As guests lose interest in traditional hotel extras such as minibars, cleanliness is becoming the new definition of value. The winning hotels won't be those with the most amenities—but those that consistently deliver trust through exceptional hygiene.
A new study by easyHotel reveals something the hospitality industry has quietly been moving towards for years: guests are no longer impressed by hotel extras they rarely use. More than three quarters of Dutch travellers say they would rather pay less for their room than pay for facilities they don't actually value. And perhaps the biggest loser? The minibar.
At first glance this looks like a story about changing guest preferences.
In reality, it is something much bigger.
For decades hotels competed by adding more:
Today's traveller is asking a different question:
"What am I actually paying for?"
The answer is increasingly simple:
Luxury is no longer defined by the number of amenities.
Luxury is confidence.
When guests enter a hotel room, they make dozens of unconscious judgements within seconds.
Is the bathroom spotless?
Does the room smell fresh?
Are surfaces truly clean?
These signals immediately influence how guests rate their entire stay—even before they've slept in the bed.
Unlike a minibar, cleanliness isn't an optional extra.
It is the foundation of trust.
There is another interesting implication.
Removing underused amenities doesn't just reduce operating costs.
It also simplifies housekeeping, reduces waste, lowers maintenance and allows hotels to focus resources where they create the greatest guest impact.
Recent academic research points in the same direction: guests place little value on several traditional in-room services, while preferences differ strongly for services such as minibars and daily housekeeping. This opens opportunities to redesign hotel offerings in ways that reduce costs and environmental impact without hurting guest satisfaction.
The question therefore isn't:
"Which extras should hotels remove?"
The better question is:
"How can hotels prove excellence in the essentials?"
As guest expectations continue to evolve, independent proof of hygiene may become just as valuable as online reviews or sustainability labels.
Hotels that can demonstrate consistently high hygiene standards don't simply offer a cleaner room.
They offer peace of mind.
And that may become the most valuable hotel amenity of all.
