Air New Zealand is spending serious capital to retrofit seven 777s with lie-flat suites, privacy doors, and Bluetooth-enabled entertainment... solving UX problems at 35,000 feet that most hotel PMS vendors still can't figure out on the ground.
Minibars now generate less than 1% of hotel F&B revenue, yet some luxury properties are still investing in sensor-equipped fridges that charge guests for picking up a bottle of water. The question isn't whether minibars are outdated... it's why anyone is still fighting this battle instead of solving it.
Four Seasons built one of the largest hotel retail businesses in North America by betting that guests would pay premium prices to recreate the hotel sleep experience at home. The interesting part isn't the comforter... it's what this revenue stream tells you about who's actually monetizing brand equity and who's leaving it on the nightstand.
