10 Ways Extreme Summer Heat May Screw Up Your Travels
10 Ways Extreme Summer Heat May Screw Up Your Travels
Krystof Sasek/iStock
https://www.fodors.com/news/photos/how-extreme-summer-heat-may-impact-your-summer-travel
Extreme summer heat can disrupt your travel plans in surprising and unpleasant ways.
Picture it: You board your river cruise expecting soon to be sailing peacefully through the Loire Valley. Your balcony will provide a front-row seat where you can sip Pouilly-Fumé and watch the French countryside peacefully roll by, but record-level heat and droughts have caused a problem for your cruise. The water levels are too low for the ship to navigate the Loire River.
For the most part, your boat will stay docked, and the view from your balcony will remain static. You’ll still explore castles, vineyards, and medieval towns, but your mode of transportation will be a bus.
Prolonged summer heat can easily make this hypothetical situation a reality. I should know. Last year, after France experienced one of the hottest summers on record, the Loire River’s water levels plunged. As a result, my trip aboard the Loire Princesse morphed into a hybrid river cruise/bus tour.
As a travel writer and ombudsman columnist, I was not surprised by the turn of events. However, I frequently receive complaints from blindsided travelers whose vacation plans have been altered by the repercussions of summer heat. Knowing the possible wrenches rising temperatures might throw into your travel plans can take the sting out of those disruptions.
Being forewarned is forearmed: Here’s how summer heat could impact your upcoming vacation.
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Soaring Heat Can Cause Flight Disruptions
Rising temperatures naturally make the air thinner, while reduced air density makes it more challenging for an aircraft to take off. As a result, airlines are often forced to lighten their loads to compensate for those challenges. To accomplish that goal, involuntary bumping of passengers is sometimes inevitable.
To reduce your chances of being involuntarily denied boarding, check in early and print your boarding pass, and don’t forget to get a seat assignment. If you are one of the unlucky ones to get bumped, remember your passenger rights.
First, don’t argue; if you’re selected, the decision is made. Just because you’re bumped doesn’t mean your travel plans are canceled, or you’ve suffered a financial loss. The airline must put you on the next available flight on its fleet, and you’ll be owed compensation—200% of the one-way fare if you ultimately are delayed to your destination by less than two hours for a domestic flight, or less than four hours for an international flight. For all other delays, the airline must pay you 400% of the one-way fare.
Keep in mind that flight cancellations and lengthy delays are also increasingly common as temperatures climb. So, pack your patience and a good book as you head to the airport.
INSIDER TIPAirlines are not required to compensate passengers for missed events caused by a flight delay or cancellation. That means if you’ve got a cruise or other nonrefundable plans on the other side of your flight, it’s a good idea to work a buffer into your schedule.
Keep in mind that travel insurance can save the day during an extended delay or flight cancellation, covering your losses. It is always a good idea to include a comprehensive policy in your travel plans—especially as the potential for flight disruptions increases.
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Air Conditioning Isn’t Always Standard
Travelers, especially those from the United States, are often surprised to learn that air conditioning is not standard in hotels worldwide. If you’re traveling during a heat wave and you hope to be able to retreat into the air-conditioned comfort of your hotel room during the hottest parts of the day, you’ll want to make sure that you book one that offers it.
It’s important to note that air conditioning is a loose term that doesn’t always mean what international travelers expect. In some destinations, hotels may advertise “air conditioning” or “climate control” even though the system only cools common areas or lowers the room temperature slightly. Older buildings, especially in historic European city centers and the United Kingdom, may have weak or nonexistent cooling systems. If not having air conditioning will ruin your vacation, make certain the hotel you’re eyeing has it.
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Popular Tourist Attractions May Close or Have Reduced Hours
During recent heat waves in Europe, officials temporarily closed outdoor landmarks during the hottest parts of the day to protect visitors from heat-related illnesses. So, if you’ve got a limited window to visit the Acropolis or Pompeii, make sure you confirm it’s open before showing up. These closures not only protect tourists but also the employees who monitor the grounds.
PHOTO: MICHELLE COUCH-FRIEDMAN
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Chances Of Wildfires Increase
On a recent road trip out west, wildfires broke out around Yellowstone National Park. Roads were closed, and it was necessary to reroute. The fires weren’t contained to one area. The high heat, combined with minimal rainfall, created perfect conditions for scattered, spontaneous fires. The situation was so volatile that some fires would suddenly appear along the side of the road.
If you intend to head to a location known for wildfires during extremely hot weather, be ready to pivot. You may need to adjust plans on a moment’s notice and evacuate the area.
Keep in mind that high heat and dry conditions increase the potential for wildfires. Always monitor local radio for emergency alerts or sign up for weather notifications on your phone. And remember, smoke can also dramatically reduce visibility and air quality, making outdoor activities, even driving, unpleasant or unsafe.
It’s also wise to keep a hard-copy road map in your vehicle. Many national parks and remote wilderness areas have limited or nonexistent cell service, and you may suddenly need to find an alternate evacuation route—the old-fashioned way.
