Hotel lock out

A couple years ago we were traveling in Sweden. We were to arrive in a new town about 10:00 p.m. so the hotel gave me a code to get in (since no one would be there), and then I would find my room key inside. However, they had changed the code and had neglected to notify me. Luckily someone else staying in the hotel was entering and let us in! I'm not sure what you would do about this sort of thing, but it does happen.

"Is this a new phenomenon?" No. Unlike here, where 24 hour reception is standard except at some B&B's, in Europe some/many smaller family run non-corporate accommodations strictly enforce their "arrive by x pm" or "take your key" rule.

No, I don't think that's new. In fact, some small hotels right here operate this way. My favorite small hotel in San Francisco, for example, locks up at 9 and has a manager on duty until 11. After that, you're calling the manager at his home if you don't have your key to the front door (not good). Just play it safe, and take both keys (room and front door).

Kate, in my experience, this type of thing is becoming more common (probably due to "cost savings" reasons). For example, one Hotel that I stayed at in Germany this year never seemed to have anyone on duty at the "front desk" (which was just a large office desk). There was no one on duty on the day I arrived (mid-afternoon) and the door was locked. Fortunately, the Taxi driver knew the routine and went around the corner to the Bakery and rounded someone up. I was there for several days and when I returned to the Hotel in the afternoons, the door would sometimes be open and sometimes locked, so I always kept my key with me.

This is common, particularly in family-run B&Bs and small hotels. I always take my key, whether I intend to be out past the deadline or not. You just never know. When I was in Spain a couple of years ago, I stayed in a casa rural in a tiny village. For the first two days I was the ONLY guest, and "reception" was never actually open. When I checked in, we had to fetch the manager from the restaurant next door to check me in. Always take your key!

I agree that it is pretty common so I always ask if I should take the key.

From my experience in Germany, usually, they will tell you that the key to your room also works the door (sometimes a back door) or give you a separate key.

As a single female, traveling alone for the first time,I also had one of the OMG moments. I could be the only person in this hotel tonight!

Second the last point. On our last trip, we couldn't get a train out of Florence for 5 hours, and were thus arriving in Venice close to midnight. We had our hotel in Florence call ahead for us, which was lucky since our Venice B&B was run by a family who lived around the corner and left the desk around 4 PM! The B&B owner was there to welcome us around midnight with open arms, but could you imagine wandering around Venice at midnight without a phone, wondering where you're going to sleep that night?

LOL! The worst I had was a hotel in Nuremburg which gave you THREE keys - very outside door, inner hallway door, then your room key! Every time we came back from site seeing, it was the same ritual - try each key in each lock!

How about those very heavy/bulky key fobs that many of the small hotels have on the key ring? Not a problem if you're staying in a place that wants you to leave your key at the front desk when you leave for the day or if you take it with you and throw it in your day bag. Otherwise, it's sort of like "Is that a key in your pocket, or...?"

Not uncommon at all. I was once locked out due to confusion and thought I'd be stranded all night. Luckily someone else came along and I got inside. Unless the hotel requires you to leave your key (some do), you should always have it with you. Also inquire as to hours that the reception is manned.

Another common cause of being locked out of your accommodation in Europe is: The traveler is driving and thought they could cover the same kind of ground as they could here, they booked a room at a destination based on the assumption they could cover the same amount of ground; they probably realize in the afternoon that they're not going to get to their destination, but aren't able to call the lodging, and just assume it will be 24-hour reception as is standard here. They get to the small family run B&B way late and find they're locked out. Just one reason to be conservative about how much you think you can do in a day, especially, let's say, in places like Italy - where traveling, esp. by car, always seems to take longer than you thought it would.

That's a great point. We were once driving from Paris to St. Goar with stops in Luxembourg and Trier. After leaving Paris late, spending too much time in Trier, and getting lost in the dark from there to St. Goar, we arrived at Hotel Hauser around 11 p.m. It was sort of embarrassing ringing the bell at the back door and waking Frau Velich at that hour. However, she was so unbelievably gracious...even allowed us to grab some beer and cake from the restaurant for a late snack in our room. Even though we had reservations, I felt lucky to have gotten in at all that night. I've traveled by rail for most of my trips but have done some by car...there are advantages and disadvantages to driving (as has been debated ad nauseum), but one must carefully consider time and distance when driving as Kent suggested.

Another suggestion, test the keys in the presence of whoever shows you to your room. In 2007, I arrived fairly late at my Pension in Burghausen. The desk person showed me to my room and gave me the keys, one to the room, one to the outside door. I hadn't eaten dinner so I went out immediately to get some. When I came back, around 9 or 10 PM, the lobby in front was locked up. The outside door would not unlock. I felt if I turned it any harder, I might break the key, and then where would I be? So I stood outside in the street, beating on the door with that big key fob. Finally someone from inside came and opened the door for me. Turned out that the lock stuck unless you lifted the door up by the handle. Wish I had found that out earlier.

Some keys work by pushing inward after turning the key. I've had more trouble with innkeepers who lock in the guests as they disappear in the morning to go buy the morning's bread. You just have to wait til they get back if you want to go out.

I stayed in a small place with 4 keys. Door to the street, door to the hotel, door to the upstairs of the hotel and then to the door to the room.