Agree that this one is an Urban Legend, however, it tripped my sad, wayback memory, and you may be amused to know that back in 1989, before the mainstream was really worrying about ID theft and privacy issues, the hotel trade came up eith this bright idea:

Use your credit card AS your room key!

Why give the guest yet another card, just let them use their credit card! Need two keys? That's easy, we'll just make a duplicate of your credit card for you......

At least that level of naivety has gone, though an auful lot of people have lost an auful lot of money getting to where we are now.

Ken.

"There isn't a lock in the Galaxy I can't open, as long as I'm scared enough!" - Villa, Blakes Seven.