Tinnitus + Vibration from Your Hotel Room Neighbors' AC = A Bad Combination

As a result of tinnitus, I haven't done any traveling in 2017. Recently, I had a chance to travel in the United States. I discovered that these days, many hotels have air conditioning that produces a lot of noise and vibration. I don't remember this being a problem in the past (2016 and earlier). [And I know that had my feet been vibrating throughout the night, see below, I WOULD have remembered.] Could it be that hotels have been switching to some kind of "energy efficiency/green" AC that makes sleep difficult in their rooms?

Unfortunately, even if you switch your own AC off, you can still be bothered by the noise and vibration generated by your neighbor's AC. When I say "vibration", I am talking about your feet vibrating when you lie on the bed. After I had experienced this at a motel, I tried staying at somewhat more upscale hotels (e.g., Hampton Inn, Holiday Inn, Comfort Inn), and I discovered that about a third of them have quiet AC units, with the rest providing nice amenities and having the ambient noise level identical to the nastiest, loudest motel out there.

Some of the hotels housed in newer looking buildings have central AC. This can be a disaster. You can feel the floor vibrating everywhere in the room, the walls are vibrating, and so do your feet (and head and everything in between) when you lie on the bed. The noise is pretty bad too.

If you drive up to a hotel and notice a truck parked outside it, with its engine on, don't assume that the truck driver had forgotten to turn off the engine while he is paying for his room. It is a refrigerated truck - it will be on throughout the night, and it will be supplying vibration to all of the rooms facing the parking lot where it is parked. After I learned the above the hard way, I was able to get them to move me to another room, on the other side of the hotel. It was an improvement, but I could still feel the vibration from that truck. Of course, the relief I had experienced when the truck had finally departed around 5 am, made it all totally worth it!

Does anyone know whether there exists a hotel or motel chain that is guaranteed to have quiet AC? Are there any strategies one could try to be able to sleep at those loud hotels?

 

The Hilton hotels have been lovely to stay in and quiet.
love glynis

 

The hotels you listed are nice but not exactly upscale. I have never noticed vibrations from central AC, not even in my house.

Perhaps look for better quality accommodations, three or four star.

 

Normally, in the United States I travel to places that are "in the middle of nowhere". My last trip involved states like Idaho and Wyoming. Those are the best hotels you are going to get in small towns out there.

The prices they charged ($150-170 per night) did not seem like two star hotel prices. There is nothing worse than being charged an arm and a leg and still having trouble sleeping. For my next trip (assuming I don't learn of a hotel chain that has quiet rooms), I plan to try cheap motels - I won't be able to sleep (so no difference there), but at least I will be paying a more reasonable amount.

This is the reason I tried several Hampton (by Hilton) Inn hotels. The ones I stayed at were not quiet at all...

 

They probably are quiet in our A-weighted world. Some AC's can have a rumble for example around 40hz, which can be quite heavy if one is for example sensitive to sound or has low frequency T/hearing damage. A-weighted decibel scale derates the sound pressure level in this range around 30-35dB because our hearing sensitivity is not linear. So in theory there can be a 40hz pure tone rumble which, would have to be 70dBC/dbZ before it would make the dBA level over 35. And that's something you most likely already feel too.

 

HI @Bill Bauer,
I don't have air con in my home in the uk so I always hate it as can stay awake for the slightest sound but try avoid hotels with entertainment as the sound can be heard in small hotels.
I'm getting a bit better now with air con as stay in hotels all the time now our sons have flown the nest but now it's my hubby's mobile that wakes me up as he keeps all his notifications on.
Think I will remove his battery next time ....
love glynis

 

Those are what I would consider normal prices for two star hotels.

Do you have AC at home? I wonder if @glynis is on to something, perhaps you are not used to hearing AC noises. Maybe since the onset of tinnitus you are hyperaware of noises (such as an AC unit or central air) and pay more attention to the sound. It’s very doubtful that multiple hotels changed AC in only the last two years. Even if they did change, I find the newer, more energy-efficient systems tend to run quieter.

 

Bill, you think of things that I don't even consider. That refrigerator truck had to suck, even for people without t.

I've been a bit nervous about the ambient noise from the ac in the hallway outside my bedroom. I don't think it's made a difference.

I was under the impression you were in the US. I have to remember to take nothing for granted here.

 

Perhaps you have New York in mind. Alternatively, hotel prices in the US might have increased by 50-100% over the past 24 months. I had stayed at hundreds of hotels in the US, I don't remember ever having to pay more than $100 for a room during the decade beginning in 2007.

Right now, I don't. The house is large enough so that it never gets hot on the first floor. But, like I said, I Had spent a lot of time staying at hotels, and I don't remember the vibration being so bad that it could actually be felt on the bed.

I live in Canada.

I wasn't worried about it spiking my tinnitus.

Going on those road trips is the main thing that I enjoy doing. If I won't be able to sleep during those trips, I will probably have to stop or curtail this practice...

 

No, those prices are not exclusive to NYC. Is your concern the noise or vibrations? If a central air system is causing the floor and walls to vibrate, I would be concerned there is a structural issue with the property. Vibrations would be annoying for anyone, regardless of whether they have tinnitus.

Incidentally, there are accommodations in the U.S. without air conditioning. May be an opportunity to travel to different locations or travel during cooler months.

 

My concern is both the noise and the vibration. Having said this, the vibration "proves" that I am not crazy/too sensitive.

Makes sense...

 

The noise is very unlikely near a level that would cause hearing loss. If you are the only guest feeling the vibrations, then that would suggest you are too sensitive. Did you ask the hotel if any other guests noticed vibrations?

Depending of course where you travel in the U.S., the middle of fall or spring are ideal for not needing AC or heating.

