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?