Cold room in London?
 

If I go to London in the winter, will my room in a modest hotel be warm? I'm a Southern girl and like to go home to cozy room.

Why would it be cold???? <BR>+ If not prior booking, check the room before accepting it - as normal.<BR>+ On the web check hotels for individually controlable air con or central heating in advance if really paranoid.<BR>+ Or just ring and ask in advance, a few quid (sorry bucks) up front for your peace of mind.<BR><BR>A cold hotel room, hmm havn't had one for decades.<BR><BR>Nige

Rather than cold , I find most hotels in UK to be stifling hot in the winter and I'm from FL.. The stores all seem overheated to me too and I always remove and check my coat if possible!

Jody's reply duplicated our visit to London in Nov., '00. In contrast to the perhaps one-time-reality about cold and drafty London, we were very warm in our hotel, our only complaint. Even with the windows wide open, it was too hot! Myths die hard!

Sorrry, Nige, but yeah, cold! <BR><BR>Just last year we stayed in a hotel in Earl's Court and (not having asked) found out that they still follow an old tradition of turning the steam heat off about 1 a.m. and turning it on again around dawn.<BR><BR> The year before this happened in Russell Square and the Year before that in a hotel in Mayfair. Apparently it isn't at all that uncommon at all, particularly in the smaller mom & pop hotels. Some people tell me it goes back to the war years of conserving energy, other's simply tell me it's been a custom since who knows when and that it saves the owners mucho pounds.<BR><BR>Mary, ask! If it's happened to us three years running it can't be all that unusual.<BR><BR>Also, pay with credit card. At the place in Earl's Court not only did we freeze, we woke up with tiny, red bites. We'd booked the room for two nights. <BR><BR>The manager was loathe to let us check out, insisting that, even if we left, we'd be charged for both nights as their policy was no refunds. I simply pointed out that he had a choice: we'd pay for the night we stayed and he could either refund the price of the second night (or credit our card), or I'd simply call American Express, file a complaint about the cold and the bites, and pay for neither night. Instant attitude adjustment on Ahmed's part.<BR><BR>As to turning off the heat in the middle of the night, I'm sure if you stay in upscale places this is indeed an old practice. But don't assume that it's standard proceedure everywhere you stay. Particularly if you get out of London. We found the practice quite common in towns like Great Yarmouth, Norwich, etc.

A couple of Februarys ago, we spent a week in London and it was very cold (didn't hamper us from having a great time, though).<BR><BR>We stayed at the Hilton Olympia and our room was very cold. We complained right away and were given a heater . . . it was wonderful and made all the difference in the world. Since they only had a limited number of heaters, it paid off to mention the cold early. The others we talked to were out of luck.<BR><BR>We've also stayed in other hotels in Jan and they were plenty warm, like the others said, and we had to open our windows at intervals to cool off.<BR><BR>London in the winter is still a great place to visit. Wrap up and go!<BR><BR>Sandy

We're living in the UK. It's tradition in Britian to turn off the heat for the evening. So yes, it can get cold at night. Also, some brits only turn on the hot water heater before they shower(we leave ours on constantly). I'd make sure to call when you book the hotel and ask when the hot water is turned on.<BR><BR>JEN

In all my years of travelling throughout England and Scotland, I have never had a hotel turn off the heat in the night.

I have never had the heat turned off either, and as a matter of fact, there are apartments in NY city that the superintendent turns off the heat at night, so this is not just an "England thing"~

In my last three trips to Paris, the heat was turned off by the front desk every evening. I'm going to make sure it doesn't happen on my next trip.

Stay at the Posthouse Kensington-the rooms are very warm 24 hours a day. I was there three weekends ago.

I've never experienced a cold room either. In fact, we've left our window open in March because it was so warm. It sure couldn't hurt to send an e-mail and ask what their policy is, though.

The Angleterre on rue Jacob in Paris doesnt turn off the heat...we had to get up in the night and turn off all the radiators,we were so warm! Maybe budget hotels do it to save money,the more expensive ones wouldn't dare?