Europe - Why are European hotels refuse to run air conditioner until a set day?

It seems to be very common for European hotels not to turn their air conditioners on until a date certain regardless of the fact that there is a terrible heat wave going on outside. I've experienced this, and seen a lot of Tripadvisor reviews from shoulder season visitors who have been left to swelter in rooms with no air conditioning. It absolutely ruins their stay. The manager will often respond that the hotel has air conditioning, it just wasn't turned on for the season yet.

I'm just curious what's going on here. I just don't understand why a hotel would refuse to turn on its air conditioner if it is needed. Likewise, sometimes I'm given to understand that the HVAC units in Europe need some type of complex seasonal adjustment and once it is switched to cooling, heat is precluded until another complex adjustment is done. I must say I've never heard of such in the United States and am puzzled as to how or why this would be so common in Europe. At my home I just flip a switch and sometimes use both the heater and air conditioner in the same day in the spring and fall.

Finally, I love a nice, cold hotel room, winter or summer. It always seems to me that European hotel rooms are a bit on the hot side regardless of the season. Do Europeans on average enjoy warmer rooms for some reason?

I'm just curious what's going on here. I just don't understand why a hotel would refuse to turn on its air conditioner if it is needed. Likewise, sometimes I'm given to understand that the HVAC units in Europe need some type of complex seasonal adjustment and once it is switched to cooling, heat is precluded until another complex adjustment is done. I must say I've never heard of such in the United States and am puzzled as to how or why this would be so common in Europe. At my home I just flip a switch and sometimes use both the heater and air conditioner in the same day in the spring and fall.


I certainly have heard of it in the United States, I lived in an apartment building for several years which didn't follow a specific date, but rather debated each year as to whether the weather had turned enough to switch from one to the other. Sometimes, they got it wrong, and sometimes, the weather was just so changeable that you had to grin and bear it until the weather settled down.

I certainly have heard of it in the United States, I lived in an apartment building for several years which didn't follow a specific date, but rather debated each year as to whether the weather had turned enough to switch from one to the other. Sometimes, they got it wrong, and sometimes, the weather was just so changeable that you had to grin and bear it until the weather settled down.
I guess I'm just spoiled. I wonder what they're doing. It just seems to be very, very common in Europe while not an issue with American hotels that I know of.

In certain European hotels, I ask them to confirm in writing that the hotel and my room will have working air conditioning and that it will be available during my stay. I don't rely on descriptions that the hotel has AC as I have experienced the OP's problem that it won't be turned on before July 1 in some "luxury" hotels in Italy.

Europeans are more socially and environmentally conscious, and less spoiled and entitled than Americans.

I know people in California (which has some of the best weather anywhere) that will run the air conditioner if it's 75 and the heater if it's 72. Unbelievable.

Suffered that in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain...90 in late March, no AC allowed until April. I was told it was the law.

Europeans are more socially and environmentally conscious, and less spoiled and entitled than Americans.

I know people in California (which has some of the best weather anywhere) that will run the air conditioner if it's 75 and the heater if it's 72. Unbelievable.

Your "spoiled and entitled" comment is irrelevant and off-base.

For me personally and I suspect many of the responders to this post, I am referring to a couple of situations (when I used to live in Europe as a European BTW) where the temperatures were in the 90's outside and hotter in the room.
I recall a trip to Portugal where the hotel room had a huge, floor to ceiling south facing window. When I got to the room it was absolutely stifling, I mean totally unbearable. A call to the receptionist elicited the response that it wasn't yet summer and therefore the A/C was not necessary. Management also decided it wasn't time.
My issue was and continues to be hotels who don't turn on the A/C based on the time of year as opposed to the actual weather.

Europeans are more socially and environmentally conscious, and less spoiled and entitled than Americans.

I know people in California (which has some of the best weather anywhere) that will run the air conditioner if it's 75 and the heater if it's 72. Unbelievable.

I disagree:td:

This thread is more appropriate for the Flyertalk Europe Forum.
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Obscure2k
TravelBuzz Moderator

Europeans are more socially and environmentally conscious, and less spoiled and entitled than Americans.



More likely just stingy. Vote with your bookings, expose the offenders on the Internet. They'll soon learn it is costing them customers.

Europeans are more socially and environmentally conscious, and less spoiled and entitled than Americans.

I know people in California (which has some of the best weather anywhere) that will run the air conditioner if it's 75 and the heater if it's 72. Unbelievable.
Why run the heater at 72. That's hot. Most people want a hotel room to be 68.

I disagree:td:

Same here. It's not the environment they're concerned about. It's their pocketbooks. Energy costs are much higher there than here in the States. It's the reason why basically every German has a washing machine in their home, but not a dryer. They do sell them. And they're not that expensive. Until you turn them on ;).

