Gone is the era when people went to relatives’ places for vacations. Nowadays, families are nuclear and they prefer to plan their stay at hotels rather than at someone else’s home. The key reason behind this is the increased interest in maintaining privacy. While you might be planning a stay at a hotel, one question might surely come to your mind. This question is- why do hotels ask for ID? You never know whether sharing your ID with them is a good idea or not. Safety and privacy are what you want ultimately, at the end of the day.
How do IDs help the hotels?
Once the hotel obtains your ID in the name of their hotel policies, they can misuse the same or even ensure your safety. Here we highlight what hotels can do with the information they obtain from your ID.
- When you travel internationally, the foreign government can keep track of their international visitors through these IDs.
- The hotels have proof of your age as many places don’t allow renting hotel rooms to specific age groups of people. Also, there are minimum age requirements in many places. So, your ID serves as an aid to ensure you meet the age criteria.
- One cannot use a fake name to rent a room at a hotel when the hotel owners ask for their ID.
- Sometimes, there are two reservations in the same name for hotel rooms. Your ID helps the staff to determine for which hotel room was your booking made.
- The hotel owners are aware of whoever is using the room rental services of their hotel. If anything happens unexpectedly, the hotel owners can use the ID information to locate you without hassles.
- If the local government is on the hunt for a criminal, the information on the ID helps the hotel owners to inform the government about the same.
- There are minimal chances of identity theft or fraud when the ID is known.
- It also helps hotel owners in protecting their property and gets compensation from whoever tries to damage their rental property.
- Above all, the hotels can offer perks and attractive packages to their regular visitors to maintain a good rapport.
Related:- Do Hotels Allow Unmarried Couples?
IDs of everyone staying In Hotel
If you are checking in at a hotel, you might be wondering- do hotels need ID of both guests? Well, your type of booking is a major factor when it comes to staying in a rental room at a hotel. Many hotels require the IDs of just one person before everyone else in the group can check-in. If you are just people checking in, only one of you might have to submit the ID. A few hotels ask for the ID of just a person checking in every room of their property.
Furthermore, there are many other hotels that ask for the IDs of all the people who will check in at their hotel. This is mostly asked in case you are booking the rooms online at a particular hotel. The requirement might not be the same otherwise when you go and visit in person. One of the main reasons why the IDs of everyone are asked in an online booking is because of the use of a third-party app. Many apps do not allow you to book a hotel room if you are not providing them with a valid identity proof of all those checking in.
No chance of fake IDs In Hotel
If you are thinking why do you need ID for a hotel, let’s tell you that many use fake IDs, and showing your ID only eliminates this possibility. Many people use these fake IDs to buy alcohol illegally or rent a property at hotels that don’t allow particular age groups to rent. If someone uses a fake ID to enter a hotel, they could face legal consequences. With ID, the hotels are aware that the ID you carry is government-verified and confirms your identity. No doubt, your ID can save you from facing law enforcement who will seize your card. Handing over the ID to hotels ensures correct identity and they’re sure you aren’t providing false information.
When you plan to check in to a hotel or a rental property, you must always carry your ID. This will be profitable not only for the hotel owners but also for you. Nobody can put illegal charges on you by trickily putting a fake ID in your belongings. You are safe and there are no chances of facing any kind of legal complications. Your well-being and security are never compromised when you have your government-verified ID with you.
Collection of original ID
If you are one of those people checking in to a hotel for the first time, you might not know if hotels keep the ID or just a copy of the same. “Do hotels keep your ID?”- if this is something that’s a major concern for you, let’s resolve it for you. Well, hotels are not allowed to keep your original ID with them- no matter the reason. IDs are generally a form of proof that confirm your age and identity to the hotels. Even if for records, hotels can keep a copy of your ID and maintain the same in their files. If, at any point, hotels ask to collect and keep your original ID, you must not hand over the same to them.
A better idea in these suggestions would be to hand them over a copy of your ID or share it with them by e-mail. Also, if there is any issue coming up, you can try talking out the same rather than ending up in a legal complication. The purpose of your ID is to ensure your safety and not land you in a court or prison directly. So, try carrying at least one copy of your ID whenever you plan to stay in a hotel.
Age determination with ID
When you come to know that hotels ask for ID before check-in, you might ask them do hotels check IDs for age. Many countries across the globe have a minimum age requirement for their guests to rent their rooms. This is very much common in hotels with minibar settings or clubs. The age criteria are to ensure that the hotel complies with government rules & regulations.
Also, there are no chances of mishappenings where the hotel might have to face legal consequences. So, presenting the ID at the hotel guarantees you meet the age requirements. No doubt, this helps prevent any illegal activity or underage alcohol consumption.
If you are about to check into a hotel and you don’t meet the age criteria, the ID of the one accompanying you can be helpful. If you are accompanied by an adult according to the local government, then you won’t face problems checking in despite being underage.
Also, if your local government has relaxed age requirements for relatives of army personnel or government employees, you can book a hotel room. For international travel, you ought to know the age requirements for check-ins to ensure a hassle-free stay at a hotel. When planning to travel internationally, you must check the age restrictions of that country before planning the trip.
Checking in Hotel without an ID
When the fortune is not in your favor, you might face some odd situations. Either your ID might get lost or stolen even before you could check in to a hotel. If you are on an international trip, the situation might be worst for you. Well, you are already on the safer side if you verified your information while booking online. Getting a message or a call while booking a room is quite common. So, the hotel can verify your age through this information without your ID in hand.
If you used a debit or a credit card to pay for the hotel room booking, you may ask the hotel staff to match your name with that on the card. When the name on your card matches the name with which the room reservation has been made, you will be allowed to check-in. Another way that the hotel staff might use is to ask you questions regarding booking type or booking date. If you answer rightly regarding the type of room you selected or when you made the booking, the flags are all green.
The Bottom Line
Many people might not take this seriously but providing accurate and relevant information during online booking is important. You never know what might happen inadvertently and the information you filled correctly might rescue you. Yes, there are a handful of hotels that misuse the information of their guests.
However, investing time in researching the guest experiences, reviews, and services of the hotel before booking can surely save you. So, make sure to go through the reviews and ratings before you book your hotel rooms. Also, never hesitate to share your ID with the hotel staff. Your cooperation is essential for them and will only let them serve you better till your stay lasts.
