MIAMI BEACH— The minibar at the Clinton Hotel South Beach has an unusual assortment of items.
“The selection is sensual and different, just like the hotel itself,” said Rafael Barrera, general manager of the 88-room boutique hotel, which opened in 2004.
In addition to beverages and snacks, the hotel began seven months ago to offer several products from Kama Sutra Co.
“These are high-end products selected with our clientele in mind. We are one block from the beach so we don’t have the kids. Our clientele consists of couples and adults,” Barrera said.
The Kama Sutra assortment includes Oil of Love lotion, Honey Dust Body Powder and assorted body gels, massage oils and massage creams. There is also Lover’s Chocolate Body Paint, which comes in three flavors— milk chocolate, white chocolate and dark chocolate— with a soft paintbrush. Prices on the items range from $30 to $45.
“The reaction to the Kama Sutra products has been extremely good,” Barrera reported, adding that guests don’t hesitate to spend money on the minibar items. “The average guest spends $50 to $60 on things from the minibar as well as the movies we offer,” he said.
The hotel’s minibar, which is supplied by Amerisafe, offers other items tailored for its location including cameras and sunglasses. There is also a full selection of beverages and snacks.
“Like the Kama Sutra items, most of the things we have in the minibar are unique and beautifully packaged. I like to think we offer the best in town,” Barrera said. “For example, we have Kettle One vodka, Bombay gin, Jamaican rums, Chivas Regal and Black Label scotch, and VSOP cognac. With the bottled water, we have Saratoga in a blue bottle which is very sensual when the light hits it.”
There is also an assortment of soft drinks, fruit juices and wines. “We change the wine selection regularly with the season,” Barrera said.
The snack selection includes “many natural items like banana chips and Meshuga nuts. We also have Meshuga cookies and the best candies you can find. The candies are from Splendid and include things like chocolate-covered blueberries and we also have grapefruit slices,” said Barrera, who also noted that Toblerone chocolate is another favorite among the hotel’s guests.
