Hotels with air-conditioning and pools have seen a surge in bookings amid the heatwave as families try to escape the record-breaking temperatures scorching the UK.
Searches using the “air-conditioning” filter on Booking.com have tripled across the country since the beginning of June, coinciding with the latest heatwave in northern Europe.
Data on authorised transactions through payment company Adyen revealed that the UK hotel industry experienced a 34 per cent increase in revenue between 22 and 25 June compared to the same period last year, The Guardian reported
The Gainsborough Bath Spa in Somerset, where record-breaking temperatures have been felt, told The Independent: “During the heatwave, we had several guests who came to us because they needed some escape from the heat.
The hotel, which has a pool and air-conditioning, added: “We are very much a tourist destination, there are an awful lot of Airbnbs in the area with the listed building status. A lot of our American friends who’ve been travelling over found that once they arrived, their Airbnb didn’t actually have any air conditioning, so we picked up quite a few rooms along those lines.”
The record for the hottest June day ever was smashed for a third day in a row on Friday after temperatures hit 37.3C in Santon Downham, in Suffolk.
A rare red warning for extreme heat in parts of England was lifted yesterday following days of intense weather that saw Britons heading indoors to escape the sunshine.
Searches by British guests for stays in the UK were up more than 11 per cent year-on-year, Airbnb said.
Dean Culpan, the general manager of the London hotel Templeton Garden, told The Guardian: “With the heatwave in full swing, we’ve seen a noticeable increase in demand across the hotel and are currently operating at capacity. Guests are increasingly seeking out cool, comfortable spaces to relax, work remotely and escape the city heat, whether that’s in our air-conditioned interiors or within our private garden, which has become a real oasis during the warmer weather.
“As temperatures soar across London, we’ve also seen a significant rise in terrace dining and drinks, with these cooler, shaded areas becoming some of the most sought-after spaces in the hotel.”
On Thursday, huge queues could be outside supermarkets as Britons tried to get their hands on bargain air conditioning.
Lakeland said electric fans made up 17 per cent of online sales between Tuesday and Thursday this week, up from around 2 per cent.
Week on week, sales of electric fans were up 600 per cent for Tuesday to Thursday, the household goods retailer said.