Need a break from the heat? Book a room

Overheated Calgarians check into hotels Hotels are experiencing a surge as local residents check in to beat the heat. Kevin Green reports.

CALGARY — Calgarians looking to beat the heat are flocking to local hotels on a quest for air-conditioned comfort and to spend time poolside.

Hotel Arts associate sales director Elena Menk says when the mercury  soars, so do calls to book rooms.

“Everyone is just looking for the place to stay cool, and enjoy the afternoon without being fried in the sun,” said Menk.

“We've seen a huge influx of new reservations because people are trying to escape the heat wave. A lot of them don't have AC at home. Also we have an amazing pool, which gives you the opportunity to combine the pool, and the cool space.”

The hotel association says it's normal for bookings to jump during hot summer days,

“Many people think air conditioning is a luxury, but I don't think it is anymore. I think it's a necessity, really. But we certainly see our occupancies climb every time. There's hot weather in Calgary in the summer for sure," said Mark Wilson a spokesperson for the Calgary Hotel Association, and VP of Hotel Arts.

What makes this hot stretch different, Wilson added, is that after a year of COVID-19 restrictions, demand is even hotter.

“It seems people have more time on their hands through the week during the pandemic," Wilson said. “We're hearing a lot that people are just tired of being cooped up.”

HOMES 'TOO HOT TO BEAR'

Tuesday morning every single hotel guest at the Hotel Arts pool told CTV they were there because their own homes were too hot to bear.

“Our house - it's pretty hot. I think its 28 or 29 (degrees) maybe? It's pretty hot, "said Shaun Lyster who was at Hotel Arts with his family. “We're like it's going to be like 35 degrees (outside) and so we were’ let's do a staycation and go downtown. Hang out by the pool for a day.’”

“We are pretty much unable to get up below 28 in our apartment,” said Calgarian Don Scott. “So (it's) pretty nice, sitting by a pool and having that air conditioning at night. It's wonderful.”

“We haven't been anywhere in a year and a half because of the pandemic, so our travel budget is overflowing. We didn't know what to do with it, so we thought ‘why not come down here for a few days and be cool?" said Elaine Scott.  “We feel like we're on holidays. It's such a nice, nice place to be away from home where we've been locked and to be away from the heat.”

HOTEL POOL AS HOME OFFICE

Across the pool from the Scotts, Valerie Sergienko was working on her computer. For now, poolside at the hotel has replaced working from home.

“This is my office for the day, which is really not that bad. My home felt like it's a tropical rain forest. I'm guessing probably around the higher end of 35 to 40 degrees indoors," said Sergienko. "When my girlfriend and I heard about the heatwave coming our way, we figured let's save ourselves, let's book the pool and book the hotel. Let's stay here for a couple of nights, sleep in an air-conditioned room, and it was the best decision, honestly.”

Wilson says there are still rooms available at hotels citywide, but says as the heat wave continues they will book up quickly, “I think we're benefiting certainly from local travellers coming to our hotels. I think it's fabulous for us. We love great weather.”