From Convenience to Cash Flow: The Art of Vending Machine Placement in Your Hotel

Most restaurants don’t have hot food available at all hours, and sometimes, even the convenience of a hotel restaurant comes at a price point too high for your guests.

According to expert Chance Chen, vending machines can be especially lucrative for hotels under the right circumstances. You need to consider some significant factors before deciding if you want a vending machine.

Afterward, there are other factors you need to consider when placing it inside the facility. For example, placing a machine in a high-traffic area without being a nuisance to standard hotel operations is more difficult than it might seem.

Consider how many machines you want in the building

There may be merit to having a vending machine on every floor or one on every other floor. You may also see fit to put a vending machine on the first floor and the highest floor of your hotel.

Naturals2Go asserts that vending can be particularly lucrative in hotels because of the steady foot traffic that many see on a daily and weekly basis. Experts said that being beside ice machines and stairwells can usually be a smart location within a hotel.

Where are the food options?

One of the pluses of having a vending machine from a consumer standpoint is the ease of convenience.

A UK-based site called Revive Vending says perpetual access is one of the key components that makes vending machines an attractive option.

It’s good for those who don’t want a full meal at a certain time and those who don’t have the time or means for a hearty meal outside or from a hotel restaurant. Hotel restaurants are very rarely open throughout the day.

Vending machines can provide a cheaper and quicker alternative that folks can access just a few steps from their hotel room. The better you understand the immediate food options, the more savvy you can be in placing the vending machines you’d like to debut to the public.

How prevalent is diabetes in your community?

Per the federal government, somewhere close to 9 million Americans have diabetes, and vending machines, in some cases, can save the lives of people who are in your hotel.

If someone’s blood sugar level close to a machine gets too low, sugary snacks can help them immediately. You’ll notice many of those snacks could be in your vending machine under the right circumstances, and that’s one way to market your services.

There’s a way to do this without embarrassing anyone who already has a chronic and complicated health issue.

In locales where diabetes is especially prevalent, you can bet that there will be people who see those snacks as help in an emergency.

Unfortunately, there may be no concrete way to separate that group from another group of folks who already have diabetes and refuse to eat healthier snacks.

You can’t decide for anyone, but you can position yourself to help people in need when the need inevitably comes.

There should be some data at the local or state government level to help you figure out just how many are struggling with diabetes and related health complications, and you can even use qualitative data to help inform how you maneuver from there.

Research is also clear about the social determinants of health and how they can lead to issues like diabetes.

In short, certain sectors of the American population are most susceptible to these health issues because of a host of factors beyond this article’s scope. Be aware that you can make a more informed and ethical decision once you’re familiar with those factors.