OK, so from the way it sounds, if I ever wanted to make a career change consistent with my username, I could probably make a living in Europe by dressing nicely and asking for room keys. I could probably even make it foolproof with an accomplice and a pair of cell phones.
Note to Mods: I am not actually contemplating turning to a life of crime, and I’m sure we’re all missing something on how hotels keep burglars out of rooms.
And Joey P, when using Fawlty Towers as a “prime example”, I meant a “prime example of a remarkably stupid way to run a hotel”. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it
Yup, that’s the way it works. You take a newspaper, and put money in the box. These boxes are everywhere, not just at hotels. (You find them at train stations, busy intersections, outside newsagents(!).)
(Admittedly it’s not very easy to actually steal the money, as there is only a small slit for coins. But there’s nothing (except your conscience) to stop you from taking a paper without paying.)
I had to do this in Paris a couple years ago. The desk attendants were there 24 hours, so it really wasn’t a bother to go in or out, and they also asked my name when I walked in, in addition to my room number.
I stayed in a hotel in Switzerland recently which functioned with an even lower level of room security. The hotel had about 60 rooms. Under the front desk was a bay of boxes - one for each room. As you left in the morning you were supposed to put your key in the numbered box. When you came back you took your key from the same box. No input from the desk person. Which is probably just as well, as often there was no one about.