As for me, I'm not a fan of AC. Growing up in San Diego, we didn't even have an AC unit in our house. And I can't remember if any of our neighbors did either. There were only about a handful of days each year when it would have been useful (usually end of August, early September). And then we just went to the beach since it was only a few blocks away. It's also very difficult for me to sleep with the AC on. I usually wake up with a sore throat in the morning. When I'm on the East Coast in the summertime, I'll usaully run the AC for 10 or 15 minutes before I go to bed, and then turn it off.

As for me, I'm not a fan of AC. Growing up in San Diego, we didn't even have an AC unit in our house. And I can't remember if any of our neighbors did either. There were only about a handleful of days each year when it would have been useful (usually end of August, early September). And then we just went to the beach since it was only a few blocks away. It's also very difficult for me to sleep with the AC on. I usually wake up with a sore throat in the morning. When I'm on the East Coast in the summertime, I'll usaully run the AC for 10 or 15 minutes before I go to bed, and then turn it off.
The funny thing is that I'm from the deep South and I think many of us are far more sensitive to heat because we have to have air conditioning all the time. During the summer it's not uncommon for it to be 95 or higher for most of July and August, and it is extremely humid. The humidity here makes the hot weather feel much hotter, but it also makes the cold weather feel much colder as well. So the humidity does play a factor in the need for climate control.

In any event, I do think it ridiculous that a major business can't get it's AC running in the middle of a heat wave.

When I lived in Cambridge, MA, my (relatively new) apartment building was of the type that had to be switched between heating and cooling for the entire building. Most of the time, this was good enough, but there was the occasional really warm day in winter -- and cool day in spring or fall -- where there was no relief to be had from the heat or the cold.

As for the idea that Europeans are more environmentally conscious? I disagree. They might be shy to turn on the air conditioning once the weather heats up, but they don't seem to be shy about turning on the heat during the winter!

I spent one NYE in Spain, and nearly every building I would go into would have the heat turned up to at least 70-75 degrees. If Europeans were so environmentally conscious, why wouldn't they leave the thermostat set at an energy-saving 60 during the wintertime? The ironic part is, even after removing my coat, hat, and gloves, I would still sweat because the heat was turned on so high, whereas the Spaniards seemed quite content to wear their hats, scarves, and winter coats inside. :confused:

I suspect that Europeans simply favor hot weather more than Americans do, so the lack of a/c (but apparently not the lack of heat) is no big deal to them. Kind of like how US-based airlines tend to keep a cooler cabin temperature than Asia-based airlines do.

Certainly I find heating in the UK set to lower levels than in Canada, and most people I know don't have AC in the UK either. Generally in Europe I prefer an opening window over AC, and in mainland Europe will sleep with balcony doors wide open for the breeze. Did this as a child across the Med, our 'mozzie repellant' ritual before bed (no bug nets / screens) is something I remember well.

Here I use AC and am thoroughly spoilt, but that is North American me now!

1. It certainly doesn't make sense to generalize that Europeans like it 'warmer/colder'. it depends on the country.

2. As Tizzette said, there are laws in some countries which specify when the turnover from heat to air conditioning will take place. When I lived in Italy, the government had to give a special dispensation one year to switch to turn on the heat early because of an unusually cold autumn.

Europeans are more socially and environmentally conscious, and less spoiled and entitled than Americans.

I know people in California (which has some of the best weather anywhere) that will run the air conditioner if it's 75 and the heater if it's 72. Unbelievable.

Bs. It has nothing to do with social or enviro. It costs money to run the ac. The less they run, the less money the hotel spends.

And yes if it's 75 outside and the sun is beaming down all day on my house I turn the ac on as well.

It seems to be very common for European hotels not to turn their air conditioners on until a date certain regardless of the fact that there is a terrible heat wave going on outside.

I'm just curious what's going on here. [...] Do Europeans on average enjoy warmer rooms for some reason?
Personally, I think it's a matter of what people are used to. I've been in office buildings in the US where I was cold in the summer (the AC set to 60's) and I've never experienced that in Europe, although I have experienced hotter offices during the summer.

Why run the heater at 72. That's hot. Most people want a hotel room to be 68.
That's exactly what I was talking about. I think that in general, Europeans are conditioned to tolerate heat differently. 68 would be considered a fairly chilly environment, while 72-75 would be closer to what feels nice, and the other way around in the US. I think it has to do with what people are used to.

1. It certainly doesn't make sense to generalize that Europeans like it 'warmer/colder'. it depends on the country.
I disagree. It may not be true for any one in any country, but in general I do believe that Europeans have a different "ideal temperature" than the Americans, and I think that generally Americans like it colder in the summer and Europeans like it warmer in the winter.

