kiljin

Another Success for INNCOM at the Sheraton West Denver. Idiots here have the sensor pointing at the bathroom, so even if you are in the room it will still shut off.

JohnneeO

I made the same call at a hotel in London last summer, but only after fumbling about the room for ten minutes in the dark.

I could have used an override code in Grand Cayman last month.

JohnneeO

mods, pls delete, duplicate post

oldpenny16

This thread is brilliant! Have had the 'all power and a/c off' situation in Spain, Japan, the UK and several places in the US.

I don't like it.

Every time I returned to my room at the L A Downtown Marriott it was blazing hot. I found that the maid was turning up the temp on the thermostat. This room also had a gutted and useless mini-fridge and drapes that the maid insisted on keeping open every day making a hot box.

These auto systems really can't be saving any money, can they?

Mr. Vker

We recently stayed at the Marriott Bangkok Resort and Spa. We have stayed at many hotels worldwide, this was the first one with the slot just inside your room for your key to activate the electricity and ac.

I didn't realize what it was. I commented to my wife that it was really neat that they put that key slot there to store your key. VERY convenient. My wife did what she does alot: Shook her head and smiled.

I learned the hard war after a day sightseeing when we returned and our room was sweltering.

I felt like an idiot.

USCGamecock

Talk about a quick trip to the pokey when you short out the hotel.....

JDiver

Most of the places (as others have said, not all,) with the card-operated master switch respond quite well to the phoney cards sent by AMEX et al (if not, merely request another keycard.) I use a "Do Not Disturb" sign with the TV set to a sports channel ("Oh, heck, it sounds like there's a guy / guys watching football/ NASCAR / boxing... I'll try next door." just audible if someone approaches the room door close enough to knock or enter, with possibly one light on, as part of my "ad hoc security system" to dissuade anyone bent on theft from entering my room (really, merely deter them to try a room more obviously empty.)

I do try to help with energy savings - I change my thermostat so it does not cool unnecessarily, I do not turn on every light regardless of whether I need it, use only towels I need and do not request changes of bedding and toweling every day - but how I use the electricity (charge items, deter others, etc.) is my choice when I am footing the bill.

Emeraldcity

A friend of mine did that while at a Marriott overseas, put in a second key card to keep the room cool. She got a rather "abrupt" note from the management that you can't do that and to not do it again or they would remover her from the room!!!! She went down and kind of had it out with the management, saying that she is the guest and wishes to be comfortable and if that means having her room to 62 degrees then that is what it means. After that they didn't bother her about that second key in the slot........

aviators99

Just saved me lots of frustration too! Flytertalk to the rescue once again (and toyoman) :-)

Medic1

I agree. I have stayed in far more hotels where removing the card shuts off everything (including AC) than I have where it only shuts off the TV and lights. I had a very frustrating time at a hotel recently where I couldn't even get my laptop or Ipod completely charged for the return flight home. I was never in the room long enough to give everything a full charge and when I removed the card to leave the room, everything went dead except the mini-bar.

dgwright99

A couple of business cards in the slot solves the problem. Irritating, but easily solved.

Second room key will do the trick - I have come across thsi a couple of times. FF card (with mag strip) worked as well.

KathyWdrf

So let's say you wake up in the middle of the night, need to use the facilities, and instead of using your own convenient ensuite bathroom, you stumble half-naked down to the lobby men's room?

And you inconvenience yourself in this way solely because you want to "game the system?"

Riiiiight...

Anyhow, I'm actually in favor of these energy-saving systems. And it's the wave of the future. Resistance is futile! (I realize that hotels do it to save money, not necessarily because they are as "green" as they would like to claim, but any positive environmental side-effect is welcome.)

Cholula

Seriously, I'm more concerned by my and my family's personal comfort than I am by the doubtful positive side effect of their turning off my AC.

With the rates that hotels charge nowadays...and only likely to increase in the future....let them plant a few trees to offset their guilt in allowing me to be comfortable in my room.

This whole thing is a slippery slope.

First they start with the not changing sheets or towels unless you request it. Next we get this thermostat thing that now seems universal. Next, and you can take this to the bank, hot water will only be available from 6AM until noon so they don't have to keep the boilers running 24/7.

Sound ridiculous? So would have the other "green enhancements" to our hotel room if you'd suggested it 10 years ago.

Don't mean to off-track this thread but, hey, let me decide how green I want to be when I'm staying in a $200/night hotel room.

DOM1958

I experienced the same thing at a Residence Inn a while back.

This was in the winter and it was around 30 degree weather with snow falling....

I woke up in the middle of the night freezing. The motion detector was aimed at the living room area. I walked over there and the heat came on again for another couple hours. They told me the heater defaults to 66 degrees after 4 hours without any motion... I ended up keeping the fireplace burning every single night that I was there. It was the worst 10 days I've spent in a hotel.

CopperSteve

I've encountered many hotels with room-keys-for-power setups and I don't recall this system ever interfering with the A/C system. I typically keep my room like an igloo, as I generally sleep better in the cold and fighting jetlag is bad enough without worrying about room temperature.