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I'm 18 and traveling to the East Coast of the USA. I am staying in Syracuse, NY for 2 days, but can't seem to find a hotel that will let me check in. Are there any hotels in Syracuse with a minimum check in age of 18? I really don't want to end up homeless in Syracuse all weekend.

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    No, that's different. She's a minor, I'm not.
    – Ash
    May 30, 2014 at 17:10
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    @Ash it's not different. You're both under 21. May 30, 2014 at 17:42
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    @KateGregory It is different as far as the law is concerned. motel6.com/reservations/policies.aspx There is a bit of duality in the US laws regarding this.
    – Karlson
    May 30, 2014 at 17:43
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    It's possible to be old enough to drive a car, get married and have children but not old enough to check into a hotel. *boggle* May 31, 2014 at 9:23
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    @DavidRicherby: yeah, and it's the same boggling principle here in the UK, for example Travelodge (travelodge.co.uk/terms-conditions). "You can only make a booking if you are 18 years old or over. If you arrive at the hotel and are under 18 years of age you will not be permitted to stay alone". So a 17 year old (child) can drive, get married and have children but can't stay in a Travelodge. Oh, and can join the army. Jun 1, 2014 at 0:44

4 Answers 4

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Stay at a hostel. You shouldn't have any trouble due to your young age. You will have to buy a hostel membership, either an annual or temporary one. But the nightly fee will probably be less expensive than most hotels anyway.

There is one in Syracuse. Here's the link to check availability: http://www.hiusa.org/new-york/syracuse/downing-international-hostel

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    I have stayed in a lot of hostels and never needed to get a membership. Of course I know there are (more expensive) chains where it's necessary, but far from a requirement. Jun 1, 2014 at 22:00
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You will need to search hotels individually for the most part and mostly away from chain hotels like Choice Hotels, or Wyndham and the like.

For example Motel 6 policy is to allow guests of 18 years of age and older to check-in but individual hotels may deny until 19 or 21.

Hotels.com lists Syracuse Inn & Suites. Hilton provides Hilton Garden Inn, Expedia gives Ramada and so on but before going there I would suggest contacting them to verify that information is actually true.

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According to Expedia.ca (unfortunately you can't search by that parameter)

Ramada Inn Syracuse Buckley Rd North Syracuse NY 1-855-247-4371

There may be others... apparently it's all over the place from 18 to 25 depending on the hotel.

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Assuming you truly are a responsible young adult…

Contact the hotel manager directly, well in advance. Explain your situation. Demonstrate that you are a responsible young adult who is not going to wreck the place with a wild party or other crazy behavior. Be polite and courteous. Put yourself in the shoes of the man or woman responsible for the care and upkeep of the building and business.

Hotels don't hate young adults. They hate wild, drunk, out-of-control young adults. Unfortunately, a generation of bad parenting has made this all too common.

If you succeed in getting their approval, ask the manager to leave a note on your reservation records to avoid problems if the manager is not present when you check-in. Ask them to email you a note as well.

If you are a hooligan looking to use this approach as a scam, remember that not only can you be evicted from the room, but you can also be arrested for causing a disturbance or damaging property.

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