2. As Tizzette said, there are laws in some countries which specify when the turnover from heat to air conditioning will take place. When I lived in Italy, the government had to give a special dispensation one year to switch to turn on the heat early because of an unusually cold autumn.
That I agree with; I know other countries that have similar mandates.

I think it's just a question of what you're used to.

Personally, I hate aircon in all but the warmest and most humid climates, and have almost never experienced temperatures in the UK that would warrant it. I would much rather have a warm breeze from through the window if at all possible. There's no moral superiority or inferiority there, it's just what I'm used to and what I like.

I imagine there's others like me and, well, a hotel will cater to the majority of its guests. It will also have to comply with local regulations and keep costs down.

most of these comments seem to be from people that are expert in turning on a room air, or a house heating system. the system for a major hotel, first, cannot be forced air from a single source. they probably have an intermediate liquid system. these systems tend to be very large and complex. one does not just throw a switch. probably takes 2 or three people a day or two to get it up an running when switching from hot to cold.

I spent one NYE in Spain, and nearly every building I would go into would have the heat turned up to at least 70-75 degrees. If Europeans were so environmentally conscious, why wouldn't they leave the thermostat set at an energy-saving 60 during the wintertime? The ironic part is, even after removing my coat, hat, and gloves, I would still sweat because the heat was turned on so high, whereas the Spaniards seemed quite content to wear their hats, scarves, and winter coats inside.

I suspect that Europeans simply favor hot weather more than Americans do, so the lack of a/c (but apparently not the lack of heat) is no big deal to them. Kind of like how US-based airlines tend to keep a cooler cabin temperature than Asia-based airlines do.
I've seen the same thing in Paris. I'll be inside a building and it will be amazingly warm. I'll strip off my coat to cool off a bit but the Frenchmen around me will be bundled up like it's freezing.

It's become very common for American school kids to wear shorts and short sleeves to school in what I consider really cold weather. My kids say they do so because the school building is warm. But the fact is they walk three or four blocks to school in 45 degree (7.2 C) weather in shorts and a short-sleeve shirt. I've given up arguing as all the kids are doing the same. In fact, it has just become more common to see people wearing short pants and t-shirts in cooler weather in general. Not sure I would see that in Europe!

When I used to be in Newcastle, I saw a large number of people wearing short sleeved shirts when it was snowing and around -5 C. I would never recommend that, but I dress similarly (not as bad) due to overheating. For some reason I feel overheated at anything above 18-19 C and always have. I will be going to Paris for holiday in a few months, and air conditioning is always the most important factor for me. When I went to Montréal a few months ago, it was 10 C and raining, but I had to use the air conditioning on in my hotel room for half of the day, which had a lowest temperature of 15 C. I do not think air conditioning factor is only an American concern, since it seems every Canadian hotel I have lodged in has had air conditioning at all times. Concerning the UK, when I was in Newcastle during the snow/winter storms (around -5 to -7 C), I needed to open the windows because the heating inside was too hot for me, so I understand others who need air conditioning at times when others might not consider temperatures hot.

I also went to Ottawa last month, where it was around 22-25 C, and was grateful for the air conditioning that buildings had. The problem was exiting into the city, where the temperature was very uncomfortable.

Last year I went to Madrid in May, when it was around 25-35 C, but my hotel had air conditioning. So Spain probably have air conditioning policies different from France, but I am unfamiliar with both.

Two years ago I went to Norway on holiday in summer, when the temperatures were approximately 12-16 C, which is bearable for me. I do not remember if where I lodged had air conditioning, but my general rule is that if air conditioning is offered, I will use it, since I get overheated even in Norwegian temperatures.

I want to visit Lisboa on holiday next year, and air conditioning will definitely be a factor as others have posted above as well. I think building should be required to have air conditioning if they have heating, but perhaps that is just my feeling..

Certainly I find heating in the UK set to lower levels than in Canada, and most people I know don't have AC in the UK either.

It's completely unnecessary in most UK houses, except for a very short period when we have what might approximate to summer.

Getting more common in cars, but I personally hate it, it dries me out, so I almost never use it. My current office doesn't have it, and I'm currently enjoying a nice breeze from the open windows.

Except in very hot places, sensible building design can avoid the need for it, anyway. My house, a typical 1970s terraced Barratt[1] box, is cool in summer and warm in winter. That does mean avoiding "trendy" office building designs like massive walls of glass, of course, and using more traditional brick, stone and breeze block with smaller opening windows instead, not quite as practical if you're building tower blocks. But the UK doesn't build many tower blocks anyway, it's a very low-rise country, even London.

