do US citizens need to give their passport at hotel check-in

When in Rome . . .

You should ask on the European forum, not here. I have been to Europe many times and have not had a hotel ask to keep my passport in years. Now, I am referring to Western Europe. Things are a bit behind the times in Eastern Europe and Russia.

MOst countries require visitors to register their presence in the country, and this is how most countries accomplish this. The hotels record passport information and pass it into the national police. That's why they ask for passports at check-in. But it's kind of old-fashioned for them to keep the passport. Still, a few places still do it. It's completely legitimate. I don't know if they would accept a passport card, but I also don't know why you would feel uncomfortable giving your passport to the hotel. It's pretty typical.

You do have to give them your passport. (we get this question pretty often over on the Europe forum)

It seems mostly (some) Americans are nervous about this - maybe because we tend to travel overseas less often than some other nationalities. At least I don't remember such a question ever coming from a different nationality.

It is totally normal - they will keep it for a couple of hours or sometimes over night. They are doing you a favor -- otherwise, to be legal you would have to go in person to the central police station and register. That could eat up half of your sightseeing day. So just give it over to the hotel desk and you will get it back when they are finished w/ it.

Hello amandalaw, I see you are a new member of Fodor's..welcome!

Just to help you in the future; when you have questions or trips reports about the US post on the US Forum. When you have questions or trip reports regarding Europe post on the Europe Form and so forth.

When tagging a post (as you did here) tag it for the country you are asking or writing about not where you live (I assume you live in CA since that is how you tagged your thread although your questions was about Europe). No need to tag but it is good to at least put the US state(s) or European countries in the title of your thread.

Regarding European hotels taking your passport, well I will only address this about Italy. I have an Italian friend who was the night manager of a hotel in Italy. Each evening after things quieted down he filled out the form for the local police department regarding the hotel guest that had checked in that day. All required information was taken from the various guest passports. One evening while I was sitting with him while he was filling out the required PD form the local PD came into the hotel. Per the form he had filled out a few nights before the PD questioned him as one of the "guest" was wanted for a serious crime. Said "guest" had used several different passports while travelling around Europe. The PD was following this person who was staying in various hotels throughout the region. I found out later they did arrest him. But also, in case of an emergency such as an accident, earthquake or whatever the local authorities have a better idea regarding the ID's of guest staying in the various hotels. I have never heard of anyone not getting their passport back or having a problem for the time that the hotel has a guest passport. But have never heard or experienced a hotel keeping a guest's passport longer then overnight either.

Just wondering, did you by chance make arrangements to pay by cash for your hotel rooms ( at the end of your stay) versus by credit card and the hotel(s) wanted to keep your passport to make sure you did pay them when departing the hotel?

Sorry everyone, I'm new and didn't know I should've asked on the European forum, but thanks for your answers.
LoveItaly -- I didn't make arrangements to pay in cash.
This practice just seemed odd to me, US hotels never ask for ID, in fact it's almost considered an invasion of one's privacy here. So seemed strange to me.

US hotels don;t ask for ID since we don;t have a law requiring foreigners to register.

Many countries have laws requiring foreign visitors to register with the local police. By taking your passports the hotels are doing this for you (and it's not their decision - it's the laws - they have no choice). If the hotel didn't do this for you, you would have to find a local police station and register yourself.

They usually ask to keep it so they make sure they have correct info - but if you insist they can probably do it on the spot and return it to you. (But don;t expect this if a whole batch of people are registering at once.)

In the past they would keep the passport overnight or for a few hours, or perhaps just until you passed through the lobby again after stowing your luggage in the room. This was enough time for them to complete the required forms. Now many hotels have photocopying machines at the front desk, and the desk clerk will make a quick copy while you wait and use the copy to complete the form. So how this is accomplished may vary depending on the size and services of the hotel.

As others have said, this is normal and it is a favor to you.

"US hotels never ask for ID, in fact it's almost considered an invasion of one's privacy here" - at least half of hotels asked to see my ID. They didn't ask to keep it, just to see it. Also all would swipe my credit card as a deposit.

Which hotels do not ask for ID?