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France Debates Ban on Hotels That Exclude Minors

A legal push would clarify whether age-based exclusions in private lodging constitute discrimination.

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Overview

  • High Commissioner for Children Sarah El Hairy denounced the adults-only trend as harmful to children's participation and said it should be slowed, if necessary through legislation, with a new label to highlight family-friendly venues.
  • Socialist senator Laurence Rossignol proposed recognizing minors as a protected ground in anti-discrimination law to resolve uncertainty over access rules.
  • Current law bars distinctions based on age or family situation under the penal code, yet children have no explicit right of access to private hotels or rentals.
  • The hotel federation UMIH argued that adults-only offerings are a commercial strategy to meet demand and differentiate, not an ideological stance, alongside many options tailored to families.
  • Researcher Vincent Lagarde reported that the segment remains small but is expanding, found no lawsuits from families after two years of public debate, and noted many users are parents or child-care and school workers seeking a break.