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Heat Can Make Activities Feel Harder
Travelers often overestimate their physical stamina. Regular walks and hikes that seem simple at home can become significant challenges in extreme heat. Walking through a historic European city or climbing the stairs of an ancient monument in 100-degree heat is very different from taking a stroll around your neighborhood at home.
Heat exhaustion can sneak up quickly when you’re sightseeing for hours in destinations with little shade and lots of walking. You may want to limit your outdoor activities to early mornings and evenings when temperatures are cooler and the crowds have dissipated.
If your schedule doesn’t allow for that type of flexibility, be sure to work short breaks into your walks. And of course, always stay well hydrated and familiarize yourself with the signs of heat exhaustion (feeling lightheaded, confused, or even cold rather than hot). Do not ignore those indicators that you may be in trouble—get in the shade or indoors ASAP. Heat exhaustion can be deadly.
INSIDER TIP Children and the elderly are more prone to heat exhaustion and may also be less aware of the signs that they’re in danger. It’s imperative that if your travel group includes little ones or older adults, you pay special attention to them during outdoor activities.
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Fellow Travelers May Be More Irritable
When mercury rises, so do tension levels. Heat, crowds, and travel stress can be a volatile combination. People who are normally patient may become short-tempered when standing in long lines, waiting to check in for a cruise, dealing with delays, or navigating packed tourist attractions in extreme temperatures. If you feel yourself becoming overwhelmed, step into an air-conditioned space, hydrate, and take a short break before frustration escalates.
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Soaring Temperatures Can Cause Soaring Prices
Extreme heat can quickly push up the cost of your vacation. When temperatures soar, travelers often spend more money than anticipated simply trying to stay cool and comfortable.
You may suddenly find yourself paying for extra bottled water, more taxis to avoid long walks in the heat, or last-minute hotel upgrades with stronger air conditioning.
Attractions with indoor cooling can become more appealing, and travelers may spend more time in restaurants, museums, and cafes just to escape the heat.
Flight disruptions caused by extreme temperatures can also lead to unexpected expenses, including extra hotel nights, meals, and transportation costs. If wildfires or severe heat events force you to reroute your trip, last-minute accommodations can quickly become expensive.
Budget-conscious travelers should build some flexibility into their vacation spending plans during heat waves. It’s wise to carry extra water, snacks, and cooling supplies before heading to major tourist attractions where prices are often significantly inflated.
And remember that heat-related expenses tend to add up gradually. A few extra cold drinks, taxis, and indoor escapes each day may not seem significant at the moment, but by the end of a long, hot summer vacation, those costs can leave travelers feeling burned.
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Extreme Heat May Increase the Spread of Illnesses
When temperatures soar, travelers naturally seek relief indoors. Cruise ship lounges, airport waiting areas, museums, restaurants, and shopping centers often become crowded gathering spots during the hottest parts of the day. Unfortunately, tightly packed indoor spaces can also increase the spread of communicable illnesses.
Recent outbreaks of norovirus, COVID-19, and even hantavirus-related concerns have reminded travelers that illnesses don’t take a summer vacation. Crowded indoor environments, combined with long travel days, dehydration, and physical exhaustion, can weaken the body’s immune system.
If you’re traveling during a heat wave, practice good hand hygiene, stay hydrated and avoid close contact with visibly ill travelers whenever possible. Pack a mask for indoor activities.
If you’re feeling unwell, consider scaling back crowded indoor activities until you recover.
And don’t forget that many domestic health insurance policies provide limited or no coverage abroad. So before you head off into the summer crowds, get yourself a comprehensive travel insurance policy that will provide medical coverage should you need it, because the last thing anyone who is ill should have to do is worry about how the bill will be paid.
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High Heat Can Cause Rental Car Breakdowns
Extreme heat doesn’t just affect travelers. It can also put significant strain on rental cars, especially during long road trips in desert climates or remote areas with steep terrain or high altitudes. Overheated engines, dead batteries, and tire blowouts are all more common during heat waves.
Before heading out on a road trip in extremely hot weather, inspect your rental car carefully. Use this free rental car inspection checklist I created to help ensure you don’t drive away with a problem. Turn the air conditioning on. If it seems weak, don’t assume it will magically improve once you hit the highway. Go back and ask for another vehicle.
If you’ll be driving through remote areas, keep extra water in the car and know that cell service may disappear unexpectedly in national parks and wilderness areas. High heat can also impact electric vehicle performance, causing batteries to drain more quickly than travelers may anticipate.
Most importantly, don’t decline roadside assistance coverage unless you’re certain you already have it through your personal auto insurance policy or credit card benefits. Breaking down in 110-degree temperatures on a remote stretch of highway is not the moment you want to discover you’re responsible for an expensive tow truck bill.
PHOTO: MICHELLE COUCH-FRIEDMAN
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High Heat Can Create Problems for Cruisers
Back in France, even with the abrupt change in plans, I had a wonderful time aboard the Loire Princess. The reason I did is that I wasn’t blindsided by the inevitable. The summer heat and lack of rain made it impossible to navigate the river. But all the amazing sights to see were still right there for the cruise line to make sure we visited.
