In short: A vending machine suits you if you want to offer a narrow range in the smallest possible space. A shop in a hotel lobby or an existing room suits you if you already have space, power and network and want to serve guests outside reception hours. A shop container suits you if you have outdoor space but no suitable room, for example on a campsite, at a farm or in a hotel car park. All three can be run 24/7 without staff on site. The difference lies in range, space, effort and permits.
The three options at a glance
Range
- Vending machine: narrow, individual compartments or spirals
- Hotel lobby shop (existing space): wide, walk-in, refrigeration and shelves
- Shop container: wide, walk-in, refrigeration and shelves
Space
- Vending machine: a few square metres
- Hotel lobby shop (existing space): alcove to room, existing space
- Shop container: new outdoor site
Investment
- Vending machine: per machine, no construction
- Hotel lobby shop (existing space): conversion and technology, no shell
- Shop container: shell plus technology
Effort
- Vending machine: low
- Hotel lobby shop (existing space): medium (conversion, fire safety)
- Shop container: medium to high (foundation, connections)
Permit
- Vending machine: depends on range and location
- Hotel lobby shop (existing space): usually to be clarified within the existing building
- Shop container: check planning law
Suitable for
- Vending machine: snacks, drinks, single items
- Hotel lobby shop (existing space): hotels, clinics, airports
- Shop container: campsites, farms, village squares
The table is a guide. Which option really suits you is determined by your location and range.
Vending machine: small and quick
A vending machine dispenses pre-selected goods from a compartment. Its advantages are its small footprint and simple installation. Its limits are the range, because every product needs its own compartment, and the choice for customers: they see and compare less than they would on a shelf. Fresh, bulky and mixed items are hard to cater for.
For alcohol and tobacco, a separate rule in the Youth Protection Act (Jugendschutzgesetz, JuSchG) applies to vending machines: they may not be offered in public unless they are placed in a location inaccessible to children and young people or technical safeguards prevent minors from accessing them (§ 9 para. 3 and § 10 para. 2 JuSchG). Details are in our article on opening hours and youth protection.
Hotel lobby shop: using existing space
A lobby shop is a small walk-in store inside the building. Guests who arrive late or leave early buy drinks, snacks, fresh food, coffee or everyday items there, without reception having to be staffed. This replaces the minibar, which offers only a small range, with a proper offering.
The technology typically consists of card access, self-checkout, cameras, refrigeration and a network. DATO-IT has implemented such shops at B&B Hotels in Kaiserslautern, at Lindner in Düsseldorf, and at the Dorint Hotel Main-Taunus-Zentrum and the Vienna House by Wyndham Andel's Berlin, among others.
What matters:
- Space: An alcove is enough for a basic range; with refrigeration and coffee, more space makes sense.
- Infrastructure: Power for refrigeration, a stable network for access, checkout and cameras.
- Fire safety and building matters: For conversions in existing buildings, clarify with the property management or building authority.
- Access concept: Who may enter and when, only hotel guests or also walk-in customers?
Shop container: when there is no room
A container is a self-contained sales space that you place on a free site. It is particularly suitable where there is no building that could be converted: on a campsite, at a farm, on the edge of a village or on company premises. The shop technology is the same as in a lobby shop; planning and conversion of an existing room are no longer needed, but a foundation, connections and a site are added.
Examples from our projects are the Albert Wilts container, a fresh-produce store with network, cameras and an AI access system, and the shop at Kaiser Camping in Bad Feilnbach. Our partner HT Shop Solutions handles the container construction and fit-out; the technology comes from us.
What matters:
- Location: Access for delivery and crane, level ground, power and data connection.
- Planning law: Whether a container requires a permit is governed by the state building regulations (Landesbauordnungen) and the local building authority. Ask them before ordering.
- Shop opening hours: Sunday opening without staff is regulated differently depending on the federal state (see our article on opening hours and youth protection).
Space and range: an honest rule of thumb
The wider the range, the more space and the more refrigeration. This also explains the price differences: a machine with ten spirals and a walk-in shop with refrigerated units and coffee are not the same product. For the cost side, you will find the influencing factors in our article "What does a 24/7 shop cost?".
Which solution suits whom?
- Hotels: Existing space in the lobby, if available. A container only if no suitable room is free.
- Campsites: Often a container near reception or the site entrance, because demand also arises in the evening and early morning.
- Farm shops and direct marketers: A container or converted room at the farm; with a narrow range, a vending machine is also conceivable.
- Clinics, airports, businesses: Existing space, with access for staff and visitors depending on the concept.
Frequently asked questions
Does a shop replace the minibar in a hotel? In most cases it offers more: a wide range of drinks, snacks, fresh produce and coffee, around the clock. Whether you keep the minibar as well is a question of your hotel concept.
Do I need a building permit for a container? That depends on the federal state, the size and the location. Clarify this with the local building authority before you order.
Can I switch from a vending machine to a shop later? Yes, but a walk-in shop needs different components than a vending machine: access, self-checkout, cameras and network. So plan power, network and space more generously from the start if an expansion is conceivable.
Does a shop also work in an existing building without a container? Yes. DATO-IT also equips existing spaces, for example in hotels.
Next step
Not sure which option suits your location? Describe your space and desired range, and we will get back to you with an initial assessment. You will find the form on the pages 24/7 shop in hotels and 24/7 shop container, or you can write to us via Contact.