Hotel Transactions
 

Hi,

I will be going to Paris in September. I have my flight and room booked at Hotel College de France. I am very much looking forward to it!

Now, my question is this. My friends who have been to Europe has mentioned off handed about having to leave the room key at the front desk when going out to do your sightseeing, and you pick up your key when you return. Unlike here in North America where your room key is yours until you check out. Is that the norm?

Yes, that's typical.

It's not a case of having to do it, more that it's convenient not to have to carry the key.

It would not happen where you have a cardkey, where you would always hang on to it, but where the key is conventional it is one less thing to carry. And there is no risk of you losing it if it safely in the care of the hotel.

the only thing to be wary of is how well the hotel checks who they are handing a key back to. It's never a problem in a smaller hotel where people recognise you, but in a larger hotel they should ask for id before giving it back. If they don't, then i would not turn in the key.

Suze - good to know.

SueJ - Thanks for the tip. It makes sense and you'd think it would be prudent to ask regardless of size of hotel.

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It's not a case of having to do it,
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usually when hotels have this policy, it is not just an offer to hold your key if you don't want to carry it...it's a "rule" that you MUST leave the key when you go out. of course, they won't hunt you down and find you during the day if you don't but it is usually a house rule when stated.

I've stayed in a number of small European hotels where you not only left your key at the desk, but you could often return to find no one at the desk and you just reach up on the board and take your own key. Could someone else get your key and go to your room? Yea, I guess so, but it's never happened to me. Risky or just trusting? But then I grew up in a house where we didn't have any locks on our doors at all.

and just to add...

1. they do it so they know when you leave so they can make up your room. and so you won't lose or copy the key.

2. i have NEVER been asked for ID when getting a key. and yes, i do think this is a potential security problem.

I like to leave it at the desk because I don't have to worry about another thing to carry around with me which can be big and heavy (in the case of hotels with the big old-fashioned keys). I'll have to admit I don't recall what they do in the hotels with the card keys where I've been in Paris--I think you don't leave it. Hotels often do have a policy that you are supposed to leave the key at the desk -- although they don't punish you if you forget.

Sometimes I have wondered about the security as they have various people working the desk, and I know the night guy doesn't know who I am at least the first time I ask. Some hotels have several people working at the desk, and I'm not sure they all knew who I was, either (even in a small hotel), but I've never been asked for ID. I don't look very suspicious though, I admit. I've never stayed in a large hotel in Paris and I've never stayed in one that had no one there and anyone could just take the keys off the board. I don't think I'd leave it if I found that kind of situation.

We've encountered different clerks who change from the morning to the night clerk where we've never met the night clerk before. They give us the key and have never questioned us. I guess that we don't look suspicious also I don't know. We've never had problems when asking for our keys.

It is a common practice still that you leave your key upon departing the hotel. Once my husband forgot and the clerk got up and caught up with us to inform us about it. But we had gotten just outside the entrance door so we weren't far to catch up with.