My best friend and I haven't seen each other in 2 and half years. For
this New Years, want to spend a few days together in San Francisco.
She lives in Tennessee and I live in California, neither of us is a
partyer really. The catch is that she is 20 and a half, not quite 21,
and I'm 18.  To check into a hotel you have to be 21, correct? Neither
of us has family in the area, so we can't just have someone check in
for us.  What is the likelihood of a hotel bending the rules and
letting an *almost* 21 year old check in? Or are there hotels that let
you be 18?

Thanks for asking.

Good news! The legal age of responsibility for most purposes in
California is 18. While California laws restrict certain products and
activities, such as alcoholic beverages and gambling, to those over
21, a number of California hotels welcome adults guests 18 and over.
The following list of hotels in San Francisco with an 18-or-older
minimum check-in age is not comprehensive, but should give you an idea
of the selection of hotels you and your friend may consider for your
vacation planning.

Omni San Francisco Hotel
500 California Street
San Francisco, CA 94101
(415) 677-9494
http://www.funjetvacations.com/sfo/OMNI%5E%5E%5E/OMNI%5E%5E%5E.htm

The Pickwick, A Grand Heritage Hotel
85 Fifth Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 421-7500 
http://www.tgvacations.com/cgi-bin/hotelControl/ITGHotel.asp?code=SFOPICK

Hilton San Francisco and Towers
333 O'Farrell Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 771-1400 
http://www.swavacations.com/SFO/SFHT%5E%5E%5E/SFHT%5E%5E%5E.HTM

Radisson Hotel Fisherman's Wharf 
250 Beach Street
San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 392-6700
http://ual.unitedvacations.com/SFO/RADI%5E%5E%5E/RADI%5E%5E%5E.HTM

Renaissance Stanford Court Hotel
905 California Street
San Francisco, CA 94108
(415) 989-3500
http://ual.unitedvacations.com/SFO/RENA%5E%5E%5E/RENA%5E%5E%5E.htm

San Francisco Marriott
55 Fourth Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 896-1600  
http://swa.swavacations.com/SFO/MARR%5E%5E%5E/MARR%5E%5E%5E.HTM

Renaissance Parc 55
55 Cyril Magnin St
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 392-8000
http://www.travelconnection.com/hotels/sforen.htm 


Questions about age policies at individual hotels and other lodging
establishments should also be available from the San Francisco Chamber
of Commerce.

San Francisco Chamber of Commerce
235 Montgomery Street, 12th Flr. 
San Francisco, CA 94104
(415) 392-4520

Based upon my own travel experiences, especially for holiday travel, I
suggest, that in addition to checking Internet discount travel sites
such as Orbitz and Expedia, you also visit a local travel agent in
order to compare pricing on hotel or air/hotel travel packages. Travel
agents are generally paid commission from the establishments where
they book their clients (i.e. in many cases their expert services are
available at no cost to you), and often have knowledge of special
rates and packages that aren't widely advertised to the general
public. They'll also have fingertip reference to minimum-age check-in
policies.

Google search terms:
hotel "check-in age" san francisco 18

I hope you're able to use this information to plan an wonderful
holiday get-together. New Year's San Francisco-style is a wonderful
celebration. Should you have any questions about the information or
resources provided, please, feel free to ask.

larre-ga

Thank you soooo much, we're on a student budget, so we're going to
stay at Adelaide. However; next summer there are going to be about 10
of us (aged 18 -20) in San Fran, and Adelaide's kinda small for that,
so we're definitely all set!

Thanks you so much!!!!!

The minimum age in San Francisco for hotel check-in is 21 years. The
major hotels, at least, routinely check IDs for age. Whether or not
they will bend the rules is speculative, as you may know.
You can contact a hotel and ask what to expect prior to making the
reservation.

The Adelaide Hostel/Hotel and possibly other hostels do not have this
minimum age. Its contact info is:
  
ADELAIDE HOSTEL + HOTEL
5 Isadora Duncan Lane
(formerly Adelaide Place)
San Francisco, CA 94102
 
TOLL FREE: 1+877-359-1915
TELEPHONE: 1+415-359-1915
FAX:1+415-359-1940  
URL: www.adelaidehostel.com
Email: info@adelaidehostel.com 
  
Kindly let me know if this information is sufficient in answering your
question.

I think that you will find that the only important consideration is
whether the front desk will have a credit card upon check-in.  This is
not to say that a credit card is a necessity to stay at a hotel;
certainly most (if not all) hotels will permit cash payments on
check-in. But a credit card is business as usual and provides a level
of security and financial support to the hotel.

I spent a number of years in the hotel business, and other than prom
nights when we were on hyper-alert against kids checking in, we
wouldn't ever question the age of a potential customer.

Have fun with your friend in the best city in America!
weisstho-ga

I hope that if you stay at the Adelaide it turns out to be what you
needed this time.