To let two 17 year olds stay in a hotel in London on their own

[Susieblue18]

My son wants to go to an event at the O2 arena in March with a friend. They will be almost 17 but hotels are saying they can’t stay without an over 18 present. I even checked with St Christopher’s hostel and they’re the same, even with a room for 2. I know some of the premier Inns and travelodges are self check in, are they likely to get away with this? I phoned a couple of hotels but they’re said they will ask for ID.

He is 16.

There's a reason for the rule. Almost 17 or 17 is extremely young. They are naive, clueless and reckless at that age, and London is very huge and harsh. Things could easily go badly wrong.

How about smart hostels

Could they catch the sleeper train back to Scotland?

Things could go wrong while they are making their way to a bus/ train station as well.

Strange they can get from Scotland to London and back yet considered too young to sleep in a hotel

And do t forget lots of teenagers actually live in London and manage

So you live in Scotland, you don't have much experience of being in London so presumably neither does your son? My kids are a bit younger, but I honestly don't think I'd let them travel down to London by themselves at 16/17 year olds to attend an event (and I know London pretty well). How much experience do they have in a city? Would they be able to navigate across London and back to get to the event? They will be a long way away if anything goes wrong. Maybe I am underestimating what 16/17 year olds are capable of? But I'd be wary of being guided by people who say lots of kids grow up in London and manage fine. That's true, but I notice a huge difference in my small town kids compared to friends kids who are growing up in cities.

They could live in Glasgow or Edinburgh which are both cities. And as long as they haven't been mollycoddled they should be able to find their way about. Muslch easier these days with phone apps and maps

I I think you are underestimating capabilities if they've been allowed to take responsibility for getting places by themselves.

YHA allows under 18s to stay. It’s only under 16s that have to be accompanied by an 18 year old.
I just checked Thameside and got this:

It's not 30 minutes when you have to get out of the O2 and get on a tube when it's rammed.
I've done it loads of times, It's a push to make it back to London Bridge by 11, which is where I always stay, (St Christophers), and why I always stay.
You don't want two teens stuck in Victoria overnight.

I did ask in my post whether they had much experience in a city and how would they deal with travelling across the city? I recognise that kids growing up in Glasgow and Edinburgh will be used to navigating across a city on public transport and they'll be well placed to cope with London, but lots of kids growing up in Scotland won't have that experience.

I don’t even think that it’s due to this. The hotels are protecting the children.

This is where I struggle as I’m more or less saying no to him but checking options at the same time. His friends parents seem to think it’s fine. My Instinct is to say no but because I have anxiety anyway I then end up questioning whether I’m being unreasonable. We’re not far from Edinburgh so he can manage there fine, doesn’t really have any experience on tubes but is fairly sensible. I just see London as a big scary place!

Your title said two 17 year olds, so yes - that was a lie.

Check again. It’s under 16s that have to be accompanied not under 18s.

My DD stayed in a youth hostel when she are her friends were 17 when they were visiting Universities. It was fine.

Try a youth hostel.

Could you book them on the Caledonian sleeper to get back after? They’d wake up in Scotland then x

It's honestly fine, I'd have let mine BUT not with nowhere to stay, that's the sticking point.
I overnight bus up and down several times a year and stay in a hostel, but they check ID.

Agree, I'd just do this. Go with them, check in with them, but do your own thing.

When he goes in to Edinburgh does he use public transport to get there? And once he's there does he use the bus or tram network to get about? If he does then I think he could be ok in London. If you tend to drive him into town, or he gets the train in but tends to stay within walking distance of the station then I think he needs to build up his city skills before he gets to travel to London without an adult.

My daughter was asked for ID. She was 31 but looked much younger. Her partner asked if they wanted his ID. They said his partner was old enough to look after him. He was 32. 😂They do check.

I live in a small town in Essex. My daughter at 16/17 managed to navigate on trains to and across London to see All Time Low . She didn't grow up in a city

Youth hostel or sleeper train from Kings Cross? (I'd love to do the sleeper train, but guessing it's very expensive - though you're saving on the hotel cost)

By ensuring they can't stay and might end up sleeping at the bus station? Warped logic

Be very careful with the coach, FlixBus etc. My DD and friends (18 & 19) booked a return on FlixBus for a gig in London from NE Scotland. They took the overnight down then mooched around London for the day before attending the gig, then were taking the overnight bus back up here. All well planned by them to avoid hotel costs.

it was a nightmare as the sleeper train was cancelled and the FlixBuses were pulled fir train passengers. So DD and friends came out of their gig to an email saying the bus was cancelled and they needed to go online and book another bus. By this time all sensible buses were fully booked and there was nothing until the morning.

So the 3 of them were stranded in London in the early hours and totally freaking out. They went to hotels and couldn’t get a room anywhere. I tried to find something online from home, but as it was after midnight, it kept wanting to book them in for the next night….V stressful. They eventually got into a hostel after a good 3+ hours or so, but the whole thing was very traumatic for them all and she is very reluctant to return to London anytime soon!

Essex is close to London though so did you daughter have regular trips into the city as a child so she was familiar with the transport network? I know lots of Scottish teenagers who have never been to London. I also think it would also be easier to let a young person do that knowing that you are within driving distance if something went wrong.