Help with 21-y/o hotel check-in age minimum (car rental, rental) - Northern Virginia - Virginia (VA) - City-Data Forum

jimmothy · 01-24-2010, 05:04 PM

Hi everyone,

I'm 19 years old and I need to stay by myself in a hotel near Dulles for a few nights. I had one picked out (Hyatt Place Dulles East) and it looked great, but on Hotels.com it said that it has a 21 y/o check in age minimum.

I did a little researching and discovered that while many hotels have a 21 y/o check-in rule, state innkeeper's laws sometimes trump them (if you bring it up at check in).

So, does anyone know if VA has Innkeepers laws that makes it illegal to deny someone a room with regards to age? If not, could I get away with it anyway? Can anyone recommend any hotels in the same price range that have an 18-y/o check-in? Anyone have any experience with this?

thanks!!

Guamanians · 01-24-2010, 06:01 PM

I would say nthat you have a legitimate complaint if they do not let you in. I would call the hotel directly to book the room. If you have a valid credit card and ID, then I don't think you will be denied. If they give you some resistance then you can claim discrimination, and that should shut them up.

jimmothy · 01-25-2010, 01:35 PM

Thanks Guamanians.

Do you think it would be a bad idea to just show up at the hotel and then just claim I didn't know that there was a policy like that/claim age discrimination?

FindingZen · 01-25-2010, 01:51 PM

In case you didn't already know, it would be beneficial if you did have a credit card as opposed to a debit card. A hold on the latter would tie up your bank account for several days if you used it at check-in. A credit card hold drops off immediately.

Tee11 · 01-25-2010, 01:54 PM

I would honestly just check in and not mention it. There must be some CVA reason why they write this, maybe because of a hotel bar, who knows. They will not turn you away at the door.
You are an adult. Before we routinely checked policies on the internet I traveled -under age 21- widely through the US etc checking into hotels by myself and never had any problems.

Bigfoot424 · 01-25-2010, 07:05 PM

This is a private business and they can do this. They have an interest in keeping underage people off their property for obvious reasons. Just show up and they likely won't check or care about your age.

SteelCityRising · 01-25-2010, 08:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bigfoot424

This is a private business and they can do this. They have an interest in keeping underage people off their property for obvious reasons.

Please define "obvious reasons." I was under 21 not long ago, and never once did I dabble in alcohol or behave in a disrespectful manner. Any hotel that would have such a policy that would punish an entire generation due to the immaturity of a select few would never get my business again.

Yankeesfan · 01-25-2010, 08:20 PM

Some hotels have problems with high school students renting rooms for underage drinking parties, especially around prom and graduation season. Just speculating but they may have the rule in place to enforce at times like that but for you they would just not ask you for proof of age. Traveling is down due to the economy so they would likely be happy to have your business. When I book a hotel room near my son's college I get the college parents rate and they don't ask for proof that I have a student there. When I reserved a hotel room that had a special deal during the month of your anniversary, the site said "proof of marriage date required" and so we brought along some documentation but they didn't ask for it. Why don't you bring along the information on some nearby hotels to go to just in case this one enforces the policy.

car54 · 01-25-2010, 09:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ScranBarre

Please define "obvious reasons." I was under 21 not long ago, and never once did I dabble in alcohol or behave in a disrespectful manner. Any hotel that would have such a policy that would punish an entire generation due to the immaturity of a select few would never get my business again.

"the immaturity of a select few"? How about most!

Innkeepers are in business to make money...if they have a policy of not renting rooms to those under 21, that means they've been burned enough times to make it not worth the risk.

Same with car rental companies...

Guamanians · 01-25-2010, 10:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by car54

"the immaturity of a select few"? How about most!

Innkeepers are in business to make money...if they have a policy of not renting rooms to those under 21, that means they've been burned enough times to make it not worth the risk.

Same with car rental companies...

your post is contradictory. The reason may have something to do with underage drinking, but thats not his fault. All the hotel has to do is enforce common sense rules for all customers. I think that the 21 age limit that he saw posted was just a deterrent, and not a rock solid policy.