Dubai hotels holding ON to passports
 

Hi traveled last to Dubai in 2008 and I remember that the hotel (not a big chain, some small hotel off expedia) I stayed at held onto my passport until I checked out.

Is that still the practice? Do all hotels do it, or only small hotels do this?

I tried to search it, but a quick search didn't result anything.

Bumping, hoping for a reply.
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I was in Dubai at the Park Hyatt in December 2017. it did not happen to me.

Thanks

It is illegal for a hotel in the UAE (or anyone else other than a law enforcement officer) to hold on to your passport for any reason. They are required to take a scan or physical copy of the bio page and also the visa/entry stamp, but that's all they can do. If the hotel demands to hold your passport as security or anything else, a quick call to (or just the threat to call) the police will sort it out quickly.

Thanks

It's never happened to me in almost 20 years of regular trips to Dubai, and should not happen. The procedure is to take a copy of the photo page of your passport (and that of anyone else staying with you in your room) to record that information should any official need to know the real identity of a hotel's room occupants. The hotel should hand your passport back to you after the photo page has been photocopied during check-in.