Air Conditioning in Hotels

Because the weather is so changeable, you just never know how hot it's going to be in mid-June. But if it does get hot (and the odds are good it will), you will regret not having air AC in your hotel.

I would not take any chances and would book a room in a hotel that has air AC. Most websites should let you know or you can always email the hotel. You can also check on Booking.com as they will list whether air conditioning is provided. For what it's worth, I found that many hotels now have mini split AC units up on the wall. Those are very nice because you can control them with a remote at your own discretion. Most of our hotels in Romania had AC units like this, as did my hotel in Paris. So it is getting easier for hotels to provide air conditioning, even in older buildings.

@Mardee; the OP is looking to go on a RS tour. They will have no control over the hotels they stay in and whether or not they will have AC.

If I were the OP I would contact the RS office and ask them which hotels will be used on this particular tour. You can then check online to see if they have AC. Itineraries and hotels used on tours can change, so even if all the hotels used on the 2025 tours had AC, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the 2026 hotels will have AC too.

Thanks, Dutch_traveler! I missed that when I read the post. 😊 Need more coffee.

You could also look at scrapbooks for that tour for those that took place in the summer to see if any comments about AC were made. An alternative is to review the tour reviews from last summer to see what comments are made regarding heat.

I took the RS Southern Italy tour in June 2023. Every single hotel on our tour had AC. However, hotels used on RS tours change and there is o guarantee that all hotels on your tour will have AC.

We took this tour the beginning of May two years ago. We were told that hotels in Italy are regulated on the date they can start using their a/c. Several in our group complained, to no avail, when our time in Matera was quite warm and there was no a/c available yet in our cave hotel rooms (very neat experience btw). The same for the hotel in Naples. One of the drawbacks, I guess for taking the spring Italy tours. I would think by June the a/c would be on but if you are concerned I would check with the RS tour office.

Edit to add: Don’t forget the mosquito repellant, most hotels do not have screens on the windows.

Not sure about this tour but we have been on a small number of RS tour hotels(including Sicily) with AC that had underperforming or non working units either seasonally regulated that way or just not working. For that reason(yes we are whimps) , for back up, we broke down a few years back and started packing two small fans. They are very light and run off USB. There are tons of portable fans to pick from, ones we use were found on Amazon titled "Gaiatop USB Desk Fan, 5 Inch Small Portable". We like this one as its very light, packs relatively flat, has a kick stand or a hanger, has three speeds, is super quiet and cheap. Puts out good air. We also take along 10' USB extension cords so we can reach bedside or the bathroom as needed. You can obviously use a power bank as well. We were on the train from London to Canterbury this past summer and the the AC was broken and windows shut. I pulled one of the fans from my luggage and used a power bank and it was a lifesaver. Have a great tour if you go. You should!

If air conditioning matters to you then do not go on a RS tour. While some hotels have AC there’s no guarantee all the hotels will have it and nothing you can do to change this. Same for heat in the spring and fall.

I would contact the RS office and ask them. If you haven’t stayed in Italy previously, the intensity of the air conditioning can be much less than what you experience in the US (if that’s where you live). But it should allow you to sleep. Have a great time!

I did not experience any hotels in Italy without air conditioning. Even a large number of homes have air conditioning in Italy now, it just cant be on the facade of the building and is usually kept inside. Definitely worth reaching out to confirm, but I would be super surprised if you were left without AC at majority of the hotels.

One thing that helps surprisingly well in hotels that have no AC is to keep the curtains closed during the day.

Hi. I travel with a small packable fan. Mine plugs into USB A. Others on my last tour had a flatter fan which they charged and then it ran without cords. See Amazon. Even if your hotels all have AC, the AC may not be working when you are there, or in some rooms. This happened to us in the South of France. My preferred airline has a weight limit. For me, I would rather fly with a fan that weighs 6 ounces, and pack one less top so I get a good night sleep. Enjoy your tour.