Guest-adjustable thermostat temperature ranges

Problem statement

Hospitable's thermostat presets currently only support fixed temperature setpoints for each category (Occupied, Unoccupied, etc.). This doesn't align with how many smart thermostats like Sensi work natively, where hosts can define a temperature range (minimum cooling setpoint and maximum heating setpoint) that allows guests to adjust the temperature within acceptable boundaries.

Current workaround

Hosts must either:

• Set a single fixed temperature that may not suit all guests' comfort preferences
• Allow full manual control, risking energy waste or uncomfortable temperature extremes
• Manually adjust presets for each reservation based on guest preferences

Impact

• Reduced guest comfort and satisfaction when the fixed temperature doesn't match their preferences
• Increased energy costs if hosts choose to allow unrestricted manual control
• Additional manual work for hosts who want to balance guest comfort with energy efficiency
• Inability to leverage native thermostat features that already support this functionality

Proposed solution

Add an option in thermostat presets to define a temperature range instead of a fixed setpoint. This would involve:

• Renaming the current "Heating set point" and "Cooling set point" fields to "Default Heating set point" and "Default Cooling set point"
• Adding fields for "Minimum cooling setpoint" and "Maximum heating setpoint" to define the allowable range

For example, a host could set:

• Default Cooling set point: 72°F
• Minimum cooling setpoint: 70°F
• Maximum heating setpoint: 80°F

This would allow guests to adjust the thermostat within these boundaries while preventing extreme settings, with the thermostat defaulting to the specified setpoints when the preset is first applied.

Unlock

Hosts would be able to:

• Provide guests with temperature control flexibility while maintaining energy efficiency guardrails
• Leverage their smart thermostat's native range-based control features
• Reduce manual intervention while improving guest comfort
• Set appropriate boundaries that protect HVAC systems from overwork while respecting guest preferences