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.

There is a lot of difference between a just turned 16 year old and one that is a few days away from being 17. If a nearly 17 year old can’t navigate their way across London with a friend there is something wrong….

you can’t have a drink at your wedding reception though 😂😂😂😂😂

I know capable adults who find the idea of navigating their way around London very daunting.

Well they can figure it out and it’s a good lesson. Mine did it younger and are adept at it now at 16/17.

Honestly it’s a pain in the bum when they want to go to uni open days and can’t spend the night.
I thought travellodge allowed over 16 though?

Sorry just checked that and it seems they don’t. I think they used to.

It does make me wonder now where my then 17 year old DS stayed when he went to a big concert in London that time (years ago) with a friend. They said they had a hotel room and mums friend had paid for it. Now Im thinking did they just wander about London all night 😨they seemed very pleased with themselves when they got back.

Is this countrywide? My DS stayed in a hotel with friends in Cheltenham and they are all 17. Seems bizarre. Is this new? It’s just this country?

I was waiting to check in at a Premier the other day when two teenagers trying to self check in were asked for ID and when they showed they were under 18 they were turned away….. they were going to a gig too….

YHAs allow 16 and over

My son and his friend did similar last year to attend a concert. They used a premier inn which they knew had self check in and got away with it. I was nervous they wouldn’t. They were both 17, one of them nearly 18.

Agree -
I booked a couple of 16 year olds into YHA private room -
18+ for the dorms
OP just needs to make sure she’s booking private room !

They’ll be asked for I.D. You could try find them an air bnb and book in your name where the key is left in a key box

Just save this sort of trip for when they are 18+. My first gig was at 16/17 with mates which only involved getting the train home from Manchester, 25 minutes. I would never have even had in my expectations to be allowed to travel the length of the country on my own for a concert, and wouldn't have been able to afford the travel or hotel, and neither would my mum or dad.

Same for DDs though London - train home, 40 minutes, we picked them up.

When I was 18 we went on holiday to Spain for a couple of weeks and coped very well. There's no rush. You spend a lot of years being an adult.

It sounds like YHA will be fine. Good to know.

I couldn’t wait to go on holiday abroad with my friend when I was 17. Had the best time and you do learn how to look after yourself. How to navigate airports/travel etc. I don’t believe in babying teenagers. We’ve gone too far in this country and they don’t learn the necessary skills.

my dd works in a hotel , they will ask for id , and they will get turned away , and possibly not refunded. This is for insurance purposes

Yes, so 16 then 🤔

That's all very well but so many places won't accept under 18s without over 18s now. Have you even read the thread?

I went away wuth friends at 17 - camping on the Isle of Wight. We had a blast (this was during the glorious summer of 1976), but I know that now it is difficult to find a campsite that accepts a group of 8 17 year olds without at least one of them being 18.

Times have changed. It isn't parents "babying" their teenagers. It is red tape and regulations.

I wasn’t aware of this though. I think it’s just this country! Plenty of 17 year olds travel abroad just fine.

Like I said my 17 year stayed in a hotel in Jan. No problem. I didn’t know we had new regulations.

I have read all the thread - I think some haven’t to be honest as the conclusion is that the YHA will take them under 18. Than goodness.

This - two 16 year olds (which they are, not "nearly" 17 - they're 16)

• going down to London from Scotland, being expected to confidently navigate the tube network and get about despite presumably never being on it before.. It'll be extremely busy as well with everyone piling out of the arena at the same time when it finishes, so would be a stressful dash to get any public transport further across London.
• and then the added risk of not being able to get into a hotel as they are likely to get ID'd
• and you're abroad and out of the country at the same time to boot, so not exactly in much of a position to get to them quickly if need be....

Far too many risks

The OPs kids are 16 though.

There’s a lot of difference and maturity between a child that has just turned 16 and one that is a day away from 17. Which age are they closet to? Have they matured in that last year? They grow up so much between 16 and 17. It’s like we’ve lost all critical thinking here.

If there is a UK wide law that says no under 18s can stay alone in hotels then fine. But the YHA seems to accept them and two nearly 17 year olds will be fine in London. OP knows her own child.

If my child was a few days away from being 17 then they are 17 in my eyes. Nothing magical happen at midnight on their birthday FFS 😂.

Which age are they closet to? Have they matured in that last year?

I was thinking more along the lines that the hotels won't care, to them it won't be a case of "you're nearly 17 so it's OK" - they'll be like "nah, mate. You're 16."

Yes so they can book in to the YHA.

I’m more addressing the concerns that two nearly 17 year olds wouldn’t be able to navigate London and it’s all too risky. In that case them being a day or two away from 17 is relevant.

Hopefully they can get booked in to a youth hostel.