Hotel thermostat hack: As the sun beats down on my room in the late afternoon, I wanted to crank the a/c up and set the temperature lower than the hotel normally allows it to go.
So I pulled up this four year old post where I passed along a tip for how to override your hotel’s thermostat.
- Holding down the “display” button
- While holding that button, press “off”
- Release off, continue to hold down display, and Press the “up” arrow button
- Release all buttons
And I did just that. The thermostat read “VIP” and I was able to adjust it all the way down to 60.
But since it’s almost 2014 now, someone else did me one better. They created a YouTube video of themselves pushing the buttons, which may make the tip even clearer.
This also shuts off the thermostat’s motion sensors, too — I hate those because sometimes my room will be baking by the time I return from dinner, or if I sleep too motionless it shuts off, the room warms up, and wakes me.
The things we do to try to get comfortable, eh?!
(Note that my original blog post on this tip four years ago contained a thanks for the information to the Points, Miles, and Martinis blog.)
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I’ve been using this for the last 4 years Gary. One of my all-time favorite travel tips!!! Thanks.
Turning off the motion sensor is great. I like to cool or heat the room while I’m out so when I return I can turn the AC or heat off or so it won’t cycle on easy to avoid noise, like for watching TV.
Thanks for shout out. The trick works every time like a charm…
Awesome tip, Gary. I never knew it was a motion sensor, I thought the hotel turned off all the air in the hotel between 1am and 6am.
This is as good as your old Flyertalk 1000 post update way back when.
Energy conservation is for the common man.
Is there a way to change it back? Wondering if there are any repercussions if they find out you did this after you checked out?
How do you change the thermostat back? The same key combination?
This is incredible (just tried it, mind blown) but the guy above had a good question: is there a chance the hotel notices and tries to charge you or something?
Doesnt work in Mexico or where the A/C is triggered by movement or if you open and close your door.
Huh. I never knew. And this is after I threw a fit with the Laguna resort in Bali because I couldn’t get it colder than 23c. I can’t sleep unless its colder than 20, so I was *pissed* and they heard about it.
Now this I love. Especially about the motion sensors. Some hotels are being so “green” that the hallways are hot as heck and you get to you room (hot) and the room is also warm and you have to wait until it cools for you. Some people have a hard time falling asleep at a hotel due to all sorts of reasons. One of the tricks is actually to cool the room more than you would at home.
Also I didn’t know that it could cycle off (motionless) like you stated. I think that happened to me on a few occasions.
A great tip, but it works with ONE brand/model of thermostat…
I don’t think for a second the hotels are being “green” by having this type of technology. They’re using environmentalism as a convenient excuse to cut costs.
Great tip, a real pet peeve of mine, but didn’t work at the Marriott’s I stay at (different type). However, we really need a compendium of brand & models of thermostat to make this right. They all have VIP modes. There is probably just a few across the major chains. Get on it Gary, you’d be my hero!
Don’t worry China, they won’t notice, there are no repercussions, and the T-stat will reset itself in either 12 or 24 hours (I forget). It doesn’t remain in the VIP mode permanently.
Are you writing for Business Insider now?
http://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-override-your-hotels-thermostat-and-make-it-as-hot-or-cool-as-you-want-2013-11
@JohnBon – Business Insider is picking up some of my blog posts, e.g. they also published my post on the United devaluation
Lifehacker too!
http://lifehacker.com/override-your-hotel-room-thermostat-and-set-it-as-hot-o-1462595059
Didn’t work last night at the Hyatt Regency SFO. Thermostat didn’t go lower than 64 degrees.
So this is my pet peeve: thermostats set to stupid cold in the summer. It is a thermostat, if set to 50 degrees, but there’s sun shining into the room and it doesn’t get below 60 setting it to 40 will accomplish absolutely nothing until the sun sets and it will get too cold in the room.
Awesome. You just saved me from freezing here at a hotel in New Jersey. I remembered the post and went back looking for it.
