I am travelling to Majorca next week and we are staying at the same hotel, (Honolulu) that we stayed at last year.
When we checked in last year, we had to give our passports in at check-in and none of our party of 6 were particularly happy about it. A couple of ou group got their passports back the next day as they needed them to change travellers cheques and although the rest of us had taken cash, we also asked for our passports back as we felt happier knowing that we had them and kept them in our safe.
I have read a particularly worrying report in the holiday complaints discussion forum about someone's passport being handed in at check in and then being given back to the wrong person and it has got me thinking about my holiday next week.
Do any of us have to hand our passport in when we check in? And if we do, they shouldn't get the hump with us when we ask for them back the next day surely? As they did slightly last year.
If anyone could help????
This is standard practice with a lot of hotels. I can't think of the last time I didn't have to leave at least one passport with reception. Most of the time, its just overnight, we got them back the day after and locked them away in the safe with tickets etc.
Darren
Darren
you will find whreever you go most hotels will keep them at least over night some for the whole stay..Never found this a problem at least i know they are safe and where they are when i need them
brian
brian
We got back fom Cyprus 2 weeks ago and our passports were given back to us the next day after arrival,
gail...................
gail...................
I thought you had to hand over 1 member of the party's passport for registering as a visitor or something simular?
I'm sure that's what the receptionist said this May.
I'm sure that's what the receptionist said this May.
so what would happen if you where away and they wanted to keep hold of your passport for the whole stay but you wanted to cash travellers checks during your trip? (just say you dont have any other forms of acceptable id with you for cashing them)
On both our holidays last year we were not asked at all for our passports at the hotel - but on previous holidays we've had to hand one over for the first night. I'm not happy about this and when we've had to do it I've always asked for it back first thing the next morning - I don't understand why they need them - can anybody else explain why they need them? You've already shown it at the departure and arrival airports, so that should be good enough. I worry about identity theft, or just worry about the hotel losing them, or giving them to someone else by mistake!
that's exactly my concern cyberspacekadette - last year when we went i was not the lead name on the booking but everyone had to hand their passport in at check-in and they were not all that happy about giving it back to us when we asked the next day.
I don't even know why they would want it as security against the room as they have everyone's details on the original booking of the holiday.
If they ask me next week I will give it in over night but am going to ask for it back first thing the next day - i am not planning on taking travellers cheques, just cash, but i will tell them we all require our passports back for cashing of travellers cheques.
I don't even know why they would want it as security against the room as they have everyone's details on the original booking of the holiday.
If they ask me next week I will give it in over night but am going to ask for it back first thing the next day - i am not planning on taking travellers cheques, just cash, but i will tell them we all require our passports back for cashing of travellers cheques.
OMG - I've never been asked to hand a passport in and have been going on holiday for years. I would not be prepared to part with my passport. What happens if you refuse?
Bridd
Bridd
In some countries the hotel have to register you with the police its a cross check with what you have put on the landing forms that you have to complete for some destinations.
I never ever hand my passport in.
If the hotel has a problem with that, I refer them to the last page of my Dutch passport:
Mark
If the hotel has a problem with that, I refer them to the last page of my Dutch passport:
MarkJ's last page of passport wrote:This passport is property of the state of the Netherlands. The bearer of this passport may pass it to a third party only if there is a statutory obligation to do so
Mark
When we arrived at our hotel this year,the receptionist took our passports. Had a look at them and then gave us them back right away
The law varies between countries and, yes, in many parts of the world hotels are required to register all guests with the local police and so need your passport for photocopying and passing over to them and, yes, the details are often cross-checked with the info people have given on their landing cards. I would imagine that as soon as ID cards are introduced here then hotels will be expected to do the same for visitors to Britain. What's the point of making your own citizens carry ID cards that can be requested at any time by the police if you don't make tourists do the same? Refusing to hand over your passport for copying and checking in this way would no doubt be regarded as suspicious in the circumstances and I'm sure the same applies elsewhere.
SM
SM
My son went to Portugal for the football last year and they had to hand in their passports to the hotel.
When they came to leave 2 of the passports were missing out of the seven that were handed in including my sons.
They had to report it to the police and get a letter allowing them to travel
This was all just before they were leaving for the airport.
God knows now what someone is doing using my sons identity.
When they came to leave 2 of the passports were missing out of the seven that were handed in including my sons.
They had to report it to the police and get a letter allowing them to travel
This was all just before they were leaving for the airport.
God knows now what someone is doing using my sons identity.
i appreciate peoples concerns here but whenever ive been on holiday ive always left my passport with them for the duration of my stay and never had a problem getting it back, i think the large majority of hotels/apartments are not doing anything dodgy with our documents.
We've always handed over our passports at reception when we've got there and got them back the next day - never done anything different in all the years we've been going abroad and can remember the same procedure as a youngster as well.
I'm not sure if i've read this somewhere but don't they check your passports against Interpol records for people wanted in other countries? I think that's why they take them.
Laurence
Laurence
Sorry ........I didn't mean to worry anyone, I was just telling you what happened, I suppose your passports are are more secure in the hotel safe than in your room and what happened to my son is not the norm.
i did ask this earlier but i am a bit concerned as to what to do if your passport is held over your stay but you need it to cash travellers checks 
Laurence wrote:I'm not sure if i've read this somewhere but don't they check your passports against Interpol records for people wanted in other countries? I think that's why they take them.
Surely this kind of check is done upon entry into the country? Hotels do NOT have access to such information.
As I stated before, you are only to hand over your passport when there is a legal obligation to do so. Only official authorities can demand you handing them your passport. Hotels are not offical authorities and as such can not demand to keep your passport. Hand it over to them with all means for them to record your stay and inform the authorities of your where-a-bouts (they do this in Morocco for example).
Under no circumstances would I hand over my passport to a person I do not know. I would not trust any hotel to first off keep my passport safe or do other things with it. If the hotel has any problems with it, I usually refer them to (in my occasion) the local Dutch Embassy.
Mark
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