Short answer: hotel vending machine companies in Richmond, British Columbia normally place machines at $0 to the hotel. The operator covers the machine, install, stocking, service and removal; the hotel provides the spot, an outlet and the power, roughly $15–20 a month per refrigerated machine. In Richmond the case is stronger than most places because hotels here serve an airport that never closes.
The City of Richmond's own business directory lists 27 hotels, and they run larger than Vancouver's: a median of 40 staff each, against 25 for Vancouver's 102 hotel licences. They cluster tightly: 22 of the 27 share one postal district (V6X), and 2 more are on Sea Island at YVR itself.
Two machines, two jobs
The guest machine. Travellers land late, leave early and often have no car. When the restaurant has closed and the airport food court is a shuttle ride away, a machine on a guest floor or in the lobby is what's open. Put it where the front desk can see it, or near the elevators and ice machine on a guest floor. A card and phone reader matters more here than in most places: international guests may not carry Canadian coins.
The staff machine. A hotel with 40 or more people on payroll runs housekeeping, maintenance, front desk and night audit around the clock. BC's Employment Standards Act requires a half-hour meal break within every 5 hours worked, and at 3 a.m. there's little open nearby. Richmond's hotels report 462 part-time staff between them, so shifts and short breaks are common. A machine in the staff room doesn't compete with anything the hotel sells.
What goes in it
For guests: water, soft drinks, juice, chips, chocolate and a short row of travel basics such as toothbrushes, chargers and earplugs. Medicines must be unscheduled products only. For staff: more filling, cheaper options and plenty of water. If the hotel runs its own market, write down which items stay off the machine so it covers the night and the guest floors rather than undercutting your shelves.
One tax decision is worth making up front. Under the PST soda rule, one can of pop makes every drink in that machine taxable. A staff machine with water, juice and sports drinks avoids it; a guest machine usually carries soda anyway.
How placement works with VendFynd
We act as your vending advocate: we match the hotel with an operator that fits, and the terms are written down before anything is installed. It's month to month with 30 days' notice and no-cost removal, your people choose the menu, and most hotels receive a commission, agreed in writing before install. The operator holds the Richmond vending licence ($37.50 per machine). Full terms are on our host terms page, and our hotel vending guide covers placement and stocking in more depth.