Handing passport in at check-in - Page 2 - General Holiday Enquiries, Hints and Tips, Holiday Forums

Handing passport in at check-in

David

2005-07-07 22:51:29

In most cases when hotels ask to retain passports for a few hours, or perhaps overnight, it is usually for the convenience of guests. Registration may only take a few minutes, but on a busy changeover day when there are new guests constantly arriving, the queues at reception would soon mount and so by retaining the passports, receptionists can complete the registration process at a quieter time later on, hopefully allowing guests to collect their keys and access their rooms more speedily.

Rather than tell guests to pop back in 20 minutes, an hour, 2 hours, etc when they might just end up joining another queue of new arrivals at reception, they normally ask guests to collect the passport next day. And at some hotels, the registration process may actually be carried out by night reception staff, so that daytime staff are free to deal with more routine enquiries.

As technology improves and check in becomes quicker and smoother, the number of hotels requiring to retain passports overnight will probably reduce.

David

bellybally

2005-07-08 09:28:24

passports

Hi, when we arrived at our hotel a couple of weeks back, receptionist just took one of our passports, photocopied it, and gave us it back straight away. Just a thought - But do you think these hotels do this, incase there is any serious crime commited us, (at the hotel) that way they would just have to inform the airport on the day you were leaving? (I'm probably way off the mark here!!!!) BBB.

tisonlymoi

2005-07-08 16:47:42

It could also be for tax purposes - they have to say how many guests they've had and a passport copy would confirm it?

Dunno, never thought it a problem and still don't now - there's obviously some reason for them doing it otherwise they wouldn't be doing it!

tim931

2005-07-25 08:19:42

I think it works a bit like the check - in at airports.
Apparently when you check in it is logged on the computer with loads of your personal details and then the interpol/anti-terrorist groups check them with known terrorists.
Could be the case with these passports at hotels as well.

Tinkerbell is here

2005-08-04 22:10:18

Maybe an idea to make sure you are in the middle of the crowd when checking in - hopefully you will manage to keep your passport as it will be the 1st or last person who has to hand theirs in!

:lol:

diddydee

2005-08-04 23:01:29

We had to leave our passports at reception,we arrived around midnight and received them back the very next morning.
I always photocopy our passports in case anything happens to them leaving a copy at home as well.

Boothers

2005-08-05 08:17:58

I've never had any worries about leaving my/our passports overnight when we first check in and have never experienced any problems when claiming them back the following day (never left them longer than that) however if you are concerned why not photocopy your passport at home and leave the photocopy with reception - surely if they just photocopy the passport themselves this should be an acceptable compromise?

Glynis HT Admin

2005-08-05 14:06:33

I heard a good idea was to photocopy your passport details etc and email them to yourself so you can soon get a copy by accessing your email account and printing one off.

maureenl

2005-08-11 21:38:49

we are going on a cruise next week does anyone know what happens to your passports there????

Maureen

tisonlymoi

2005-08-15 10:30:01

We didn't need to leave our passports this time as we were DIY and the owner just asked for a copy of one of our passports.

When we handed it over he said it was for insurance purposes - if there was an accident within the apartments.

vonne12

2005-08-27 11:17:56

I have never had to leave my passport.Have sometimes been asked for it to check into hotel,but it has always been returned straight away

BenidormHereICome

2006-06-14 22:57:26

Thank you David, for providing me with this link. It has answered my question.

:thanks

JackieUK/Tenerife

2006-06-15 07:40:30

Hi All

We always stay in timeshare resorts and on arrival they take the adults passports and scan them on a machine which registers you with the local police, they are always returned straight away. However I remember many moons ago when I was young and used to travel with my parents that the hotel receptionists used to collect all passports upon arrival and not hand them back until departure. You could request it if you needed it for car hire etc but had to give it back to reception. That was like about 35 years ago though :lol:

Regards Jackie

Justval

2006-06-15 07:47:33

usually upon check in, we have found that either myself or Rob has had the details of our passport noted and returned to us straight away. I can't remember ever having to hand it in to reception for longer than it takes us to book in. Something rob told me, learnt via his experience as an international lorry driver, is that no one has the right to take your passport away from you or retain it for any period of time, not even the police. This came about through experience when a naughty swiss policeman at the border either wanted a bribe or was going to confiscate his passport!!!

I don't know if this has changed since 9/11 with all these new terror laws etc

MarkJ

2006-06-15 11:22:49

As I have stated before (and I have checked this with the Dutch embassy) as per this passage in my passport:

"This passport is the 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."

if a hotel insists on keeping my passport I tell them to whistle for it. Never had any problems :wink:

Mark

sapphire510

2006-06-15 12:00:32

I kinda look at it another way........when I hand my passport over as is usually the case, they advise you can get it back later........I never pick it up until I leave the hotel/apartments. Because I rarely use a safe then I figure my Passport is as safe in their hands as in my room :wink:

I carry a photocopy and always leave a photocopy at home with neighbour and I also have a scanned copy on an email that I can access wherever I am.

I know some people would say it's risky leaving it with reception but I've never had a probelm and I'm 100% confident in the places I stay which is usually booked DIY and I'm usually a returning guest.

MarkJ

2006-06-15 12:46:18

So what would happen then if the passport was lost/stolen by the receptionist and you try to explain this to the overseas consulate? The last thing I would want is to be told "well you shouldn't have handed such a document over to somebody you didn't know".

Not too sure about England, but in Holland you would only get a replacment passport with extreme difficulty in such circumstances as you as the bearer of the passport have responsibility for the safe keeping of it. I'm pretty sure that it is even a criminal offence :yikes

Mark

SandC

2006-06-15 13:15:39

I have always had to hand my passport over. Some places keep them until next day, some have them back to you within the hour and some look at them then and there and then return them. It seems a standard practice. I wouldn't accept them keeping them longer than 24 hours as there is not need, and they certainly should not get shirty with you for asking for them back. I always presumed it was just for added security that they have your passport details rather than just a name. I've never really thought about it before, I suppose it is all rather pointless.

I'm going on a gulet cruise this year again and this time we were asked when we paid our final bill to provide full names and passport numbers for the harbour master. On previous gulet trips I've been on the captain does as hotels usually do and just borrowed the passports to get the details off.

sapphire510

2006-06-15 20:02:18

Mark............I don't think it's a criminal offence

The establishments I use lock the passport in the hotel safe (unlike many places who leave them in the key cubby holes for all to see ) :roll:

In many a trip over many years I've never had a problem and as I'm usually a returning guest I know the staff too

BenidormHereICome

2006-06-15 20:47:53

Whilst I have no problems with the Hotel registering my details with the Loal Police and/or Authorities, what I am concerned about is what might happen to my Passport whilst it is out of my hands. I mean in theory, anthing could happen to it. The details could be copied and cloned and I end up a victim of Indentity Theft. This has never bothered me in the past, but now that Identity Theft is on the increase, I am starting to get concerned.

I'd like to do what Mark says, but I'd be fearful of being arrested for failure to comply with the rules of a foreign country.

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