Seattle Hotels Fully Booked As Residents Seek To Stay Cool In Heat Wave

As people try to stay cool in a record heat wave sweeping the Pacific Northwest, Seattle residents have found another source of respite from the weather: hotels.

KING 5 reported that several hotel operators in the area are fully booked for the next few days. Due to many Puget Sound homes lacking AC systems and portable units being sold out, people flocked to hotels with fully-air conditioned rooms. Some even have pools, another way to beat the heat.

"Cause you can't really open the windows or anything when it's hotter outside. So you're stuck with what you got," Lake City resident Mikyla Cardwell told reporters, who booked a room at Holiday Inn with her mom. "I'd rather sleep with an AC than fans circulating hot air around."

Ron Oh, the Chairman of the Board of the Washington Hospitality Association, said people also had the benefit of lower rates due to tourism being down in Seattle.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee also lifted capacity restrictions on cooling centers during the historic heat wave. KOMO learned that a former COVID-19 site was converted into a 24-hour cooling center. Shopping malls have also become a source of comfort, where people can eat, shop, and be free from the sweltering weather for some hours.