Hotel thermostat hacks to override your room temperature
It's never a good feeling to wake up shivering or sweating in the middle of the night while staying in a hotel room with a thermostat you're not familiar with.
Locating the thermostat is half the battle. Then you must decipher mysterious icons on the control panel and, if overseas, mentally calculate what the temperature should be in Celsius once you find it.
It used to be that hotel thermostats and their attached heating and cooling systems simply had "on" and "off" buttons with "cooler" and "hotter" temperature settings. Too cold? Turn the knob to the right. Too hot? Then crank it to the left.
Nowadays, hotel thermostats are far more sophisticated, often offering preset temperature limits, complicated menus and motion-controlled sensors that disable cooling and heating systems while guests sleep to cut costs and keep visitors from accidentally setting a temperature that's too extreme for comfort.
With growing gas supply and energy concerns in Europe, hotels across the continent are weighing whether they should set tighter temperature limits on their thermostats, forcing guests to sleep in colder conditions in winter and warmer settings in summer.
While the eco-conscious way to cope would be to throw on another blanket or open a window, these solutions sometimes are not available or enough to keep you comfortable.
So, what should you do? If you've exhausted all available options for adjusting your in-room temperature and still find yourself feeling uncomfortable, try these two hacks to take control of the temperature.
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The Honeywell hack
Honeywell has been a longtime supplier of thermostats to hotels and homes. Its systems are commonly found in many chain hotels and motels, including Comfort Inn and Holiday Inn, so odds are you'll encounter one while on the road.
If you are staying in a room with an older Honeywell thermostat, there's an easy hack to bypass the preset temperature controls. While pressing the "display" button, press and release the "off" button or power icon. Then, press and release the up arrow or the "increase temperature" button to bypass the temperature controls.
Know, though, that following these steps won't always work, as hotels with newer Honeywell Inncontrol thermostats have more control over thermostat settings thanks to built-in countermeasures put in place by engineers to get around this hack.
However, if your hotel has a standard Honeywell thermostat, you should have success overriding the preset settings.
Related: TPG's best tips for traveling during a heat wave
The GE wall unit hack
General Electric Co. is another major supplier of heating and air conditioning units for hotels and motels. Typically, GE systems feature wall thermostats, which guests use to control a heating and cooling unit that has had its controls disabled.
To get beyond the wall-mounted GE thermostat and adjust the temperature directly from the heating and cooling unit, carefully pop off the cover of the unit. Once inside, use the set of controls underneath the display board to set the temperature of the room before gently pressing the cover back on.
Related: Booked a hotel or rental property in Europe? It may not have air conditioning
Bottom line
Whether you're traveling during a heat wave or in the heart of winter, there are times when you may find your hotel room's temperature to be too uncomfortable to sleep soundly.
Fortunately, these two hacks may help you get around preset temperatures for a more pleasant stay.
Before resorting to these hacks, ask your hotel's front desk for help, as they may have a way to adjust the temperature for you. Remember to also be careful about how you touch your room's equipment so you don't accidentally damage the heating and cooling unit.
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You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
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Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.