 

I lost my job because of air con rumble that didn’t bother anyone else but me.
My tinnitus is low frequency noise but I never had problems with it reacting to similar sounds until I spent 4 hours in the new building where my work moved.
Ever since I’m living a nightmare!

 

@Bill Bauer
I’m very bothered by low frequency sounds to the point that me and my husband left a hotel in December only an hours after check in.
It wasn’t my feet vibrating but my brain.

 

Rent an RV or buy a tent.

 

I would probably be able to sleep better in a tent...

 

I'm sorry to hear that. I have also low frequency T, and it reacts to other low frequency tones as well, so I know the feeling. I bought a dB-meter with C-weighting ( dB(C) ), to get some idea how loud these sounds actually are. (dB(C) derates low frequencies much less than commonly used dB(A). ) I also use sound spectrum analyzer (It shows breakdown of the sound wave into it's frequency components and their loudness) on my phone if i need to get an idea how loud a specific tone is.

 

@Bill Bauer

I hear you on road trips. I don't often take them but I love to go for long rides and explore. I would enjoy heading somewhere with a general idea of where I want to go and see but not set in stone. Go with the flow as they say. They sound like fun trips you have.

 

@Bill Bauer
I have the same problem in my office, the air conditioner in the office below is loud and produces vibrations on the floor where I am and on my desk, this situation spike my tinnitus a bit and with the passing of the hours is torture.

 

@valeri i have the same problem. In the beginning (first months) I didn't have issues with low frequency noises. Now a car drive, planes etc make it spike. The sound that i perceive is beyond imagination. It's deep, fills all my head and also has a sensation of vibration. Plugs do not work at all. I also had an extra worsening after 2 boat trips. I am afraid that i have to quit car drives forever which as you understand is almost impossible. What I wanted to ask you is if you feel your hearing dropped due to this low frequency sound. This part of my tinnitus consists of approximately 200hz + 400hz tones. Apart from my ringing.

 

I had to do the same thing once during the latest trip...

Those are my favorite kind of trips. You don't have any reservations, so can change your plans based on the weather, as a result of noticing a road sign to an attraction you had not been aware of, etc.

I couldn't agree more...

 

Ah, I live in the area and have stayed in Idaho and Wyoming Hotels. I've found it's the older AC units. Or they're just cheap ones.

Side note the prices have scared me as all the traveling was done in the off season. Apparently hotel prices are spiking in the area.

 

@Bill Bauer I was thinking along the same lines. With an RV, you can probably hitch your car to it. Or if you're not into that, there might also be campgrounds you can stay at. Though I realize these are probably not options if you visit cities. But cities are just full of noise and too many people. Natural scenery is the way to go in my opinion.

 

During this trip, I also stayed at a number of hotels in Colorado. They were as expensive at the hotels in Wyoming and Idaho, and their AC units were also loud...

I don't normally spend any time in the cities.

An RV might end up costing more than staying at the hotels, as I normally drive 500-700 km (300-400 miles) per day, and gas will be expensive.

 

Vibrations from the air condition tire the ears. Distant vibrations from pavement breakers can too (40 - 45 db). Lower intensity vibrations can cause you to lose your sensitivity to vibration a bit every time. I believe they can cause hearing damage when combined with ototoxic medications, louder noises or even on their own even if they are low level sounds (this hearing damage is mainly sensory or >= 8KHz).

 

Yikes! I remember Colorado actually being the cheaper area to get a hotel. Though that was 2015, so I guess now it's reflecting increases everywhere.

Idaho and Wyoming have great campgrounds. You could just pitch a tent. We do that a lot. You can find free areas a lot of the time or go crazy and just crash camp. Just don't get caught!

 

I have experienced this type of hearing loss under the conditions I have described. I always try to move myself from these vibrations unless I'm so tired that I sleep, turn on my ac or ignore them if I can. It's a good idea to move to a room with less direct windows to vibrations (in the center of a house). As for the hotel, I won't do the same mistake to get the bed near the window. I have some these kind of vibrations in my room as the neighbors have installed their A/C on the wall near my window (I lost some of the sensitivity to the vibration and it doesn't bothers me anymore). Also, a construction is 10 - 15 meters away but I don't get bothered by the bulldozer anymore (I lost some sensitivity again -- before I could feel the bulldozer vibrating loudly and would wake up). Now I hear the bulldozer vibrating if I have my windows open. The bulldozer was operating for the last 4 months every morning for 30 minutes.

 

You should check your ears for et issues or tmj, do this at an audiologist. Those issues can add to the feeling of vibration too. I have both of them. Ear pressure can be fixed with nasal sprays, saline rinses, neck exercises and betahistine.

 

I’m so sorry you experience the same thing. People who don’t have this problem can’t even imagine alone understand what it’s like.
Mine gets so bad, my head fills with vibration and pressure, my brain feels like exploding.
Sounds I used for masking now only aggravate it further! We can no longer use central heating or cooling at home.
Pure hell!
I don’t notice any change in my hearing though. I have mild low frequency hearing loss but it’s not something that is problematic for me on a daily basis.
This reactivity is something that bothers me a lot!

 

In my case, because my tinnitus is a high frequency, the AC sound is comforting like my maskers. However, to answer your question, you might want to request the top floor corner room. Generally speaking a top floor corner room is a premium upgrade due to its size and location but I would call the hotel directly, ask to speak with a manager, and explain your request is medically related.

The reason is that AC units are generally below the window so the vibration is worse down the wall than up the wall. A corner unit means only dealing with one adjacent AC unit instead of two. Finally a top floor means you’re further from road noise and vibration. Finally, be sure the elevator is in the center, not the ends of the building so you don’t pick up the vibration from the rooftop motors and cable pulleys.

I hope this helps you.

Bobby