I’ve traveled a lot, and I can’t remember seeing them outside the US. I might not have noticed, though, since I never used an ice machine until recently.
Recently, I’ve started using them when I travel to fill a zip-lock back and ice my ankle in the evening. 
I was delighted when I realized most hotels have free ice, and all I need to do is bring the bag.
Are you going to actually contribute anything to what this thread is about, or just keep shitting out one-liners about how wrong I am?
In regard to dirty ice machines: I worked at a hospital in my 20s and we were only told to clean the ice machine twice a year or so, and man, it got nasty inside. That might be another reason I don’t use ice machines in hotels- in all my 1000+ nights staying in a hotel, I can’t remember ever seeing a staffer emptying and cleaning one.
Ice machines are no new phenomenon. Until the last three years, most of my hotel trips were spent in the late '70s and early '80s as a kid (sad, I know), and one of my favorite things about them was the wonder of having ice pre-made.
(Yeah, I was easily amazed. Especially since our fridge/freezer at home had an ice maker, so why was I so agog at ready-made ice machines in hotels? I can’t explain it. Even as an adult I’d love to live in a place big enough to get a proper freezer w/icemaker. But I live in NYC and our apartment-size fridges just don’t come with such luxuries.)
Back in the mid-'90s I went to DC a couple times, stayed at Omni Sheraton both times IIRC. They had ice machines.
Anyway, over the past few years I’ve been going to various conferences/retreats held in hotels, staying for a minimum of 4 and usually 7 days, and most were in Hilton Suite Hotels (one was… something else, can’t remember). They all had ice and soda machines on every floor; there were washer/dryers usually every other floor. IIRC one had snacks too.
I love the ice, and after unpacking I bop on over to the machine, fill up my ice bucket, and grab a few sodas/iced teas/water for the luxury of spending $2 a can.
FWIW, I usually use the iron, the shampoo/conditioner/soap/hand lotion, and will order room service at least once. After the 7-day trips I definitely use the laundry options when available.
Also I am holding my hands over my ears and eyes (makes typing hard) re: the dirtiness of ice machines. I will still use them.
I only shampoo once a week (not much hari anyway) but yeah, we use them.
Same with me. In fact, when I traveled to Ireland and England a couple of years ago, the two hotels I stayed in didn’t have them, and that tends to be the rule rather than the exception in Europe. AC adapters that accept USA-style two-prong plugs (and have 120 volts), they got - but if you want ice, you usually have to go down to the hotel’s bar and ask for some, in which case, it’s usually only a glassful at a time, and you’re lucky if it’s free.
There’s a reason for those “Do Not Fill Coolers” signs! It’s because you’re not the center of the universe and other people want ice, too. I’ve been one of those other people. :mad:
Pro Pro tip: After opening packets, dump salt in ice/water bath and discard packet. 
Oh I forgot to mention to the OP – maybe the reason you don’t see people taking advantage of the glory that are hotel ice machines is that you don’t. (Use them, I mean.) So how would you know who is or isn’t partaking? Unless you’re skulking near the ice machine/soda room. 
I always use the ice machine. Those refrigerators take forever to get stuff cold esp. if you just bought it from a store or it is brought on from a hot car.
I set the ironing board up as a space to set my clothing out instead of putting stuff in drawers. There is always limited space when you are staying in a room with 2 or 3 people. The ironing board solution is quite satisfactory.
First thing the Mrs. and I do after moving into the room is get ice. And neither of us drinks alcohol.
But we’re from frozen tundra country, so there’s that.
Wife and I do quiet a few road trips. Last one was 4000 miles through the US. Damn right we use the ice machines to throw a scoop or two on a small cooler for food, and another for beer for the room.
Ditto. Nothing like waking up to the sound of the ice machine crashing out cubes at 2 a.m. when the drunks come back from the bars.
Yes for Canada. I don’t think I’ve ever stayed in a Canadian motel or hotel that doesn’t have ice machines.
I have a collapsible bucket from REI that I bring if I think we’ll need more than that dinky bucket of ice at a time. So yeah, I use the ice machine. Funny enough, I’m at a hotel right now and had just gotten a bucket of ice before popping open the SD.
I have found plenty of use for ice machines in hotels, especially given how crappy their fridges often are.
After working in food service, I also wouldn’t put much of the ice from any of them in my mouth, or in a liquid that’s going in my mouth. Cleaning those things is a bear, so I wouldn’t rely on other people to do it regularly.
That’s more than a little rude.
Yup, almost any straight, firm thing will do. (Insert joke here) You can even fold a piece of paper up until you can fold it no more and use that.
I always take them with me and donate them to my church’s food pantry.
this reminds me of when Robert Irvine had his restaurant rescue show they did the typical “behind the scenes” ep for their 100th
and he asked one of the producers what she learned … her response was “never to consume ice from a commercial establishment’s ice maker ever againbecause there only cleaned between once year to decade if your lucky”
When I took organic chemistry, there was an ice machine down the hall, and one of my classmates popped a chunk of that in her mouth and ate it. :eek: Fortunately, nothing bad happened to her, but heaven knows what chemicals might have been in that machine.