Do Hotels Have Microwaves? (Answered)

Choosing a type of hotel room or enjoying a hotel breakfast is a part of your experience when spending time at a hotel.

However, you are often going to wonder about things that are missing from a hotel room. You might not notice it at first, but it is going to come up after a while.

One of those things is going to be a microwave in the hotel room.

Why do hotel rooms not have microwaves?

Microwaves are not kept in hotels because they are difficult to manage, pose a fire hazard, and are not easy to put in a hotel room that is already tight for space.

This is why it’s essential to understand the reasoning behind not having a microwave in hotel rooms.

We have spent time in various hotel rooms over the years including hosting birthday parties at hotels, but it’s rare to find a microwave in the room itself.

Let’s take a look at the reasons for not having a microwave in the hotel room you’re staying in.

Reasons For Hotel Rooms Not Having Microwaves

Usage

Sometimes, it’s best to look at the basics.

The average hotel guest is not going to request a microwave. They are simply not going to want to warm their food nor are they going to ask the hotel for a microwave.

The reason has to do with most going down to eat their food or looking at surrounding restaurants as a place to eat. This is why the average guest is not going to ask for a microwave as they are not going to be preparing anything inside the room itself.

Large Investment

It’s important to understand that running a hotel is a business operation.

They are constantly looking at their balance sheet to make sure the money coming in is more than the money going out to manage the hotel.

As a result, the idea of adding a microwave to each hotel room when there is little demand does not make financial sense. It is a waste of money in their eyes. It is also difficult to manage the microwave when it breaks down.

You are also going to be looking at the general electricity cost associated with running the microwave. It might not be a lot per use, but it is going to add up over time. This is something the average hotel is going to be looking to avoid as best as they can.

To the surprise of many people, hotels are also dealing with security issues. This is a real concern when there is something like a microwave sitting in the hotel room. A guest can come and take the microwave out with them and it is going to be difficult to react to it in time.

This is why hotels look to avoid putting something as expensive as this in the hotel room as it won’t be worth it.

Spacing

Microwaves are not as small as you think.

They are going to take a bit of space and it’s essential for there to be safety details to be kept into consideration.

It is not easy to manage a microwave when it comes to finding enough space for it in a hotel room.

Indirect Costs

Once the microwaves are installed in the rooms, hotels have to figure out how to secure, maintain and clean them. While it may seem silly, microwaves are one of the most stolen items in many hotel rooms. With higher-end microwave ovens retailing for over $200 a piece, taking the microwave when checking out will often pay for the cost of the hotel room.

Messy

When you are using a microwave at home, you are going to care about it. You are not going to leave it messy.

However, the same is not going to happen in a hotel room.

It is quite messy when a guest is coming and using the hotel room’s microwave. It’s going to get difficult to keep clean and that is also going to lead to unwanted odors spreading inside the hotel room.

Most hotels don’t like the idea of having to deal with this hurdle as it leads to a loss of money over the longer haul. As a result, hotels look to avoid such a hassle and don’t include it in the hotel room.

Final Thoughts

These are the reasons hotel rooms don’t have microwaves.

It is not something hotels prefer to have in the room whether it has to do with low profits, difficulty maintaining the microwaves, and/or the cost of adding the microwaves in the hotel rooms.

This is why most hotels avoid investments such as this.