A question about hotel reservations.?

Travel Info
This May, my fifteen year old daughter is going to an anime convention in Toronto, ON. I won't be with her, but she will be seeing her friend there, who is eighteen and will be with my daughter at hotel check-in.
But we found out that the hotels near the convention require a credit card. Is this just for online reservations? Or could they just pay for the hotel when they get there in cash, without a reservation? If they can't, are there any hotels that don't require a reservation?

Travel Tips

you have several options.
1- call the hotel, fax them an "authorization" letter giving them authorization to use your card for your daughters stay. If she has a credit card on file, she will not need to pay a deposit. You can set it up so the card only pays for the room/tax charge so she doesn't go crazy on movies etc. or you can pay all charges. they will have a form they can send you. it would be the same if you were a company with employees staying at the hotel.

2- she can pay a cash deposit at a lot of hotels. There are some that will not take a damage deposit though, so check before you send her. this deposit would be anywhere from $50.00 to $500.00 depending on the hotel. She woudl also be required to pay in advance for the nights she plans to stay, and would not be able to charge movies or meals to her room.

You can make a reservation without a credit card (unless doing it online) by calling the hotel and telling them that you will be paying cash. They will make the reservation, but its called "non guaranteed" - meaning that if at a certain time, usually 4 or 6pm, the room is "released" and the reservation is gone. Becareful with this, because if they hotel is busy, or someone shows up throwing a fit because they "made" a reservation and the hotel lost it, the non guaranteed room would be the first to get sold if they are sold out.

Also, make sure they are aware she is under 18 (19 in Ontario?). she would need photo ID to check in with a cash deposit, so she would have to be in the room with someone over 18. I have refused service to kids just because they usually cause trouble. (yes, probably discrimination, but if she showed up without a reservation, an empty hotel can suddenly become full) having a credit card would make all those type of problems go away.

She is 15, so definately find a way to make sure she has a reservation. you don't want her finding the hotel full, especially if it has a conference, and then having to chase down another hotel. Source(s): over 10 years working in hotels

Other Travel Tips
A 'good' hotel, check it out and the area she will be in! always requires a c.card. This guarantees the 'reservation'. The room
can be charged to it, and actually should be for safety purposes,
credit card companies stand behind errors, over charges, lost articles, etc. Cash, does not.

You can pay the bill from the c. card company when it arrives in the mail, thus no interest charge.

Make arrangements with the hotel regarding your edit info:
also send a copy of your drivers license and a letter stating your daughter has full authority to use the card, or call the credit card company and have them issue a 'one time only' card for your daughter. I did both of these suggestions for mine, I had no problems.

good luck to her and you.
Generally hotels will require a credit card. Some may accept a cash deposit in th event that the guest makes phonecalls, orders room service etc.
i have found most major hotels require a credit card even at check in and they check them out before they let you in. I'm sure they wont accept a card with some one elses name on it. we wont a the holiday inn. some hotels will accept cash but you have to leave a $100 $200 deposit before check in and that's only if the room was reserved in advance with a credit card and the situation explained at the time you make the reservation. this dosent work for on line reservations
holliday inn employee