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Disabling motion detector (PIR) in thermostats in hotels

Old Feb 4, 2015, 11:54 pm
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Last edit by: jackal
Originally Posted by toyoman
We all suffered with the same issue at a meeting a couple of years ago at the Intercontinental Hotel in Chicago. The "VIP override" procedure I was able to get out of the maintenance personnel is as follows. I recall it was for an Inncom thermostat, it did work.

- While holding down "display"
- Press "off", then
- Press "Up" arrow
- Release "display" button

This enters the VIP mode which turns off the motion sensor, and allows a lower range of the thermostat so you can get the room really cold.
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Disabling motion detector (PIR) in thermostats in hotels

Old Feb 20, 2015, 1:38 pm
  #241  
 
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Originally Posted by Middle_Seat
I have occasionally found some that would not accept a random stiff card, that seemed to actually read the room key card.
I typically use an expired bus/metro ticket. I've never seen one that was anything other than a simple contact sensor.
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Old Feb 20, 2015, 8:29 pm
  #242  
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Originally Posted by Middle_Seat
I have occasionally found some that would not accept a random stiff card, that seemed to actually read the room key card.
Same here. Leaving my key there and subsequently getting a replacement from the front desk,along with a scathing review of the property, took care of this.

Turns out the system doesn't check the card's validity, probably just that the key RFID responds with the property's code. Indeed I replaced the key that lives in my travel bag (for this purpose) with this one, and it worked at my already scheduled subsequent stay.
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Old Feb 20, 2015, 10:12 pm
  #243  
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Originally Posted by zkzkz
I typically use an expired bus/metro ticket. I've never seen one that was anything other than a simple contact sensor.
In China and Thailand, I've seen some staff use broken comb handles...
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Old Feb 22, 2015, 12:52 am
  #244  
 
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Originally Posted by hillrider
Are there any gizmos that we can buy and plug into a wall to simulate a person moving (e.g. by emitting heat in spurts, microwaves, etc. etc.?).
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Old Feb 23, 2015, 11:02 pm
  #245  
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Originally Posted by Jay K
[image omitted]
Of course! How could we have forgotten this?!?

http://youtu.be/6GznhT__PXs
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Old Feb 24, 2015, 6:29 am
  #246  
 
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Once at a trade show, someone was selling a motion detector defeating device. It was basically a small fan with slow moving blades. It was powered by plugging it into a USB port of a laptop or other device. One of my coworkers purchased one and reported that it did work. The only problem was that the USB power cable on it was not long enough to reach from her laptop to near enough the detector for it work without moving the laptop to an inconvenient location.
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Old Jun 1, 2015, 8:19 pm
  #247  
 
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Does anyone know of a hack for an Amana DS01E model? The older posts had links that no longer work. This thermostat has a motion sensor. At least it is pointed towards the bed but I would like to bypass it. Any help is most appreciated!
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Old Jul 4, 2016, 3:59 pm
  #248  
 
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Has anyone tried using black electrical tape on the sensor. I was having problems with a thermostat at a Hilton Garden recently, the temperature was changing a little after I went to sleep, and it got hot in the room. Next day went to a store nearby bought the electrical tape, put a small piece across/over the sensor on the top edge of the thermostat and solved the problem for the next 3 days I stayed there. It was a Vantage thermostat.

Last edited by gary9696; Jul 4, 2016 at 7:11 pm Reason: googled the name of a thermostat to include the name
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Old Jul 5, 2016, 6:10 am
  #249  
 
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Welcome to FlyerTalk, gary9696!

Originally Posted by gary9696
...went to a store nearby bought the electrical tape, put a small piece across/over the sensor on the top edge of the thermostat and solved the problem for the next 3 days I stayed there. It was a Vantage thermostat.
That is counter-intuitive, and I'm glad it worked for you. Normally, you want the sensor to "see" changes (a person moving about the room), and the black tape would have caused it to see absolutely no changes.
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Old Sep 28, 2017, 6:55 am
  #250  
 
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Thanks all..I have been staying in Marriott and SPG properties for years and hated that the the room warmed up while I was sleeping (due to the motion sensor). I don't mind arriving to a warmish room, but hate sleeping in one). For the Honeywell/Inncom thermostats that look similar to this (without the ecomode button), the override still works. Thank you flyertalkers!

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Old Sep 29, 2017, 12:45 pm
  #251  
 
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I always pack a deflated mylar balloon with a long string. The idea is that it can be inflated and hung somewhere in the room, where the airflow from the HVAC unit will move it around and fool any brand of motion-sensing thermostat.

I've never needed to try it so don't know if it will work.
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Old Sep 29, 2017, 5:31 pm
  #252  
 
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Originally Posted by Middle_Seat
I always pack a deflated mylar balloon with a long string. The idea is that it can be inflated and hung somewhere in the room, where the airflow from the HVAC unit will move it around and fool any brand of motion-sensing thermostat.

I've never needed to try it so don't know if it will work.
This July I bought a helium-filled mylar balloon at the mall attached to my hotel in Petah Tikva, Israel. I tied it to a coffee mug and positioned it so it moved around and activated the motion detector. I didn't have it the first night and was glad of it for the rest of my stay.
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Old Mar 25, 2019, 6:37 am
  #253  
 
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Amana thermostat override

Staying at a Fairfield Inn and it has an Amana thermostat with the motion sensor actually mounted on the thermostat. I haven't been able to find any override procedure to turn it off. I've stayed at numerous hotels around the world and there is usually a way to override. I agree with those who agree it is the hotels job to keep their guest comfortable. Ughh I hate waking up all sweaty. Any ideas?
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Old Mar 25, 2019, 7:39 am
  #254  
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I stayed at a brand new just opened Hampton Inn in Renton WA last week. They have the slot on the wall for the key card to power the electrics just like the European hotels do. Looks like it's finally made it's way over the pond like the Asian Carp. lol
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Old Mar 25, 2019, 5:46 pm
  #255  
 
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Originally Posted by KRSW
I've run into something like this in NYC. The hotel didn't turn on the boilers until they were expecting temperatures < 7c (45F). I called the front desk and was told they didn't have heat. I told them I was from Florida and needed something. Engineering managed to scrounge up a space heater & some threadbare horse blankets.
Heh. We ran into this at a Hilton in mid-beach Miami Beach last January. There was a freak cold spell, temps outside got down to 48-52F. Temps in the room were the same. When we asked why the thermostat in the room wasn't working, we were told the hotel was built (in the 1920's) with NO HEATING SYSTEM. So we called around to 10-12 other Miami Beach hotels in all price ranges ($300-1300/night) and they all said the same thing - no heat. The local Walgreens had sold out of blankets and heaters, and we didn't have a car to get to Walmart. So we cut our trip short.
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