How Old Do You Have to Get a Hotel Room: A Complete Guide
When it comes to finding accommodation on your holiday it might seem like tough luck as you might not be getting hotels according to your preference. This can be even further complicated if you are not at or above the age requirement they need you to be. Most hotels fail to show this information on ‘how old do you have to get a hotel room’ on the booking page of their websites. This leads to some of us booking hotels and ending up not staying there.
That is why you must know before booking that the hotel industry in most places practices the rule of having an age restriction when it comes to their customers. Why they need to keep the same is also something users need to understand. Getting in-depth on this aspect of booking the right hotel at the right time is the information given below for your perusal.
What Is the Necessity of Age Restrictions for Hotel Accommodation?
If you are wondering why there is an age limit for checking into a hotel then let’s clarify that first before moving on to the rules and steps of hotel booking. The minimum age limit isn’t something that is imposed on the hotel industry by the government. Instead, it is something adopted by each hotel by itself. This is done to ensure that mishaps that include an underaged individual is not entertained.
Firstly, in some states, the official age of a person to be held accountable for anything legal is 18 or 21. That would mean that they are legally allowed to enter into any sort of agreement at that point in time. As minors arent recognized the same way legally they wouldn’t be able to enter into a contract such as staying with a hotel and thus cannot check into a hotel.
Hence, secondly, if a minor is to be let to stay, the hotel authorities will be unable to practice the same form of restraint in case they fail to pay. Thirdly, as most hotels provide the customers with drinks, they would be responsible for any underage drinking that might happen due to the minor’s stay in the hotel.
In consideration of these reasons, it becomes safer for the hotels to follow an age limit that will let in only customers who are legally bound to pay and allowed to use their services. Thus it is important to check how old do you have to get a hotel room.
How Old Do You Have to Be to Check into a Hotel?
The most commonly used limit of how old do you have to be to get a hotel room is 18 years or 20 years old. This can vary according to the state or country. This can especially be true in places that are known to be the party capitals of the world or that particular country. This makes it safer for the hotel in the place as they will not have to face any legal charges once they allow customers to stay.
If you are of age between 18 and 20, you might need to research ad check if the hotel you want to stay in will let you. Otherwise, you can go for other options that are always welcoming. These would mostly include hostels that have group accommodations as well as private accommodations. That will give you the chance to make new friends as well. You can get the privacy of a hotel room by going for the private rooms that these hostels provide without missing out on the social fun that spreads out in the place.
Booking VS Checking-In
Booking a hotel before your vacation is a sensible thing to do. But this can end up being a bit tricky if you are not careful with where and how you are booking. If you are taking the easy route and booking it online, you might hardly face any problems. You will only be asked for your name and card details for payment.
Given that, you will be able to find any information on how old do you have to get a hotel room when it comes to that particular hotel. Thus, you will need to take it slow with online booking, especially if you are 18 or below of age. Search the site to see if anything of that sort is mentioned and if it is then you can shift to finding a place that will take you in.
In case you forget to search for the restrictions on how old do you have to be to rent a hotel room, you will end up being denied entry once they check your age. You will probably not be able to get a refund for the same as well.
Things You Need When Checking into a Hotel
You must remember to bring in the important documents about your check-in at the hotel. This will include the booking bill which will have your booking ID and an official ID that can verify your identity and age. Keep in mind that the booking name and the name on the ID proof that you produce are the same.
They will also straight up ask for a payment option mostly a credit card. This way they can keep tabs on the amount you spent while staying at the luxurious hotel and also charge you for any damages caused during your stay. Once you reach the hotel you should be prepared with these documents so the check-in process moves swiftly.
It can also be so that the booking requires you to pay for the room when you check in. Depending on the policy of the hotel, there might be other rules and procedures as well. Thus, be sure to look them up before you arrive at the hotel.
Age Requirements for Checking into a Hotel for Different Age Groups
The minimum age of how old do you have to be to rent a hotel room in every hotel can differ vastly. It is something you might not encounter unless your travels are limited to the United States. Especially places like New York, Las Vegas, and Florida, have hotels that are extra careful when it comes to the age limit for their users. At the risk of getting a rush of the younger crowd, the higher the restriction of how old do you have to get a hotel room is around 21 years old to keep them from getting into any issues.
In some cities such as Key West, hotels require you to be of at least 25 years old to check in. In that case, the hotel managers might let you stay if you are between 21 years and 25 years old, given that you are accompanied by an adult who is 25 years or more in age.
Keep in mind these various aspects of booking a hotel so that you get the value for your money. Pay attention to how old do you have to get a hotel room along with the other rules and restrictions the hotel might have. This can prevent you from being left confused at the end point when you are no clue as to where you are accommodated. Save the time and energy in finding a new accommodation in the future, by keeping in mind the age factor while booking itself.
FAQs
The age restriction of how old do you have to book a hotel ensures that the customers coming in are liable to pay for the services they have availed while their stay in the hotel. It also ensures that underage activities are not taking place under their knowledge such as drinking. This protects the hotels from getting into any legal issues later on.
While booking hotels online, they rarely should be any problem if you are under a certain age. But it can be an issue once you reach the hotel. This information can be found to be included on their website in a different section. So, make sure that you read everything about a hotel before you book a room there, as later on you might not be refunded in case you are underage and arent allowed to use the room you booked.
How old do you have to get a hotel room for each hotel will depend on the location. Most places follow an age restriction of 18 as that is commonly considered the legal age to get into a contract. But some places need you to be of at least 25 years old to stay in a hotel.
Hostels are known to be the most popular form of accommodation for minors. Apart from that, they can always accompany an adult to get settled in a hotel room.
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