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Metro
3 days ago
- Politics
- Metro
Adult-only hotels that ban children 'like dogs' could be made illegal in France
Children cannonballing into pools, running through the lobby and spaghetti on the floor in the restaurant. This is the kind of youthful chaos that a growing number of adults are keen to avoid while going on holiday – Metro readers included. Yet French politicians are looking at ending grown-up escapes as venues treat children as 'troublesome pests'. Should adult-only hotels be banned, or should adults be able to book time away from youngsters? Email us at: webnews@ Former French families minister Laurence Rossignol was quoted by The Guardian as saying: 'We can't organise society by separating children off from ourselves in the same way some establishments don't take dogs.' The Oise senator has proposed a bill to make it illegal to ban children from venues by considering it age discrimination under the Penal Code. These child-free spaces, according to Rossignol, amount to 'organising society around people's intolerance of others'. They 'allow people to say, 'I don't like children and I don't want to see them',' she said. 'And that is not acceptable, because to not like children is to not like humanity itself.' Our readers aren't so sure about that. Gid Eon told us: 'Surely that's also a form of discrimination. Discriminatory for those who don't want to be around a load of screaming kids?' Bliss Natasha added: 'People who choose not to have children should be able to go on holiday and have some peace.' Arwen Carol, a part-time supply teacher, said not wanting to be around children isn't discrimination, it's wanting to relax. 'There's plenty of spaces that cater really well for families with kids and there's space for both without turning it into an issue,' she commented. It's not just Rossingnol mourning the loss of the hotels with kids' clubs, teen zones with pool tables and face-painting sessions. Sarah El Haïry, the French government's high commissioner for childhood, believes excluding families from accommodation is 'real violence'. Haïry has launched a 'Family Choice' campaign for parents to recommend businesses that offer child-friendly prices, events and facilities. 'A child shouts, laughs and moves… we are institutionalising the idea that silence is a luxury and the absence of children is a luxury,' she told the broadcaster RTL. Adult-only holidays are nothing new, being popular since the 1970s in hotspots like Greece, Thailand and the US. Adverts for these child-free hotels, cruises and camps often feature smiling adults clinking glasses of wine in complete and utter silence. An Expedia survey in 2023 found that guests at these resorts were 63% more likely to rate their time as 'exceptional' compared to those at mixed-age resorts. Some Metro readers, including parents and guardians of children, said they'd even be willing to pay extra for a child-free hotel, flight or cinema. They described how it's not so much children not being on the premises that they're willing to pay for, but it's not being around childish behaviour. Shannon Baird said: 'As a mother of two, no, I don't think they should be banned. Not everyone wants to deal with our kids screaming and running around playing all the time.' Alex Doody wrote that, if he's paying thousands of pounds for a holiday, he expects a certain level of service. 'That level of service cannot be achieved if there are packs of 'free-range' kids running around unchecked, creating mayhem and iPad kids having a meltdown every time they're parted from Minecraft for two seconds,' he said. Thomas Pennington said that a simple reason why adult-only venues shouldn't be banned is that 'not everyone wants kids'. One in 10 French people say they don't want children, more than twice the number from 2005. As fewer French people have children, researchers estimate that up to 5% of the holiday market in France is adult-only. Hotels like Saint-Delis in Honfleur in Normandy promise 'peaceful' experiences away from youth, while Camp Laurent in the sunflower fields of Poitou-Charentes brands itself as 'exclusively for adults'. French tour operators like Fram and Kuoni are also catering more to 'adult-only' holiday experiences. More Trending No family in France has ever taken legal action against a venue for hanging a sign reading 'no children', according to French legal experts. Article 225-1 says people who discriminate against someone 'based on age or family status' face three years in prison and €45,000 (£39,000) fine. As much as the majority of Metro readers disagreed with the idea of banning child-free hotels, Sue Dudley said she feels differently. 'Each to their own,' she commented, 'but I find adult-only very boring.' Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Virgin orders 12 new high-speed trains in biggest challenge to Eurostar yet MORE: Manchester Airport flights grounded after easyJet planes 'clip wings' on runway MORE: Four bodies pulled from the same spot in the River Seine in Paris
The Star
05-06-2025
- Business
- The Star
France considers clamping down on 'adults-only' hotels and eateries
