A closer look

Welcome to the illusion of autonomy, where your frantic button-mashing does absolutely nothing. To save money on utility bills, modern hospitality chains install thermostats that cap temperature ranges or simply act as digital placebos. You might crank that dial down to sixty degrees in a desperate bid to survive the summer night, but the hotel’s mainframe is sitting at a comfy seventy-two, laughing at your sweaty misery.