Sleeping in the tropics.

[D_Fresh]

Indah, I'll chime in here since I'm living/diving in similar conditions here in Manila. IMO, I would suggest split-type AirCon upgrade for the rooms. They're very quiet, very efficient, and are really not that much more expensive than window type units, especially for the size of the rooms.

I can do without AirCon in the lower twenties, but at 25c, that's right on the edge of my "no aircon limit" depending on humidity (<40% probably ok, >60% not so good). What are your typical daytime high temps? If it's around 28~32c, then resting/taking a nap in the afternoon becomes more difficult.

I think it's quite possible that not having AirCon may have kept some clientele away. A common approach here in PH is to have some (say, a third to half) of the rooms with AirCon at a slightly higher rate, while the rooms without AirCon are a bit cheaper. This might be a way to increase your reach with a modest investment. You could then analyze whether or not the AirCon rooms are booking significantly more than non-AirCon rooms and decide whether or not to improve more rooms.

 

[BoundForElsewhere]

Indah, I'll chime in here since I'm living/diving in similar conditions here in Manila. IMO, I would suggest split-type AirCon upgrade for the rooms. They're very quiet, very efficient, and are really not that much more expensive than window type units, especially for the size of the rooms.

I can do without AirCon in the lower twenties, but at 25c, that's right on the edge of my "no aircon limit" depending on humidity (<40% probably ok, >60% not so good). What are your typical daytime high temps? If it's around 28~32c, then resting/taking a nap in the afternoon becomes more difficult.

I think it's quite possible that not having AirCon may have kept some clientele away. A common approach here in PH is to have some (say, a third to half) of the rooms with AirCon at a slightly higher rate, while the rooms without AirCon are a bit cheaper. This might be a way to increase your reach with a modest investment. You could then analyze whether or not the AirCon rooms are booking significantly more than non-AirCon rooms and decide whether or not to improve more rooms.

Sound advice.

 

[Indah]

No AC for me. Its always seemed a little colonial in places where electricity costs a fortune and infrastructure is scarce.

I would recommend trying the mother nature approach first. Plant a couple rows of trees or dense and tall bushes between you and the noisy neighbor. Always keep windows and walls out of direct sunlight. Get a dog to sht in their yard if they don't cut it out with the noise.

Bushes or even a forest hardly protects against noise.Weda Resort used to be a very quiet place. Most noise came from birds and frogs. But sine the nearby village got electricity and the road has been build this changed. The village is 700 meters away and there is a mangrove forest and a hill in between. This does not stop the sound. We built all houses as you described, and it works well because they are very well ventilated as well. My line of thinking is: soundproof means no ventilation, means need cool dry air flow.

 

[BRT]

For us, we don't care about AC in the living area but will not rent a place without AC in the bedroom.

 

[sefuchs]

For us A/C is a requirement in the bedroom. A/C in the living area is not a requirement but would be a factor if it was a toss up between deciding on two resorts. The older I get the more I require a good nights sleep. I would (& have) paid an extra fee for A/C at resorts. Noise can be a bit annoying but I feel much easier to deal with.

 

[Aviyes]

Keep in mind, that though you may design and plan for the A/C to be used to cool one room, you will have guests that leave the door open in order to cool the rest of their accommodations. This will increase power costs and wear/tear on the A/C, resulting in increased maintenance requirements. You would probably want to add a sensor on the door that doesn't allow the A/C to run without the room door being closed. I've seen this used at large resorts on balcony doors.

 

[outofofficebrb]

Hi @Indah

It's nice to "see" you on the boards again.

I have a different perspective to offer...I am severely attractive to and allergic to mosquito bites (skeeter syndrome...one bite will range in size from a teacup saucer to a small dinner plate) and while sleeping under mosquito nets will work, it still doesn't take care of them being in the rest of the room. Being sprayed with bug spray or wearing protective clothing is not practical for me 100% of the time so I will usually only go with resorts that have air conditioning for this reason. I wish I could handle just having fans and an open window or door to sleep as the temperature would be comfortable enough, especially at night with the light ocean breeze. This is also partially why I love being on liveaboards...there are no mosquitos on the ocean and I can sleep outside without bug spray if I want! I know there are others like me, but perhaps they are very few and far between. Granted, I am also a delicate flower so I do also appreciate the air conditioning as it offers a bit of reprieve from the humidity.

I love that you are thinking about your resort and how to improve it for your guests.

 

[Indah]

Keep in mind, that though you may design and plan for the A/C to be used to cool one room, you will have guests that leave the door open in order to cool the rest of their accommodations. This will increase power costs and wear/tear on the A/C, resulting in increased maintenance requirements. You would probably want to add a sensor on the door that doesn't allow the A/C to run without the room door being closed. I've seen this used at large resorts on balcony doors.

Thanks a lot for this advice. Would not have thought about that. Completely makes sense.

 

[Indah]

Hi @Indah

It's nice to "see" you on the boards again.

I have a different perspective to offer...I am severely attractive to and allergic to mosquito bites (skeeter syndrome...one bite will range in size from a teacup saucer to a small dinner plate) and while sleeping under mosquito nets will work, it still doesn't take care of them being in the rest of the room. Being sprayed with bug spray or wearing protective clothing is not practical for me 100% of the time so I will usually only go with resorts that have air conditioning for this reason. I wish I could handle just having fans and an open window or door to sleep as the temperature would be comfortable enough, especially at night with the light ocean breeze. This is also partially why I love being on liveaboards...there are no mosquitos on the ocean and I can sleep outside without bug spray if I want! I know there are others like me, but perhaps they are very few and far between. Granted, I am also a delicate flower so I do also appreciate the air conditioning as it offers a bit of reprieve from the humidity.

I love that you are thinking about your resort and how to improve it for your guests.

Thanks for your kind input. I never heard about this before. But I saw people reacting very bad to mosquitos and even more to sandflies. We usually give them Loratadine, but I guess that does not work in your case. In my idea the sleeping compartiment would be very easy to keep insect free. Because it would have only one door which you should be keep closed anyway. I understand your preference for staying on a boat. By the way, we use a repellent here with only 12% deet. Much less aggresive and protect as good, although not as long against mosquitos.

 

[markmud]

Hi Indah,

I visited Laguna Beach Resort a few years back. We complimented the owner on his nice individual cottages. He said that he asked about AC when he built the place. He said another resort owner told him to think about the couple from Minnesota, Canada, the UP of Michigan, or northern Europe.

In the summer they have many nights that can be about 15℃ with relatively low humidity. Many nights are warmer. During the winter they may have night time temps that are between -12℃ to -30℃ ( minus 20℉). Don't get me started on the Siberian Express!

And as the resort owner's friend told Laguna's owner: "You expect that couple to sleep in the tropics after coming from lows that are well below zero in the winter and 60℉ in the summer?"

Not going to happen! They are not acclimated to warm moist nights.

cheers,
m²V2