That was the practice at the first hotel we stayed at in Paris and I find it charming and feel rather safe doing so. I like having someone at the front desk 24hrs a day. I like not having to worry about the key. I've stayed in many big hotels in the US where the electronic key cards malfunction and when you go back down to the desk they just "fix" is without knowing for certain who the heck you are! (I'm talking some major chains here like Marriott, Doubletree, etc.) When there are only 30-40 rooms it seems way more personal.

But can the front desk staff personally know every person staying at the hotel at every given time? Seems like a poor security policy if anyone can go up and ask for a room key.

As a single woman who sometimes travels alone, I would have real reservations about knowing anyone could get my hotel room key.

I have to say that I am somewhat taken aback that so many of the posters here are acting as if leaving the key at the desk is some kind of oddity. It does make me wonder which Europe some of them have been going to, b/c the one I know almost universally has this custom!!

I stay in small hotels in Italy, so yes, they do know who I am and which room I have.
Each of us have different ideas but as I stated on another thread I do not stay in a hotel that does not have a desk clerk on duty 24/7.
Having said that, I like the idea of giving the desk clerk the room key and picking it up when I return.
Why, I don't know but I assume all of us have different feelings. My neighbor and I check on each if we think something might be wrong. I like that. But have had friends say that would not appreciate that.
I let my daughter (who lives in my city) know if I am going out of town and she does the same with me. But know a lot of people that will take a two week vacation and not let anyone know.
As the saying goes "different strokes for different folks". So really nothing, IMHO to argue over. Just stay with a hotel that works for you. And happy trips to all!

"I find it preposterous that so many posters here seem to insist that leaving the key behind is somehow nearly always done."

Well, it is.

Thanks elina.

111op - Just because the hotel didn't ask you to leave the key, doesn't mean it wasn't their policy, just that they didn't want to ask you about it - like the hotel that started this thread. Did you ever ask THEM if it was their policy? We always ask and if they say yes, then we do it. Like I said, the hotel in Chiang Mai had electronic keys and they still asked us to do it when we asked if we should.

If it is the custom in Europe to leave the key, they aren't going to mention it, just like the hotels here don't say to take the key with you. They assume you know what to do.

The one hotel that was not open at night said specifically, "If you are going to be out after 9, take the key with you." Otherwise, we left it with them.

<font color=#990033>~gnr~</font>

Let's just agree to disagree.

Honestly, if it's the hotel's policy and the hotel cares *so much* about it, the hotel would tell the guests about it. And, the fact is, I've rarely had a hotel tell me that it's their policy or to stop me when I'm leaving the hotel so that I can leave my key at the front desk.

So, in that sense, I disagree with you, gnr.

I applaud you for asking the hotel each time whether it's their policy to require the hotel. Honestly, I've neither the time or interest or inclination to ask. So why don't you do as you please, and I'll continue to do as I please. This suits me just fine, and I've no interest in convincing people here what is or is not the policy (so I hope this will my last post in this thread).

I just returned from 2 weeks in Italy and we left our keys at every hotel but one (a small bed and breakfast). Unless you're staying at an American style hotel (a Hilton or the like), expect to leave your key.

I imagine they don't tell you their key policy, because they assume you know the regular way it's done there.... and if you want to walk off with the key, I imagine they think it's your loss if you lose it!

What an amazing number of posts for a simple question! And here I can't resist making yet another one. The question was &quot;Is it really customary...?&quot; and the answer is &quot;Yes&quot;.

As with many new experiences traveling (foreign post office, grocery stores, etc.) I simply watch how others do it and do the same.

The posters who find this &quot;quite bizarre&quot; or &quot;I never heard of that before&quot; are showing their own lack of experience.

Honestly, is &quot;not being experienced&quot; something to be ashamed of? I freely admit that I am not experienced with European hotels, having only stayed in a couple (out of four, this last one was the only one that required me to leave my key). That's why I posted the question in the first place, to find out others' experiences.

If they're going to leave all the keys on a board accessible to guests when the desk clerk is absent...

...why have locks on the doors at all?

HI goatee, you are right, there is nothing wrong w/not being experienced. If I can give you a little candid feedback, the way you worded your original post did not make that clear. You used harsh words like &quot;bizarre&quot; and &quot;ridiculous&quot; and so it seemed like you were looking for validation of that opinion, as opposed to a simple query.

I love that they take the key - it's one less thing to lose. Also, you get to know the front desk people much better that way. I love returning and being greeted with a &quot;Bon soir, monsieur&quot; or &quot;Buenas noches, senor.&quot;

Goatee, No of course inexperience is nothing to be ashamed of. I didn't say it was.

BUT when the question is answered &amp; the custom explained and verified by the majority of the people who reply from their personal experiences in Europe, I find it odd that some folks continue to argue about it. They might not like the practice or agree with it, but it IS customary, your question was answered over and over again. And as already mentioned your use of words like bizarre and ridiculous do make for an argumentitive environment right off the batt.

Well, I can certainly explain the fact that I was using &quot;harsh&quot; words if you read about the irritating events leading up to the incident in question (initially caused by Easyjet's checked baggage restriction!) :)

This was my story (quoted from another thread)

Since I knew there was a 20 kg restriction on checked baggage but none on carry-on (well, within reason!), I placed all my dense items (mostly books I had bought) into my carry-on so my checked suitcase could be as light as possible. I managed to get my suitcase to weigh 21 kg, and they allowed it without a problem (Orly-Toulouse and then later Barcelona-Orly), although as I wandered through the airport after checkin I was muttering about that %!?*#&amp; Easyjet baggage policy while carrying around this heavy shoulder bag. Later the muttering changed to outbursts of &quot;oh for %@$!! sake!! Damn Easyjet!!&quot; as I was wandering around the La Chapelle neighbourhood lost after I left the Gare du Nord through the wrong exit in search of my hotel, dragging behind me my suitcase AND my super heavy shoulder bag... ouf, I was walking around for about what seemed like half an hour (probably just 15 minutes) for what should have been an easy cross-the-street manoeuvre.

(Just as an aside) As you can see I was, let's say, irritated, as well as lost, I decided to find a place to put down my suitcase so I could open it up to retrive my Paris map (which I oh-so-intelligently put in my suitcase instead of my shoulder bag), when all of a sudden I heard a &quot;est-ce que je peux vous aider?&quot; from an intercom (I had placed my suitcase in front of an entrance of some quiet building where there was an intercom and camera). The guy was asking a lot of questions about what I was doing, which made me even more irritated. I had to explain that I was looking for the Gare du Nord so I could get to my hotel. He pointed me in the right direction. Anyway, I saw later I had done a huge around-the-block walk and was at the other side of the station.

I finally found the hotel, which seemed like &quot;la bordelle&quot; (a big mess) because they were renovating and repainting, etc. The door wouldn't even open, which made me even more irritated. I finally got to the desk, checked in, went to my room, then went out again, when the clerk ASKED FOR MY KEY!!

goatee, I think,understandable, you were tired, jetlagged, overwhelmed etc. Sometime when we feel like this a small incident can become very annoying.
But again (as I posted on your other thread) how was the rest of your trip.
Hopefully a good one.

WOW-Sorry you had such a bad day. Since we (some of us) didn't know everything leading up to the Great Key Incident, you'll just have to forgive us. Truly I took your question at face value and answered accordingly.

Oh the rest of the trip was great. That was just the last night before I went home. I had already spent a week in Paris. Don't make me fill out a trip report... :)