Do some hotels outside the US keep your passport for 24 hours?

I just read this question on another travel site - the poster was traveling to Cuba. The replies she got was that this is common practice throughout the world. It was recommended she take photocopies of her passport to leave with the hotel.

Is this common practice? My travels outside the US have been limited to several Caribbean islands, Mexico, and Belize. I don't think we have even had hotels ask to even see our passport, let alone keep it.

Should I start carrying photocopies of our passports with us when we travel?

Yes and always have copies of everything - never, ever, give originals to the police, etc.
M (SMdA, Gto., MX)

NEVER give anybody your passport including the police. Only Immigration or customs. Other than that Hands Off! Copies OK but not the original. If stopped by the police in Mexico do not show your passport. Show other ID such as a drivers license which if seized is easy to replace, If they hold your passport you are basically stranded. Keep your Passport, Visa, return tickets in a safe place. Do not Carry them on your person out shopping, to the beach Etc.
PS in 25 years & over 40 trips no hotel has asked for my passport.

It's common at hotels in Italy.

Yes Suze is right, in Italy you must, under Italian law, turn your original passport over to the desk clerk. They record from your passport the information on a form that is then turned in daily to the local police department. I had a friend who was the night manager of a hotel in Italy, I use to sit with him while he filled out the daily police form.

I don't remember every having to turn over our passports in Mexico..Suze, what is the procedure in Mexico?

You will be asked to present your passport when checking in to hotels in Mexico, Argentina and Chile, but they hand it right back.
A non issue in China.
I think the IT folks feel the need to "protect" Estadounidenses "from themselves", lol.
M

I don't recall my passport ever being checked in Mexican hotels. but don't quote me on that!

Right Suze. In my many trips I have never showed my passport at any hotel anywhere in Mexico. Just Immigration, customs or to cash a travelers check at the bank.

Up until now passports weren't needed by US citizens in Mexico which would explain why they didn't ask for them. That will all be changing soon. I have been to 20 countries and have never had to leave a passport with anyone. I have had to show and write down my passport number when checking into most places but I never give it to anyone. Thanks for the info on Italy Suze.

Its not done in Honduras.

Charlie Meador, Coco Pando, La Ceiba, Honduras

In Italy we had to turn over our passports at every hotel we stayed in. After about an hour, we could retrieve the passport.

I don't recall this practice when we went to England, Paris or Mexico.

I've never had my passport checked in Mexican hotels that I can recall, either, or Candian. Even where I've had it checked, I've never had to leave it at any desk for 24 hours, except possibly in Egypt. That was a long time ago, but I think maybe there. Part of this is just because they are slow and take a long time to do things, and don't have sensibilities towards people not wanting to leave passports with hotels.

YOu should always carry a photocopy of your passport's front page, regardless of this. I take several copies and always have one in my wallet, and leave the other with the second copies of my important papers for the trip (like my itinerary, some extra money, etc., which I keep in a locked place or the safe).

Having to show your passport to register at a hotel is very common in Europe and Asia. I have never had to leave it, but have never been to Italy. Once in India and I think once somewhere in Eastern Europe we were asked to leave the passports, but we said we would wait while they took the information they needed. In one case they made a photo copy. I don't like to be separated from my passport for any reason.

I've never had a hotel in Mexico ask for ID let alone a passport.

Just back from Mexico and no one at our hotel asked for our passports.

When we were in Italy in 2005, they did. We took copies that were laminated. After seeing the original, most hotels agreed to let us leave the copy while they did their paperwork.