Originally Posted by
invisible
Ok, this does not apply to to Western/5* hotel chains but at number of places around Asia they require not only show, but actually leave your passport at front desk.
Have you encountered such demand and how did you deal with it?
I used to encounter this very frequently in Italy and in various parts of Asia. But with the cheaper, widespread use of scanning/photocopying and internet access, the "leave passport at hotel front desk" has become way less common than it used to be.