The Hotel Rooms A Travel Pro Would Never Book, And The Ones To Choose Instead

With Europe in the midst of a brutal summer heatwave, which has seen temperatures soar to 40C and over, a travel expert has shared some advice for those planning to travel to the continent in the near future. 

Amir Sudra, travel expert at Europe Private Tours, suggested many of us forget one important detail when booking a hotel stay – and that’s the position of the room itself.

Sudra, who has stayed in plenty of hotels, from historic boutique properties to luxury city hotels, said: “During a European heatwave, the wrong hotel room can make the whole trip feel harder.

“People spend a lot of time choosing the destination, the hotel rating and the breakfast, but they often forget to ask where the room actually is.”

The hotel rooms to avoid in extreme heat

The travel pro said there are certain types of hotel room that are likely to warm up easily and retain heat – even after the sun has set. These include: top-floor attic, loft or mansard-style hotel rooms, especially in older European buildings. 

He also warned against booking west-facing or south-west-facing rooms with large windows, glass balcony doors or roof windows, as these can trap afternoon and evening heat.

“The rooms I am most cautious about in extreme heat are top-floor attic rooms and west-facing rooms with big windows,” he explained.

“They can look beautiful in photos, but in July heat, they can become the warmest rooms in the building.”

He suggested top-floor rooms can be “lovely in spring or autumn”, but during a heatwave “the roof absorbs heat all day, and by the evening the room can still feel warm even if the temperature outside has started to drop”.

“In older European hotels, you may also have lower ceilings, small windows, limited airflow, or air conditioning that is not as powerful as people expect. That combination can make the room feel stuffy at exactly the time you want to sleep,” he added.

Keep an eye on reviews

The travel pro suggested looking over reviews before booking and specfically searching for words such as “hot”, “stuffy”, “air con”, “top floor” and “attic” before booking.

“Reviews are very useful in a heatwave. If several guests mention that the room was hot, stuffy, or that the air conditioning was weak, believe them,” he advised.

“Do not just look at the star rating. Look at what people say about sleep.”

Rooms to request instead

Rooms situated further away from the roof/loft are advisable in the summer, as well as east- or north-facing rooms, or ones which look out onto a shaded courtyard, said Sudra. 

“The best request is not complicated. Ask for a quiet, cool room away from the top floor, with good air conditioning, and ideally not facing the afternoon sun,” he said.

If you’ve booked already, it might be worth emailing or calling the hotel ahead of time to request a change. 

“If you are checking in and are handed an attic room, a loft room, or a top-floor west-facing room, politely ask if there is anything lower or more shaded available,” added the expert.

If you do get given a west-facing room, keep curtains, blinds or shutters closed during the day to try and keep the room cool.