sirhawkeye64

Was wondering because I am planning to visit and someone bought this up and figured I'd check. I'm not overly concerned about this but I will be traveling with some electronics (mainly a laptop and a spare camera with a few lenses that I may lave in the room in some cases). Obviously when I leave for the day, I will keep everything zipped up in my bag and keep it locked so it's not obvious what I bought with me.

I haven't run into this yet (being from the US) and the few times I did travel overseas (mainly to Switzerland about 15 years ago) they never asked for the key when I left for the day. I know that in the US this is not common practice, although most hotels also use electronic keycards anyway. I am also planning on staying at an actual [larger] hotel in the city, although I haven't selected one yet as I'm not too fond of AirBNB's and hostels personally for safety reasons.

janisj

Welcome to Fodors. It wouldn't really matter if they did or didn't. Your key won't be the only one to your room so staff could get in at any time. I'd check to make sure the rooms have safes. Most will hold a laptop. A camera/lenses could be more of an issue though.

hetismij2

I have left cameras and lenses in bags in hotel rooms with no problem. As Janis says the hotel will have a passkey or a copy of the key for your room anyway so housekeeping can get in, or you can should you lose your key.

aulop

We have travelled in Portugal numerous times over the decades, never have been asked to leave the key with the hotel except when checking out.
As the others mentioned, the hotels have master keys to all the rooms so hotel staff can enter ( maids,etc).
Usually they also have the means to unlock safes, it becames a matter of trust along with your own preventive measures.

Christina

I've encountered this sporadically in various hotels in Europe, I don't see a pattern. I have never asked why they do it but back in the old days when you had to lug around this big metal key, I was glad to do it. And back then, it was possible they didn't have duplicates (hard to believe), but they were much harder to come by than the current electronic keycards. So I think it was for that reason, they were harder to get/make. And I suppose also they didn't want you to lose it somewhere, think about that.

I don't understand your concern, they can get in your room no matter what, they have to be able to do that.

I like taking the cardkeys with me as sometimes when I come in, it's just easier and occasionally, there isn't even someone at the desk.

ekscrunchy

I think Janis has it right.

In old-school hotels, such as the one I've stayed at in Madrid, the key is a large, brass heavy items with a big tassel. I would not want to carry it around with me, it's heavy.

I doubt if any hotel would insist on you leaving your key with them. It is YOUR key while you are in possession of the hotel room. And many people would have access to your room, not needed your personal key.

In the hotel I mentioned in this paragraph, and other similar hotels, the keys themselves are expensive and the hotel may want to cut the chance of a guest losing one...take a look at some of those glorious old keys..they are collectors items and would cost the hotel a lot to replace, so the logic is that the key is safest while remaining in the hotel.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/166148627634?chn=ps&mkevt=1&mkcid=28&srsltid=AfmBO oqtBQe9YHDCDplhj-4OJ7Ihxkmd8MdBv1arcgSwEDZMIq1QkHjlLnU

I doubt if a break-in would be the result of someone taking your key from behind reception and using it.

I leave my things in my hotel room without any fear, but then, I am not toting pricey cameras or the like. I never have lots of cash--I can go to an ATM for that, and Ii can pay with credit card almost anyplace including taxis and most restaurants.

****My advice does not apply to inexpensive hostels with shared rooms or shared bathrooms.....there you need to add another layer of security.

I'd be more concerned about carrying things around with you OUTSIDE the hotel, where chance of theft is likely much greater.

One tip that I follow is to use ATM only when the bank is open, so that if the machine takes your card, you can go in and lodge a complaint and ask for help.

Travel_Nerd

Some do, some don't. My first few trips pre-2010 in France and Italy it was customary to leave your key at reception. Nowadays, this seems less common. I don't think I've had to in any place since 2006.

I actually have a fond memory in 2006 in Florence with my Mom and I really wanted to learn how to say our room number in Italian and the reception would get a kick out of me saying it. Lots of cheers and "brava!" To this day, I still remember cento dieci means :110."

Regardless, your belongings should be fine. Out of sight is out of mind for anything valuable. I dont personally travel with a lot of valuables but do bring my tablet. I lock it in between clothing in my suitcase. Won't stop someone from stealing the whole bag, but that's anything anywhere anyway.

Seamus

Older hotels that still use traditional keys may require you to leave it at the front desk to reduce chances of your losing it and them having to get an expensive replacement. As noted, staff already have access to your room and it is unlikely someone would steal your key from the front desk to get into your room.
Newer or upgraded properties use an electronic card key system where this is not an issue.
If you have expensive camera/electronic equipment that does not fit in your room safe, ask at the front desk to have it stored in the hotel safe.

bilboburgler

Seamus +1

Hotels have keys for you room, will access it to clean, for maintenance, to snoop, your room is not a safe, people even burgle rooms.

Traveler_Nick

Hotels don't take keys that much anymore because that means staffing the front desk. I hate THIS. I don't want to carry a key or even a key card around the city or worse to the beach.

If you lose the key the hotel won't charge you for the key. They'll charge you to replace the lock AND key.

I've seen guests get into shouting matches over not wanting to leave the key. In once case the desk staff asked if they wanted the room cleaned? The guest didn't seem to understand that.

bvlenci

This was very common, even almost universal, when huge heavy room keys prevailed. I wasn't ever concerned about leaving it, but I did sometimes worry that they were kept hanging on a big board behind the desk.

Now electronic keys are the norm, so it would be unusual to have to leave a key behind.

Christina

TravelerNick, I presume you are talking about the old fashioned metal big heavy keys or something? Because hotels don't change locks or charge you if you lose a cardkey. In fact, sometimes I get home and realized I forgot to turn it in and you'd think the hotel checkout clerk would ask for it, but often they don't. I haven't had a hotel with a big old metal key in quite a few years (probably at last 10, not sure). There was one older hotel in Paris I sometimes stay at who still had them longer than some others. I think they do want you to leave it at the desk, which I am happy to do.

ekscrunchy

My usual hotel in Madrid has those keys but they never ask you to leave them at the desk. Some guests do and some don't.
I leave the key because it is heavy to carry around.

Many old-world hotels in Europe still have those keys.

Our lovely hotel in Maratea also had them, as recently as last fall.

I like those keys....reminds me of another time, where certain things were better, certain things might not have been as good.....for one thing, some are a work of art.

Rambling far afield, some of the most upscale properties I've ever stayed at used no keys at all....I'm speaking of "my" hotel in Andalucia, where no one locks their doors, and all of the camps I remember in Southern Africa..pretty hard to have a key to lock up a zip tent in a Botswana camp..and imagine the camera equipment that lives in those "rooms" much of the time!!!

The only personal experience I've ever heard of about hotel theft (besides when I was mugged at knifepoint in a Palermo hotel lobby, and relieved of all my cash and cards and, even worse, the gorgeous Berlutti wallet my Mom had lent me for the trip!!) was when a friend of ours went swimming in the pool of a very upscale (lately world-famous due to a certain Cable tv. show) Taormina hotel. He told us that he took off his (Swiss name brand) watch and left it on his longue at the pool. When he came out of the pool, the watch was gone...pfff! And those watches are waterproof..silly man!!

I know this person and I trust him, but its really hard to imagine that at these big-name hotels where one imagines the staff jobs are much valued, a staff member would risk such a brazen theft.

Am I naive??

Personally, where I travel, my waterproof Timex travels, too.
I would never travel with expensive jewelry, but of course, photographers have no choice but to carry their equipment with them....
I guess if I had a fear, I would ask the hotel manager to put it in the hotel safe, as someone above has already suggested.