Can You Book a Hotel Room at 18?
Kevin Wang
The answer is yes, you can book a hotel room at 18. But it usually is more involved than when booking over the age of 21. As someone who has booked many rooms at 18, I've learned a lot about the process and I'll share how to make it as smooth as possible.
The answer is yes, you can book a hotel room at 18, 19, or 20, but your options are much more limited.
My name is Kevin and I've booked 10+ hotels under the age of 21—for visiting family, friends, contests, and vacationing. It's always gone smoothly because I've created a process that helps me filter out options systematically. This process is really time-consuming, which is why I created software to optimize it, but ordinarily it goes like this:
- Most times I already know a list of hotel chains that generally have an 18+ hotel policy. I'll check these first for prices. But if it's a location I've never been to, then more research will be done.
- I'll go on Google Hotels and look up the area, scanning for hotels in the general location and price range I'm looking for. I'll make a list of potential options.
- I'll Google the hotel name with the suffix "minimum check in age". Usually, it'll show excerpts from Booking.com, Expedia, and Hotels.com. If they're in consensus that the hotel's minimum age is 18 or 21, then I'll mark it down and move on. Otherwise I'll have to call, which I really dislike doing, so I'll save it for later.
- Usually this gives me a list of the top options, one of which I'll choose and call them to ensure that they'll actually let 18+ year olds check in.
This Process Sucks
Needless to say, this process sucks and takes a ton of time. But hey, at least some hotels allow me to stay. The reason for this is liability—young adults, in the eyes of hotels, are more likely to throw parties, trash their rooms, and make their insurance premiums increase. It's impossible for me to actually change the minds of the hotels, but what we can do is skip this repetitive process and cut straight to the available options.
That's why I created this website. Search thousands of hotels that you can book at 18 instantly. Filter, map, and look through them in seconds. All for free.
I hope you give it a try!
Some Things I've Learned Along the Way
After all these bookings, I've picked up a few things that might save you some headaches. First, even if Expedia or Booking.com lets you complete a reservation, that doesn't guarantee the hotel will let you check in. I've had friends get turned away because the third-party site didn't communicate the age requirement properly. It's awkward, ESPECIALLY if you're already there.
Second, always have a credit or debit card in your own name. Not your parents', not your friend's—yours. Most hotels also put a hold on your card for deposits, usually anywhere from $50 to $200 per night. So if you're booking a 3-night stay, you might have $300 tied up that you can't access until after checkout. Budget for that. Also have your ID with you. They'll always check.
Third, some chains are generally more lenient. My favorites are Sonder (especially if you're looking for a more Airbnb feel), Pod Hotels (NYC), and Wyndham hotels. Motel 6 and Super 8 might also be good options but I haven't used them yet. Airbnb is always a great alternative, since hosts on the platform are required to make their listing 18+.
Why Do Hotels Even Do This?
You're probably wondering why this is even a thing. Honestly, it comes down to insurance and past experiences. Hotels pay higher insurance premiums when they rent to younger guests because statistically we're seen as higher risk. Whether that's fair or not doesn't really matter to them—it's about their bottom line.
Plus, hotels in party areas have been burned before. One bad incident with property damage or noise complaints, and suddenly every 18-20 year old gets lumped into the same category. It's not personal, but it definitely feels that way when you're just trying to book for innocent reasons. I've seen a Hilton property in D.C. go from 18+ the first time I checked to 21+ in a matter of months. I can only imagine what happened there.
The Reality Check
Look, booking hotels at 18 isn't impossible, but it does take more legwork than it should. You're not doing anything wrong by wanting to travel young. You're just working within a system that treats age as an easy way to screen people.
The point of this website is to skip the hours of research and phone calls. You can see which hotels actually accept 18+ guests without having to hunt it down yourself. I built it because I was tired of wasting time on this, and I figured other people probably were too.
Give it a shot and let me know how it works for you. And if you've got your own tips or horror stories about booking under 21, I'd love to hear them.
About Kevin Wang
Kevin is a college student who has experience booking hotels under the age of 21. He is also the founder of HotelsAllow.
