Adjusting to Your Hotel’s Air Conditioning

During a recent summer trip to the Provence region of France – an area known for its vineyards, rustic farmhouses and generally laid-back atmosphere – a group of travelers found themselves checking in to their hotel around 10:00 p.m. local time.

While the temperature earlier in the day had been characterized as “unseasonably warm” for that time of year in Provence, the travelers – some 100 strong – mostly believed that their individual rooms would be comfortable enough, either at the time of check-in or, surely, after a few adjustments to the in-room air conditioning systems.

To the travelers’ collective dismay, they discovered that some of the combination heating-cooling units only worked in one mode or the other – not exactly a recipe for a quick cool down when “Heat” mode is the only one functioning. Still others reported that, while their A/C units were functioning and blowing air, the temperature coming out of the vents was barely below the ambient temperature in the room…nearly equal with the outside temperature hovering around 80 degrees Fahrenheit.

Upon inquiring at the front desk, the travel group was told that the system was cooling as much as could be expected. People in Provence, after all, were used to more moderate daily temperatures, requiring only the most basic of cooling systems to alleviate conditions on those days when the mercury struggled to get out of the 70s. Americans, the travelers were told, generally prefer A/C temps that border on those in a walk-in refrigerator; the French, not nearly so cold.

It didn’t help that the travelers had checked in late on a Friday night and that calling a mechanic to attend to individual issues (like the heat-only malfunctions) wouldn’t produce any results until Monday at the earliest. By that time, the weather forecast called for seasonable temperatures.

Some travelers would have opted to search online for ways to override the hotel’s HVAC systems. However, such a move could result in damage to the systems – which any hack-minded traveler would end up paying for later.

Instead, our travelers resorted to a more old-fashioned fix. They opted to gather for a quiet rendezvous at the hotel’s outdoor pool. Once everyone was cooled off and refreshed, windows in the rooms were opened for what breeze could be found, and all enjoyed a good night’s sleep.