Have you ever stayed in a hotel that requires you to insert your room key into a slot to keep the lights on? Guess what? You can keep the lights on without your room key!
It’s common among budget to mid-tier hotels in Europe to have a little slot next to your hotel room door. The purpose of said slot is to allow you to keep the lights on only when a room key is in the slot. And this, of course, means you’ll only have the lights on when you’re in your room. It’s a power-saving measure that serves a purpose and usually isn’t that big a deal. But what if you wanted to charge something while not in your room? Some places cut electrical power completely when a card isn’t in the slot. Well, according to the folks at Lifehacker, you don’t need to have your room key in the slot at all.
Keeping the Lights on Sans the Room Key
In a recent blog post, Lifehacker states that you can use literally any card in place of your room key. I’m not sure why I never thought of this before, but it makes sense. It’s not like the hotel would spend money to have a magstripe reader (or RFID reader) in the slot to ensure that’s your room key in there. For all it matters, you could use your Safeway Club Card or Dave & Busters Power Card to keep the lights on in your room.
Keep the Lights on Without Your Room Key, Final Thoughts
If you haven’t encountered this type of electrical lockout before, don’t be too surprised. This feature, while common in Europe, isn’t all that common in the U.S. At least not yet, and in my opinion, it may never become common here. This is especially true as brands like Marriott move towards different methods of entry, like using your smartphone as a room key.
You know what is becoming more common, at least here in Hawaii? A sensor that shuts off your HVAC if the sliding door to your balcony is open. I get it, leaving your AC on when you don’t need it is a waste, but sometimes you want the AC on and the door open. Especially when you have a lovely ocean view and the room doesn’t have a fan or something? Then there was the worst hotel room I had in Hawaii that had a little wall-mount unit that they leave off (fridge too) so when you walk in the room is a sauna. Never again.
“It’s not like the hotel would spend money to have a magstripe reader (or RFID reader) in the slot to ensure that’s your room key in there. ”
This isn’t necessarily true anymore. I’m finding more and more in SE Asia that an actual room key must be inserted…the old trick of just using a business card or what-not does not work.
Interesting. Good to know, Frank! Thanks for the info. I’m surprised they’d spend the money to do this.
We were recently on an MSC cruise and they had this setup for the cabins on board. We just used an old hotel key that was at the bottom of our bag, only issue was that when a key was in the slot a small light would turn on above the door. Our cabin steward was a little confused the first day or so as he thought we were never leaving the room.
That’s interesting. I wouldn’t think cruise ships would have this kind of system too. Especially since power is generated from the propulsion system.
I first hit on this trick five years ago on an August vacation in Crete. It was hot, as you might expect, and I tried an old hotel key card that worked wonderfully to keep the a/c working while my wife and I were out. Hopefully, this system will continue.
This. Places like this irritate me and being able to do this is important!
Your information is very dated. This is an old trick but. Hotels and cruise ships have gotten wise and many now require the actual valid key card. Not sure what the ships will do as the new disney style bracelets come on line. The generic mag stripe cards are style useful for the card safes though.
Yup, it sure is. I’m actually surprised that hotels and ships would make that kind of investment, as I’m sure having the mag stripe reader in there is quite a bit more expensive than not. That’s what I wonder about too, though. Those bracelets, smartphones replacing room keys, etc. Hopefully, it won’t be the use of motion-sensors, because that wouldn’t work very well at night.
Ever thought to ask the hotel for a second key? This even works when you are alone. I found this slot in some hotels and there was already a keycard inserted when I entered the room. You can also use a piece of paper of the in-room notepad and cut or rip it to size and fold it to make it thicker if it doesn’t sense the actual key. But all that fuzz for nothing. I think its easiest to just ask for a second key. Nobody ever denied that request…
That doesn’t always work, as Nitro has experienced. Plus, I do always ask for two keys, as Mrs. Island Miler is usually with me. And if we both exit the room separately, we’ll need a third key, which isn’t so easy to obtain.
I’ve been denied a second card key in some Southeast Asia hotels.
Yes, always carry a hotel key (card) with me on EU and Asia travel for just this purpose.