When checking into a hotel where there is no porter to accompany you to the room (or you don't need / want one), make sure you've got the hotel reception number (as opposed to central reservations) on you before leaving reception for the room. If the room key fails to work, which from my experience is fairly common, you can then phone for assistance instead of having to trail back with your luggage and queue up again at reception. There's inevitably no internal phone in the corridor to use, and sod's law dictates that this will happen when you've been allocated the most distant room from reception, are in a hurry, and have had a bad journey already!
I should add that this fails if the hotel has a mobile signal scrambler built into the structure (to force guests to use the room phones and pay £££). If so, vote with your feet next time and name & shame them on the forum! - I've yet to come across one but read that some new hotels build it in (allegedly!!!!!!).
judynagy - 06/11/2008 20:01 GMT
How clever! I would have not thought of this one.
Sunshine - 24/04/2009 11:35 GMT
One thing I have noticed recently is an increasing number of hotels replacing their 'localised' hotel keys with one with generic branding on them (so the key cards just have a Hyatt or Hilton branding on them, including the paper wallet they give with the key).
If you work for a hotel chain, can you please stop doing this. One of the best things about a localised hotel key, is that it has the hotel's name and address on it; vital for getting back if you're unsure about where your staying. Also an address written in local language (especially in destinations where they don't use Roman lettering) is a welcome addition.
mardy123 - 11/12/2010 09:56 GMT
Yep, i always get two keys, one for the wallet and one to use. I have made that long walk back to the desk. thanks
Stowage222 - 11/12/2010 11:02 GMT
Just as bad - your key decides to fail half way through your stay - grrr. I've never yet heard an explanation that answers this properly apart from "keep your key away from your phone". This happens to me way too often. Can anyone give a better explanation?
Yeah I've had the expiring key issue too. I wonder if it's just a date keying in error by the receptionist at check in, or do hotels sometimes only validate the key for 1 night / 24 hours for some security reason?
The other common one I fall for is where you need the room key to operate the electricity, then leave without it. Ok if you have 2 room keys but some hotels will only issue 1 if you're on you're own. I know others use credit cards for the electricity slot, but same problem applies if you then go out without that when it comes to the bill in the restaurant. Guess one idea would be to keep the room key from the last time, which seems to be good security advice on other threads anyway, and use that for the electricity.
Can we fix up whoever designs hotel rooms to have our issues (see other thread about what men & women want / don't) put to them - by Jeremy Paxman!
JChang689 - 07/04/2011 07:49 GMT
Yep, I have that problem all the time. I have noticed that if I place the magnetic room key near/on my Blackberry carrying case, it is almost guaranteed to die.
JonathanChang3
I have that same issue....hotel key cards and Blackberrys (and probably other phones too) do not go together well....but I have the impression that some hotels have more sensitive key-cards than others....
The Swissotel The Stamford (Singapore) keycards appear most sensitive...if you look without a smile at the card ...it stops working.
Starwood hotels appear to have less sensitive cards....
NTarrant - 07/04/2011 07:55 GMT
When my key failed recently at a UK Hilton, the receiptionist asked if I had kept it by my mobile which I hadn't. She then asked where I had kept it and showed her my wallet. "That's is" she said "your wallet is leather and it breaths and takes the data off, you will have to keep it somewhere else".
I asked her where she suggested I keep it bearing in mind I don't have a man bag. She didn't know, when I suggested my underpants she went red!
stevescoots - 07/04/2011 12:16 GMT
If I keep any room key next to a payment card such as octopus in Hk or the mRT for singapore it always wipes the data on the card
It's also worth remembering that your key often ceases to work at 12.00 on the day you are registered to check out. This can be a pain if you've arranged a late check out and left the room and need to get back in.
Simon
That's very annoying, especially when you get to your room 3 minutes after, in a hurry and of course no house phone nearby, so its back to reception, wait in queue with everyone else checking out till it can be reprogrammed.
I always ask now for the key to be made valid at least 30 minutes beyond my expected check-out time and I've never had my request refused, though some receptionists do ask why!
conair346 - 07/04/2011 14:31 GMT
The main reason for them not working is the cards are magnetised along the strips and designed for multiple usages before disposal.
Normal credit cards only for single read/write cycles and made to last for a few years sometimes. Each cycle on a hotel key is maybe 2-3 days so have to be easily recoded. Its a fine balance between keeping costs down and keeping functionality. Mobile phones, ipods, pda's and laptops all have a magnetic field so can mess with the keys, as can if you keep it in your wallet they key can rub on other magnetic cards and loose the key data.
I've seen a few hotels offer RFID cards instead so you just wave the card near the door from inside your wallet. Also coming soon in many new phones is Near Field Communications which is touted as the next big thing - for transport cards like an integrated oyster card in you phone, stored credit card details or network billing for wireless payments and the possibility to store your hotel room key.
On the idea of the electricity ports for cards - a nectar card or similar is great. How many places in the Bahamas or Germany accept it so its not a big loss from your wallet when heading out for the day.
judynagy - 08/04/2011 01:55 GMT
Non-working keys that quit for a myriad of reasons, including being breathed on by a leather wallet, is one of the best examples of mindless corporations' non-think that I've ever encountered. If their stupid key cards don't WORK properly, I don't think it's the consumer's responsibility to keep them in your underwear. The issuers need to find a plan that works ... for the consumer, not for the hotel.
