What Hotels and Motels Can Do

Underage access to alcohol at hotels and motels

Youth may be able to access alcohol at unsupervised parties held at hotels and motels where adults over the age of 21 or underage youth have rented a room. In addition, youth may obtain alcohol at events, such as wedding receptions, held at hotels. Whether the supply of alcohol to underage persons is either indirectly related to the hotel (e.g., an adult rents a room where underage drinking occurs) or directly related (e.g., employees hired by the hotel for a wedding reception sell alcohol to an underage person), the hotel is playing a part in allowing youth access to alcohol.

Laws related to underage consumption at hotels

States and communities can consider passing laws that would hold hotel owners responsible for underage drinking that occurs on hotel property. Hotel owners may be less likely to allow underage drinking on their property if they believe they will be held financially or legally responsible for such parties.

• Restrict the number of persons who can occupy a room at one time. Limiting the number of persons who can occupy a hotel room (e.g., no more than four people at a time) may aid hotel managers in controlling parties or gatherings involving underage drinkers.
  
  
• Prohibit parties on hotel property that create a noise disturbance. Such policies can aid hotel managers in controlling underage drinking, which is often accompanied by loud noise and disruptive behavior. These policies have the additional advantage of preventing the disturbance of other hotel guests.
  
  
• Regularly monitor hotel parking lots and other unsupervised areas. Monitoring of hotel parking lots, pools, and other unsupervised areas may prevent gatherings in which underage drinking is likely to occur.
  
  
• Post signs at the registration desk and in each room informing adult renters of their legal liability of providing alcohol to youth. Hotel owners may also want to require adult renters to sign a statement upon registration indicating that the renter understands and agrees to abide by the law. (Note: Refer to your state's laws on liability for providing alcohol to underage youth).
  
  
• Restrict room rental to persons 18 years of age or older. Check the age identification of all persons appearing under 25. Hotel owners may reduce underage drinking on their property, and thus reduce their legal liability, by implementing policies that restrict persons under the age of 18 from renting rooms. However, under some state laws, hotel/motel owners may be prohibited from placing such age restrictions on renters of hotel rooms.
  
  
• Allow only trained servers to serve alcohol at hotel events. Hotel owners should require all alcohol servers and sellers hired for wedding receptions or other events that are held at the hotel to be trained in responsible beverage service. In addition, all alcohol servers and sellers employed in a hotel's restaurant or bar should be required to have server training (see responsible beverage service training policy).
  
  
• Require event planners to hire extra security for events in which alcohol will be served. All alcohol at hotel events should be monitored by a hotel employee or security guard to make sure that youth do not have access to the alcohol (e.g., ensuring that youth cannot serve themselves beer from kegs that are unsupervised).
  
  
• Hire extra security during sporting events. Hotels should hire extra security when there is an event in town that draws a large percentage of underage youth, such as high school sports tournaments, college games, or other sporting events.

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