You want to go where?

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.

KoKoBuddy

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.

florin

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.

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.

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.

That I agree with; I know other countries that have similar mandates.

stut

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.

slawecki

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.

Rebelyell

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!

AjedrecístaBritánico

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..

pacer142

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

Tizzette

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.

pacer142

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

Tizzette

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.

You want to go where?

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.

VickiSoCal

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.

Fanjet

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.

catandmouse

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.