Some restaurants have imposed an 'adults-only' rule in Paris. — Pexels The French government is mulling measures to clamp down on adult-only hotels and restaurants, with a top official warning that hospitality venues excluding children in a so-called 'no kids' strategy were dividing society. While Paris is considered one of the most child-friendly cities in the world, more and more venues in France have been shunning children in an effort to shield customers from kids' unpredictable behaviour and noise. The government recently held a roundtable meeting with key industry players to discuss a trend that France's high commissioner for childhood, Sarah El Hairy, has said should end. Socialist senator Laurence Rossignol has introduced a bill that would make it illegal to ban children from venues in France. 'Children are not a nuisance,' said Rossignol, adding that the bill is aimed at promoting 'a society that is open to children'. 'We cannot accept that some people decide they no longer want to tolerate a particular section of the population, in this case children,' she said. El Hairy said excluding children was infringing on their rights, putting pressure on their parents and dividing society. 'There is a growing intolerance, and we must not allow it to take hold,' El Hairy told broadcaster RTL. 'We are pushing children and families out, and in a way, this is real violence,' she added. 'It's not in our culture, it's not our philosophy, and it's not what we want to see as the norm in our country.' Recently, she brought together representatives of the tourism and transport industries, including Airbnb, to discuss the 'no-kids' trend. In France, adults-only services are currently limited. According to estimates from a travel industry union, they represented around 3% of the market in 2024. Questions about children's place in society have been at the forefront of the public debate in France in recent years. The French Federation of Nurseries has repeatedly called on lawmakers to ensure children's right 'to make noise'. In the spring of 2024, a report submitted to President Emmanuel Macron said authorities needed to create alternatives to help children reduce the amount of screen time and 'give them back their rightful place, including their right to be noisy'. A few months later, the government's High Council for Family, Children and Age warned about the lack of spaces for children, pointing to the 'harmful consequences for their physical and mental health'. Rossignol praised El Hairy's initiative to gather together tourism and transport executives, but said more needed to be done. 'Now we need to go further,' she said. 'The president's camp must put this issue on the parliamentary agenda.' – AFP
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- Yahoo
French adult-only holidays at risk as campaign launches to end child ‘intolerance'
Adult-only hotels and facilities could be under threat in France after a new campaign against the 'no kids trend' accuses them of dividing society and excluding children. The push to end adults-only travel and tourism comes amid a dispute over whether intolerance is growing against children in France. This has been seen in groups such as the French Federation of Nurseries, which has campaigned for children's right "to make noise". France's high commissioner for childhood, Sarah El Haïry, held a roundtable on Tuesday (May 27) with key players from the tourism and travel industry to discuss adult-only policies, as some politicians call for child-free spaces to be banned. "There is a growing intolerance, and we must not allow it to take hold," Ms El Haïry told broadcaster RTL. "Children and families are being pushed out and, in a way, this is real violence being experienced.' "It's not in our culture, it's not our philosophy, and it's not what we want to see as the norm in our country." 'A child shouts, laughs and moves … we are institutionalising the idea that silence is a luxury and the absence of children is a luxury,' she added to radio station RFI, according to The Times. The move against adult-only hotels, restaurants and other facilities is not aimed at couples who choose to remain childless, but at adults who do not want to be disturbed by children, she said. Ms El Haïry also said children are being put 'in front of a cartoon' on public transport due to people complaining about noisy children, putting pressure on parents to keep them quiet. The commissioner added that lawyers are mulling over whether it would be feasible to take legal action against establishments that do not allow children. However, some lawyers say that there is no need for a new bill because they argue adult-only spaces could already be breaching laws that prohibit discrimination against 'origin, gender, family situation or age,' The Times reports. While the Travel Companies Union roughly estimates that only three per cent of commercial offers are adult-only facilities, this is not the first time French officials have tried to end no-children zones. Socialist senator Laurence Rossignol introduced a bill a year ago that would make it illegal to ban children from venues in France. Ms Rossignol said at the time that the bill is aimed at promoting "a society that is open to children". The senator's bill proposed that "the exclusion of minors from living spaces, public spaces, commercial spaces, transport and any other exclusion that is not justified by safety requirements specific to children or by the lack of civil capacity also constitutes discrimination'. Ms Rossignol also responded to Ms El Haïry 's anti-adult-only campaign on X, stating: 'A year ago, when Ms El Haïry was Minister for Children, and to the utmost indifference of the government, I tabled a bill against no-kids places. 'I welcome her awareness. And if she wants to act, she should have this bill examined by Parliament.' While the socialist senator "is pleased that the government is taking up the issue', she doubts "the ability of commerce to self-regulate without a law that imposes a minimum requirement," and is therefore calling on the government to put its bill on the agenda of the Senate or the National Assembly. "We cannot allow our society to be organised around our intolerance of others, where people organise themselves to keep their distance from anyone who does not fit into their idea of their neighbours," she added in a statement on Wednesday.
