best sellers are still water, diet cola and chips or crisps.”