The next time some front desk moron tells me "now if this one doesn't work, just come back down" I'm going to pitch a fit in his lobby. I am not in a hotel to run back and forth between my room and the front desk, nor wait like a cow for an employee to come and let me in. Their attitude is just stupid.
ChinaEddie - 08/04/2011 05:43 GMT
Regarding the few posts on this thread about "key card not working" and don't keep card near phones; here's an explaination...
- Most probably you are referring to magnetic stripe cards - whether magstripe is visible (to human eye) or not visible.
- The condition that is described here sounds like a physics condition termed demagnetised or scrambled (in industry terms).
- Demagnetised of magstripe happens when card is next to a greater (in Oestad units) magnetic force for a duration of time. Time various for the types (e.g. Hi-coercivity or LoCo) of magnetic tape material quality used. LoCo's are cheaper (duh! :-)).
- Handphones are not the only source of magnetic force on a person. Handbag clasps with strong magnets, or wallets or even sourvenir-fridge-magnets are pausible cause of demagnetisation.
- I have experienced LoCo card to loose its magnetic-pattern-holding capabilities with carpet static!! :-o
Integrated-circuite (IC) based cards (contact and/or contactless) cost more - both base-cost and operational cost; so from reading, would seems many hotels have attempt to shave cost by going back to 60s technology.
Hope this post help shed some light on this.
Stowage222 - 08/04/2011 09:23 GMT
Thanks ChinaEddie - why don't hotels give their reception staff a 2 minute training course on this - it would save a lot of frustration. Looks like I'll have to devise a way of storing my room key on it's own - away from my cc's. I already keep my phone well away.
The only time I have had problems with hotel cards has been on checking-in. They had to change the card because it was probably damaged.I have never had problems with errasure as I do not keep the card in my wallet but in my breast pocket, either jacket or shirt - depending on the climate. Then I have had a problem with humidity (sweat) but that sorted itself out.
One point that has been pointed out to me from several different sources is the need to keep the cards after check-out. All your personal and credit card data are recorded on that magnetic strip and as such it is open to misuse by unscrupulous individuals. It is not widespread but has been known to happen.
Fortunately, the vast majority of hotels work honestly but that does not negate that scams have been run by certain individuals (usually backed by criminal gangs). You have all heard about the dangers of letting your credit card out of your sight - especially in restaurants. The hotel cards are open to the same abuse. The recommendation is to take the cards with you at check-out and destroy them as soon as possible. Better safe than sorry.
PS: I agree with "Sunshine" that cards or, at least, the cardboard folder in which it comes should always have the local information about the hotel (address, telephone number) in case of need while the same should also be in the local script where it is non-Roman.
conair346 - 08/04/2011 10:13 GMT
Transtraxman - no personal details are carried on hotel key cards.
The keys only have a code on them to authorise the locks to open on your bedroom room, gym or conference room. The keys are not designed with storing any other data.
Issues arise for fradulent use when hotel services such as bars and restaurants allow charging to room accounts just by showing a key, or having a key reader that will allow the staff to open your profile and make any relevant charges. If your key is misplaced then other guests might take advantage that way.
The Crowne Plaza I work for does not have key readers except at reception. Guests have to show their card wallet, or provide a room number (strong)and(/strong) surname to verify their identity. And we ask all guests to sign their receipts, even if they're a regular.
The worst experience I ever had of this was at the Brussels City Hilton (a place to avoid, unless you like rooms at crazy prices that are so small you can shower, got to the loo and then to bed without having to move both your legs).
I checked in and my room key would not let me into the room. I used the phone by the lift to call down (the phone fell off the wall, which was a precursor for all that was to come later). Someone came with a new key. This did not work either and I had to be let in with the master key.
To cut a long story very short, the staff ended up using something like a dozen keys and none of them would work. They couldn't move me as the hotel was full.
I am a smoker (sorry, Martyn, but I still am) and the room was non-smoking (I try to restrict intake by never having a smoking room). Every time I went down to the street for a ciggie, a member of staff had to accompany me back to the room and let me in with their master key. I must admit that there was a degree of ironic satisfaction in this for me!
Simon
PS Conair - your post led me to reflect that over the last year or so I don't think I've ever been asked to show my key card when charging to my room (this is predominantly in Hiltons and Starwood properties). They seem to check the room number against the name I fill in on the tab slip. Not brilliant for security.
As a further PPS on this theme. The wonderful Hotel Kamp in Helsinki (Starwood Luxury Collection) requires you to fill in room number and initials ONLY on the breakfast card you hang on your door. This is precisely to stop people having your name and room number and then getting up to nefarious practices. A great idea, but one that I've not seen anywhere else. If you think about it, the biggest breach of hotel security that many of us make is to write our name and room number down and then hang it out in public.
Freedom1 - 08/04/2011 15:55 GMT
my only experience of my key not working upon check in turned out to have a silver lining.
Was on a leisure trip a couple of years ago to Chicago with a friend, staying at the Hilton, just one of those things i thought, but at same time thought i would push my luck and see if i could get anything out of reception for the inconvenience... that would be complimentary breakfast for the duration of my stay for the two of us - equal to more than $200 !!! Thank you very much..!!
Everytime now i check in, a little part of me almost hopes my key doesnt work...