NDTV
28-05-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
'No-Kids' Holiday Venue? Think Again, Says France
The French government is mulling measures to clamp down on adult-only hotels and restaurants, with a top official warning that hospitality venues excluding children in a so-called "no kids" strategy were dividing society. While Paris is considered one of the most child-friendly cities in the world, more and more venues in France have been shunning children in an effort to shield customers from kids' unpredictable behaviour and noise. The government on Tuesday held a roundtable meeting with key industry players to discuss a trend that France's high commissioner for childhood, Sarah El Hairy, has said should end. Socialist senator Laurence Rossignol has introduced a bill that would make it illegal to ban children from venues in France. "Children are not a nuisance," said Rossignol, adding that the bill is aimed at promoting "a society that is open to children". "We cannot accept that some people decide they no longer want to tolerate a particular section of the population, in this case children," she told AFP. El Hairy said excluding children was infringing on their rights, putting pressure on their parents and dividing society. "There is a growing intolerance, and we must not allow it to take hold," El Hairy told broadcaster RTL. "We are pushing children and families out, and in a way, this is real violence," she added. "It's not in our culture, it's not our philosophy, and it's not what we want to see as the norm in our country." On Tuesday, she brought together representatives of the tourism and transport industries, including Airbnb, to discuss the "no-kids" trend. In France, adult-only services are currently limited. According to estimates from a travel industry union, they represented around three percent of the market in 2024. Questions about children's place in society have been at the forefront of the public debate in France in recent years. The French Federation of Nurseries has repeatedly called on lawmakers to ensure children's right "to make noise". In the spring of 2024, a report submitted to President Emmanuel Macron said authorities needed to create alternatives to help children reduce the amount of screen time and "give them back their rightful place, including their right to be noisy". A few months later, the government's High Council for Family, Children and Age (HCFEA) warned about the lack of spaces for children, pointing to the "harmful consequences for their physical and mental health". Rossignol praised El Hairy's initiative to gather together tourism and transport executives, but said more needed to be done. "Now we need to go further," she said. "The president's camp must put this issue on the parliamentary agenda."
eNCA
27-05-2025
- Politics
- eNCA
'No-kids' holiday venue? Think again, says France
The French government is mulling measures to clamp down on adult-only hotels and restaurants, with a top official warning that hospitality venues excluding children in a so-called "no kids" strategy were dividing society. While Paris is considered one of the most child-friendly cities in the world, more and more venues in France have been shunning children in an effort to shield customers from kids' unpredictable behaviour and noise. The government on Tuesday held a roundtable meeting with key industry players to discuss a trend that France's high commissioner for childhood, Sarah El Hairy, has said should end. Socialist senator Laurence Rossignol has introduced a bill that would make it illegal to ban children from venues in France. "Children are not a nuisance," said Rossignol, adding that the bill is aimed at promoting "a society that is open to children". "We cannot accept that some people decide they no longer want to tolerate a particular section of the population, in this case children," she told AFP. El Hairy said excluding children was infringing on their rights, putting pressure on their parents and dividing society. "There is a growing intolerance, and we must not allow it to take hold," El Hairy told broadcaster RTL. "We are pushing children and families out, and in a way, this is real violence," she added. "It's not in our culture, it's not our philosophy, and it's not what we want to see as the norm in our country." On Tuesday, she brought together representatives of the tourism and transport industries, including Airbnb, to discuss the "no-kids" trend. In France, adult-only services are currently limited. According to estimates from a travel industry union, they represented around three percent of the market in 2024. Questions about children's place in society have been at the forefront of the public debate in France in recent years. The French Federation of Nurseries has repeatedly called on lawmakers to ensure children's right "to make noise". In the spring of 2024, a report submitted to President Emmanuel Macron said authorities needed to create alternatives to help children reduce the amount of screen time and "give them back their rightful place, including their right to be noisy". A few months later, the government's High Council for Family, Children and Age (HCFEA) warned about the lack of spaces for children, pointing to the "harmful consequences for their physical and mental health". Rossignol praised El Hairy's initiative to gather together tourism and transport executives, but said more needed to be done. "Now we need to go further," she said. "The president's camp must put this issue on the parliamentary agenda." mep-as/sjw/jhb
