Many Travelers Are Evidently Keeping Their Hotel Key Cards. Is This Allowed?

Some hotel key cards look plain, and others come highly decorated. They don't tend to vary in size, though their aesthetic can match the hotel's. No matter their form, these handy bits of plastic get us into our rooms even as their rival digital key cards compete for attention. Ordinarily, you turn the card in when you check out, but do you have to do so?

In a poll of nearly 4,000 readers by The Points Guy, about 61% of respondents said they don't keep hotel key cards, while 39% said they do. Keeping them could make for a special souvenir, especially from a honeymoon or other memorable vacation event. Or you could simply forget to turn in the spare tucked away in your wallet for safekeeping. Either way, the hotel doesn't get its property back. However, you could always ask the lobby staff to keep the key card and request additional hotel freebies while you're at it!

Some travelers have turned taking key cards into a habit, with one Redditor describing the practice as a constant part of their journeys: "I have saved every hotel key from each room my wife and I have ever stayed in together." Commenters in the thread couldn't seem to agree on whether it was okay to do or not. So, what's the verdict?

The policies about travelers keeping room key cards differ across hotels. A user on the Ask Hotels subreddit queried hotel employees about the topic and received a fairly consistent answer — no one cares. One Redditor said that it isn't consistent whether a hotel will even reuse the card if a guest returns it. Be sure you properly trash that card sleeve, though, to avoid making this dangerous hotel key card mistake.

"Some will reuse them (after washing ofc), some will throw them out," the individual wrote. "Either way the cards are usually very cheap to make and not often a big worry in finance/budgeting for a hotel. I think one card is like 75¢ to make or something similar to that." Many others replied with similar sentiments, adding that keeping or returning the key cards doesn't make a difference to the hotels they work at.

Several respondents joked about the perceived ludicrousness of stealing key cards, making up silly scenarios to support their points. One wrote: "Don't forget the great card heist of 06' when a family made off with 4 key cards from the Springhill Suites Flamingo Crossing/Disney World!! Detectives have been seeking leads for a while. I'm sure they will want to speak with you since you probably are in or know the family!"

Like saving items such as ticket stubs or boarding passes, hotel key cards can have sentimental value. Outside of that, some travelers hold on to their cards for more practical reasons. For instance, one Redditor suggested retaining them to keep the lights on during future hotel stays.

"I do carry one regularly for rooms where you need to put a keycard in the slot to work the lights," the Redditor wrote. "Usually any card will work, so a previously used key is handy. I know I can ask for extras at the front desk but this works." If you utilize this trick, clean the card thoroughly since light switches number among the grossest spots in hotel rooms. Another individual shared that they had a collection of keys that they gave to a kiddo who "plays hotel."

Some travelers have programmed their key cards to serve a whole other purpose. Software consultant Hillel Wayne explained in their newsletter Computer Things that you can use an app like Tasker or Shortcuts to make the key cards fulfill a different function, like tracking the trains in Chicago. Once completed, you only have to tap your phone to the card to retrieve the information you want!