Who Else Gets Hotel-Room A/C Affliction?
 

I swear, it seems that eighty percent of the time that I come down with an upper respiratory infection, it's after I've just spent a night in a hotel room, with it's own A/C unit, where first the room is too warm, then too cold, so you're trying to adjust the temperature ALL NIGHT! Anybody else have this experience? Just happened again, on my last trip.........:-(

Temperture fluctuations do not cause infections, bacteria and viruses cause infections.
So no, I have never become ill from fluctuations but I suspect that I have been exposed to some yucky germs and stuff.
I am more suspicious of planes... sitting next to people hacking up a lung.

I am totally addicted to the humm of a room a/c in a hotel room. Its almost hypnotic and makes me feel good. Some people say this about the sound of a room fan. I have thought about putting an a/c wall unit in my bedroom even though I have central a/c!!

Hey Jor, mee too!
I just got a HEPA/Ionic filter for my bedroom and it sounds like a freakin' window unit! It's great!

TxTravelPro, I KNOW that bacteria and viruses cause the infections.......... but these things flourish in certain environments. I believe they must LOVE hotel rooms (especially the ones that accommodate pets!) It happens to me so often, it can't be coincidence!

Trying to get the a/c set just right drives me crazy in hotel rooms!! It's always either way too cold or way too stuffy. One of the things I loved most about the Inn at the Market in Seattle is that the a/c functioned effectively--a strange thing to love, perhaps, but they won my loyalty because of that!

Yes, I often become congested. But think its from is the caked on dust and dirt in the vents (which might also carry bacteria and dust mites). You don't even have to look that closely to see it in some of the units. Yuck. Heaven only knows if or when they're ever cleaned.

Add mold/mildew to the other beasties very likely to be inhabiting an A/C unit. If you are allergic to mold or dust mites, it could kick off an attack that might easily turn into an infection of some sort.

I have trouble with this -- often can smell the mold before I even turn on the unit and know I'm in trouble -- for me it's migraine-type headaches.

But I also have trouble sleeping with those things if the compressor cuts on and off, instead of a steady hum. Just drifting off...... little hhhmmmmmm ... then CLUNK -BUUUUUUZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ...!!!!!!!!!!!!! and then, 20 min. later, CLUNK hmmmmmmmmmm again!

Cassandra, last winter we stayed somewhere that the heating/A-C unit seemed to be almost constantly going on/off....... I swear, it sounded like a take-off from an aircraft carrier EVERYTIME the thing came on, especially at three in the morning!

I do. Often wake up congested and sometimes feeling less than great, and for me I think it's mold. I would much prefer a ceiling fan to air con if it will do the trick, and am happy I live in a climate that cools off every night making air con unnecessary.

Well, be glad you don't have to deal with bedbugs like that poor neurotic woman who stayed at the Vagabond!

Great Post!

I will tell you that during about 50% of my hotel/condo stays, I look at the air filter in the room's unit or duct work. If it is the least bit dirty, I ask for the filter to be changed, or sometimes even cleaned, if it is one of those metal filters in a wall unit.

If you make this request upon arrival to your room - when maintainance and housekeeping are still working - I have found that the hotel/resort will gladly honor this request.

Call me "whatever," but I always feel better knowing that the indoor air quality is being filtered properly. Take a deep breath!
:-)

Paul, that's a great idea. I'm going to try it and see if it makes a difference.