Ice dispensers have become a standard in hotels and motels across the country. In your standard hotel, it’s not uncommon to find a hotel ice dispenser on every floor. Hotel dispensers are convenient and accessible to your guests, so they can grab ice whenever they need it. So, what are the best ice dispensers for hotels?
Dispensers vs. Commercial Ice Machines
So, what makes dispensers so popular in the hospitality industry? Commercial ice machines (the type you might find in a restaurant) consist of an ice maker machine and an ice bin. This is great for businesses that need a lot of ice on hand for customers, but they require a serving staff to pull the ice by hand. This is not the best setup for self-service, as users can contaminate the ice supply if they don’t follow proper ice handling techniques.
While modular-style commercial ice makers are not best suited for hotel and motel floors, they are great for bars and restaurants inside hospitality facilities.
Ice dispensers have the ice supply enclosed so the public doesn’t have access to it. Instead, guests can press a button or lever to drop ice directly into drinkware or buckets. The best ice dispensers protect your ice supply from prying hands, keeping your ice supply safe and secure.
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There are two types of ice dispensers that are popular in the hospitality industry.
Hotel Ice Dispensers
Hotel ice machines are the best ice dispensers for hotel and motel floors. These are stand-up units that hold between 150-200 lbs. of ice but can accommodate a wide range of commercial ice machine units.
These machines are great for hotels and motels because they allow for a lot of flexibility. Since the dispenser is separate from the ice machine, you can upsize the ice-making machine if you see an uptick in business. Larger machines’ ice cube production rate is faster, so you can be sure your guests have plenty of ice. All hotel ice dispensers are also ADA ice makers, which are accessible to wheelchair-bound guests.
A hotel-style ice machine is designed with ice buckets in mind. They drop ice at a much faster rate than a small ice machine and provide plenty of room to place an ice bucket underneath the ice machine chute. Using these systems with glassware can be a little more difficult since these machines drop so much ice at once. It’s east to overflow the glass, which can waste ice.
Some of the best commercial ice dispensers are produced by Hoshizaki. The DB-130H and DB-200H ice dispensers are popular models.
Countertop Ice Dispensers
Countertop dispensers are the best ice dispensers for hotel and motel lobbies. They are also a good choice for hotel restaurants or VIP sections that have a soda fountain where guests can serve themselves.
As the name suggests, countertop ice dispensers can be installed on top of a counter or bar top. These are great models for areas that have limited room to install an ice machine.
Countertop ice machines come in two types. Some of these models are self-contained, meaning they have the ice making unit and storage all in one system. The other types allow you to install a modular-style ice maker on top for a variety of sizing options.
Some popular models of countertop ice makers include the Hoshizaki DCM-300BAH ice machine.
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Choose the Best Ice Dispenser for Your Hotel or Motel
Choosing the best ice dispenser for your hotel can be harder than you think. You have to consider how much ice you’re likely to go through in a day. Even if you have a good understanding of your ice needs, you still have to choose the right ice machine for you. If you need more information on choosing a hotel ice machine, check out our Hotel Ice Dispenser Machine Guide.
At Easy Ice, we have years of experience sizing ice machines for the hospitality industry. Our all-inclusive ice machine subscriptions are tailormade for hotels. We provide you with the best ice dispenser for your establishment and cover maintenance, cleaning, and repairs. Since the hospitality industry never sleeps, neither will we! We maintain a 24-hour service line to help with any ice machine issues that may arise. You get everything for a low, monthly cost.