<p>Back in the 1970s when I visited colleges, I flew from the midwest to opposite coasts, alone, with some pages of typed instructions from my father telling where I needed to be and when, and how to get there. He had made hotel reservations that I checked into during my junior year of high school with no problems and stayed alone, in all sorts of places. When I remember that it is kind of amazing, I can’t imagine sending my kids off that way LOL.</p>
<p>Anyway - my D is 17 3/4 and she is traveling to Chicago with her friend (just turned 18) to visit a couple of schools we did not have a chance to see yet. I made a hotel reservation for them and am now seeing that most places won’t let people under 18, in some cases under 21, check in. As I’m paying and my D is an authorized user on my credit card, I think she has to be the one to check in. I wrote Marriott to get it in writing that she would be allowed to register and am waiting to hear back. Anyone have any recent experience with this?</p>
<p>Edit: well this is a problem. I just heard back from the hotel and they require guests to be 21 to check in.</p>
<p>I can’t speak for all hotels, but I know that some (including a Sofitel) will allow under-18s to check in if you sign and fax back a consent form and pay in advance with a credit card. I think the policy varies from hotel to hotel.</p>
<p>I had trouble at many places checking in until I was 21. I can’t think of anywhere I’ve been where they let you check in under 18. I’ve been traveling on my own since I was 16/17 and it’s been a PITA. </p>
<p>Have you tried calling various hotels? Maybe some will let you if you pay in advance with a credit card and leave a deposit of some sort? I <em>think</em> that’s how I was able to travel a few years ago when I was 17. I had to pay in advance and have a ridiculous hold on my credit card (like $500 or something).</p>
<p>My son had to stay in a hotel by himself the summer of his jr year of HS. The hotel was prepaid by me, and I called directly to make sure it would not be a problem. I think I had to fax them my signature for liability and he had to leave some cash overnight for a deposit. I believe it was Quality Inn, or Comfort Inn or something. Maybe a smaller chain would be more accommodating than Marriott.</p>
<p>^ yes good idea. I just emailed the Sofitel directly and a couple of other hotels in that area where my D knows her way around a little bit. I’m glad it occurred to me to ask… could have been a disaster.</p>
<p>When my son was 18, he got stuck at BWI for the night. We were unable to find anyplace that would accept him, inspite of the fact that we were paying and were willing to have them put just about any hold on our credit card. </p>
<p>Luckily, the USO is open all night at BWI and as a dependent with a military ID, he was able to spend the night there. </p>
<p>I would triple-check before sending my kid out on a trip with this issue. The hotels were completely inflexible and would not let anyone under 21 check-in on their own.</p>
<p>I hate to say it, but this is probably another argument in favor of lowering the drinking age to 18. Don’t you think this is why they have the age-21 minimum? When you think about it, it is ridiculous that an 18-year old can’t check into a hotel (or rent a car…).</p>
<p>We had to check on something similar when D was flying back from studying abroad and had to spend a night in Boston. She was over 18, but under 21. She stayed at a Comfort Inn; I called them ahead of time, and they were okay with it. Might not hurt that I am a Gold member of their rewards program, though.</p>
<p>gosmom - I’m a longtime Marriott rewards member, that’s why I started there as I was thinking the same thing. If I don’t get a positive response on any if these emails I’ll get in the phone to a manager I guess.</p>
<p>^^snowdog: I have had much more luck with Marriott Rewards peeps in this regard than the actual hotel manager; we have had at least two instances where my 18 yr old needed to be in a hotel without us and they were great…as long as the rewards reservation is changed to your child’s name and they have ID, it should be good to go…even if you are paying with $$</p>
<p>I would phone. My son had to visit a midwestern school on his own and I had to fax them paperwork so he could check in on his own. He had his own credit card attached to mine at the time. The hotel had an agreement with the school. It worked out fine. But I remember having to jump through a few hoops to make it happen. I can’t remember the details but I did talk directly with the hotel on the phone.</p>
<p>Happykid and pals are considering a summer road trip this year, and they oldest will be just 20. Thanks for all the good ideas here! If they run out of family & friends with couch-space, they will need to know what their other options are.</p>
<p>DD and some friends wanted to do a road trip over spring break the hotel issue is partly why they changed their minds. </p>
<p>My oldest and her friend were running into this issue when trying to drive from WA to WI in March, through Montana. I don’t consider Montana a spring destination, but the hotels were inflexible. A brother ended up going along and he was over 21 so all was well.</p>
<p>Youth hostels will let you check in if under21. They are safe, fun and pretty mich how both my daughters and I travel. The communal areas are great and not like a hotel lobby with a bar.</p>
<p>I highly recommend hostels and for girls are a very safe way to travel. Prices are great as well and all you need is I’d and you pay cash. And you don’t need all this liability stuff.</p>
<p>I may end up going the hostel route. I’ll make some calls tomorrow including to the colleges to see if they habe suggestions, as a handful of courteous email responses have said the two young women be turned away if they are not checking in with someone 21 or older.</p>
<p>The drinking age is not the reason for the age 21 minimum. Insurance is. Eighteen to 20 year olds are considered by insurers more likely to cause damages, and have fewer resources to for reimbursement, than 21 year olds.</p>
<p>Under-eighteen year olds (otherwise known as “minors”) cannot be held legally liable for contracts. While they do have to pay for things they use (so they’d still have to pay for the night), they wouldn’t have to pay a cancellation penalty, for example, since they can’t be held to that contract.</p>
<p>And, BTW, 18-24 year olds can rent cars. They simply must pay higher fees to compensate for their higher rates of accidents, damages and theft.</p>