Does Anyone Else Collect Hotel Keys???
 

During the course of my travels I would often depart a hotel and somehow find that I had forgotten to leave the key in the room. I would take all of these keys and throw them in a drawer I had at home.

One day when cleaning I realized that I had accumulated quite a collection of keys from hotels all of the world. A few questions for you:

1. Does anyone else collect hotel keys?

2. If you do which are your favourite to collect? I like the ones from the Ritz that usually have a picture of the proprety or the W keys which are sometimes pretty funky.

3. What are your least favourite? I find Hilton keys are boring.

Be curious to get some thougths from others.

i have been told but not sure
that the room card keys you should keep they contain your info. for the room and your credit card # and some other personal info.
a card reader could get access to your info.
yes i have a collection ones from the larger hotel casinos in las vegas will put the image of the show or preformer at the time of stay

I keep Marriott and Renaissance keys if they are unique to the property.

I also have a thing for the JW slippers which are branded.

Always!
I like the W keys also. The Four Seasons key cards are nice too because they have the property name on them. My favorite key is from the Kahala Mandarin Oriental Hotel. The key is like an actual key, but the grooves have the magnetic strip. This is the only property where I have seen this.
The Sheraton Keys are pretty boring. Most of the Hilton brands are too. I find the ones with out any uniqueness pretty boring. But I always keep the keys anyway.

The Rio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas also has keys of this type. It took me a few seconds to figure it out the first time.

I knew as soon as I saw the thread title that somebody will post this ridiculous BS story.

To the OP. Somebody else posted somewhere here just before Christmas asking for keys for his son's collection. I had about 10 or so in my desk drawer so I did mail them to the FT member. Most were the boring, generic type but I did have one with StarWars charcters and one or 2 with something interesting.

I've kept a few where they are unique either in design or location.

The Pulitzer in AMS has a funky, comic stip styled painting of Dutch celebs. The Westin in BKK is simple but elegant and reminds me of my first trip to S.E. Asia.

used to
 

Tropical Storm Bill (2003) smashed my home office and got my huge collection of casino hotel player's club cards, invitations, and room keys. Don't have the heart to start collecting again. I still have an old key from one of the suites at the Steve Wynn era Mirage.

I have recently started keeping mine as my 13 month old loves them - it's sort of her souvenir from my trips. She has quite the collection now, and keep them in her musical purse :p

I have no idea why I keep them, but I do. I have a stack of 60 on my desk right now. Most are generic, but the Hampton Inns identify the state and there are some colorful ones from Marriott. Maybe when I have enough, I will create a collage or something.

The Pen in HK, the GHHK, and the MO in BKK (except the rooms in the Author's wing) have this kind of key. When you insert it, a light turns green from red, and then you can turn the key and open the door.

Speaking of key collections, my uncle not only collected them, he would nail the keys to his bedroom wall. This was a long time ago, in the 60's, when keys (actual keys, not key cards) came with all kinds of funky keytags full of character and unique to a given hotel. The first keycard I ever saw was at the Orlando Hyatt in 1972. It blew my mind, the concept was so cool, with the perforations being different for each key.

I have heard of bell staff who retain an assortment of room keys for sentimental reasons.

Yep, that was me, and what is boring to you and I can still make my son smile! Thanks again for sending them... ^

I used to bring back keys for a friend that 'collected them'. Thought it was rather odd, but eventually found out that he was really going to places like Vegas, staying at some fleabag hotel & using the 'collection' to flash at the attendant at the better hotels to get access to the pool. He also used it for the the free breakfasts @ the Embassy Suites. Thought that was really cheesy and I never bring back cards anymore.

Airline spoons anyone?
 

I inadvertantly started a collection, and now can't seem to stop.
Makes for great conversation when Having tea or coffee at my place...
Anyone else?