Teens in hotel | Mumsnet

motheroftwoboys · 2007-02-15T19:14:22+00:00

My 16 year old DS wants to go to London with a mate for a couple of nights in the half-term. Will they be allowed to book into a hotel?

mumeeee · 15/02/2007 23:05

I personnely would not allow 2 16 year olds to stay in London by themselves.
Also I don't think hotels would take 16 year olds by themselves. I know when I tok 1n 18 and a 16 year old to London a couple of years ago, the hotel clased the 16 year old as a child and would not have let her stay there without an adult.
A youth hostel will let young people stay from the age of 14 but I think between 14 and 16 they have to have parental consent.

mumeeee · 15/02/2007 23:06

I personnely would not allow 2 16 year olds to stay in London by themselves.
Also I don't think hotels would take 16 year olds by themselves. I know when I tok 1n 18 and a 16 year old to London a couple of years ago, the hotel clased the 16 year old as a child and would not have let her stay there without an adult.
A youth hostel will let young people stay from the age of 14 but I think between 14 and 16 they have to have parental consent.

QueenEagle · 15/02/2007 23:10

dd has been asking to go to a concert with her friend, in London next year, when she will be 16.

No way.

ohsmellyjelly · 15/02/2007 23:12

Message withdrawn

Original poster

motheroftwoboys · 16/02/2007 11:07

Thanks for the replies and yes, thanks, a youth hostel will be the best option but also interested in why you wouldn't let your 16 year olds go. Is it just because it is London or would you not let them go anywhere with friends? Tom has been to London many times with us and knows his way round and is very sensible. They want to go shopping/round the galleries/east Krispy Kremes in Harrods etc. When we were in New Year at New Year and he and I went out together it was him that took charge of the map and decided where to go. They are not going to be in any dodgy areas. What would you see as the problems - if they stay in a hostel? I am 50 but when I was his age I certainly travelled to London and other places with friends mainly to see bands and shows (we live in Newcastle).

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winterpimms · 16/02/2007 14:05

I am also interested in why people would not let them go. Is it the staying over or being in London?

I can understand being apprehensive about staying over but does everyone feel the same about visiting London for the day? (just being nosey!)

Tortington · 16/02/2007 14:08

think it muchly depends ont he teen ( saw the other thread too)

i i wouldnt let my daughter free in the big smoke at 16 because i am a sexist pig.

i would let my eldest son

i wont let my youngest son - becuase hes immature and a twonk of the highest order.

doormat · 16/02/2007 14:12

depends on the maturity of the 16yo imo

I would rather my 16yo spend a night in a hotel than a hostel
hostels remind me of drugs and filfth tbh

Incodnito · 16/02/2007 14:14

When were you last in a hostel?

They are not like that these days.

doormat · 16/02/2007 14:18

a long time ago codster

couldnt care if they changed

Incodnito · 16/02/2007 14:20

Sorry I am not cod, need to change name, is a name i use on other forums, didnt realise the whole cod thing here.

Seriously though, hostels are usually lovely, though basic, very international etc.

doormat · 16/02/2007 14:26

soz incod
should of guessed as you can type properly

RustyBear · 16/02/2007 14:34

I let DS go to London in August 2003 with three friends to go to the playstation experience. They were all 15 and had planned it very well & were meaning to come home on a train at about 6.30- I wouldn't have been happy with them staying out much later at that age
However - that was the day of the big powercut, so they got to the tube station to find no trains, buses & taxis full etc. Walked to waterloo, couldn't even get in to the station because there were too many people.
They ended up walking to Vauxhall, taking a train back to Waterloo, then rang us up & said there's trains going to these places, can you pick us up from one of them?

After that I wasn't really worried about him going to London.

I'm a bit more cautious with DD (17 tomorrow) but I let her go with DS to a Flogging Molly gig last summer, & just before Christmas I let her go to Camden market with a couple of friends - previously it's always been with a parent.

mumeeee · 18/02/2007 17:45

I took an my daughter and her 16 year old friend to London a couple of years ago for her 18th Birthday. My daughter nealy got her bag stolen but managed to grab gthe bag back from the woman. The 16 year was not realy very safety concious and soon after this incident she opened her bag wide in a crowded place to look for her mobile phone just to see if her Mum had texted her.
So I actually think 16 year olds are not really mature enough to stay in London by themselves. Also I would probably be wary of them staying in any big city by themselves.
I might think diferntly if I had boys.

ellceeell · 18/02/2007 18:04

We live in outer London and dd1 (17) has been going in and out during the day and to evening gigs / theatre without an adult for about a year now. Of course I worry, but I also know that she is pretty sensible.

Original poster

motheroftwoboys · 19/02/2007 17:04

Just to let you know that I have discovered that Premier Travel Lodge Hotels class anyone aged 16 and over as an adult so no problem there. There may be other chains but haven't found any as yet. Reading these comments it does seem that it depends on the teen and whether they are streetwise or not. A day out shopping in London is really not much different to a day out shopping here (Newcastle) or in any other city. Also we must all remember that in just 2 short years these teenagers of ours will most probably be living away from us in a city and possibly having done gap year travelling first so I suppose the more we teach them now the better otherwise we would be nervous wrecks when it comes to the time we have to let them go.

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