Any issues with a 19 yr old checking into a hotel?

Hi. I%26#39;m helping my 19 yr old son make reservations for his visit in Paris. He%26#39;s currently in Arles on a study abroad program and has a week to travel after his classes conclude. I made a reservation at the Comfort Inn Montparnesse since I found good rates and it%26#39;s close to the Concorde Montparnesse where some other friends will be staying. I made the reservations in his name with an AAA discount and on my Amex. He has his own AAA membership and also his own Amex both of which are linked to my accounts or a family membership.

When I was making the reservation on the phone with the US Comfort Inn/Choice Hotels agent, she asked if he was 21 to be able to check in. I just went ahead and made the reservation hoping that this would not be an issue. Has any one ever run into a problem with a 19 yr old checking into a hotel? He speaks pretty fluent French and is clean cut so I%26#39;m hoping there won%26#39;t be any issues. I%26#39;m hoping that it was just the agent applying a %26quot;US based%26quot; 21 yr old rule or something. Also if any one knows, would there be any issues in Munich which is another stop for him after Paris?

Thanks for any perspective! BB

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I checked into hotels all over France and Europe when I was 19 years old, using my Eurail pass. In Europe 18 is considered %26quot;adult%26quot; and so I don%26#39;t think he should encounter any issues.

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bad writing...using my Eurail pass to travel all over the continent, thus needing multiple hotels....

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Best bet would be to e-mail the hotel and get a response in writing.

You cannot just hope that it won%26#39;t be an issue. Hotels follow local regulations. Passports are requested at check-in so they will immediately be able to ascertain his age.

It would be better to find out now than have him refused check-in with no place to stay.

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There is nothing that you cannot do once you have reached the age of majority, which is 18.

I travelled all over Europe alone when I was 17 and never had any problems, because nobody asked my age!

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Oh, and no identification is required when you check into a hotel in France anyway, just payment.

Filling out forms was eliminated in the 1970%26#39;s. That%26#39;s why there are so many automatic motels throughout France, where you just stick your payment card in a slot and receive your door code. It%26#39;s better than writing %26quot;Mr %26amp; Mrs Smith%26quot; on a meaningless form.

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While I am loathe to contradict an expert, we have always, each and every time, been asked for our passports when checking into a hotel (and we are nearly %26quot;seniors%26quot;). I don%26#39;t know the reason - we never asked.

There may not be a problem for your son, but what if there is?

Rather than hope/assume it%26#39;s a %26quot;US based%26quot; rule or something, it would be best to resolve any potential issue ahead of time.

Why not assure yourself ahead of time that no contingencies will ensue?

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%26gt; ...she asked if he was 21 to be able to check in. I just went ahead and made the reservation hoping that this would not be an issue. %26lt;

So, you lied? Your bookings are thus invalid.

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Agreed. You essentially commited fraud.

As for the passports, they are collected by the hotel to save you time. You would otherwise have to go and register yourself at the police. It%26#39;s just to keep track of who is where and when. They fill in a form and then hand back the passport, usually within a few hours, sometimes the next day.

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%26quot;As for the passports, they are collected by the hotel to save you time. You would otherwise have to go and register yourself at the police%26quot;

Since when? I was born and raised in France and no French tourist had to personally register with the police. We had to fill a form for the hotel who eventually would give it to the police, but no one asked for an ID card. Or maybe my parents, then myself, were lucky for many years..

French people did had to register with the police when they moved to a different home..and this was very important when ALL men over 18 had to go to the army and could be called in the advent of a war or..I am not sure this is still the case.

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My daughter made her first trip to Europe when she was just 15 - alone - and she had no trouble checking into hotels in France, Italy, or Germany.

Before 75 folks tell me what a terrible mother I am for allowing this, I had promised her that she could go to Europe once she graduated from high school if she had saved enough money for her fare. Well, she had done all of that by the time she was 15, and I was stuck - be careful what you promise - if you don%26#39;t keep your word, there is no reason for your children to keep theirs. She then went off to university after her trip, when still 15, without any problems there, either.