omegadeal

I checked out yesterday. On a pleasant note, they comped my internet access without asking even though I had the upgrade plus breakfast in my MyWay profile. I had clicked to purchase the plan, and even asked the question as to why it wasn't on my receipt, but they said it was complimentary for me.

BlondeBomber

Just a reminder since I still see diamonds wondering about how much to pay for internet or whether it is free. It has been free since Sept 1 in Hilton properties. edited to say that it is not important to update your myway preferences if free internet is your current selection for Hilton since it is no longer an option!

http://hhonors1.hilton.com/ts/en_US/...essRelease.pdf

Uncle Lars

Just got back from 2 nights award stay at the Beijing Wangfujing. Great location, luxurious breakfast buffet, decent Executive Lounge (only issue is limited alcohol hours), and my family and I had the pool to ourselves. What more can a person ask for?

I am picky climatewise, in that I simply need a cool room to sleep. This drives my family nuts, but is the way it is. At this Hilton, the rooms were way too hot for my taste (temp 27 degrees C, down to 25 if you kept the two small windows open, and it was absolutely freezing outside). The cooling was simply nonexistent. Asked Executive Lounge concierge, hotel concierge, and was told basically there was nothing that could be done as this was the way things were kept in the winter. One concierge said it would cool slowly if I was patient (definitely not the case), another said that's just the way it was in the winter - but my wife, who is Chinese, talked to the young guy doing turndowns, and he said there was something broken with the cooling/circulation system that would take days to fix. Anyway, enjoyed the stay but slept very poorly - which would have been horrible had this been a business trip.

Two questions - are there others who are like me out there in the HHonors world? And is this something worthy of complaining/mentioning to Hilton? Should I be able to cool my room at least somewhat on a freezing cold day, or am I out of line?

Glad to be back in my cool Utah brick bungalow...happy New Year to all.

PIJD

Same thing here, except Hilton Vienna. That room was smoking! Had the air/heat turned off, window cracked open, even Ms PIJD who likes a very warm environment complained. Even the Exec lounge had most of the windows open, and was barely tolerable.

Happy New Years!

Nausica

I continually have this problem in most Chinese hotels in winter. They turn off the air-conditioning function in what I assume is an attempt to save money (why have the cooling on when its so cold outside?). Hilton hotels all seem to have this problem, as do all the Accor hotels. Its worth complaining about - you should be able to get a good night's rest without roasting.

Radiosyd

I've noticed the same hot room temperature in Yokohama, Japan. First thing I had to do when entering the room was to open all windows. Outdoors was freezing! Same thing with the offices I visited, in January. Too hot!

Rebelyell

I've found the same problem in Europe. In summer, the air con doesn't work well. In shoulder months, they say they only switch from heat to cold once a year, and so the air con doesn't work on warm days. And in winter, they keep the rooms burning hot.

The most comfortable temperature for sleeping is about 63-65 F. Hotels need to be made aware of this.

dave1013

OP, I'm with you in liking a lower temperature for sleeping. Wife and I stayed at the HGI Downtown Denver - Convention Center in October. The thermostat in the room would not go below 68 and as it was warm for part of our visit and the windows wouldn't open, I had to endure a warm room at night.

Upon bringing up the matter to the front desk, they advised that the 68-degree floor was new Hilton policy - perhaps imposed by Blackstone, they were not sure. But it was what it was and that was the only disappointment during our visit there.

FLLDL

I've had similar problems in Chinese hotels, frigid outside but absolutely roasting indoors. In Northern China most cities use district heating systems and once heating season begins, the heat remains on until the end of the season, regardless of the outdoor temperature. Most of the older systems in use in China leave little control in the hands of the end user, so that may be at play in this case.

Interestingly, Shanghai does not have a district heating grid. As a result Shanghai can seem colder in the winter than Beijing, even though Beijing is much further north.

JDiver

A number of hotels have similar problems - they have central heating and air conditioning, and in winter, the heat is on - you can stop the air from flowing (most of the way), but you can not get cold air to flow, as there is none (the air is centrally heated). Some places, heat is even distributed on a greater scale than in-building, but the effect is the same.

Typical was a stay at the Hilton in Mainz, Germany, with snow outside, a thick duvet on the bed - and sweltering temperatures inside. Even an open window, as it did not stick out into the wind, no love.

"In the old days" European hotels used comforters, featherbeds, duvets and the like - but the interior of the rooms were kept at an ideal temperature to keep wines, not guests from warmer climes. Now, hotels have central heat and duvets... Worse, even in Hawai'i and places where it is raerely cold at best, the dam* duvet has landed.

divemistressofthedark

+1 to all this. I've gone so far as to plug local info on [CVS/Walgreen/whatever big box store is nearest the hotel] into my GPS in advance in case I have to go out and buy a box fan. They're only about $14 and can save your bacon in a stuffy room without adequate ventilation.

I even have a 8" battery-op model I can take on international trips. Not quite as breezy, but beats nothing. (A voltage converter will burn the motor out of a fan...for overseas you pretty much have to either buy it on site or carry the battery model.

Here's a similar 10" model. These are [much] cheaper in stores in the summer, like $17)

meng79

Most comfortable for you doesn't mean for all, that is freezing for me

mario33

Can someone tell me whats that in Celcius ?

JDiver

About 18 degrees Celsius.

Converter: link.

kymbakitty

I actually agree with you. And my polar bear of a husband, the Canadian that he is, walks around with no shirt on in the winter. Mind you, our "winter" in this part of California does not have snow, but lately, it has been below freezing in the a.m. (Right now, 45 degrees.) Thank goodness for electric blankets. I would much rather it be chilly than hot. I cannot sleep in hot weather.

I have the same problems with th A/C unit at properties in California. I was recently in Monterey and Alameda County. I could not get either hotels to go below 72. I had a feeling that the air was "cut off" at the main control because it seemed like the pump started to go on, but then it just toggled back up to show the temperature of the room. One guy came to look at my thermostat and said, "oh...I don't think we have air conditioning...not in Monterey." Oh please. I just told him thank you and let him go back to the front desk.

Anyway, I like to crank it down to about 64-65 when I return from working out in the a.m. After I exercise at home, I do the same thing by turning on the whole house fan in the summer. I tend to be slightly heated after getting out of the shower when I work out and I like it really cool before I put the make up on and head out the door. I'm finding this is not possible in the winter months at many of these properties. I'm actually convinced they shut it off at the main panel.

One guy said (other property), "can't you open the window?" I said, "well, sure...but there is a $5k unit available IN MY ROOM so I was just wondering if I could use that!" We both kind of laughed it off and I did eventually open the windows.

By the way, Celcius = 17-18 degrees.