[1] A well-known UK housebuilder that built large numbers of relatively affordable houses in the 1970s-80s, and are still I think around today.

Neil

Until the ouster of Salazar in the 70's, homes in Portugal did not have central heat, much less AC, because the dictator thought it a luxury people could not afford.

Until the ouster of Salazar in the 70's, homes in Portugal did not have central heat, much less AC, because the dictator thought it a luxury people could not afford.

In the UK most people didn't have it until the 80s. We didn't get it until I was about 5 (1984ish). My grandparents never had it.

Neil

In the UK most people didn't have it until the 80s. We didn't get it until I was about 5 (1984ish). My grandparents never had it.

Neil

And in PT it is still not really standard in homes, I'd say most have not been retrofitted, even some new ones get built without central heat. They just get by with space heaters and a wood fire. It is like not having a furnace in South Carolina. Enough 40 degree, wet winter days to matter.

I disagree. It may not be true for any one in any country, but in general I do believe that Europeans have a different "ideal temperature" than the Americans, and I think that generally Americans like it colder in the summer and Europeans like it warmer in the winter.



You may believe what you will. My apartment in Italy was certainly not overheated in the winter, unless you consider 64.5 (18C) degrees overheated. My experience was that Europeans were, as others have suggested more frugal with energy generally, because of its high cost.

Granted, my financial status at the time was not the same as those who regularly stay in 4-5 star hotels.

I run my heater once a year or so, I'm fine with my house in the low 60's in the daytime and down into the 50's or lower at night. Every now and then the kids or husband get tired of bundling up and run it a bit. I HATE the feel of heated air. In the summer, I set the a/c to 76, but the thermostat is downstairs, so that means the upstairs where we sleep is about 78. I would love to retrofit to a dual zone system.

PS- I read an analysis recently that showed that energy wise- it cost more to heat a home in the US North East for a winter, than to cool a home in the US South West for a summer.

This thread made me think of another temperature preference between Europeans and Americans: Beverages. Americans tend to be obsessed with having ice cubes in their drinks, whereas Europeans are not. I have to deal with it everytime I bring someone with me to Europe. And Americans tend to be on the heavier side compared to their European counterparts. Maybe thinner people can handle the hot weather better than those who are not.

Neither my office nor my home are air-conditioned, but both have the luxury of opening windows, which most modern buildings no longer have (particularly office buildings). We have maybe 10-15 days a year maximum where air-conditioning might be nice (temperatures above 30°C, high humidity). It frankly just doesn't justify the investment. I open the office windows wide when I get in in the morning and let the cooler night air in.
I particularly dislike huge temperature differences between inside and outside in AC buildings. Most AC buildings are kept far too cold and I'm always surprised to see people wearing sweaters in summer in an AC building.

Neither my office nor my home are air-conditioned, but both have the luxury of opening windows, which most modern buildings no longer have (particularly office buildings).

I think that's changing. The massive, multi-million Network Rail HQ at Milton Keynes appears to have been built with opening windows. Good.

I particularly dislike huge temperature differences between inside and outside in AC buildings. Most AC buildings are kept far too cold and I'm always surprised to see people wearing sweaters in summer in an AC building.

The problem is that unless you set it quite low, you can't please those who like me don't like it warm when the air is not moving. Whereas with opening windows, the environment can be customised far more locally, and it can be warm *and* have moving air, making the body's own cooling mechanisms work better.

Neil

Maybe thinner people can handle the hot weather better than those who are not.

I do not think so, because I have been thin for most of my life and I have always felt unable to handle heat and much rather have overcast or winter weather than sunny. For example, today it was 18 C but I was perspiring quite a lot.

When I was 19-20 years old, I was 178 cm and weighed about 56-57 kg, and still had problems with warm and hot temperatures. Probably the question is that of how the body feels heat, or the opposite conclusion--maybe those who are thin are thin because the body loses weight from too much warm temperatures, or warm temperatures causes the body to lose weight?

I do not think so, because I have been thin for most of my life and I have always felt unable to handle heat and much rather have overcast or winter weather than sunny. For example, today it was 18 C but I was perspiring quite a lot.

When I was 19-20 years old, I was 178 cm and weighed about 56-57 kg, and still had problems with warm and hot temperatures. Probably the question is that of how the body feels heat, or the opposite conclusion--maybe those who are thin are thin because the body loses weight from too much warm temperatures, or warm temperatures causes the body to lose weight?

That does seem to happen with rats :)
http://ajpregu.physiology.org/content/274/2/R398.full

But perhaps it's because people have less of an appetite at higher temperatures.
Personally, on vacation as long as it's under 30 degrees Celsius (86 F) I'm fine, but while working I'll need AC for any temperature above 20 C.