During my time in Paris, the temperature got as hot as 97 degrees Fahrenheit. But even in 70 and 80 degree-weather, I experienced unbearable heat in my hotel room. Most times, my hotel, the trains, and some restaurants I visited were hotter than outside.
I paid over $200 a night for a room that didn’t have AC, and I only have myself to blame for not doing the research. My reaction to the heat shocked me because I’m a West African born in the US, who grew up in the South. I know real heat, but this France heat still caught me off guard.
I learned a little too late that most buildings in France don’t have air conditioning. After I selected my hotel from a list provided by the Paris 2024 organizers, one of my colleagues found other nearby accommodations that were more modern, cost less, and did have air conditioning — but we had already committed and paid for everything.
I relied too much on the hotel options provided to me and should’ve found my own accommodations sooner.