A coach bus took us in comfort to all the sites we were scheduled to see. We saw all the things we expected to see, ate fabulous French food, and toasted with the wine of the region.
If you intend to take a river or barge cruise during a heat wave, know that you might go slower, you might be on a bus, but you can still have a fabulous adventure. Adjust your expectations, be flexible, and enjoy your vacation—even if the view from your balcony ends up being a skate park in Nantes.
Guests remember 'how we make them feel,' Fairmont and Raffles CEO says
Omer Acar shares a perspective on the evolving expectations for luxury hotel experiences
https://www.costar.com/article/859313874/guests-remember-how-we-make-them-feel-fairmont-and-raffles-ceo-says?
By Bryan Wroten
NEW YORK CITY — Every person traveling has a different definition for what luxury is, said Omer Acar, CEO of Raffles and Fairmont Hotels & Resorts at Accor.
In a video interview with CoStar News Hotels at the NYU International Hospitality Investment Forum, the executive for the French hotel firm said personalization was the big talking point years ago, but today that’s just a basic requirement.
“When a traveler goes, they want to be recognized, so we say 'It’s not doing more, it’s recognizing more,'” he said. “A luxury traveler wants to be recognized for their needs, for their requirements, and each stay has to be created according to their wish.”
The Fairmont brand has a campaign called “Make Special Happen,” and Raffles has “The Butler Did It,” he said. Along with the guest experience aspect, the campaigns are about the hotel teams creating a culture.
“You can scale many things, but a culture you have to live in it,” he said. “That culture with the spirit of ‘Make Special Happen’ or ‘The Butler Did It,’ by recognizing our guests and making them feel special is very important because today’s traveler, they don’t remember the stay, but they remember how we make them feel. And that’s when we get the return guest because they want to come back and feel the same.”
The luxury hotel space is evolving along with guests’ expectations, Acar said. Fairmont continues to focus on celebrations, and its hotels with large entertainment facilities around the world host a lot of peace conferences, weddings and other celebrations and events. The brand will rely on new technology to keep up with guests’ needs.
“How do we create more immersive events that the guest feels, the attendees feel inspired?” he said about their strategy.
Raffles will focus on looking after its guests and continuing with its personalization strategy, he said. It’s also looking at partnerships and inspirations through new hotels and destinations. The brand recently announced upcoming properties in Lake Como, Italy; Los Cabos, Mexico; and Courchevel in the French Alps.
“These are destinations that our guests, they want to be part of our journey by visiting those destinations,” he said. “We are focusing on that, and we are focusing on wellness. We are focusing on food and beverage — even retail, because in luxury you need to create a real ecosystem that’s all very consistent and complement one another, so they don’t really compete, but they complement one another.”
Acar often says that retailers sell the dream while hospitality delivers those dreams. Connecting with guests by providing them with experiences during their stay is a key focus for Accor. Luxury travel has been resilient this year, even with the crisis in the Middle East, as travelers changed their destinations instead of canceling their trips.
In the luxury hotel world, there is a question of value because the room rates keep increasing, he said.
“That’s why we have to constantly work on improving the product, improving the delivery, and creating experiences that they will come back for,” he said. “It’s an everyday mission, so it’s more than a destination. I would say it’s a journey.”
Watch the video above or listen to the podcast version for more from Accor's Omer Acar and his thoughts on the luxury hotel space, the growing role of artificial intelligence, and the development environment.
Shangri-La Hotel, Dubai sells for $300 million
It's the first prominent hotel deal in the UAE since the latest war in Iran began
The Shangri-La Hotel, Dubai (shown in the right foreground) was built in 2003 and renovated in 2018. (Getty Images)
https://www.costar.com/article/1541565646/shangri-la-hotel-dubai-sells-for-300-million?
The Shangri-La Hotel, Dubai, has been acquired for 1.1 billion United Arab Emirates dirhams, equivalent to almost $300 million.
The 302-room hotel on Dubai’s Sheikh Zayed Rd. sold for approximately 3.64 million Emirati dirhams ($911,000) per key.
It is the first prominent hotel in Dubai to change hands since the start of the conflict between the U.S. and Iran earlier this year.
The Strait of Hormuz, the center of that conflict, is the border between the UAE and Iran.
Gulf Business reports the buyer is local investor AHS Properties, while The National reports the seller is Mismak Properties Co., LLC, a division of First Abu Dhabi Bank.
According to CoStar, the 42-floor luxury hotel, which opened in July 2003 and was renovated in 2018, previously changed hands in January 2020. At the time, it was sold for 700.2 million Emirati dirhams by Al Jaber Group to an undisclosed buyer via auction.
The deal was funded through a mix of debt and equity, according to The National's reporting, which quotes AHS’s founder and CEO, Abbas Sajwani, the son of the chairman of developer DAMAC Properties, Hussain Sajwani.
Dubai’s hotel industry has been in the news recently as the city suffered a big dip in travel and hotel occupancy following the start of the U.S. war with Iran in late February. As a result, several of its most notable luxury hotels closed to undergo large-scale renovations, reported by CoStar News.
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