Did not work on hilton garden inn INNCOM thermostat. Maybe the hotel’s realized people are overriding the system. Any other suggestions?
Does anyone know how to over-ride the LOCKED setting on a DAIKIN thermostat?
Yeehaa and a few Hallelujahs!!!
Spend half my year in Hotels and it should be MY choice how cold I want it!!!!! I paid for the room!
I just checked into a Hampton Inn with a Daikin thermostat and tried a similar key input to the Inncom hack and it worked. I held down the Mode button, then pushed the power button and then pushed the up arrow button. The unit was on when I did this and it powered off after hitting the up arrow. I turned it back on and was then able to turn the AC down below the 68 degrees the hotel had the low temp lock set to, hope this works for others.
This is a good work around and have used it a few times.
I generally ask upon check in if the climate control for the room being issued is motion sensor controlled. Staff are well trained to sheepishly act like this is the first time that they have heard about any such practice. They will offer to send maintenance up to verify that everything is in good working order, i.e., show me how to set the thermostat – give me a break!
Having climate control that does not operate as a customer would expect is a cheat and form of fraud. If I awake from a room temperature that is not operating at the thermostat set-point I call the front desk immediately and ask that it be noted because it will be discussed at check out. The whole reason I am there is to SLEEP. If they cannot provide climate control that supports sleep it should be disclosed when you book the room as the cancellation rules are. When this occurs and the property does not offer a reasonable resolve, I inform the franchise. IHG did nothing, Delta and Marriott did.
Guess which franchise I not longer patronize?
Just used this at a Hampton Inn near Northampton, MA. Worked like a champ. The video does help as all you have to do is tap the off button and then the up button. And not try to hold them down for any period of time. Here’s to hoping for a very comfortable night’s sleep now!
How do you hack a Verdant in Hilton Garden Inn?
Tried but I’ve been told there’s no way to hack a Verdant Thermostat
Tried this at Fairmont in Barcelona but can’t get it to work. Woke up burning up last night. Different touch screen thermostat. Open to options?
Here is the manual for the Verdant Thermostat web site https://fccid.io/document.php?id=1545018.
If someone figures out how to override the settings and can post a video I would be sooooo happy. It really sucks that you pay for a hotel room but can’t be comfortable. I like it cold(really cold) when I sleep and it is getting harder and harder to get that. I like to stay at Hilton Garden Inns but if I find a hotel chain that does not lock the thermostat and is clean and safe I will switch.
Here is the instructions on how to program the Verdant thermostat. I did this the other night at a comfort suites in Vacaville. It is a little more involved, but It’s easy enough.
Start on page 12 on the manual. Here is the easy steps….
Pop the cover off the verdant, grab a paper clip.
Stick the paper clip in the small hole towards the top of the thermostat, push and hold it in there until you see the thermostat light up.
Press the fan button to cycle through the settings. When you get to any temperature over your desired temperature, adjust that temperature. Keep cycling through, adjusting every temperature that is above your desired temperature. Once you’ve got them all, press the on/off button to save the settings.
That’s what I did the other night. It worked great. I have been seeing these verdants pop up at a lot of my usual hotels, I’m very happy to have a fix now.
Here is the link. https://www.verdant.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/VX-TW-Network-Installation-V.4.pdf
Thanks! Hotels seem to be getting warmer and warmer
Does anyone know how to lower a set point in a Honeywell theromast?
Thank you
I’m at a Hilton, with NO BRAND on the thermostat. Anybody have any experience lowering these? It won’t go below 70
I’m currently in Vegas at the Rio bc this is where the WSOP is held. It’s over 100 every day here & in this hotel that’s in dire need of a renovation the thermostat will only go to 70 degrees although it says 60 on the no name brand thermostat. I’ll never stay in the crappy hotel & hoping a different & nicer hotel will host the series next year!!!
Does anyone know the hack for an ASIC thermostat?
Just tried on the Daikin model at the Marriott in Newport News and it didn’t work. There’s no display button. This is getting crazy I’m burning up in the hotel.