Soldier Turned Away From Hotel Due to Age: Military Connection

Old enough to serve your country in the military, but not old enough to rent a hotel room? That’s what happened to Cpl. Hayden Harrington, who was returning to his base in Oklahoma after a short visit with his family in New Hampshire. Harrington was stranded in Charlotte, North Carolina, after his flight was cancelled.

With the assistance of the USO, Harrington reserved a room at the Baymont Inn And Suites near the airport. Unfortunately, upon his arrival, Harrington, wasn’t allowed to check in due to the fact that he is under 21.

Apparently, unbeknownst to the desk clerk, exceptions are made in certain circumstances, including members of the military.

The hotel’s general manager has issued an apology. Nita Shah wrote, “Please accept our sincerest apologizes for this inconvenience. The employee that declined your request was following our company policy, but he is new and was not aware of the permitted exceptions.”

Harrington’s mother, Pamela LaPrell, said the SpringHill Suites Hotel nearby made an exception to their policy, and allowed him to book a room for the night in its hotel.

A representative for the Wyndham Hotel Group said that 30,000 reward points will be provided to Harrington for the hassle. LaPrell says while the reward points are nice, she just wants to policy to be changed so that no other military member has to experience what her son went through.

Military Connection proudly serves those who serve in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard and Reserve, Veterans and their families. We are the go-to site for Veteran Employment and information on Veteran education. Militaryconnection.com provides Veterans with and Directory of Employers, a Job Board, information on the Post-9/11 GI Bill, and a blog that offers Veterans boundless information. Be sure to visit Militaryconnection.com, the go-to site.